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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask you all to boycott this establishment

177 replies

thisisnoton · 30/08/2011 19:12

On BBC local news in NE tonight: sorry I'm too much of a luddite to link it.

Anyway, establishment is The Lakeside pub and restaurant in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear. A woman was told to leave whilst having a meal with her family for breastfeeding her 6 week old baby. She obviously stated that this was illegal, but they humiliated her by insisting she left.

OP posts:
BuckminsterFullerene · 30/08/2011 19:45

my child feeds every 2 hours or less, Fabby. What do you propose?

What a ridiculous suggestion.

ginmakesitallok · 30/08/2011 19:45

yes - you plan your life around your child - not around a load of people who are "offended" by seeing a baby being breastfed.

catgirl1976 · 30/08/2011 19:46

As a business what can you do? - erm abide by the law?

I also have no intention of planning my life around my child - my child will be fitting in with me. I certainly won't be fitting in around other peoples likes and dislikes or preferences. Fabby I am sorry you felt you had to fit in with other people like that.

hairylights · 30/08/2011 19:46

Yes you do fabby. If you want to you do, and the law allows for it. Grow up and get in the real world FFS.

Original poster
thisisnoton · 30/08/2011 19:46

And thus isn't my only post on MN, I just name changed. Some of you are so suspicious. This is a genuine story! And it's really pissing me off that I can't prove it at the minute, but I will.

OP posts:
catgirl1976 · 30/08/2011 19:46

If people didn't want to see tits when eating dinner, Hooters would go out of business :)

bubblesincoffee · 30/08/2011 19:47

If she was being discreet, then the pub was out of order. But pubs do have the right to have whoever they want on their premises (or at least that was how it was when I went into pubs a lot), and if they don't want someone flashing their boobs in their restaurant, so be it.

I'm not anti bf'ing at all by the way. Both mine were fed until 9 months each, and I will admit that with ds1, I never mastered the art of being completely discreet because he would fuss and pull off sometimes, leaving a flash of nipple for all to see. As happened in many places. Tescos, a bench in a shopping centre, etc etc.

I just think that I wouldn't have risked it when people were having a meal. The fact is, some people are offended by it. Rightly or wrongly, older generation, whatever. It's up to the landlord of a pub to decide if they would rather keep a bfing Mum happy, or the customer that is being made uncomfortable because of someone else happy.

FriggFRIGG · 30/08/2011 19:47

rogersmellyonthetelly GOOD FOR YOU!Grin
i tend to get all anxious and irate in those situations,ive been dreading getting into a similar situation,but thankfully,in the 3 years ive been BFing,i have never bumped into Fabby or her like,in fact ive met far more people who are actively encouraging.Smile

hairfullofsnakes · 30/08/2011 19:47

Once again we have the usual fools spouting their absolute rubbish (yes fabbychic I am thinking of you). Do you actually have any experience of breastfeeding as if I remember rightly you did not bf? Women who bf are quite discreet about offering their baby breastmilk and it is just so sad that their are ignorant people like you who feel
The need to always turn up on bf threads and shout stupid messages. The fact is that babies need breastmilk little
And often and it is against the law to do what they did. And, babies who are bf in restaurants are also eating (I mean bloody hell, do you really need someone to point that out?) and what they are having is an amazing nutritious meal. Thanks god that the idiotic way you think is not the norm. This is aimed at fabbychic and bubblesincoffee by the way

worraliberty · 30/08/2011 19:48

Catgirl You beat me to it Angry

BimboNo5 · 30/08/2011 19:48

Fabby im amazed on the Hooters thread you were perfectly happy for women to go round flaunting their tits to amuse male diners- yet object to a breast being seen for its natural purpose? Are you sure you aren't a man?

MugglesandLuna · 30/08/2011 19:49

Fabby, you do have some odd opinions.

MissVerinder · 30/08/2011 19:49

Hey, Fabby I liked to breast feed DD in restaurants that contained the highest contingent of Daily Mail readers, baby boomers and cats-bum-mouths possible.

