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?

I am from the same place and do see your point regarding the necessity of this protest in such a liberal city but as someone pointed out that is in very specific parts. Indeed, my DD is 8 months and breastfeed but I still feel a bit awkward. It is still not a normalised to the point of people not batting an eyelid. I've never had anyone tell me that I wasn't being discreet.but I have had 2 experiences of men glaring at them!

Whether it's Brighton or the Northernmost one horse town in the back end of beyond you cannot legislate against people having a crafty stare - absurd to assume otherwise. And actually - wherever you are - precious protesting like this does nothing to further whatever cause you perceive that you have. Just bloody breastfeed and get on with it - it's nobody's business but your own is it?

I think that everyone just breastfeeding normally is much the best idea so agree with OP.You have the right so don't need to pay any attention to people is cafes. I wouldn't go on a group protest-they tend to be organised by fanatics with their own agenda.

yabu. protest is fun! What harm will it do? Even if it WAS made up, maybe it will encourage more timid women to feel more happy bfeeding. If nothing else it will be a nice outing for those involved.

And what of the formula feeders who get comments/glares from those who think they "should" be breastfeeding? Will they protest too?

I love it.

One mad old bat makes a comment and the result is a protest.

I'm moving to Brighton. And when I'm old I'll see what mischief I can make.

BF is normal and should be encouraged EVEN in public.
But I have to draw the line at having an exhibitionists titathon.

What Damnyouautocorrect said. Ds even as a tiny baby would never put up with a muslin dangling near his head. It would make him arch and pull off and scream even more until he could grab it. So its not possible for everyone to feed ultra discretely. Threads like this with all you discrete feeders always make me feel like an exhibitionist for just feeding him.

If you HAVE to do something discreetly that means it is considered unacceptable in public.

After all people don't have to face a wall and hide under a shawl to eat a Greggs sausage roll, or eat one in the toilet or in a designated Greggs cubicle.

:o Unless they're an MN-er

"hide under a shawl to eat a Greggs sausage roll"

it's a great idea, most people are to embarassed to breastfeed in public, so doing it together means doing it at all.

I recieved negative comments for it, only a few. But those few knock your confidence massively.
And having a crying baby you're too embarassed to feed is a fucking pity, that is a real shame on society.

I'm considering stripping off from the waist up completely when breastfeeding my next baby just to give people something to really bitch about, because I quite angry that I was made to feel so embarrased as a new young mums those years ago due to idiots, when I was desperately trying to be discreet. Even with a baby getting fussy puching the top back up repeatedly.

So why not just wop them out completely next time.

Whose the most important person here? the baby.

Watch me.

I breastfed my dd for 14 months until she self weaned. I fully support breastfeeding. I think that a sit in like this sends out the wrong message. I breastfeed my dd to feed her, not to make a point. Creating a show out of breastfeeding is completely counter productive IMHO.

hahaha @ honeydragon

I breastfed out side of the mother and baby rooms,
as if I was to duddle and bond with my baby right next to a shit bin, packed up to the rim with dirty nappies that many people don't even wrap in nappy bags first, no thanks

In short YANBU!

what is wrong with my keyboard?

(correction) 'as if I want to cuddle and bond with....'

OP, you mention how there can be a sexual link to people getting their breasts out. Presumably you are the one who should be explaining that as you are the person describing people collectively breast feeding as exhibitionistic.

Here's the wiki link in case you are unaware of the connotations of the word you have chosen to use:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exhibitionism

Yabu

It is Brighton. I'll say no more because I might be covering it.

it's a great idea, most people are to embarassed to breastfeed in public, so doing it together means doing it at all

I don't think that this it at all true.I fed anywhere and everywhere and never had a detrimental comment. There was no way that I would have been prepared to do a mass breastfeed and get used by those with their own agenda.
One ignorant, elderly woman made a comment-I expect the next 10 would have been supportive. Take no notice and carry on.

When DS was a baby I'd have loved a disapproving glance from an old lady but bf was a total disaster - I felt the disapproving stares from all the yummy mummies watching me give him a bottle and tried not to feed him in public because I felt so ashamed . Still hurts and he's almost 17!

They did one in my local cafe that was good because the owner had asked someone to stop feeding

That has a point, a cafe owner should have known better. But having a feed-in because a random group of people tutted (and even then, complained about the discretion rather than the act per se, from what the OP said) is a bit OTT. Its making an issue about something that should just be got on with as naturally as possible.

Have to say I never had a problem BFIP oop North!

The protest sounds awful. I BF for what many would consider a long-time and the thing that embarrassed me the most about BFing in 'public' (I always covered up and had no negatives comments at all) was being thought of as one of 'those BFing mothers' - cringeworthy. I saw a lady BFing whilst sitting in a very crowded picnic area at Longleat a few years back (I was BFing, too) - she had her entire breast out. No need for it at all - just making a massive fuss and show for the sake of it.

i've fed 3dc, 2 of them for over a year each, so have done an awful lot of b/feeding in public: in parks, at school sports day, in restaurants and cafes, and have never ever had any sort of remark, negative or otherwise, made to me about it.

i did a bit of artful arranging of muslins, one over my stomach since i was frankly more embarrassed about revealing my muffin top in public than my tits, and one in my hand to catch drips and give me a bit of privacy while i re-bra'd once dc had finished.

(i have had a few mad old ladies commenting on various aspects of my parenting, but i just shrugged them off as mad old ladies, which is what the OPs friend should have done)

yanbu its ironic that these bfers dont want bfing in public to be a big deal so what do they do???

Stupid and daft and just turns it into a joke. silly silly girls