To Ask what is the Point of NHS policy to get more Mums BF if women who are doing it are still being embarrased in public?

[BeyondRepair]

What is the point? There is no joined up thinking?

Wasting money on literature, groups, advisors, help lines, and so on, and yet when the mum goes out and about and does it, she is still allowed by our laws to be embarrassed or shamed into stopping by being asked to move or cover up or stop?

As far as I am aware DC has never publicly spoken out about it?

Now Farage is wading into Claridges row?
Does the law uphold the right to BF or not?

Is it an empty useless piece of rubbish?

Does the government want us to BF or not? It came out today how much the NHS could save if more mothers BF?

I want clear government support or it should forget about it. New mothers are already nervous about trying it, faffing roud until you get the hang of it, are we going to support them or not?

I want the government to do more to support them if they want it.

[smokinggnu]

If more women breastfed then more young women might start to see it as 'normal' thus encouraging future numbers (I though the longer view was the point).

[Annunziata]

YABU, the government need to provide decent care and support if they want to support breastfeeding, not arse about with statements... what's a statement anyway, just hot air.

[JackieOLantern]

It's the usual story for women:

Work and have a career or you're a lazy sponger but don't put your kids in childcare or they'll be psychologically damaged for life!

'Lean in' to your career but do all that invisible wife work behind the scenes too - without complaint or else you're a nag!

Be one of those 'cool girls' who eats and drinks whatever she likes - but don't get fat doing it!

And... breastfeed your baby as breast is best but don't embarrass everyone by doing it in public!

Women are just supposed to figure this stuff out somehow and not inconvenience the male mainstream by pointing out the hypocrisy involved.

[RedToothBrush]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-30327780 Worth linking to the other story of the day that isn't getting the headlines

[Icimoi]

To be fair, our laws don't allow mums to be embarrassed or shamed if they breastfeed in public. The problem, as Quiets says, is that the law doesn't really have that much by way of teeth given that the onus is on the woman concerned to take action through the courts if she wants to. What would be good would be if something like the Equality and Human Rights Commission would take up a couple of high profile cases and hit organisations like Claridges financially as well as publicly.

[Andrewofgg]

If the Commission sue Claridges they will get more publicity through their abject apology and it will be good publicity.

OP The law cannot stop individuals (of both sexes) from being arseholes or making twats of themselves by what they say.

[tobysmum77]

YABU I think much bigger than the NHS why should any mother, however she is feeding her baby, feel uncomfortable in public? It's appalling.

Would it be any different if breastfeeding was just equal to formula feeding?

[TheRealAmandaClarke]

Jackieolantern
Absolutely agree. You are so right.

[hackmum]

I do agree with you, OP, though I'm not really sure what the government could do.

There is so much ignorance about breastfeeding. For breast-feeding to work, you really need to be able to feed on demand - if your baby cries, you feed it. You don't want to be shunted off into a toilet, or faff around with breast pumps and bottles because other people are made "uncomfortable" by you breastfeeding.

I think it's one of those circular things - the more we see women doing it in public, the more women will be encouraged to do it. I sometimes think that television series could do more to make it normal, by including bf women in storylines.

[ClaudetteWyms]

JackieOLantern has it spot on, sadly.

I agree with you OP.

[youareallbonkers]

The point of the NHS policy is that vast sums of money could be saved if more women breastfed for longer. It is not the NHS's fault that shops etc object to it.

[Nerf]

It's really weird how people don't breastfeed in Britain. I just don't get why it's seen as weird or unusual or odd. We are so fucked up in our thinking about female bodies.

[BeyondRepair]

The Department of Health said it was "absolutely crucial" that new mothers received the support they needed


Funny what is the point of help at source if in the wider community women can be shamed and asked to cover up.

What is the rule in Scotland?

youareallbonkers Fri 05-Dec-14 17:37:52


Yes but the NHS is run by the Gov, and the Gov has no real law in place to protect BF women, as the claridges case proves.

[RedToothBrush]

The thing that's got me is Farage has not improved what he's said by putting out a statement to clarify what he said and has now said its a question of good manners!!!

[Dazedconfused]

i think I read it on here earlier someone saying that of course new mums want to be as discrete as possible it is not likely the mum wants to show off boobs and tummy in public but babies don't know (not saying they have to be btw i am a breast feeding mum at the moment I will feed my baby when she is hungry wherever I am)

I have to say I have never seen a woman sitting with her top off feeding her baby in public....generally don't notice women feeding (in fact only notice now because is look of recognition)

[BeyondRepair]

Its a question of good manners to look away FFS.

[milkpudding]

There is a nurse in protest tomorrow outside Claridges at 2pm. The group Free to Feed is organising (see their Facebook for more info). Everyone is welcome, not just people breastfeeding.

[Wonderingpondering]

As we all know breasts are made to feed babies but some people feel uncomfortable or repulsed by this. It just goes to show that as a society we live in a strange bubble where anything that makes us human is seen as disgusting and abject.


What else does 'polite' society not wish to see?

Disabled people
The elderly
Gay and lesbian people
The poor
Sick people
Death
Wilderness (unless presented by David Attenborough on BBC)
Where the meat we eat comes from
Where the cheap goods we buy come from and how they were made / who made them
...

Strange world.

To increase bf initiating and continuation rates a range of things have to happen. There has to be funding for extensive bf support so that people who wish to bf can access support as and when they need it.

Also, peer support schemes have shown to be quite successful.
nhfshare.heartforum.org.uk/RMAssets/OLC_Resources/BF_peer_support_final_report_March_2012.pdf

Seeing women bf in public is important as we get used to what we see regularity. The more mothers feed when out and about, the more normalised bf becomes.

There has been such a tsunami of negative responses in the media about bf mothers recently (remember Emily Slough) and I think either we in the uk will just stop bf as it is seen as culturally unacceptable or there will be some massive change in how bf is promoted by the NHS and public health England / DOH. I really hope it's the latter.

Des anyone know of any research looking at why bf seems less culturally acceptable in Britain than in Sweden, Australia Germany etc?

I wonder if people's views on bf would change if the NHS was not free at the point of use. Maybe bf would be seen as saving people actual money (other than not having to buy formula).

[Wonderingpondering]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-30342953

I couldn't agree more with what Louise Burns says in this interview and really admire her for how composed and well spoken she is whilst bf her baby at the same time!!!! Kudos!!!

[Wonderingpondering]

Oh, just saw that there is a quote by Justine at the bottom of that article.

"Justine Roberts, chief executive of the Mumsnet website said: "It's bemusing that some people have a problem seeing mums breastfeeding."

[youareallbonkers]

So what are you saying? That because a few places discourage it women shouldn't bother?

[hiddenhome]

I had to quit breastfeeding because I just couldn't figure out how to do it whilst out. I have big boobs which were even bigger after I'd had ds and the latch was a bit of a struggle I was just too embarrassed and uncomfortable. I didn't want anyone staring at me and I felt vulnerable and horrible

[Janethegirl]

I breastfed both of my dc and I never showed any flesh. I think the current issue is due to people being less than discrete as 'some' seem to want to make it an issue.

And I breastfed in many restaurants and cafés with no issues. The only problem was when dd (6 weeks old) managed to knock over a pint of beer ( not being fed at the time) and we were kicked out of the pub.

Unfortunately some mums are not sensitive to their location and do not wear appropriate clothing to enable discrete bf practices. (Awaiting flaming ).

[Wonderingpondering]

jane this video comes to mind reading your comment. Posted by another mnetter earlier on a similar thread.