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!).

If the woman in front of me at a sold out match a few years ago (so 64000 sitting packed in like sardines) could feed her baby at Murrayfield, then I can't see why it wouldn't be possible in the conference facilities.

Twats.

Mbo33 interestingly my local clinic is also the worst place I regularly go to for BFIng! Few chairs, ushered by (admin not clinic) staff into a cupboard room so you miss your call for clinic... weird.

Surely is anything formula feeding might need adaptations (to heat water/bottles) ?

I suspect this is probably a storm in a teacup.

Firstly I doubt there was an expectation babies would be at the event - it's for professionals after all rather than breastfeeding mums.

Secondly I would guess someone has contacted the stadium and asked what facilities were available for someone who was BFing, and they were told there were no special facilities. Which is the case in most places, and as everyone on this thread is saying it is perfectly fine to breastfeed wherever, whenever. It's not the same as saying BFing isn't welcomed.

Maybe they are worried the carpets won't cope with overactive letdowns?

Plate - I'm sure there was something in the article about bf mums having been invited to attend to discuss their experiences, but I can't seem to find it now. A few other posters picked up on this too.

Secondly, the quote from the organisers is that the venue "is not designed to accommodate breastfeeding". There's no misunderstanding there in my mind.

Al shows how far we still have to go, I suppose.

Breastfeeding allowed by law anywhere that babies are in Scotland.

I've breastfed in a stadium seat before. The Olympic stadium, to be precise.

'tis possible.

I believe the email said that the event was not appropriate to bring babies or toddlers to. Nothing was mentioned about breastfeeding.

Then why did they extend the changing facilities to make a suitable space for breastfeeding?!

Either babies are welcome, or they aren't. Bf doesn't come into it - you can bf anywhere your baby is allowed to be.

I can understand why conference organisers would not want a screaming baby during a lecture. How many babies are there likely to be? I could see sense in a creche while the mothers attend the lectures.

I agree with AnythingNotEverything that babies are either welcome or they aren't. Banning breastfeeding at a breastfeeding conference is crazy.

@AnythingNotEverything I believe the changing room thing only came about after people complained.

@ReallyTired Breastfeeding was not banned.

And it isn't a suitable arrangement Leontine.

If babies are welcome, then babies are welcome to be breastfed anywhere their mother chooses to feed them. If try are not welcome, facilities do not need to be created.

Oh and regarding "babies are either welcome or they aren't" - originally it was stated that babies, toddlers and children weren't welcome at the conference but some prospective attendees said that this was discriminatory and illegal with regards to breastfeeding so the organisers changed the rules to accommodate breastfeeding mothers for fear of getting the book thrown at them.

"I doubt there was an expectation babies would be at the event - it's for professionals after all rather than breastfeeding mums."

So a professional woman can't also be a breastfeeding mother?

It doesn't matter - they changed the admissions policy to allow babies entry. At that point, there was no need to create a special feeding room and require all bf mums to use it.

I'm pretty sure that the law (no different in Scotland to England?) is that anywhere a baby is allowed to be, that baby is allowed to be bf.

I can see how the fuck up has happened, but that doesn't make it any better.

Well I can't believe they changed the rules to allow babies to attend.

And I don't see it as a "fuck up" at all. In fact I feel pretty sorry for the organisers.

I think the fact we're discussing it here is a pretty big fuck up. We aren't talking about what an enlightened event it was, are we?

We're talking about it because it was in the newspapers i.e someone who was involved with the conference had gone to the press about it.

Yes - because they acted illegally and tried to limit where babies can be breastfed.

While I'm fully aware of the laws regarding breastfeeding, I think in this case offering a separate area for mums to go to if they wish was justified. This was a conference after all.

And let's not forget that babies originally were not welcome to attend. It was only when people started shouting "discrimination" that the organiser felt they had to change the rules.

It was perfectly fine for the organisers to say that this was a non child/ baby friendly event. There are some places that are simply not appropriate for babies to be and I feel this was one of them.

I refer you back to my previous post

It was entirely appropriate for the event to be child free. Once babies were allowed, from that point, the organisers must follow existing law, and not discriminate against bf women by making them miss parts of the conference/feel unwelcome by making them use a separate room to feed their babies.

I agree that this began as a professional conference. And suspect it should've stayed as such. I wouldn't dream of taking my baby to a work event. However, they changed the event when they allowed babies to attend, at which point they needed to allow bf throughout the venue.

I don't know how I can be clearer about this and am now simply repeating myself in explaining the law (which you claim to understand). This isn't AIBU and I don't want to further hijack the thread by continuing to discuss this.

"So a professional woman can't also be a breastfeeding mother?"

Obviously they can - I'm a professional woman who is also a breastfeeding mum. But I don't expect to be able to take my baby to a professional conference.

What I meant was the conference appeared to be aimed at people who had a professional interest in the subject, rather than by virtue of their experience of breastfeeding alone.

It seems like the organisers of this event got themselves into a mess over whether they were or weren't allowing mothers to bring babies and toddlers, and clumsily answered some enquiries.