To think a sit down breast-feeding protest is a pointless and exhabitionist?

[WhiteTrash]

Totally prepared to be flamed for this.

Im from sunny Brighton and a post on facebook recently did the rounds regarding one women breastfeeding in a cafe to be approached by several 70 year old women who told her she should have been more descreet.

Yes they're out of line.

Next day theres posts going round about a sit down breastfeeding protest in town that Id been invited to.

My first thought was why?! I come from a very open minded, accepting, earth-mother (aka middle class hippies)ish town. To have a sit down breastfeeding protest is purely exhabitionist 'look at me! Im breastfeeding, in your face- ACCEPT ME. SEE ME.' bullshit.

I feel I (we) make far more a point by simple breastfeeding 'normally' around town as and when we need to. Why the need to get a group. Of women together for boob time?

[Hullygully]

Well why not wear a hula skirt and hula hula then?

[5318hoho8]

do YOU think that a mother BF in public is exhibitionist?

[OpinionatedMum]

YABU

It's not acceptable to be harrassed about breastfeeding. They are right to protest and annoy the prudes.

[Serenitysutton]

I don't know how that is a protest about those elderly ladies (who prob don't exist- they never seem to when alls said and done)

[baubleybobbityhat]

Its always Brighton isn't it?

[SuePurblybiltbyElves]

elderly ladies don't exist? Excellent, that will make getting a seat on the bus much easier

[CarefullyAirbrushedPotato]

I don't think several women breastfeeding in public is any more exhibitionist than one woman breastfeeding in public.
People need to get over themselves.

[DamnYouAutocorrect]

Think the use of 'exhibitionist' in your OP displays some dodgy attitudes that you may not even be aware of. What does 'exhibitionist' even MEAN in the context of bf??

As to 'why the need to get a group of women together...' - probably because there are plenty of women out there who feel very unsure about bfing in public and need the moral support. I know Brighton pretty well and bf'd my babies there, and felt uncomfortable at times. just cos it's a hippy town (in some pretty well-defined central areas) doesn't mean it's universally accepting IME.

[Serenitysutton]

Ho ho ho

[GypsyMoth]

How did they know the group of women were ALL 70??!

[ApocalypseCheeseToastie]

Meh, I managed to breastfeed for over a year in a shitty town without any hassle.

Never felt the need to drape my boobs everywhere, nor did I hide in the loos.

[LovesBloominChristmas]

Yabu

[LovesBloominChristmas]

Btw I've had positive comments from little old ladies.

[LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726]

Agree wiith you, OP. Making a point doesn't really do much for the cause. It's just a retaliation. Women being rude to other rude women...

[GreenIceAndChristmasHam]

Perhaps they were quintuplets, all wearing "Happy 70th Birthday" badges

[ahhyesiseeyouvepooedonyourfoot]

green
YABU OP

[unfitmother]

YABU

[DamnYouAutocorrect]

Talking about 'exhibitionism' and 'draping your boobs everywhere', in the context of mothers talking about other mothers, is so bleeding mean-spirited and disappointing. And yes, a bit uptight.

[MillyR]

I am very self absorbed and I have never had negative experiences of breast feeding in public, Lequeen.

So OP, your point is that you think that these women are collectively breastfeeding in public, not to make a political point as they claim, but to experience sexual arousal by exposing their breasts to the general public?

It sounds rather implausible to me.

[MrsChemist]

Surely the best protest is to simply continue to feed in public without comment.

It normalises it.

[Get0rf]

I lovedt he little old ladies when I BF in public, all I seemed to get were nice ladies nodding and smiling in approval.

[Serenitysutton]

The thing is, what is the protest about? I think sometimes, tbh, women who organise things like this don't get as much attention as they want so kind of self create it. I've known women express disappointment that noone ever challenged them or made negative comments, because they had their clever responses "all rehersed and ready to go" I get the impression they gt quite surprised when try realise noone is actually looking at them or caring what their up to, and maybe it makes them realise they aren't quite as important to other poeple as they thought. Then hurrah, it happens to someone else and we can all go off and do a mass protest (against?...)

The unfortunate thing is recently it's been proven time and time ago the incidents triggering the protest never happened (possibly by women so very disappointed to not be challenged they end up making it up) people don't take it seriously anymore as a protest or anything else, so they seem attention seeking and pointless.

[WhiteTrash]

Me too Serentiy. Several of the comments on the invite said 'I wish I was approached, I knew exactly what Id say.'

And as for the sexual link to them getting their breasts out.... How?!