to think this woman kicks ass!

[littlepigshavebigears]

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

The point about expressing was in relation to paid work. Some people didn't realise that you can continue to fully bf while leaving your baby to go to work. Obviously a voluntary role is entirely different and in this case the woman chose to bring her child

violethill - why do you think a voluntary role is different? A member of our school's PA Board breastfed during a recent meeting (at the Board table). Her credibility plummeted big time.

If people volunteer, they need to be able to participate in the activity they volunteered for, not jiggle a baby in the background while everyone waits for their contribution. Lots of volunteers are working people who are forfeiting earnings to volunteer. Their time is money.

I am so shocked about your post Bonsoir and happy that thus far I haven't encountered any such judgmental attitude (personally).

"they need to be able to participate in the activity they volunteered for, not jiggle a baby in the background while everyone waits for their contribution."

which is exactly the point Bonsoir. This lady WAS able to participate and do a very good job of it by all accounts, even though she was feeding her baby. hence the OP.

I think I know her! Or if not, someone just like her. Hero of a mum who fights against cuts and raises three under 3. Wish there were more like her!

"I would no more do that at a meeting than change a shitty nappy."

Well I suppose that is in line with those who think that babies should eat their dinner in disgusting public toilets just so that sensitive adults won't have to see their mother feeding them.

Imo a woman b/feeding anywhere should not be worthy of comment of any kind.

littlepigshavebigears

Do you mean confidence or ignorance? Someone should have had the courage to pull her up.

I was a little bit 'yeah, so what she feeds her baby' but the absurd responses on here make me realise maybe she was being a bit brave.

same here. Personally I've not encountered any discrimination for BFing. And as I mentioned earlier, at my SureStart centre I would've been able to take my DS in for a feed and nobody would've batted an eyelid.

They are desperate for BFing help at their centres, and I'm in the process of setting this up (I'm a peer supporter but we currently only work in other locations, we are awaiting permission from HVs...) - so it'd be a bit weird if they objected to me feeding my baby!

The way I see it, it'd be different if she'd got ridiculously flustered, forgot all her stuff or dropped it while arranging norks, or the baby had screamed and she'd got all embarrassed... but from what I can tell, this didn't happen. She was just feeding the baby in a low key way and maintained her focus. What's the problem?

Oh wait, she couldn't pick up a file - so fucking what?

I am in awe of this ladies ability to be on top of everything. She was able to attend to herself before the meeting (she was well dressed/groomed), her baby and those she was having a meeting with. I have postit notes everywhere to remind me of everything from my name to basic tax information. I am in awe of anyone who is able to properly multitask.

Want2bSupermum

Really? Heres me thinkin she was just an ignorant attention seeking c^nt.

That's interesting StayFrosty.

It is strange how people can be put off by BFing (in public) and accept/encourage the objectification/overtly sexual portrayal of women.

A woman bf her baby in the middle of a meeting? 'Big wow' and whoopy doo. Hardly kicking ass, she fed her baby, end of!

I don't think her actions were attention seeking. Her baby needed feeding so she fed the baby. She was able to hold herself together to attend the meeting and her baby at the same time. I admire people who can do that, regardless of this possibly being a one off, her having an army of nannies at home and a bank account with more money in it than Bill Gates. I also think we should admire people who donate their time and energy to public service for no cost rather then call them attention seeking bleeps.

I'm with OP. How wonderful the govener did it so matter of factly. And yes breast feeding should just be a normal thing that we just get on with even in public - it is not disgusting at all. I've been taking my small baby everywhere with me including. he just lies there and i quietly feed him from time to time. no intention of giving him formula or going through the faff of expressing. I'm very shocked at the level of negativity in this post but then breast feeding women are in the minority.

I feed my 18 month old during meetings for my paid job every week. They are after the working day, conference calls to collaborators in the UK and the US, and he is normally attached to me whilst I'm on the call. It stops him from joining in with the conversation :o

and I would agree that this woman kicks arse - good on her :) a man feeding a baby at a meeting like that (say his childcare was cancelled at the last minute, and he turned up, child and bottle in tow) would be gushed over and called a lovely dad, so don't see why the same wouldn't be said of a woman feeding her child.

I've been interested to read this as I'm ebf my 11 week old and return to work next week as chief exec of a large charity. During my maternity leave I've had to attend several meetings, corporate boardroom type ones, and my son has come with me, including one where I was negotiating a £4million contract. As it happens I didn't bf during the meetings, but would have done if my son had demanded it, instead he slept through them. Breastfeeding doesn't require any use of braincells - I am more than capable of fully participating in a meeting / conversation / conference call / writing a report etc whilst feeding. I wouldn't bf in a meeting to make a point, equally I wouldn't bf in a meeting where either I or others would be distracted by it, but I also wouldn't send apologies to a meeting just because I may need to feed during it. I fully appreciate other points of view on this matter and have discussed it with my staff, and partners with whom my charity works - the majority of people I have spoken to are positive about it, but then that probably says more about the sector in which I work than anything else. To say its unprofessional is a bit harsh - I'm professional enough to be able to assess the appropriateness or otherwise of having my son in a meeting with me. I am organised, do have childcare (my dh) and I do express in order that dh can give a night feed - and my desire to continue to bf once i return to work doesn't mean i'm unprofessional or disorganised - my dh and I will manage (the fact I live less than 5 minutes from my work will obviously help). I don't feel the need to compromise the care for my son in order to do my job effectively, and I don't feel the need to compromise doing my job effectively in order to care for my son. And I am confident that none of my colleagues would find me any less professional than before I had my son, if anything it makes me more human and less of the hard nosed professional that I have been seen to be in the past.

Agree with OP. Why should that woman's contribution stop because she has a baby.

I did voluntary work when both my children were babies. On at least 1 occasion, this involved delivering some training to a grp of teenagers with a baby in a sling. Noone minded or complained. There were other things i opted out of though but meetings weren't one of them .