So who's up for a mass breastfeed in the National Gallery??

[aelita]

After seeing the headline this evening in the Evening Standard 'Mother 'banned' from gallery for breast-feeding,'

www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/londonnews/articles/11856946?source=Evening%20Standard

(in a gallery full of images of breastfeeding mothers no less!) I'm sorely tempted to create some mischief by calling on b/f Mumsnetters to congregate next week for simultaneous feeding, just to annoy them!

Of course it's fine for a baby to breastfeed or bottle feed wherever he/she happens to be.

It's not fine for me to munch a burger or take a flask of coffee in....that creates mess, and possibly damage. It would not be acceptable to sit my baby down in the gallery and spoonfeed him yogurt, or give him a banana, or a rusk.

The rules should be based on practicality and ease for all the customers. So water in the gallery for customers is also ok. It won't bother anyone, won't create mess, and keeps people hydrated (it can get horribly hot in some places).

NCT is right in highlighting the way the mother was made to feel singled out and uncomfortable, because it is consistent with the orgaisation's aims to make breastfeeding acceptable and unremarkable.

I would be amazed if the National Gallery officially allows bottles of water in its galleries.

message withdrawn

So pleased the gallery backed down. Hooray!

I read it and thought it was a non-story as well. Apparently the attendant just asked the mother if she would feel more comfortable in the mother and baby room (it sounded to me like she was just trying to point it out - in case the mother felt uncomfortable, not the other way round).

I don't think it's slow news anymore. People love reading these sort of stories now. I mean look how much interest it's generated on here. And remember, most newspapers are spurred on by what will sell not what is necessarily newsworthy.

I went in the National Gallery on Sunday with ds2 10 months.
Two separate attendants coo-ed over him, that's sweet, I thought. In fact it was merelt perfunctory to making very pointed statements about their mother and baby changing and feeding facilites on the next floor.

It really did seem like there had been some customer care training going on as a result of this incident.