Shocked at breastfeeding policy for a craft centre / attraction

[Ducky5867]

Looking at visiting a craft centre near me - went onto their website and viewed their visitor information and noted the following statement

"We welcome discrete breastfeeding on our site, but would appreciate care being taken not to cause embrassement to our other customers."

Very shocked at this ..... They feel their customers would be embrassed by a baby having their lunch - how kind of them to even allow it - we should all be so greatful!!

My dd2 is nearly 1 yr so won't need to breastfeed during daytime but this has wound me up so much that I will never go there now ..... Shoud I go further and send them an email of complaint or am I being over sensitive?

www.facebook.com/pages/Jinney-Ring-Craft-Centre/192332930816195

Lactivist on facebook have taken it up too.

To be fair on the centre it could have been just the author's strange idea and it's gone unchecked.

The website looks a bit iffy to me. I.e. naff.

I have emailed and alreday received a reply < smug>

Ooh what did it say?

Do share Kristina...........

I know this place and am a bit surprised... Will be interesting to see replies...

Why haven't I had one?

What did it say Kristina?

I've messaged them on FB. Will report back if I get a reply.

" Thanks for your e-mail, however I am a little mystified as to what you mean by being embarrassed by your children eating - is there a particular issue that is concerning you? We have a lot of children here and I am not aware of any particular problems being raised due to children eating. We have 8 high chairs which are in constant use and I can't think of a particular complaint being levied."

I had asked about children eating because to me this is about a baby's right to eat, rather than a mothers right to feed. This was obviously a bad idea as its confused them .

However I'm impressed by getting a reply at 9pm on a Sunday

Lets all pay a visit tomorrow just to lop our boobs ouy

Out

A bit back up thread now, and very succinctly responded to by others. Yes, my point about rules for bottle/artificial feeding was to highlight the inequality and ridiculousness of having a rule for one type of feeding and not for another. It's called discrimination. Inequality.

Hi,

I just emailed this to them:

I'm writing to let you know that a potential visitor to your centre felt sad and uncomfortable at the message you have in Visitor Information regarding baby feeding.

Until public places recognise that it is no more 'distasteful' to feed a baby naturally than to feed a baby with a bottle, and allow women to feel confident in their choice of feed, then that part of a woman's body will continue to be looked at as inappropriate. It's not. It's designed to feed babies.

Please reconsider your wording. How about: we welcome families to our centre and recognise that feeding a baby, in whatever form, is a natural part of raising a family. We ask visitors who feel uncomfortable with this to look away discreetly.

Thank you.

oh no! I've been meaning to go here for a few weeks, its just up the road.

I guess they wouldn't be up for watching me feed my newborn... and the 17mo who gets on the other side when she sees the milky fun...

I have no idea why any mention if feeding has to be made in whatever form (unless a place is saying 'we have a feeding area at your disposal). I don't need the website of a visitor attraction to advise me how, where or when to feed my baby.

I purposefully wrote it in very prim language in case it is run by people who come over all peculiar at the word breast. This way, I hope, they have to acknowledge it.

Well done racing, I have emailed them as well. Idiots!

It's only just up the road from me. I think they may well have shot themselves in the foot somewhat with that ridiculous comment on the website. It almost makes me deliberately want to go there and have the audacity to very indiscretely breastfeed my 6 month old.

Whoever is responsible for the website is not going to have a good day at work tomorrow!

'look away discreetly'
love it

I really don't understand why this is even a policy. As so many have said, they would never have a policy about bottle feeding? Why is breastfeeding less acceptable when its the only natural way of feeding? No wonder people (I.e. Me) don't always feel comfortable doing it in public.

I can't believe someone would be so stupid as to think this let alone. Write it on a website. Awful.

Great great email racing

Yes Racing, that is a very good email.

I am the last to be 'militant' about BF as I am really shy IRL and don't want to draw attention to myself over it...also I think it can be counterproductive sadly.

But I feel very strongly that breastfeeding should be allowed as and when required by the baby and its mother.

I have fed all three of mine, in all sorts of places and I am very discreet - naturally - I don't want to share my breasts with the world.

This particularly though after having such a lot of negative attention when I fed ds1 (10 years ago now) that I was ashamed to do it in public at all for a while.

I just stayed at home a lot. No one should have to feel like that particularly not at a family centre, you know, a place where people are encouraged to bring their young children.