are the places your not allowed to breast feed.

[ghostspirit]

am i being unreasonable to think i can breast feed anywhere. When i had my last child i breast fed every where in mcdonalds, at the bus stop on the bus. only ever had one problem in mcdonalds. i was asked to stop breast feeding and i erm.... no. and that was end of it. But im wondering by law can i be asked to stop breast feeding in public? family restaurants, buses where ever really? and if i refuse what could happen?

So if you asked the mum to stop, and she did, the screaming baby wouldn't put you off your food?

The answer, to be honest, is to recognise that your discomfort is your problem, not the mother's or the baby's, and take your own steps to adjust it - move your seat, take your food elsewhere, read a magazine or look at your phone not the mother. Etc.

As you have gathered OP, legally you can breastfeed anywhere you are allowed to be in.

Having the confidence to do so is another issue - I have massive boobs & I have to hold the boob for DS & hold him so find it difficult to cover us up either before or afterwards - he's 13 weeks & I'm still finding my way!

Gruntfuttock it's difficult to explain and I'm bad at explaining stuff at the best of times. The only closest thing I can think of to try and draw comparison with is going to the toilet. That's a natural thing, you have to do it to keep your body functioning properly, but it would definitely put me off my food if I saw something having a pee when I'm eating. I'm not saying BF is wrong, because of course it's not its a natural way to feed your baby but maybe it's not something I'd feel comfortable seeing when I'm trying to eat food.

Aduaz, are you a man's man type, a tits out for the boys type who has sexualised women and can't think past his dick?
Or have I got that wrong?

Can you qualify what you mean by "not the sort of thing I'd want to see if I'm eating and drinking". What other things fall into this category? What other public behaviour is it reasonable to ask people to cease? I am genuinely curious as to where you place it in terms of acceptability?

And what do you see as reasonable expectation? That the woman cease feeding? What do you reasonably expect that baby to do then? Wait? The bfing mother? Should she delay her feed? Get up and go elsewhere? Not enter a restaurant for the duration of bfing?

Lots of questions I know but I would genuinely like to know as somebody who thinks it's reasonable to ask a woman to stop bfing, what you reasonably think should occur next.

Aduaz - given that it's illegal to ask someone to stop breastfeeding in McDonald's, it would definitely also be unreasonable for a staff member (or anyone else) to ask them to stop breastfeeding.

It's generally considered unreasonable to do illegal things. Even if you personally don't like seeing babies being breastfed while you're eating.

Urinating is the excretion of waste. It is unhygenic, illegal in a restaurant and involves exposed genitals. No comparison to bfing at all.

formerbabe it means that while I do think it would be a reasonable thing to ask, I accept the fact that it is illegal because of an Equality Act, the one that someone else made reference to earlier.

Gruntfuttock I think the law is very strange on this. Businesses can't ask someone to leave for certain specific reasons like "you're gay so we don't want you in this shop". But they can ask you to leave for no reason at all so anyone with half a brain who does want to kick you out for something they aren't allowed to will just say they are kicking you out for no reason, as is their right. I'm not saying I have an alternative idea for what the law should be but that's always seemed strange.

OP, you are legally able to feed wherever you have a right to be. I have fed in all sorts of places, even McDs

Aduaz, so if you were eating and a bloke on the next table had The Sun open at page 3, would that put you off your food too?

I also disagree that urinating in public can be compared to breastfeeding in public.

Changing a wet nappy in public would be a fair comparison to urinating in public. Breastfeeding isn't.

Great question, boysie.

Page 3 would surely put any reasonable person off their food?
I fail to see how reasonable person would be offended by a baby being fed naturally.

Aduaz - if the sight of you eating was putting me off my food in a restaurant, would it be unreasonable of me to ask you to stop? Because you were making me feel uncomfortable while I was trying to eat food?

And if I did explain that you were making me feel uncomfortable and I would like you to stop eating or go and eat elsewhere, would you be happy to go along with that?

I'd object to a Page 3 newspaper girl at the next table, or someone urinating or pooing, or a nappy being changed. BF - err, no - there is nothing disgusting about it, baby is eating, along with his/her family members.

Some very strange comments

Isn't it strictly speaking that you are allowed to bf anywhere the child is allowed to be? Which is not always the same thing as anywhere the mother is allowed to be as that includes adult only venues.

Are you able to eat on holiday at the beach bars where women wear bikinis? Or drink in clubs amongst all the cleavage? Or do you ask those women to cover up?

Surely you just use common sense .... Playground, yes. Garage full of mechanics, possibly not. Adult spa, not allowed.

Showy a few other examples of things I'd not really want to see when eating are someone doing the toilet, someone spitting, blood or cuts, pictures of insects. I've not got a particularly strong stomach and if I saw any of those things it would put me off my food.

I'm not really sure what should occur next. If I try and think what I would do in that situation my thought process would be that I want to feed my baby but I don't want to make anyone else in the restaurant feel uncomfortable and I would understand that people might not want to see it if they are eating. They might be like me and have a weak stomach. All I can think of is I'd try being discreet about it and maybe sit somewhere out of view of most of the restaurant if possible maybe. I'm sorry that I've not got a better answer but that's really all I can think of to that question.

What excellent questions, LeBearPolar

Are you saying you find the sight of a baby being fed nauseating? Does that apply to a baby being fed formula too? How utterly bizarre.

SandorClegane no it obviously doesn't apply to a baby being fed formula, why would it?

You didn't answer my question, Aduaz.

You're making it sound as though breastfeeding is a repulsive thing, Aduaz, When it's not! Even if you have a weak stomach, I don't understand why B/feeding would affect this - it is a beautiful thing.

I would also be repulsed by someone spitting when I am eating. B/feeding is not the same thing at all. It is a baby and a mother doing just exactly what they are meant to do

Don't know about the law but in my eyes, if it is ok to eat or drink in a place it is ok to bf there.
I see no difference between bf and bottle either so can't see a reason why it would be ok to bf somewhere and not ok to give a bottle.

Or Yonic's.