Sub heading: You can keep your housewife chipped nails, Giving your toddler junk food is nothing to be ashamed of.
‘It’s right up there with the Sunday roast family meal, that proves you’re all woman and a good mother. Cooking for your child: the most natural thing
in the world. But what if, like me, you really don’t fancy it?
For some junk feeders, ‘not really fancying it’ translates into ‘concealing the fact that I’m buying macdonalds’. So visits from health visitors are
pre-empted by the scrabble to hide the poliuretan boxes in the bin. ‘What, oh that box. I’ve been busy so Dave went out for atake away.’ Hmm.
But why the shame? Sure, home made meals have the edge over take aways– it’s cheaper, and you can cook anything any time.
Then there are studies that show it reduces the risk of breast cancer for you, and stomach upsets and allergies for your baby. But even the
convenience and supposed health benefits of home made couldn’t induce me to spend all that time in the kitchen.
HANDS OFF
After nine months of denial, lardiness and bad shoes, as soon as the birth was out of the way I wanted time to myself . (And some wine). Not that I had
anything particularly useful to do with my time, except – paradoxically – care for my baby. I also wanted to give my hands at least a chance to stay
nice rather than having callouses and dry and break my nails cooking all day.
They’re part of my sexuality, too – not just hands, but masturbating tools.
And when you have that attitude (and I admit I made no attempt to change it), seeing your teeny, tiny, innocent baby feeding from a fork by the same
hand that has been playful with a lover” is just creepy.
JUNK FOOD WON
I don’t think I’m the only one, either – only 52% of mums do not give any junk food to their toddlers. Ask most of the junk feeders why they stopped
cooking so often and you’ll hear tales of agonising three-hour cooking sessions and – the drama! – the burns, the cuts!. But I often wonder whether
many of these women, like me, just couldn’t be fagged or felt like having a night off once in awhile. My reasons for not cooking might not be in the
league of ‘my nails have broken ’, but they make sense to me and I hope some women can be reassured by my honesty.
I wasn’t always so confident about being an out-and-proud junk food-mum-feeder.
I recall one sunny afternoon when, happily feeding my baby in the park, ducks quacking in the distance, a passing stranger – also a mum – asked me
whether it was home made. Reeling from the impertinence of such a personal question (and anyway, wasn’t the Macdonalds box in my hand a give away) I
hesitated to answer. Say ‘yes’ and I’d be a liar. Say ‘no’ and, from the pursing of her lips and arch of her brow, it was clear I’d be marked as a
weak, selfish mum, straight from the Vicky Pollard school of parenting. The clock was ticking. Liar? Bad mum? I plumped for bad mum. ‘You do know your
baby will get sick if you give him that poison,’ she said, flouncing off. Thanks, sister. Great advice.
THE JUNK STUFF
So, time for a reality check. Junk food and take aways are not toxic, lacking in nutrients or in any way bad for a baby’s health when prepared
properly – and we can all read the back of a packet for instructions. No, it’s not A-grade, but neither is it just empty food that will turn my baby
into an anaemic ball of flab with a life expectancy of three. Nor is the fact my baby eats burgers out of a box rather than a meal prepared with love
going to give him a mental illness or mean we don’t bond. That’s just ridiculous.
The Home Cooking Mafia can keep their guilt trips. Bullying other mums about something as special and nurturing as feeding their babies (and yes, eating
in Macdonalds can be lovely and intimate) is a depth that even Vicky Pollard wouldn’t sink to. So, let’s hear it, ladies, for modern nutritional science,
but most of all for our freedom of choice.
I never considered how I will feed my children, I am not sure why this was, but I just assumed that the whole point of my breasts being there was that. I have often thought hard about why I felt that way, but I still don’t know…
When people talk about the stigma of bottlefeeding, about the pressure to breastfeed I feel completely lost…
We live in a bottlefed world. Our little girls, ourselves included play with dolls that come with their bottle, if you stop people in the street and asked them to pretend to feed a baby, their gestures generally speaking will be clearly those of someone using a bottle. You probably have the same chances to have some water heated up in a restaurant as to be kicked out of it or told off for breastfeeding.
