Breastfeeding in Public is Difficult
A recent survey of 3500 breastfeeding mothers in the United Kingdom has shown that most breastfeeding mothers have had problems feeding their babies in public, due to the reactions of others. Over one third of mothers prefer to feed their babies in public toilets and a fifth will leave the baby crying rather than stop to feed him in public. Over half of the mothers have experienced unwanted attention and 12% have been asked to stop feeding. In fact, 14% have had an argument with someone who wanted them to stop. One third of the mothers feel that they have to bottlefeed their child (often with expressed milk), rather than feed in public.
In an environment where we are supposedly encouraged to breastfeed this is absolutely ridiculous and quite worrying. In new mothers, where they are still struggling to get to grips with breastfeeding any way, this is enough to change their minds completely. Presumably complaints against breastfeeding are greater as the child gets older. It can be very hard to tell whether a baby is being fed or just cuddled, but feeding a two year old may be both harder to hide and more disapproved of. Whilst there are various techniques for hiding the fact that you are breastfeeding, it shouldn?t be necessary. I suspect that many of us often walk past nursing mothers without even realizing.
When I first read this article, I assumed that it was due to us Brits being somewhat reserved, I was quite surprised to find that the problems are the same in America and Australia.
In America there is a national goal that 75% of babies are breastfed by the year 2010, which isn?t very long now. If this is to happen it is essential that it is acceptable to feed in public.
In Australia, breastfeeding mothers can claim under anti-discrimination laws. However, there is still a lot of prejudice even here and mothers are still asked to leave or to stop feeding when they are in public places.
Hopefully, this is another one of those issues, that if everybody does their little bit it will slowly become more acceptable and recognized as the norm and it is essential to remember that as mothers our prime responsibility is to our children, not to some passer by who doesn?t like what we are doing.
Further Information
Breastfeeding in Whose Public?
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Melissa Haynie says...
As a breast feeding mother I can say that I totally relate to the study. As a matter of fact I try really hard to always have expressed milk if I am going out with my daughter. It is sad but true. I love feeding my baby so I just don’t go out much. We are homebodies and probably will stay that way until she is weaned or at least eats less frequently.
E.Geiss says...
I nursed my son until 15 mos. (child-led weaning) and he nursed where ever and he needed to. My feeling was that as long as I was being discrete, whose business was it? (Especially since there is nothing illegal or unnatural about it. What *is* illegal is for people to insist that you leave or go to the bathroom to nurse your child.) I refused to nurse in a bathroom–would any adult eat their lunch in a toilet–and a public one at that? My feeling about it is if I can watch someone scarf down a Big Mac, my child should be able to eat his food under his blanket, under my shirt, or in his sling with the same freedom. I think that it’s only “difficult” if as nursing mamas we let it be difficult. There are so many ways to NIP discretely and without being imprisoned in the bathroom.
mrshekmi says...
Who are arguing with these women? I just don’t know under what circumstances this could happen. I have nursed very obviously under a nursing blanket with a squirming baby and I’ve gotten nothing negative in airports, in the park, in a restaurant….i’m just baffled who these arguing people are.
Sheryl says...
This is such a tragic story but far too common unfortunately. The only way women are not going to be “made to feel uncomfortable” is to not “let” idiots make them uncomfortable. When women reach that point where they are so convinced of the value of breastfeeding, they simply do not care what other people think any longer. It is a very liberating point to get to.