Anyone else think feeding protests are freakshows??

[booomy]

I was at my local breastfeeding group last week, when this was bought up in discussion:

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2168820/Gang-lactivists-cafe-protest-waitress-told-breastfeeding-mother-Don-t-come-t--again.html

My initial reaction was good for her, can't believe someone would say that to a mother bf her baby. (Still BF my 11mo DS). When I got home and read the article and saw the photos, I was actually angry. In my opinion, these women have made bf a freakshow. The total opposite of all the work going towards making breastfeeding as a normal thing to do.

There is no way that the cafe owner should of got away with what happened. However, when 200 people turn up with signs that say 'mother suckers', I don't think anyone that saw them/read the article went home and said to their friends "oh I saw a wonderful thing earlier, loads of women protesting against ill treatment of their bf friend". What they probably said was "ewwww 200 people with their boobs out!!!"

Surely if the woman had said to the owner/waitress, a response such as i'll finish feeding then leave since i;m legally allowed to. Then contacted the local press, all the people in the cafe would of seen the owners as being the unreasonable rude ones, while an innocent mother fed her baby. The press attention may not of been as big, however it would of been the positive publicity bf needs. The situation was resolved, the cafe owner now has a sign saying 'bf welcome here'. He gave out coffee and cake to everyone there so obviously was sorry for what happened and so I don't see what the point was!

As a 'normal' mum, I had preconceptions about people that bf before I was pregnant. I'm a young mum and none of my friends breastfed. I try to encourage others to bf by just acting as though it's no big deal - which it isn't. I'm not going to go to a mass protest, or reply to everyone on twitter (like other mums and my bf group do). Sorry for the rant, but I want to just be normal and by drawing uncessary attention like this is making it seem as though bf is an issue, it's not!

I'd be interested in what others think of this issue!

It's interesting that you think you are 'normal' - what does that mean in relation to feeding choices? What s 'normal' and what is 'abnormal' in your opinion?

I thought the women in the pictures looked great tbh, good fun, empowered and like they didn't take themselves too seriously whilst not putting up with the terrible treatment that inspired the whole thing. It all looked very good natured.

I certainly didn't think 'ewwww' but then I don't find women's bodies or the sight of someone feeding their baby in the slightest bit revolting or whatever your 'ewww' implies.

Cover up love - your issues are showing.

Not sure how you make a freak show of breastfeeding, no matter how many people do it.

Bf was an issue in that cafe, who were breaking the law.

The act of protest is about mass participation to highlight a cause.

I thinly your language "freakshow" is more damaging than a Bf protest.

Bf is natural and normal and this protest was empowering for those taking part.

If you feel uncomfortable about. then that is your issue, not theirs.

Wow i'm really shocked! Do you all really think this 'mass feeding' is a good way to combat stereotypes/perceptions of feeding???

A woman looked at me feeding ds on a busy train once and went "yuk". All the surrounding people took no notice of me and several people sat around us said it was her issue, not mine and DS's. If I would of got loads of my bf friends to get on the train (saw the woman reguarly on the journey) I don't think that would of been positive. By us just ignorning her and being mature, it made bf seem the 'normal' thing and the issue was hers.

I agree with you OP, I cant stand these protests, Bfing isnt a big deal, bfing en masse to make a point turns it into one

Well that's great you could just ignore the woman and carry on - she didn't own the train!
The girl in the cafe was told to move by staff not just another customer who would be easy to ignore. The staff then harassed her after she'd left the cafe.

boomy - i think your comments are a bit twattish, actually.
"What they probably said was "ewwww 200 people with their boobs out!!!""

i think you're projecting weirdness onto a non-weird situation.

where there is injustice, it's up to us to fight it.
that's the way protest works.

For someone who sets such store by responding maturely OP your response 'ewwww' isn't particularly mature.

Thanks hairylemon that's pretty much my point perfectly summed up!Without all the waffling!

Mystery Cat I called mass breastfeeding freaky, not breastfeeding. If you don't understand that you don't get my point. 1 person breastfeeding is normal, 200 isn't. It's not helping people to see it as normal.

r.e. the "Eww"thing, I was trying to think of an example of a negative thing people would think if they saw 200 people breastfeeding,and yes a lot of people would think it's disgusting seeing people breastfeeding. This whole topic is about changing peoples opinions and by shoving it in peoples faces won't. Acting like normal people will!

Why is is 'shoving it in people's faces', though???

