Breastfeeding in public - what's the law?

[Prinpo]

DD3 is due in July. Having BF 1&2, I had a couple of incidents when I was asked not to feed in public and have heard stories from friends of similar experiences.

Whereas normally I'd tell people exactly where to go , I know how vulnerable I can feel in the early stages with a baby and just feel as though I'll be a bit happier knowing where I stand legally.

I have a vague idea that the right to breastfeed in public is now covered by law. Does anyone know anything about this?

Thanks in advance.

the new laws came into effect in October 2010, making it illegal to ask a breastfeeding mother to stop or move etc.

www.maternityaction.org.uk/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/breastfeedingpublicplace.pdf

Heres a fact sheet about it, and what to do if someone asks you to stop.

www.maternityaction.org.uk/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/breastfeedingpublicplace.pdf

Brilliant, thanks for that. Have read through and bookmarked the link.

Ridiculous, isn't it, that these things can still happen and that they have the potential to make one feel so utterly shitty? Will feel much happier with that information under my belt.

My first is due in July, so I've been reading up on all my 'rights'. I'm hoping that nobody will ever ask me to stop - but i have heard stories around my town.

When I hear of people being asked to 'put them away' I always think, what did you think they were for?

Hope you don't have any problems :)

I just find it amazing. Once I got the hang of it, it was really very straightforward to do the whole thing without anything being on show. You would have had to watch very closely to see any breast!

Hope everything goes well for you. FWIW, I had lots of kind, approving looks too! It was just the odd fool who had a problem with it (I was even asked to stop feeding after an appointment for DD2 at the hospital ).

Don't stress too much about it. I haven't had one negative comment (had a few positive comments!) and bf DD everywhere - in restaurants, in church at a wedding, on dog walks sitting at the side of the path....

Having said that, when I went to Edinburgh, it did make me even more confident when in a busy, small cafe that I knew DD had the legal right to feed in Scotland, as well as it being illegal to discriminate against a woman for bfing (as in England).

To add to japhrimel's list... in Sainsbury's, in the office when I went in to visit, on a train, at a train station, at Great Granny's 80th birthday party, in a Jojomamon bebe, in the library, at a baby singing group, at baby massage, in pubs, on the South Bank, at Great Granny and Great Grandad's wedding anniversary party, in a coffee shop in Canary Wharf..... never once been asked to stop as far as I can remember.

Let's hope things have moved on since your DCs 1&2, and if not, well, you can tell them where to go!

Good luck.

To add to the supportive messages above I have fed all over the place ? in loads of cafes and restaurants, at the registry office, at the top table at a wedding, on a bench outside the minster in York, up Pen-y-Ghent in the middle of the 3 peaks cyclocross race, on the plane, in the airport ? you get the picture. People have either not noticed, or thought ds was asleep, or the people who have noticed have made lovely comments about how great it is to see someone bfing, or remembered when they used to bf theirs, or even one new mum came up to me and thanked me as it gave her the courage to bf her 13 day old in public for the first time.