Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

What is the law regarding bf in public places?

97 replies

AnnVan · 30/01/2009 12:33

A lady from my bf group told me yesterday that she was in a supermarket, and had to feed her 4 month old. She sat on a bench out of the way to feed. Her breast was not exposed, but a staff member (with a security guard in tow) came and told her to use the feeding room (it's a tiny cubicle with an uncomfy chair in a room that STINKS of pee) She stated that it smells, and we wouldn't want to eat in a toilet so why should her baby have to? She was told that she could either stop feeding and leave or use the 'feeding room'. She bundled her screaming baby into the pram and left.

What is the law about this? It seems really cruel to force her to leave, as no one would stop a ff mum from giving her baby a bottle in public. We want to complain to the supermarket, but I thought it would be best to find out where we stand first.

OP posts:
ruty · 30/01/2009 12:35

the law has not been changed i think, it is illegal to tell somebody not to breastfeed in public if [FFS] the baby is under 6 months old. ridiculous age limit, but still the stupid staff member [with a security guard, how revolting] was acting unlawfully i think. She should complain.

BouncingTurtle · 30/01/2009 12:36

I would very much complain to their HO if I was that lady. I also would have refused to move as well. They would have had to call the police.
How disgusting they ought to be ashamed of themselves. Name and shame supermarket please so we can get a protest organised!!

AFAIK it still falls under the sex discrimination act so the onus wouold be on the mum to raise a complaint about the person or organisation who have discriminated against her. It is NOT and has NEVER BEEN illegal to bfing in public.

georgiemum · 30/01/2009 12:36

In Scotland it is against the law to ask a woman to stop breastfeeding. I would definately write a letter to the store about it.

doggiesayswoof · 30/01/2009 12:38

In Scotland, it's illegal to ask someone to stop bfing in public.

There's no law in England or Wales as yet.

Even if you're in England/Wales I would definitely complain though. May not be illegal but it's still shocking harrassment.

ruty · 30/01/2009 12:38

i thought the law had been changed [sorry for previous typo] to fall in line with Scotland?

doggiesayswoof · 30/01/2009 12:39

Sorry ruty I could be wrong - didn't think it had changed yet.

tiktok · 30/01/2009 12:42

Not illegal to bf anywhere, at any age....nothing about 6 mths, nothing about public or private age, nothing! You can bf anywhere, anytime, any age.

In Scotland, it is illegal to harrass a mother for bf, but this is not explicit in England.

This supermarket is likely to have a policy on supporting bf, and it is probably a good one - but it is not telling its employees about it or training them in its implementation. She should make a fuss - tell local paper, phone manager, the shop's head office, and MAKE A FUSS.

Bubbaluv · 30/01/2009 12:44

Ruty, I think the legislation has been proposed, but I haven't seen anything about it being passed as law yet. I've asked on here a few times and no one seems to have heard any updates.

OP, your local press would LOVE this story. Make a few calls and kick up a stink - dreadful behaviour. I would have told them to call the police if they wanted me to go (actually probably wouldn't, but while comfortably sitting in my own kitchen I imagine i would!)

Bubbaluv · 30/01/2009 12:44

AnnVan, Which supermarket was it?

doggiesayswoof · 30/01/2009 12:45

Agree tiktok, she should make a fuss

I think the proposals in England/Wales are about a introducing the legal right not to be harrassed if you are feeding a baby up to 6 months old

In Scotland it's up to 2 years old

But yes obviously that doesn't mean that bfing a child of any age in public has ever actually been illegal.

Original poster
AnnVan · 30/01/2009 12:46

Yeah, I think we will kick up a stink, and we have a big bf group here as well, so we'll get them up in arms too I think. Supermarket was Morrisons.

OP posts:
Original poster
AnnVan · 30/01/2009 12:47

Oh, and thanks for the replies ladies. (sorry, sleep deprived, I too have a 4 month old)

OP posts:
doggiesayswoof · 30/01/2009 12:47

Tiktok makes a good point about pro-bf policy - I bet they do have one, they just don't put it into practice

BelleWatling · 30/01/2009 12:48

To my knowledge (according to my nct teacher) it is illegal in Scotland to ask breastfeeding customers to move elsewhere and a similar law is going through in England and Wales.

Is it a big chain supermarket? If so they tend to be very sensitive about their family friendly image and very keen to attract new mums as customers and I would think that an email to head office copied to the local radio or paper would result in an apology and a review of policy in that branch - a staff reprimand at least.

This makes me blood boil!

tiktok · 30/01/2009 12:48

The 6 mth thing was a confusion, and Barbara Follett MP clarified things last summer in a letter/press release.

www.examiner.co.uk/views-and-blogs/reader-letters/2008/07/21/protection-for-breastfeeding-mums-86081 -21376410/

VictorianSqualor · 30/01/2009 12:49

Ruty, nothing changed, that's what the picnic was for but it was just a proposal.

It comes under sexual discrimination laws atm but it's a lot of bother to get any kind of prosecution, I'd raise the issue with Head Office/Store Manager/Local Press etc first, it's likely to achieve a better result.

Also, apparently just recently this happened somewhere and a group of mothers went round all their local shops asking if they would have anywhere that a mother could breastfeed in their store if need be, there was a really good amount of help and these mothers produced a leaflet of the places and gave out breastfeeding welcome stickers to the stores. A good thing to do if you can get enough people and support (especially if you can get press involved)

Stretch · 30/01/2009 12:50

I think I would have had a at the fact they needed a security guard!

Poor old thing! Having to stand up to a mother whilst she was feeding her child! FFS!

ruty · 30/01/2009 12:50

Ah thanks VS, there was i thinking things had moved on!

Still outrageous that people do this to mothers. Absolutely barmy.

BelleWatling · 30/01/2009 12:51

Sorry for doubled up info - my first post and didn't read all the replies first

Original poster
AnnVan · 30/01/2009 12:52

LOL stretch
Apparently someone had complained to the staff about her feeding. Dearie Dearie me...

My MIL is all up in arms about it too, and she can be fierce when it comes to bf

OP posts:
ruty · 30/01/2009 12:53

From tiktok's link

''In fact, this type of discrimination has been unlawful for women with babies of any age for more than thirty years, and the mother could challenge the owner under the Sex Discrimination Act. We strengthened this Act with extra 'maternity' protection, which means that if the baby is less than six months old the mother could also challenge the owner on the grounds of her maternity.''

hunkermunker · 30/01/2009 12:53

More info on bf in public and the law around same here

Which supermarket was it? Agree she should complain and involve local press.

Original poster
AnnVan · 30/01/2009 12:54

It was Morrisons.

OP posts:
ruty · 30/01/2009 12:56

Ugh. Doesn't surprise me. You see it wouldn't happen in Waitrose.

Stretch · 30/01/2009 12:58

In all seriousness, what would have happened if she'd refused to move? They'd call the police? Manhandle her out?

I am itching to try it out, but I have never had anyone ask me to leave!