Claridges Breastfeeding Policy

[ifgrandmahadawilly]

Aibu in posting this here, in the hopes that the people of mumsnet let Claridges know how unreasonable they are being?

www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-health/11267989/Mother-forced-to-cover-up-with-large-napkin-while-breastfeeding-at-Claridges.html

MrHardy is trying to rile us up because he's bored. I think we should just ignore him

Terranova it's not the same! All gay people wanted is equality with what straight people have.

It is no great problem to ask breastfeeding mothers to go somewhere more private with baby. It is COMMON DECENCY. You don't just flop out breasts or cocks in a restaurant.

Also, smokers go outside so the smoke isn't in a contained environment, not so people can't see them. If breastfeeding women were all made to stand on the street, huddling desperately around the doorways, asking each outer 'Do you have any Lansinoh, mate?' they would be more noticeable, not less.

just report the troll

I'm not equating breastfeeding (which I have no problem with in general) to smoking, I'm using the analogy that some people don't like smoking and so smokers are made to go outside, just as some people don't like breastfeeding, so the breastfeeders should be made to go somewhere private.

EASY.

No, not easy, because as you know perfectly well smokers are not made to go outside because people don't like it. They're made to go outside because it's illegal to smoke indoors in public premises. On private premises, it's generally from an awareness of health issues plus the fact that other people don't like breathing in smoke and having the stuff making their clothes and hair stink. None of those criteria operate in relation to breastfeedings.

MrHardy, I think you are (deliberately) misreading your audience here. Many many of us posting here will have been in the presence of breastfeeding women (maybe even several at a time!), and found nothing unpleasant or upsetting about it. It's not a persuasive argument on your behalf to keep saying that "if you think about it" we'd realise that it's upsetting or whatever.

jemima1988 I was a victim of homophobic bullying too and have no qualms about being openly gay, or breastfeeding mothers. I just feel it would be better for everybody if they were nice enough to move out of the view of other diners who might not want to see that. I'm not saying ban breastfeeding!

And for everyone asking why it puts me off my food? It puts me off in the same way as when someone once started going on about all the squalor that chickens live in and how badly they're mistreated, which they said whilst I was eating Coq au Vin. It's just the thought.

Tiktok because it is not a thing some people want to see. It really is quite off putting when you think about it.

I don't want to see David Cameron's face. I have to put up with it. And no, I've thought about it a long time, I still can't see anything off-putting about a child breastfeeding.

Sensible folks on here
Just ignore and report the troll.
smoking and BF
you can not under any circumstance compare the 2

that person is on a wind up

Before the smoking ban came into effect, many restaurants had smoking and non smoking rooms, so that people who didn't want to be around smokers didn't have to be.

I'm not even advocating that, just a room that mum can go off to for 5 minutes, which is nice and quiet so she can feed and other people can get on with their meal. Even if this wasn't to happen, what's so bad about a fucking napkin being used to obscure the view?

Although to be fair, why you'd take a baby of breastfeeding age to a fancy restaurant is beyond me.

It is no great problem to ask breastfeeding mothers to go somewhere more private with baby.

If you ever run a restaurant, Mr Hardy, you will discover it is indeed a great problem, because it is illegal. Why do you have such a problem with people obeying the law?

I'm not a troll. If I was, I wouldn't be using my real name.

MrHardy you are talking shite
you know it

If you need to flop your cock out to feed a child then you have one magic penis.

MrHardy with views like yours I'm surprised you have friends

BeCool

Yes, because views on breastfeeding are the be-all and end-all of friendships. Oh wait, that's just on Mumsnet.

MrHardy is welcome to his bizarre attitude, nothing anyone says here is going to change his mind. Fortunately women are protected by law and so won't be affected by his attitude, or if they are, they would be able to follow it up in the courts.

Mr Hardy, show us you're not a troll by answering some of the awkward questions you're avoiding. Like whether you'd think it OK to be told to cover up in a restaurant because other patrons don't like looking at gay people. And why you don't see any problem in breaking the law.

mrhardy
so your OK being openly gay but it's not ok openly breastfeeding
can't you see how ridiculous your being?

mrhardy

would you put a napkin over your head if you wanted to kiss your partner if the people at the next table didn't like gay people?

Icimoi...

No, it wouldn't be okay, it's very different. Being gay is not a choice... breastfeeding is! (It's not even completely necessary anymore.)

jemima1988

Not the same. If straight people can kiss, so can gays.

If everyone is allowed to have their nipples on display in restaurants then I'm sure I can live with it ;)

Snort at breastfeeding taking "5 minutes".

If you are out with a child and it gets hungry then there isn't much choice - you need to feed it. And your comment about breastfeeding not even being completely necessary anymore is beyond ignorant.

So did anyone else email Claridges and get a reply? I wonder if the PP replied back in response to their explanation email?

I wonder if they recognise that trying to insist on using a napkin as a cover is not being supportive of breastfeeding?