Venue not designed to accommodate breastfeeding

[RubbishRobotFromTheDawnOfTime]

Edinburgh Evening News article

"Organisers of a government summit on breastfeeding have been blasted by politicians and doctors after they told mums they were not welcome to breastfeed at the event.

Delegates who asked to bring their babies to the conference at Murrayfield Stadium were told by officials the venue “is not designed to accommodate breastfeeding.”"

How utterly bizarre. This is the flyer for the event which shows that the questions they are trying to address include "What can we all do to remove some of the barriers (to bfing), perceived or otherwise?"

Weelll for starters, how about not making women feel like it's some kind of esoteric activity that can only happen in specially designed facilities rather than just on a comfortable chair (preferably!).

You're right, it's bizarre. I'd have just done it where I was sitting tbh. I don't want to block baby change facilities and they usually smell.

Exactly, I just do it wherever I am.

This just serves to highlight what an enormous task it will be to change attitudes enough for BFing mothers to feel truly supported.

very strange. AS someone who has breastfed a baby whilst sitting on a metal fence, I'm wondering what sort of equipment they think is required for breastfeeding?

I've been in murrayfield stadium. It's got loads of seats . I wonder what other high tech, specialist, hard to source "resources" they imagine they're lacking?

Do you have to check your breasts in with your coat?

Idiots.

The irony is priceless.

Ouch stitch!

Maybe they thought the women would need individual screens around them, like I had pressed on me in a postnatal depression clinic once? Which was rather unhelpful.

Well I personally refused to feed without my own personal cheerleaders so perhaps they don't have enough available?

Or maybe they are just clueless idiots who don't realises that all you really need to breastfeed is breasts and most women bring their own

Stumped as to what needs to be done to 'accommodate breastfeeding' personally I found I just needed boobs and a baby.

Surely all you need is a boob or two? (somewhere to sit etc is a bonus but I can do it without!)

X posts!

Stumped as to what needs to be done to 'accommodate breastfeeding'

Maybe they don't have a special room where those sensitive souls who find BFing offensive can sit

But, but, who knew? People can't eat at Murrayfield because it's not designed to accommodate it - how strange.

Hope everyone's aware of this. Because breastfeeding isn't any different to any other kind of eating, as we all know. You don't need specialist equipment. So it's clearly some wider technical problem that we're so far unaware of.

'This venue was not designed to accommodate eating a sandwich. Could all delegates make sure that they are aware of this and make alternative plans for lunch.'

Hope that's on the flyers too.

Loving this fred.

I hasten to add, hating the reason for the fred. Unless the flyer is some elaborate (and benevolent) ironic wind-up.

Er... I fed standing up at a bus stop... what is special about that?

I've fed DD sat on a rock in the middle of a blackberry picking walk. Bit chilly though. Would recommend indoor feeding where possible!

You couldn't make this shit up.

I wondered if at first maybe the whole venue wasn't suitable for babies and this was their way of getting around it, but no, they've invited bf mums, and then told them thy aren't welcome. FFS.

No facilities needed! I have bf walking around town, at the bus stop, on a train, on a park bench, in GP surgeries, dentist waiting rooms etc. Have a sling though so just latch on and go!

Were babies completely banned, or just banned from eating there?

And agree that the only facilities needed for breastfeeding are a pair of breasts and somewhere to sit. I've breastfed sat on the floor plenty of times, so even all the chairs vanishing from the venue shouldn't be an insurmountable barrier. Although chairs are definitely comfier than the floor.

Babies not banned, as they adapted the existing baby changing room for bfing.

Another one who wonders if they were saying it to discourage them from taking babies - wonder what they would have said if the woman had said no worries, I'll bring a bottle...

But still - it beggars belief that somebody could organise such an event and not think to enable women to breastfeed at it! Likewise - I wonder if it is a 'venue' policy or a policy made by the event organisers. It seems a very male place to hold what is likely to be an event that has significant female interest. Having said that I have no idea what sort of conference facilities Murrayfield Stadium has trying not to have visions of everybody sitting in the stadium seats whilst a large screen has been strung up between the top bit of the rugby posts and a podium underneath for the speakers or what any of the other local conference facilities are!

Hmmm...haven't been to the conference facilities just the stadium to see my side lose to DH's side in the Calcutta cup repeatedly. I can't see the problem. It's a space. There's places to sit.

It's reflective of how much work is required in scotland to make breastfeeding more common! I have breastfed my 3 month old son in many different locations, and nobody has batted an eyelid. This changed when I went to my local health centre to get my son weighed, no less than 3 health care professionals approached me whilst feeding in the waiting area and suggested that I'd be more comfortable in the baby changing room...... It stank of dirty nappy!!! I felt uncomfortable feeding where I had chosen, and it made me sad to think that maybe if more people were feeding in public it would be perceived to be more the 'norm'.