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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Breastfeeding in public - email your MP

144 replies

wessexgirl · 30/11/2005 12:57

I have just emailed my MP to urge him to sign the new Early Day Motion preventing harassment of mothers who breastfeed in public. If you want to do the same go to www.unicef.org.uk/campaigns and there is a standard letter you can fire off to your MP.

There is also a list of MPs who have already signed to spare you the embarrassment of contacting one who has already put their name down.

OP posts:
spod · 01/12/2005 19:24

Message deleted

philippat · 01/12/2005 19:29

I was proud to discover my MP had sponsored this bill (so emailed to tell him so), not to mention one previously this session about stopping showing debt company adverts on kids TV and proposing a motion on the NHS providing the breast cancer drug. Fantastic, nice to discover I have an MP who's actually arguing for good.

philippat · 01/12/2005 19:49

course, could just mean he has a particular thing about breasts, of course...

CliffRichardSucksEggsinHell · 01/12/2005 19:50

Definite bump for this one!

katzglitterytree · 01/12/2005 19:57

where's the list of signed up mps before i email mine

CliffRichardSucksEggsinHell · 01/12/2005 19:58

It has a link on the second paragraph

katzglitterytree · 01/12/2005 20:04

thanks have done it

georginars · 01/12/2005 20:21

I have done this too. Can I just urge everyone to try to add at least one personal paragraph as well - I think an MP is much more likely to take notice of lots of different emails rather than the same one over and over again. My view was confirmed when I went to the 'they work for us' website to email (as the UNICEF site didn't work for me either - I have a friend who works for them, I will mention that to her).

sniff · 01/12/2005 20:54

I have sent one of adding my own personal experiences to the bottom! feel sorry for him now I breastfed my last 2 children and will breatfeed this one I think we have the right to be able to do this in comfort

RacersTheRedNosedReindeer · 02/12/2005 09:08

Hadalifeonce, ISWYM but to be honest I think it's unlikely that cafes etc would start to provide feeding rooms, nor can I see legislation getting through which would force them to, so I do think this is the next best thing. I think any shops, shopping centres etc which were going to provide rooms still will. Those who are sensitive enough to consider providing space will probably understand that some people will want the privacy of a feeding room.

REINDEERPOOtlepod · 03/12/2005 13:10

I have had a written reply back from my MP.

He's not convinced that legislation is the answer but feels a voluntary code of practice would achieve more (adequate breastfeeding facilities in all public places). He cites that all carers would find feeding their babies more easier, breast or bottle. He also wants to know if I know of any local examples where mothers have experienced such problems as in the Norfolk case.

Haven't thought if I agree with that, think it would depend on how far the voluntary code of practice would be adopted. It could be argued that such a code exists informally at the moment, e.g. in shops such as mothercare and boots, or in restaurants- yet many of these are not very nice, as we know. Also, if they weren't connected with shops/cafes then they may well be add-ons to public toilets .

Anyone else had something back?

RacersTheRedNosedReindeer · 03/12/2005 14:29

Nothing back from mine yet. Your MP has given it some thought but I think asking if anyone has had the same problems as the woman in Norfolk is missing the point a bit. It's a pretty unusual thing to happen - hence made the news etc (or at least I think it is - maybe we need to complile a list of incidents and our feelings about them - this might give them an insight).

It's much more likely that a bf woman feels intimidated or glared upon than actually being asked to move and whilst legistlation might not stop someone glaring, she will know that she has the power (!) of the law on her side should they attempt to stop her or ask her to move into the toilets, which I believe is a more common 'offer of help'. And ultimately the point is that the more confident women are that they cannot be asked to move, the more likely they are to do it in public and normalise the whole thing for everybody and particularly for future mums. I suppose you could argue that lots of feeding rooms could normalise but I bet you they would have a bottle sign on the door, not a pair of boobies LOL!

cod · 03/12/2005 18:09

Message withdrawn

cod · 03/12/2005 18:09

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RacersTheRedNosedReindeer · 03/12/2005 18:25

Grr the bit about private necessity/public attention has annoyed me

Nightynight · 03/12/2005 18:54

cod you read that email from your MP all wrong! This is what he was really saying:

?Hello coddy,
Thank you for knowing who I am, because that means you?re more likely to vote for me at the next General Election. Can I milk the fact that Im a dad, if you?ll excuse the pun, before I say anything else. If you must breastfeed when you?re out, just bloody make sure nobody sees what you?re up to, woman. I?ll keep my finger on the pulse of public opinion to make sure that I go along with it. At the moment, I can?t see any votes in breast-feeding, so let?s all just shut up about it shall we?
Good wishes from your MP.?

REINDEERPOOtlepod · 03/12/2005 19:22

LOL nightynight, I thought a similar thing about my letter. I have been thinking about his reply and might reply with my thoughts on them (which is my concerns about the 'voluntary code of practice').

Also, I thought that MP's had to represent their constituents' thoughts rather than what he would like to see happen. [naive emoticon]

Nightynight · 03/12/2005 19:27

Reindeer, thats a sticky point about British "democracy"

If 10% of people across Britain hold a particular belief, then its reasonable to suppose that 10% of MPs should also support it. But if they all represented the beliefs of the majority of their constituents, then 0% of MPs would support the belief in a vote.
Therefore, logically, MPs ought to follow their own consciences. Except that MPs are hardly a random selection from society are they. So I reckon they follow their own opinions/party line most of the time and if it tallies with the majority view in the constituency, they are happy to confirm that they are representing their constitients' views - but they shouldnt really have to.

Original poster
wessexgirl · 04/12/2005 12:26

Ooh, I don't fancy yours much, cod.

They are all blokes so far; I wonder if they are embarrassed or, as nightynight says, just don't see it as a votewinner.

I feel like moving to Scotland now if these 2 responses are going to be typical .

Still no word from my elected representative.

OP posts:
Tinker · 04/12/2005 14:18

Email Robert Key and point out that he has used discretely when he, presumably, meant discreetly.

cod · 04/12/2005 14:31

Message withdrawn

Tinker · 04/12/2005 14:32

Or maybe he meant from each breast at the same time?

cod · 05/12/2005 09:38

Message withdrawn

harpsiheraldangelssing · 05/12/2005 09:40

"I believe there is no merit in turning what should be a private and personal necessity into a matter of public attention."

retching

cod · 05/12/2005 09:55

Message withdrawn