New Gov Poilcy: Breastfeeders get a private area to feed at Service Stations!

[Poohbah]

Obviously, someone in government is listening!

All motorway service stations are to have private free access to breastfeeding areas!

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Women, not woken.

I'm not sure about that VS - i would probably take that to mean that i should use the room, and if i've plucked up the courage to feed then and there, i would be mortified at the thought that they actually want me to move (i'm a complicated character eh? ).

I think that good signposting would be all that was necessary. And tbh, i usually ask if their is anywhere that i can bf if private and would imagine lots of 'shy-er' mums would also ask, before public feeding as a last resort. I'm just surmising here though ...

BITCAT - you haven't offended me, however i was rather offended by the term "growing a backbone" (not that you said that, i know)
Yes, i'm very proud

there, not their

when DD was still bfing I was home in N Ireland. We were out one night having dinner when DD needed fed - she started getting grumpy. Anyway - waitress came over and said she would take DD and feed her if I wanted (eh?? like I'm going to give my beautiful precious baby to a complete stranger to feed?) I replied "no - its OK thanks, you couldn't anyway because she's breastfed." Knowing how uncomfortable my Mum was with me bfing in public I said I was going to take DD and find a quiet corner to feed her in. Mum jumps up - "no - no you can't do that" For a second I felt proud of her - finally she was coming round to the idea?? Not at all - she continued "we're going home if you have to do THAT - some on" and I was ushered out of restaurant.....

Yes, I agree if spoken to people might feel they should use the room, I thought about it as I typed.

I do think it should just be a 'quiet' room though, for FF or BF, as sometimes, feeding baby, whther it be with abottle or a breast can need somewhere quiet and that should be all that is implied, 'We understand that sometimes babies need somewhere quiet so we have provided this facility' not 'go and feed your baby elsewhere freak'.

I think the whole issue is fraught with difficulty.

I've often been v arsey with kindly souls who've told me that there is somewhere more private in order to make me most comfortable.

OR

I've often been rightfully enraged by people who don't want there customers to be made uncomfortable by my feeding my baby.

Hmm.

I do like the feeding rooms in John Lewis in Oxford Street. An Oasis of Calm.

I could have done with those Hooter Hiders when I was tits out in the middle of a service station and a whole coach load of very religious looking muslim men came in and had to sit around me. They didn't say anything that I could understand but it did feel uncomfortable. It's the only time I have felt uncomfortable feeding though.

That's why I am generally supportive of this policy.

lol at handing out blindfolds
maybe the LLL could produce some for bf mothers to hand out
They could have "Get over it, it's NATURAL" printed on the inside

Hmmmm well I've been thinking about this. First reaction was that it is a crap idea that (as others have said) somehow implies BFing is not acceptable in public, and gives any tutting gawpers fuel to their argument that a BFing mother should be hiding her dirty pillows. My comeback to anyone commenting that I should nurse in the lavatory was that it wasn't a room designed for feeding. I guess if there was a room expressly for that purpose, I'd just have to brazen it out and say that I wanted to feed the baby while eating my meal and talking to my family and enjoying the varied delights of a service station.

However, there were a few weeks early on when milk just went everywhere, shooting literally across rooms, and I suppose I would have been grateful for a room where I could have at least got my let down under control.

It'll be a shame if BFing rooms become commonplace, as the sight of BFers themselves will become even less commonplace. I'm convinced that public BFing is a virtuous circle. The more it's seen to be done, the more others will follow.

Yes i do agree with that larryveest, hopefully bf will become much more common, i hope!!

Love the blindfold idea Stealth polarbear!

I would be just willing people to be arsey if I had a pile of those in my pocket

I spend many an hour BFing thinking up clever retorts if anyone question or take offense.

I don't like the idea of being locked away in a room to feed. Would much rather service stations, shops, restaurants etc put a large sign up saying breastfeeding welcome whenever, wherever. Maybe the govt should make that mandatory like the no smoking signs??