I always ensured my boobs were on full view in all their leaky glory, because, as a new mum, I really wanted everyone to see my Twilightesque veiny bulbous tits drooping about in my ceasar salad.

DirtyMartini · 30/08/2011 19:49

The woman getting hassle for feeding her baby is also 'a customer being made uncomfortable by someone else'

worraliberty · 30/08/2011 19:50

And thus isn't my only post on MN, I just name changed. Some of you are so suspicious. This is a genuine story! And it's really pissing me off that I can't prove it at the minute, but I will

Ok calm down Grin

Firstly, I don't know why you name changed unless you were the woman in queston Lol.

Secondly, I'm just saying you're asking people to boycott a restaurant in your local area, purely on your say so....because we have nothing else to go on at the moment.

catgirl1976 · 30/08/2011 19:50

:) mind you worra - I don't want to start that again!

FabbyChic · 30/08/2011 19:50

Im speaking for those other patrons who complained, the majority of the peolple in that restaurant were offended, they didn't want to eat their dinner and be able to see a tit.

It wouldn't bother me, but Im sick of these boards being all one sided, so generally whether it's what I think or agree with or not I will go on the side of the underdog.

Someone has to be the voice of reason or at least put forward the other side.

Just because you have no problem flopping it out to breastfeed does not mean that the patrons want to see it.

Oh and if your baby feeds every 2 hours they are not getting enough food.

GeekLove · 30/08/2011 19:51

Ive always just got on with Feeding my child wherever I am since it is what you do. I just assume that no-one will be bothered and so far it is true. I haven't had anyone comment and it is not that there is much on show and a quiescent feeding baby is preferable to a crying one. Also why should a baby not eat when others are?
People seem to be actively wanting to be offended by a BFing woman in a public place.

MumblingRagDoll · 30/08/2011 19:51

can I ask what people think of what I saw? I saw a teenage girl feeding her baby on a bench in a town centre.....nice and healthy... whatever....but she had both breasts hanging out of her top. Baby was feeding from one and the other was just sitting there, totally out of her vest top and she was alone which made her look somehow vulnerable.

I am totally pro public breastfeeding....slurp away kids....but for some reason that I can't fathom...ths young girl...no more than 16 tops, really had me uncomfortable. I glanced at her and then back because it's so unusual to see a big boob just out there for all to see....men were passing by and some were really getting an eyeful. Sad I have never seen a woman feed a baby like that at all. I wondered if she had forgotten to pop one boob away bt was too nervous to appoach her incase I seemed anti public bf.

sungirltan · 30/08/2011 19:51

i was dying for someone to challenge me when i fed dd. no one ever did so i'll have to save up my lecture for dc2.

bf will never offend me. ignorance, guilt and being offended for the sake of it do make me laugh though

Birdsgottafly · 30/08/2011 19:51

Fabby- life has changed since then and eating out has become more popular. The laws moved on. The same people may not want to see mixed marriages or gay adoptions, "what can you do", stuff them.

OP i think i've found the story.

pigletmania · 30/08/2011 19:51

Er fabby a baby, especially a newborn feeds very frequently, not in 3 hour slots, so you are going to be confined to the house until its weaned. life has to go on, and baby has to fit round it, if its hungry when out than either you bf or ff whats the matter with that. As I said when a women is bf you don't notice so whats there to get offended about Hmm.

redheadbedhead · 30/08/2011 19:51

Jesus christ I am amazed at some people on here - the amount of snidey bitchy vitriol that someone can pick up by posting something quite reasonable, and definitely valid and worthwhile is amazing!! Ignore the weirdo's like Fabby OP and keep caring about things that are important!

pigletmania · 30/08/2011 19:52

If you have other children, you are going to make them stay in because your baby might feed when its out Hmm

monal · 30/08/2011 19:52

Come on, tell us: what has that pub really done to you?