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 don't see why 'proud' comes into it. You are feeding a baby! Most people manage it with the minimum of fuss and no one even notices.

Well, yes, but some people do seem to be self-congratulatory about their ability or desire to feed discreetly. Which is fine unless they also sneer at women who "get their whole breast out". Well, so what if they do? When I'm at home, I do this because it's the easiest, least restrictive way to feed - minimum of fuss.

Why shouldn't we be able to feed like this - whole breast out - the most comfortable way in public? Why should the affected sensibilities of other people compel anyone to have to feed in a more awkward way? And yes, for some, fiddling with nursing openings, and ensuring only a millimetre of breast is revealed, god forbid that skin should be seen - is awkward!

I think that when you are out and about you act in a way that makes other people feel comfortable-in anything you are doing. It is nothing more than simple politeness.

There are lots of things that I do at home that I don't do when out. e.g. if on my own I might lick a plate-I don't in front of other people. We can't just do what we like, when we like and say 'to hell with other people'!

I always think-'ah great, LeQueen-that will liven things up'.
Whatever else it won't be yawn making.

So we have the 'Extraordinary Breastfeeding' thread where women are arguing over BF and FF. And then we have this thread where BFing women are arguing amonst themselves about feeding discreetly!

Women eh?!

The silly thing is that later on no one in the least cares, either way!

ooohh I was really worried about kelly's posts starting 'damnyou'....turns out it was a user name...

Did you know that you don't have the right to use a breast pump in public? Not sure if that's a loop hole or deliberate....pump can be more visually discrete than a baby but tends to be audible...

I never realised what a huuuge subject it was until I came on MN and the arguments it's caused.
My ds is doing his highers now, and I'm concentrating on making sure he works with the distractions of girls and the temptations of alcohol and drugs.
I'm/he's doing a great job so far.
Must have been because I breastfed for 3 weeks.

One thing is for sure -your DS won't even want to know how he was fed-and if you tell him about your 'trials and tribulations and mass protests' his eyes will glaze over and he will make a quick exit from the room!

Life would be wonderfully simple if you could just follow x,y and z and you produce a wonderfully healthy, emotional stable human being!

ARGHH panicking that I am missing something important....

LeQueen do tell what you think those things are?

I already have reading books and eating real food from the other discussion

how not who...gngngngg

Lequeen - I think you are a great poster but I think you have come across as a bit odd on this thread.

This is the second thread in as many days that I have seen you be very disparaging about BF.

I agree with you in many respects - motherhood is a long game, and soon BF ceases to matter. But - I shrug my shoulders a bit where BF is concerned because it is 16 years since I last BF a baby. However, at the time it was all consuming. I was very proud of the little BF I did at the time.

I think your comments that some people who are visibly proud of BF maybe the types who wear no makeup, or live in shitty houses, are very cruel. I don't understand why you would come on a thread to say such things. On other subjects on MN you come across as very intelligent and amusing - but some of your comments on BF are rather silly, imo.

Well said getorf. Very well said.

I have never seen anyone "flaunting" their norks whilst breastfeeding in public. Not Once. Ever. I never flaunted my own during the 20 months i demand-fed DS on public transport, in restaurants, pubs, wherever. It's not remotely difficult to avoid getting nekkid.

And I have never ever witnessed, or even heard of anecdotally, an utterly imaginary elderly woman tutting, glaring at, remonstrating with or "harrassing" ( ) a breastfeeding mother. Men, yes. Lots of times. Random men on trains and buses, cafe owners ejecting feeding mums etc etc, but NEVER another woman.

Lots of old ladies have come up and said "Well done!" or "Good for you, dear!" or "Ooh, how lovely!".

Like Victor Meldrew - I DON'T BELIEVE IT!

Can I just add that I really don't care if anyone shows their breasts either.
I. Just. Don't. Agree. with stupid demonstrations.

This is the second thread in as many days that I have seen you be very disparaging about BF.

I don't think that she has been the least disparaging about bfeeding-just some of the people who do it and make it into a huge deal.

But they're not making it into a big deal. It's not a big deal. It is feeding a baby. Oh I could rant on my soapbox for hours about this but the OP is BVVVVU. Feed your baby however you want. Babies need feeding. If you don't feel the need to discreetly drape a muslin cloth over an Avent bottle then you shouldn't feel the need to treat a baby feeding as though it's one of Michael Jackson's children. The more breasts lolling around with babies attached to them, the less idiotically puritanical and fetishistic people will become about breasts.

I'm not a BF militant. I'd defend any mother's right to bottle feed from birth for whatever reasons without a shred of guilt. What I loathe is the idea that breasts are dirty and need covering up, when they are out doing what they were designed for, feeding a baby. Anyone who is uncomfortable with this is accepting a lad-mag attitude that breasts are primarily for sexual pleasure and therefore inappropriate in public.

Off the soapbox now.

LeQueen, I name-change fairly regularly - wouldn't expect for a second for someone as important as you to recognise me. Heaven forfend.

I find your posts increasingly amusing in a laugh-at-you-rather-than-with-you sort of way, is all; you just cannot let an opportunity go by to bang on about how a-may-zing you are, in one way or another.

I suspect that had you succeeded in breastfeeding your opinions on the matter would be quite different. Because your way is always the only right way. And, I just think you look slightly ridiculous on this thread, coming on to say how utterly dull the topic is, and then opining on and on.

Bit disingenuous. Everyone else has acknowledged it to be a passably interesting topic for some time now, which is why these threads get so many hits. But of course, you have to maintain your highly amusing image of yourself as just too interesting for words.