Mum asked to stop breastfeeding a TWO YEAR OLD in shoe shop.

[GinaDavva]

Mixed feelings with this one. Shaming a mother publicly breastfeeding a small baby is never acceptable but breastfeeding a two year old child in a shop? Surely at that age a bottle is more convenient in the middle of a shop? My first thought was that this was more about attention than the actual principle of the matter. After breastfeeding 3 of my own I can honestly say there has never been a time where it felt necessary to start breastfeeding any of mine in the middle of a shop at two years old. Frankly at that age they wouldn’t find much in mine anyway!

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj3z31jn7v1o

I thought she was always up for a bit of a romp and a tickle! But then maybe that was the problem: other plans for them!😂

https://victorianweb.org/science/maternity/uvic/5.html

'Across the course of the nineteenth century, then, attitudes towards and trends around infant feeding shifted in response to some of these varying factors. In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century, it became “fashionable” for upper-class mothers to nurse their own children—a trend alluded to in Maria Edgeworth’s novel, Belinda (1801), in which the character of Lady Delacour reflects on her own experience to the eponymous heroine: “It was the fashion at this time for fine mothers to suckle their own children— so much the worse for the poor brats.—Fine nurses never make fine children” (85). This attitude was later echoed by Queen Victoria, who preferred to hire wet nurses to feed her nine children. In the early Victorian period, an expanding market for advice literature for mothers contributed to increasing pressure on mothers to nurse their own children, but the developing market for infant formula (often comprised of some questionable and sometimes dangerous ingredients) exerted a competing pressure, hence Victorian mothers had to negotiate these various attitudes, trends, and practices in relation to the feeding of their children. In the increasingly public debates surrounding this issue, we find the origins of the often-vexed discussions over infant feeding which continue today.'

Britain has the lowest breastfeeding rate in the world due to attitudes like yours. Why not support any mother who wishes to breastfeed her child? I'm glad that the law is on her side. And yes the World Health Organisation suggests all children should be breastfed until TWO YEARS OLD and beyond

as I said before , with an older child who is upset then I see automatic BF as shutting that child down , ie, the equivalent of putting a dummy in their mouth. If your child has a tantrum would you BF them? I don’t see hugs as in any way equivalent because we hug people throughout the whole lifecycle…we move away from BF being used to comfort as a child gets older.

When really the debate should be why do people think it's acceptable to have an opinion on how long mothers choose to breastfeed

Why are you assuming it's on demand?

It could easily bethe 2yo usually has lunch at that time but the shopping took longer so the mum bf to tide them over till they got home.

Or the 2yo was teething and needed comfort.

Or nap time and struggling to settle with the noise and distractions in a shop.

Or had wanted milk 10/20 mins ago and mum had said wait several times already but realised it was going to take a while in the shop so decided that was the best time.

There is no reason to assume 'on demand' other than your own prejudice.

Breastfeeding and a dummy are not even remotely comparable.

Your breasts are there for the sole purpose of comforting and nurturing your child. That is the biological reason you have them. A dummy is a man made object.

What if I distracted them with a toy or my keys? I wouldn't do that to an adult, would I? So how's that different from breastfeeding?

again, it’s not about BF ,it’s about whether there is a developmental stage at which that child starts to learn that their needs aren’t met immediately or that their needs can be met other than via BF…or do you think a child should have automatic rights to its mums body whenever and wherever? This is mumsnet you know, it’s full of opinions. People ( and health professionals) express opinions all the time about women who can’t or chose not to BF .

Except that you and the others on this thread are perfectly happy for hugs and other distractions to be offered as comfort, but not a breast. You know exactly why that is and it isn't for any of the "reasons" you've stated.

@Notadame Well I’m glad you are a mind reader.

Feel free to contradict me by giving a valid reason.

Breast-feeding threads always go feral.

It’s a 2 year old ! The majority of 2 year olds are not constantly round their mother! The majority of 2 year olds are not nutritionally dependant only on breast milk ! No 2 year old should be needing to be fed to sleep at this age!

But why should we? Yes we can (and do) use words, cuddles, a million other things. But we can also breastfeed. So why shouldn't we do that sometimes if we want to?

I’ve not said you can’t ? You don’t need anyone else’s permission?

Try reading the post before you attempt a reply. It'll make more sense.

What's your source for this: "no 2 year old should be needing to be fed to sleep at this age!"?

I think it's fairly obvious that you just find other women breastfeeding "icky" for some reason you aren't able to articulate like a grown up, and so you're making all these silly, bogus claims about child development that are based on absolutely nothing but your own feelings and opinions.

This is such a weird post. Yes we know that most 2 year olds attend nursery and are not nutritionally dependent on breast milk. Mine doesn't feed to sleep either. Yet I wouldn't have an issue breastfeeding him in public and as of yet you still have not explained why it's less acceptable to you to see someone breastfeed as a form of comfort than see someone offer an alternative form of comfort.

I did ? I replied to each of your points? There are alternatives to each that aren’t automatic BF.

And why are they preferable, in your opinion? Are you ever going to answer that question or....?

No you didn't. Stop lying about things.

She won't. Every time she's pressed, she pretends she can't see the questions 🙈🤣

Err because all children should be having their teeth brushed at this age before bed? Feeding to sleep is what young babies too, an older child should be able to settle themselves well before age 2 .

So, no source? Just an opinion.

Breastfed children do get their teeth brushed.

Your second point is incorrect.

https://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/resources/breastfeeding-and-tooth-decay