Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Claridges Breastfeeding Policy

638 replies

ifgrandmahadawilly · 02/12/2014 20:31

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

OP posts:
pigsDOfly · 02/12/2014 21:30

And what exactly were they planning to do if she refused to use the ridiculous napkins and someone had complained?

Christ, I wish I were still BF, unfortunately stopped about 23 years ago, I'd definitely have been up for a feed-in.

This sort of thing makes my blood boil.

What would anyone be able to see anyway, apart from the staff that is, who were not doubt waiting to pounce on a mother with a small baby who might start BF.

It's her right in law to BF in your hotel Claridges. You're not above the law.

Wankers.

pigsDOfly · 02/12/2014 21:41

Whilst she may have been upset Loletta I don't see it as humiliating for her. She stuck to her guns and continued feeding; without their napkin as well.

ApocalypseThen · 02/12/2014 21:42

Oh so its not just daily mail readers who are leaving nasty comments then, the Guardian readers are too....but they are supposed to be the nice ones?

Well I don't know whether they have that reputation, but if they do, it's ill deserved. There were remarks about militant women using breast feeding to prove a point and saying that that's child abuse, stuff about how they don't want to see or hear feeding babies, why do babies matter anyway etc., and the ones I consider perverted which compare breast feeding to using the toilet in public. Bizarre.

Loletta · 02/12/2014 21:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

pigsDOfly · 03/12/2014 00:01

Loletta sorry I didn't mean to sound as if I was contradicting you.

Her reaction, continuing to BF, just made it seem to me that she didn't feel that put down by the waiter telling her to cover up.

I'm sure a lot of women would have felt humiliated by being picked out in this way and probably many of them would have stopped feeding and gone into the loo or somewhere to feed their baby.

I suppose I feel it's a situation in which a woman shouldn't feel humiliated as it's the staff that's at fault here not the BF mother.

Tobyjugg · 03/12/2014 00:16

It's shameful and Claridge's should be ashamed.

Scoopmuckdizzy · 03/12/2014 00:40

Oh my word. The comments on that article are dreadful! What is the matter with people? I'm shocked at how nasty some people are about this. I never had any problems with bf in public but I know when ds2 was 12 weeks old, an incident like this would have floored me.

EmilyGilmore · 03/12/2014 00:54

Gosh, I read the readers' comments on this in the Daily Mail. I had no idea people really though it was indelicate to bf as she was - I do it all the time in restaurants! You couldn't see her breast. Are people really so embarrassed at the mere idea of a child feeding under a top? Are they all wearing napkins over their heads to have lunch too? People saying things like "I agree with breastfeeding but...." I don't get it. It's normal and natural for babies to feed from their mothers, it's not an issue to agree or disagree with Confused

As for the comparisons with urinating in public - so disgusting and hurtful.

pigsDOfly · 03/12/2014 01:54

Clearly in a lot of people's minds breasts are rather rude things that it's okay to expose for the titillation of men, but use them for their intended purpose and these same people start getting very hot under the collar.

Having been shouted at and told by an older female relation of exh's family that I was 'sick' for BF my then 2yo, these remarks don't surprise me; that was a good many years ago though, it's disappointing to find nothing much has changed for some people.

hippogrillapig · 03/12/2014 01:57

Breastapo out in force again I see.

bigbluestars · 03/12/2014 06:39

hippo- you don't think babies' rights are important?

Hazchem · 03/12/2014 06:45

Yes women suggesting the uphold of the Equality Act is important is very similar to the behavior of the Gestapo Hippo

Lagoonablue · 03/12/2014 06:47

Breastapo? FFS.

Baby is hungry and baby gets fed. Wtf is wrong with people. It's a breast, just a fucking breast and you can't see it anyway!

It's a fucked up world when somehow babies feeding is seen as somehow sick or dirty or something to hide away.

Very depressing.

Ifyourawizardwhydouwearglasses · 03/12/2014 06:54

Disgusting.
If someone ever asked me to 'cover up' whilst bf......well, they'd only do it the once!

Gunpowder · 03/12/2014 06:54

I'm really surprised Claridges have a 'discreet' policy. Would have expected better. The giant napkin makes it much more obvious anyway!

bigbluestars · 03/12/2014 07:00

"I'm really surprised Claridges have a 'discreet' policy." They may think they do, but it breaks the law. Not sure that a policy that contravenes UK law is much of a policy.

TestingTestingWonTooFree · 03/12/2014 07:05

How about napkin/shroud's printed with photos of breasts? Would that make them happy?

RightyTightyLeftyLoosey · 03/12/2014 07:29

We live in such a fucked up world where breasts are considered sexual playthings before the brilliant feeding tools they are.

I am angrier at the comments than I am about Claridges, though it is all bad for bfing.

I will feed my child where ever I am and whenever DS wants, it has nothing to do with showing off or being millitant, it's a hungry/upset young child who wants to feed.

I really don't understand why supposedly grown adults have such a problem with this, it's like being in the fucking playground all over again! Angry

Shakirasma · 03/12/2014 07:32

Am stunned at some of the comments on that report. I thought telegraph readers were normally a fairly intelligent demographic. Apparently not.

RightyTightyLeftyLoosey · 03/12/2014 07:33

Oh and everyone rolls their eyes at complaining about page 3 etc and we're told to get over it, but dare to use our breasts for their actual purpose and we open ourselves up to accusations of being sick or millitant.

WTAF is wrong with the world???

bigbluestars · 03/12/2014 07:33

You can be intelligent yet still nasty and fucked up.

OwlCapone · 03/12/2014 07:36

Personally I do agree that breastfeeding should be discreet. However, the photos of the mother feeding in Claridges shows she was discreet.

I don't think mothers should be forced to cover up and the napkin was ridiculous, but there is no need to have acres of flesh on display and IME this rarely happens anyway bar for a few seconds at the start and end of a feed.

To me, discretion is just part of considering others, as is simply looking elsewhere and keeping your mouth shut if you don't want to see someone breastfeeding.

bigbluestars · 03/12/2014 07:46

I disagree. You may have found it easy to be discreet, but it is not always possible.

Having a nosey baby, who suddenly loses latch, having a fussy baby, breastfeeding twins, Mums who are having problems with latch, babies who need a lot of skin contact to feed.

owl you are showing your ignorance to suggest that this rarely happens.

All this "discreet" rubbish is a big red herring. Most women want to display as little as they can, but it is not always possible- and if they do happen to show a nipple- will the world fall apart?

I don't really think you can suggest that you support breastfeeding in public if you are getting embroiled in the "discreet" issue.

Either you support it or you don't- the law supports it- if you are going to start suggesting conditions then perhaps we should all feed in the toilets?

OwlCapone · 03/12/2014 07:55

I am not showing my ignorance at all.

Beatrixemerald · 03/12/2014 07:57

I would have been so embarrassed if this happened to me. Before bf my baby I would have been ignorant enough to talk about 'discretion' as posters above. Now I have a 5 month old that doesn't want to feed under any cover and rips it off (dont bother trying anymore) and who suddenly decides she fancies a look around leaving my nipple exposed.

Swipe left for the next trending thread