AIBU?
to think this woman kicks ass!
littlepigshavebigears · 31/03/2011 19:00
went to meeting of Core Offer Monitoring Group at local children's centre (like a governing body)
one of my fellow parent governors was there, she is chair of one of the committees and there was an Ofsted bod in there asking questions
this mum turned up dressed to kill, looking gorgeous, breastfed her 8mo ds in front of a roomful of people (most of them suits) without turning a hair while talking about the information the )Ofsted bloke wanted - at one point she said "Oh yes, the figures you want are in that black file to my left, if somebody could just pass it to you as I am feeding the baby"
I wish I had had that much confidence when mine were little 
LindyHemming · 31/03/2011 19:05
This reply has been deleted
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littlepigshavebigears · 31/03/2011 19:08
I suppose I thought people would be chuffed that a mother was able to fulfil her baby's needs without missing out on her other obligations and what was important in her life apart from the baby? I found it very heartening and think life would be a whole lot better if mothers didn't feel that they had to cut themselves into slices in order to be taken seriously
changing a shitty nappy? yep, I'm 
thisisyesterday · 31/03/2011 19:16
oh ffs, she is a parent governor.
you can't be unprofessional when it isn't your profession can you?
she has a small baby, it needed feeding
i wouldn't have left my breastfed babies at that age either. so good for her for feeling she could do it. clearly no-one else there had a problem with it either, so good for them as well!
LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726 · 31/03/2011 19:18
I can imagine that it was distracting, not because there's anything wrong with it, but during a presentation is hardly an opportune time in my opinion. As a professional woman I would think that this lady's planning was lacking. It is possible to attend meetings and make other arrangements for breast milk to be available.
Would you be as impressed to see a father FF his child during a meeting? Like it or not, whether you are paid or not, a meeting is not a place for a baby and every instance like this makes me think that the stereotyping of a woman's place is being hammered home. 
wineclub · 31/03/2011 19:21
My boss used to bf during meetings sometimes. I never found her to be unprofessional. She was fairly senior in a FTSE 100 company, I think she was the most senior woman iirc.
Its totally different to a man ff. We did have a man who used to bring his dog in . Thats not quite the same either.
Thinking back its probably because she only took a few weeks ML.
NoPinkPlease · 31/03/2011 19:25
I'm with the OP - great to normalise bf in situations like that. Otherwise mums with 8 month old babies who bf on demand can't participate in as many ways in society.
Last week I went for a keeping-in-touch day at work with my 5 month old. Good for me and the business to be there - I bf in the meeting - right now, we come as a package. Why not?
When I go back to work, there'll be childcare in place...
worraliberty · 31/03/2011 19:26
Governors are Governors and parents or not they have to be professional. It doesn't matter if they don't get paid...this does not make anything less formal.
My 'comparison' to a shitty nappy simply means I wouldn't exactly jump up and down clapping if this governor had to change a nappy during a meeting...nor would I jump up and down if she had to breast or bottle feed her baby.
I would however be a little surprised that she attended the meeting with the child as normally I would not expect to see a baby at a meeting incase it disrupted it.
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