Scotland to "legalise" breastfeeding in public

[lyndap]

Looks like the Scottish parliament are going to pass legislation today to make it an offence to stop a woman from breastfeeding in public areas such as cafes, restaurants, etc.
The bill has cross party support except for from the Tories who think it should be a voluntary code of conduct that establishments sign up to instead.
The hope is that the legislation would make women more cofident about their rights to breastfeed without hiding in a toilet or feeling worried about being asked to stop.
What do you think?

ILLEGAL????

Good grief.

Tories never fail to amaze me.

Incredible that this is needed in my view - the world is mad. Still at least it looks like it'll get passed - the Tories not being the most powerful political presence in Scotland.

I've never had anyone ask me to stop breastfeeding, I would be very surprised if they did. I think a lot of people already think it's an offence to stop women bfing, or aren't sure at least so wouldn't want to risk it.

Last year there was a discussion about this on the radio. The woman in question was asked to go the the toilet in order to breastfeed her baby because it was offending the customers in the cafe. It turned out that the offended customer was a man with his small son. What was even more ridiculous was the fact that the idiot was reading...................................The Sun!

Moral of the story, breast are there to be gawped at, period.

Good news but Scotland does have a long way to go. I have only twice seen mums breastfeeding in public in my area - once was a mum in a 'family' type restaurant at lunchtime surrounded by tutting old dears and raised eyebrows. Second time was in the local Tescos as a new mum and her hubby did the shopping. I was chatting to a local midwife at the time and she whispered "Now that really is not a good advert for breast feeding is it!". (Didn't see anything wrong with the mum breastfeeding in Tescos, but was shocked when realised the baby who could only have been a few days old was dressed in just a vest with a blanket over its shoulders. Could see the feet and legs and they were blue with cold. Midwife said she hadn't noticed.).
I didn't manage to breast feed beyond a few days last time, but if I manage this time around honestly can't think of any local public places where I would be happy to do so.
They can legalise it all they want but reckon it's going to take a few decades before the general public accepts that breastfeeding in public is 'normal'.

Can't believe it was illegal!! I have breastfed in Asda, tesco, safeways (in the breastfeeding room) I have also BF in the car when I have been out, My mum used to bf us on her parents doorstep if needed. Still trying to work out why its illegal in Scotland!!

Don't think breastfeeding is illegal anywhere in Scotland - it's just not illegal for them to try and stop you doning it in some places.

It's not illegal!! It's just that people could legally ask you to stop if they wanted to.

I live in Scotland and have breastfed everywhere, in shops, pubs, restaurants, art galleries and twice a day in the uni refectory. noone has ever even noticed and have definitely never been asked to stop.

If you are breastfeeding and someones ask you to stop, if you refuse and carry on feeding, what can they actually do? Drag the baby off your breast and man handle you and baby out of the premises?

it can create a lot of bad feeling if you are asked to stop, so it's great that people wouldn't be able to ask.

a friend was asked to stop at a birthday celebration where they had booked part of a restaurant but there were some non family people there too. she was dreadfully upset and it spoiled the event for her.

I think the Scots are doing good things for the family and wish we English could get some progressive new laws passed

I must second Beansmum in that I have fed both DDs all over Scotland, in pubs, shops, cafes, street corners, beaches and have never yet had a bad experience - where about are you Cab? I even managed in deepest darkest Fife with no comments .

I applaud it and had already written to the MSP who brought the bill forward with my support. I live in Scotland and hadn't been aware that it was illegal (or whatever) until this legislation came to the fore.

My DH's colleague's friend was bf in the cafe in M&S and was asked to go to the nursing mothers room. She declined stating that she had just bought a coffee and did't see why she should let it go cold. The jobsworth person got all stroppy, going on about company policy and called security but the woman stood her ground. Ended up getting the press and media involved and the incident got such bad publicity that M&S were forced to make an apology and change their policy. A bit hypocritical if they are also (allegedly) supposed to give you lots of freebies if your waters break in one of their stores.

After all the keck we have had to put up with from the Scottish Parliament and their OTT cost with the building it is refreshing to see that some common sense legislation is now coming out of it and the ministers seem bold enough to carry it through (referring to smoking ban and foxhunting here).

I breastfed in an M&S cafe (not in Scotland!) once and the woman behind the counter came and brought me a glass of water because she said her daughter was a bf councellor and she knew how thirsty mothers got. It was so nice.

I have to say I've never had anything but positive comments no matter where I bf including M&S

Think it is positive legislation. The MSP who is bringing the bill was on the radio the other evening and apparently one of her constituents had been thrown off a bus for breastfeeding on it. I really don't get people - I mean you have a choice between a brestfeeding baby and a screaming baby in a confined space like that and which do you go for? And I've read all the other thread where the bottle feeders are feeling got at but you can be fairly certain that you wouldn't get thrown off a bus for bottle feeding.

I breast fed DD all over the place largely because I also had DS to keep an eye on/entertain and fortunately never had anyone raise an issue with it. That was sweet of the lady jane313 and so true IME.

That M&S story is horrible! Someone on Mumsnet was asked to stop in Next, someone else was told only to breastfeed in a cubicle with the curtains closed in Bravissimo, though to be fair, the owner of the business wrote a personal letter of apology and put a breastfeeding to be encouraged policy in place in all her shops immediately. Mumsnet power!
I still remember the poor woman who had a bucket of dirty water thrown over her in a shopping centre by some truly evil man who objected to it happening near his shop (not even in it!!).

That M&S story is horrible! Someone on Mumsnet was asked to stop in Next, someone else was told only to breastfeed in a cubicle with the curtains closed in Bravissimo, though to be fair, the owner of the business wrote a personal letter of apology and put a breastfeeding to be encouraged policy in place in all her shops immediately. Mumsnet power!
I still remember the poor woman who had a bucket of dirty water thrown over her in a shopping centre by some truly evil man who objected to it happening near his shop (not even in it!!).

I too have bfed all over the place in Scotland (and other places!) and never once had an adverse comment. A few years ago a TV company tried to make a prog about the supposed anti-bfing attitudes in Scottish shops etc. They organised someone to bfeed her baby in various places but had to cancel the whole thing when not one person so much as batted an eyelid at her. And this was in Dundee!

Was so so angry read various viewpoints in s Scottish Sunday newspaper about this one man had wrote that women should not breastfeed in public, other people are arrested for flaunting themselves so why should bf woemn be allowed too" FFS what planet is this guy on, to see even a hint of nipple you would have to be standing directly over me for the 10 secs the baby latches/unlatches.

IME BF is v rare where I come from in Scotland and people were suprised with how discreetly you could feed.

Another comment was that adequate facilities are provided for mothers to feed their babies away from the public. IME mother and baby rooms stink of dirty nappies, maybe they should eat their lunch in a room stinking of nappies.

Oh mothercare in Bluewater have redesigned their mother and baby rooms and they are great. Theres the usual nappy changing room free nappies smells v nice and then a separate nursing room, 3 of those lovely rocking/feeding chairs, free water, even free breast pads. Was most impressed.