Shocked - did anyone else see BBC Look East - breastfeeding........

[HRHQoQ]

story??? just found the story here .

Some of the commments from people about the story (which they apparently had at lunchtime too) were absolutely shocking - "it's disgusting" were among ones that stuck out at me. Not wanting to get into a huge breast/bottle/formula advertising debate about it (as I'm going to work tonight so won't be around to partcipate until tomorrow afternoon/evening.

But I'm sure it's attitudes like that which have a bigger impact on a woman's decision to breastfeed, than some formula advertising.

I breastfed DD for 18 months and am currently breastfeeding DS (3 months). I've never had any negative reactions and didn't feel that strongly about legislation as they have in Scotland. However, reading some of the comments on the Daily Mail website and others has really made me so and I'll definitely write to my MP to urge him to support this. I know it's only a minority of people but such attitudes must really affect the take up rate of breastfeeding in this country.

Message withdrawn

bamboo and oops ~ When I fed my first daughter, I think I was living in a breastfeeding bubble too I previously did not see the need for legislation to but now I do and I will write to my MP too. Hopefully this news story will have acted as a prompt for more people to ask their MPs to support this bill.

Excellent Nome. Have just written to my MP.

Nightynight- Since when have we mumsnetters not be allowed to swear, etc. didn't relaise that when off duty I wasn't allowed to swear

INDEPENTANT put in capital so you could see that it is such.

Please do not get personal just becuase I am in a group of people that you do not like.

I am a Mum first .

Besides which this thread is not wholly about the police is it ?? Lets not get sidetracked eh ??

i was shocked at the majority of opinions on that police forum tho.

Oops, I think it's still the case that most people have no problem with it. Just the few that do like to kick off, seemingly.

Was it 80-something percent in a recent survey that said they were not against public breastfeeding? I'm sure I've seen this statistic a few times.

The BBC is actually planning to do a documentary about breastfeeding in public. Their goal is "to promote breatsfeeding awareness" and 'help the public understand that breastfeeding in public is okay. "

I have doubts - this is the same company who produces 'wifeswap" and when they interviewed me on the phone - I don't think i sounded enough like a wacko, militant, organic hippy - in spite of the fact that i'm still breastfeeding my 2 1/2 son. (In public if need be.)

Being American - I welcome every opportunity to be rude to people who attempt to violate my civil rights and the rights of my child. I just keep a stockpile of comments to make to people who make anti-bf idiot comments or look at me funny.

It might be fun to put together a list of snappy comebacks for all future bf mums who would feel shy or awkward if someone said something to them.

What are your snappiest come back lines?

I use this in restaurants. With an absolutely honest face say:
"What a great new trend! Let one of the other tables have their appetizer in the rest room. I'll finish up and go next. Do we all go into the kitchen afterwards for soup?"

what I don't understand about this incident is that it happened in June, the woman has not said that the officer treated her with disrespect and no formal complaint has been made so how has this come to the public domain? I'm not saying it shouldn't be, just seems a little odd.

The officer told her it was complaint from a member of the public but she had committed no offence and then asked her to find somewhere indoors which HE thought, rightly or wrongly, was a reasonable request. If this constitutes a bad officer Lord help us.

There has been a lot of discussion on bf threads about the need for education, presumably that extends to everyone? Or do we just say 'sack the bastard he deserves it'? Apparently so!

If anyone commenting here has not dropped a clanger in their professional (or private) life, I'd like to hear about it!

but if there was no offence then what concern is it of the policeman to a. relay the complaint to the woman and b. suggest a "reasonable" action. If I find someone's prefectly legal behaviour offensive I don't expect to be able to complain to a police officer and to have him do something about it. their job is to implement the LAW.

No - not just to implement the law, their job is far more wide ranging than that!

Yes, it's more wide-ranging than simply attending law-breakers. But if I asked a policeman to go and have a word with someone who was doing something perfectly legal that offended me (perhaps wearing a too-short skirt, or talking on their mobile phone quite loudly - neither of which, I hasten to add do actually offend me!), should that policeman do that? No, of course not.

So why should he have gone and talked to the woman who was feeding her child?

because hunker - like it or not, understand it or not - some people are offended by it. In a world where we have to shove ornamental pigs in the drawer (which I didn't were against the law either) for fear of offending I'm not surprised by anything.

Lord - a woman phoned into The Wright Stuff yesterday who had breastfed all her kids but found breast feeding in public offensive - so you tell me where do we start?

Hopefully the breastfeeding law of Scotland will soon become law here and then we all know where we stand and we can put an end to all this vitriol!

I must confess it's quite sad that it has to become a law though!

agree hunkermunker

I know some people are offended by it. What I am saying is that the policeman should not have acted upon the complaint he received. The mum feeding her baby wasn't breaking any law!

mummydear - I commented on the style of a post that you made here, which I think is perfectly reasonable. A personal remark would be "you are rude and aggressive." This I cannot judge, but your post did come across as agressive, and capitals for shouting is a well known convention.
(I am actually intelligent enough to know what the word independent means - and I can spell it too!)

I am not wholly unsympathetic to the police, but I am dismayed that a considered opinion that there seems to be a widespread attitude problem within the police, can elicit such a relatively extreme response. And yes, it does tend to reinforce my impression that many police officers regard the public with contempt. I find that worrying, and I think things could be improved, if the will was there.

hunker - it seems to be very easy to "sick" the police onto an innocent person. someone posted on here recently about her dh or dp getting her arrested, and I saw it myself last year when my dx was the victim of some nutty woman. And nothing was done to her - I mean, she wasnt even told off for wasting police time, even though everyone involved confirmed that dx had done nothing wrong!

I knew someone would pick me up on that. I know their job is wide-ranging but not as far as acting on random complaints of perfectly lawful behaviour that harms no-one.

Nightynight- my posting aggressive -- oh come on !!

I just totally amazeed how the miners strike was brought in this.

If I said I wasn't in the police would you have said I was aggressive..I think not.

I think we will have to agree to disagree on this one.
I have read far more 'aggressive' postings on this thread

Mistletoo ~ Someone on the Police Forum posted this analogy. What if someone saw a gay couple kissing or holding hands in public. They say they are offended by seeing this in a public place. They tell a Police Officer. Is it the Policeman's duty to have a litte word with the gay couple? Is it reasonable for the Police Officer to suggest a more reasonable place for them to be amorous? I think not.

md - every post you make digs you in deeper as far as I am concerned. We certainly dont agree on this one!