Why local mums feel they can't breastfeed in public

Comments (12)

Comment Feed

wonderful!

wonderful!

@surreyfamilymag more than 9 years ago

boycott

mum's shouldn't have to but if necessary, boycott such establishments

MsXpat more than 9 years ago

eww

but its so gross when a mum just wacks her tits out and you're trying to enjoy a bacon sarnie

Tabby more than 9 years ago

prudes

only in surrey. prudes.

Tony Smith more than 9 years ago

DITCH

DITCH THE HOOTER HIDERS INDEED> impractical, stupid. should i also buy a bottom hider for when i have to change my son's nappy? too many taboos in this society

Rosie C more than 9 years ago

insensitive

Woefully insensitive. Great article Miss Laurie!

JJ more than 9 years ago

TBH

To be honest if I saw that sign in a cafe id be so annoyed id just leave

Fiona Wright more than 9 years ago

natural

I don't get why there's so much stigma surrounding breastfeeding. It's the most natural thing in the world. We can't make everything in factories you know.

Linda more than 9 years ago

the problem is in the expectation vs reality

I'm a mum of 2. 8 years ago I 'failed' to breastfeed after 3 weeks of pure hell trying. I had desperately wanted to, but had literally no idea the potential problems a new Mum could face. I had attended NCT classes and had 'chosen' to breastfeed - I natively thought it was that easy!! I had help during the difficulties but something wasn't working and no one could put it right so out came the bottle. I cried as I fed my baby I felt I was pouring poison into her tiny body. But she thrived, she grew and she's fine!
I'm almost 6 months into EBF my second child. It's had it's ups & downs but it's worked this time. I did nothing differently.
I've fed him in public, I've fed him in a toilet, I've fed him in a 'nursing' room. I'll do it wherever I want, wherever feels right. I couldn't give a crap what other people think just what I think and feel is right for me and him. Sometimes quiet time is best - in which case I will hog that public toilet cubicle for 30 minutes!! But it's my choice - no one elses. No I don't use a hooter hood as they ate a massive faff. I need to see what I'm doing. If anyone else see's frankly they need to mind their own!!

claire more than 9 years ago

Nursing Covers

It is precisely due to the attitude of people such as "Susan" that women use nursing covers. They feel uncomfortable feeding in public due to a very small percentage of people who have negative opinions. At least they are feeding their babies !

Lynn more than 10 years ago

Baby Cafe

Dear Sam

I love your article! It's very rare to find an accurate article about breastfeeding. You are so right in pinpointing the lack of support, especially in the early days. And also the need to change the cultural picture. Sometimes I think it's getting worse, not better - hooter hiders being an example of this.

You might like to know that I run a Baby Cafe in Horley - there are to other Baby Cafes in East Surrey, in Earlswood, Redhill and in Caterham. The aim of Baby Cafes is to normalise breastfeeding by having a social venue where breastfeeding is the norm, and where women can access help with breastfeeding informally. Yet even at Baby Cafes some women are getting out these nursing aprons. We can't ban them of course, but we do try to gently suggest that perhaps they aren't needed.

Best wishes,

Anne
Baby Café is a network of breastfeeding drop-in centres run by health visitors or lactation consultants at different venues around the UK. They offer an informal, café-style environment where mums can get one to one advice from trained advisers and chat to other breastfeeding mums. In Surrey you can find them in Horley, Woking, Purley, Caterham, Redhill, Earlswood and Croydon. See www.thebabycafe.org <http://www.thebabycafe.org> for details.

Anne more than 10 years ago

Enough's enough!

On reading your artical in the surrey downs magazine, myself and hundreds of other people are sick to death of so called yummie mummies clogging up our lovely coffee shops with baby buggies that they don't fold up and leaving no room for customers to sit down comfortably, then promptly uncovering themselves to feed their babies. Have a thought for other customers who find it very uncomfortable in this situation. I have seen people walk out of a big store in Guildford because of this. If they want to take over every where, make designated areas just for them. Of course it's a natural thing to feed your baby but don't subject it to other customers that feel uncomfortable about it. I was sat next to a woman who promptly started to change her babies very dirty nappy, she got a sharp ticking off from myself and a gentleman sat opposite me telling her the baby facilities were in the back of the restaurant, kindly use them.

Susan more than 10 years ago

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