That's interesting information, Misspaella, thanks for that. And as you say, it gives the lie to the idea that the whole hooter hider thing is some big conspiracy dreamed up by multinationals in an attempt to subjugate and extort money from bf women.
I think there are two slightly different angles here - some people seem to be scared that the impetus for these kind of cover ups comes from those who find women bf-ing in public offensive, and want it to be stigmatised or turned into a taboo, thus diminishing the ease with which any woman can bf in public without covering up. If that were the case, then yes, there would be an issue - one to be tackled alongside the needs of women to have the choice to cover up if they so wish.
But, as Misspaella's post demonstrates, that's not actually the case anyway. The impetus is coming not from people offended by public bf-ing, but from women themselves who for whatever reason don't feel comfortable exposing, or risking exposing, certain parts of their bodies while in public. It's therefore a matter of personal choice, of women doing what makes them feel safe, comfortable and empowered. If some women feel those things when bf-ing in public without covering up, that's brilliant. If other women feel those things when using a hooter hider or bebe au lait or whatever, surely that's just as brilliant. And as others have repeatedly said, anything that helps mothers bf for longer has got to be a good thing.
I am personally very uncomfortable with the whole bf as some kind of test thing - ie if you're not "strong" and "confident" enough to do hardcore bf then you are somehow failing, if you have the temerity to be anxious about other people possibly looking at you, you are a wuss who should be excommunicated from the sisterhood, or if you are not adept enough to artfully arrange your clothing or muslin so as to render your bf totally unnoticable, you don't get your bf badge. WTF?
And there's a hint of totalitarianism in some people's thinking that because one approach or attitude is right for them, it must therefore be the only desirable approach or attitude full stop, and everyone else is somehow just misguided and should be "encouraged" to attain their marvellous state. How arrogant is that to assume that because something is right for you it should therefore be the default setting for everyone else to aspire to, too, without ever taking into account the vast differences of upbringing, experience and personality that exist between different women?
It makes me very sad (and not a little cynical) when people are determined not to listen to what other people are saying, to refuse to acknowledge the articulate, reasoned and hearfelt arguments put forward by so many of the posters on here. The sexual abuse issue, for example, is by no means the only one that matters here, but it is so important and the validity of it should surely be so glaringly obvious to anyone with two brain cells to rub together that for someone to repeatedly ignore that aspect, even after more than one person has had the courage to bring it to their attention, reeks of an insensitivity and indifference to others that I find genuinely disturbing.
Being worried that hooter hiders are the thin end of the wedge in a campaign to illegitimise all public bf without covering up is being afraid of something that isn't actually, as we speak, happening, and will, in all probability, never happen.
Whereas sexual abuse, and its consequences, is eomething that is happening. Right now. Women not wanting to bare their bodies in public for any other reason is also something that is happening right now. Women facing a conflict between wanting to go out and about and still bf their baby and wanting to keep their bodies private, and seeking a solution to that conflict is something that is happening now.
Sadly, women who have something important to say being ignored by other women - who would probably, ironically, claim to be pro-women themselves - is also something that is happening right now. Ah well. It's not a perfect world, is it?
Thanks barkfox, StarExpat, porcamiseria and all you others for your brilliant posts - oh and Speedy too, nice to see you on here . And lol at SecretSquirrel!
Btw, I'm still bf DS, 2.9. I've never used one of these but maybe would have done if they'd been around when DS was younger. I did feel uncomfortable bf when out and about when he was very young - basically, I would only ever do it when out with a group of other bf mums, and even then I always felt a bit self-conscious. I never minded in front of other women or health professionals, but I really didn't feel comfortable with the idea of men other than my DH or doctors seeing my breats, even in the context of bf. The argument that probably no one's looking is totally spurious - it's that "probably" that's the problem. I didn't want to bf in front of friends' DPs/DHs; I didn't want to bf in front of the group of teenage boys who suddenly happened into the mummy central cafe we used to congregate in, the woman who posted much earlier about inadvertently flashing a 12 yr old male pupil of hers and his dad has my deepest sympathy! I usually made myself do it anyway if there was no way round it (residue of my own coping mechanisms re abuse issues, as in "got to tough it out"), but it caused me real anxiety, espeically as it took me quite a while to learn how to do it fairly discreetly; and DS was always a very alert, interested in everything baby who loved to pull musllins/blankets etc aside and have a good old nosy. Or even just pull them aside for the sake of it.
One nice thing about this thread tho is that it's brought back some happy memories of those early days. It was so lovely to have that closeness with him in a public place. And I think the hooter hider would be nice like that too, so that must be another point in its favour - giving you that extra intimacy when out and about.