Protesting makes a cause visible and draws attention to injustice and unfairness.

It's not 'shoving it in people's faces'!

Watch your language - it's unpleasant :(

Would you say all protest of this type is 'shoving it in people's faces?'

If not, why not?

i agree tiktok - it's not shoving it in people's faces. and that is horrible terminology.

It's just several women staging a peaceful sit-in.
they just happen to be feeding their babies at the same time (and not hiding away)

What am I meant to do?

As one of the 2% of UK mothers that breastfeeds past 6 months what am I meant to do?

I'm close to tears after reading your post. It's unkind and mean.

I've never thought Ewwwwwwwwwwwww in relation to feeding a baby.

it's just the same as 200 women sitting in a protest drinking tea.
or eating cake.

i just don't get how it can be disgusting or gross or Ewwww or anything negative!

What exactly are you in tears about hazchem I've just said my DS is 11 months, so i'm in the same position as you... This protest is about educating people/proving a point and some people most definatley would not be pleased at the sight of 200 women breastfeeding. Overall we all want breastfeeding to become so acceptable that incidents like the one that happened in the cafe don't happen, and making such an issue out of it won't achieve that.

Does everyone honestly believe the term 'mother suckers' promotes a positve image of bf? It makes me skin crawl, what a stupid term.

my eyes, my eyes!

that aside I think you are wrong OP.

In my opinion, i'd like to go anywhere and not feel self concious about feeding DS/ be worried about negative or in this case abusive things people might say. 99% of the time that's what happens.

BUT If no one thought it was 'disgusting' or 'ewww' then these situations (such as the woman in the cafe) wouldn't happen! I just don't think this helped the cause at all!

oh blimey

boomy your post is rude. You suggestion that you are normal suggests other mothers are not normal. You suggest peoples reaction is Ewwwwwwwwww

Breastfeeding is an issue otherwise woman wouldn't have to protest about it.

waht isn't "disgusting" then?

200 women bottle feeding (either bm or formula)
200 naturists protesting
200 kids eating a packed lunch?

or perhaps 4 women having lunch with their babies and bf is also too much for you OP...

breasts are made for producing milk to feed babies. there's is nothing "ewww" or "freakshow" about it.

the point of the protest was to draw attention to the fact that some people in our society find bf "ewww" and illegally challenged people who bf in public.

if our society didn't have this bizarre perception that breasts were primarily for sexual gratification rather than feeding, then maybe they wouldn't need to protest.

ah well, these funny things women do, eh? like chain themselves to railings to get the vote...

Gosh hazchem don't get yourself in a state.

Actually Mystery was discussing at my BF group earlier (who all share my view and prompted me to start this thread) that it is a bit like womens rights. Suffragists & Suffragettes. As in some people care about changing laws etc so women can feed where ever they want, vs the women who think it's a really good idea to get 200 others and go to a cafe, even though the man has already apologized...

hazchem I meant I am normal as in there is nothing remarkable about me as a mother, not to imply that other bf mums aren't normal.

What on earth is "Eeew" about those images?!

"The situation was resolved, the cafe owner now has a sign saying 'bf welcome here'. He gave out coffee and cake to everyone there so obviously was sorry for what happened and so I don't see what the point was!"

So which part of that is accurate? The part which says the cafe owner has changed his policy (showing the protest worked) or that there was no point to it (which suggests it didn't work)?

right!

so if nobeody had done anything, no protest, no pressure on the cafe, no articles in the paper, but the one person had apologised for his member of saff telling a woman "not to get her fucking tits out in the cafe ever again" (or words to that effect), then that's fine is it?

that hardly changes society's perception including yours, which is obviously skewed towards thinking that bf is something to be hidden.

you don't personally have to be a trailblazer or a protestor, no one is expecting you to, but it's extremely unfair to use such loaded and offensive language to describe people that do give a shit for other women who might struggle, feel discriminated against or want to make their voice count.

Not at all my point Mystery re-read my original post and tell me where I said nothing should be done? Just think this is a stupid way of doing it. Are you and hazchem the two women with dreadlocks in the photos by any chance :)

"As in some people care about changing laws etc so women can feed where ever they want, vs the women who think it's a really good idea to get 200 others and go to a cafe"

the ones who care about changing the laws are the same people as the 200 who protest at a cafe...

"Are you and hazchem the two women with dreadlocks in the photos by any chance" why would it matter if we were?

i support their right to protest and i support bf - the two are not mutually exclusive...