I didn’t “choose” to breastfeed, it wasn’t an intellectual option. I grab my baby and put him in the breast, later on it was a physical need as my breasts where full of milk and because when my baby cried their leaked…The stigma, well… I thought I was doing what the slogans were saying that it was good, I thought I was in the good books of society, I am easily enjoying something that seems to be politically rewarded, surely I will be protected, treated nicely, my baby and I will be praised…but I didn’t. I had to show that I knew what I was doing before leaving the hospital, then I had to fight my health visitor that week after week undermined my confidence and told me that I should give some nice formula to this baby and stop my stupid crusade that will end up with an obviously ill and poorly fed baby (the baby was never ill, and gain weight normally and steadily)
When I suffered from postnatal depression, it was suggested that I should have electric convulsion therapy because I didn’t want to take anti depressants as breastfeeding was my priority and I didn’t trust the research, when I asked for alternatives, I was being difficult and pushed towards to stop breastfeeding. I lost friendships because when I explain this issue they said I was being selfish putting the breastfeeding before my mental health.
When my first son was 10 months old I developed a mastitis while in Spain, the male obstetrician told me I was to stop breastfeeding immediately, I cried, he laughed and said that I was crazy and it was useless and pointless to breastfed at that age (WHO recommends 2 years) at that point I finally stopped I gave up in my ridiculous idea of giving to my child this milk that I couldn’t stop producing, I give up on my idea of cuddling him and feeding him with all my love despite pain, sadness and blisters, despite having the world against me.
I didn’t face any stigma, I did face some dirty looks, but it was simpler than that…nobody understood or believe in me or my breastfeeding capacity.
We promote an idea but not its reality. We repeat sentences but we do not understand them.
I have no idea if it is a fake article or not, the same subject has been covered in the New York Daily News and The Daily Times but this is a more readable option – Lisa.
Obviously, the religious authority knows it has a problem that must be dealt with. But is this really the answer?
Women in Saudi Arabia should give their breast milk to male colleagues and acquaintances in order to avoid breaking strict Islamic law forbidding mixing between the sexes, two powerful Saudi clerics have said. They are at odds, however, over precisely how the milk should be conveyed.
A fatwa issued recently about adult breast-feeding to establish “maternal relations” and preclude the possibility of sexual contact has resulted in a week’s worth of newspaper headlines in Saudi Arabia. Some have found the debate so bizarre that they’re calling for stricter regulations about how and when fatwas should be issued.
Sheikh Al Obeikan, an adviser to the royal court and consultant to the Ministry of Justice, set off a firestorm of controversy recently when he said on TV that women who come into regular contact with men who aren’t related to them ought to give them their breast milk so they will be considered relatives.
One cleric claims simply pumping and having the men drink the milk is enough to create this familial bond. Another, however, does say that “men should suckle the breast milk directly from a woman’s breast.”
The logic behind the edict is an apparently common practice known as “breast milk siblings” where according to the article, if you provide 5 “fulfilling” breastmilk meals to a male child before the age of two, you and your female family members will not have to cover your faces in front of him later in life, something that is apparently common among nieces and nephews.
But, when translated into somehow trying to provide this connection to an adult, and use it as a loophole in order to allow women to be in the presence of men who are not blood relations, a lot of obvious problems jump to mind. The first, of course, is the assumption that every woman is lactating, when in fact the only candidates for this process would be married mothers with children under the age of two, the traditional cutoff point for breastfeeding in that country. Women aren’t just wandering around with milk in their breasts all of the time, married or not, mothers or not. This would provide no outlet for any unmarried woman, who tend to suffer the most under these strict guardianship laws, nor for widows or the elderly.
The second problem is what is meant by “fulfilling” meals. A grown adult obviously would take much more to be “fulfilled” than an infant, or even a toddler, whose stomachs are smaller than an apple.
Third, even with this loophole available, clerics have decreed that it cannot be used with a driver. As women in Saudi Arabia are not allowed to have driver’s licenses, no woman would be able to go anywhere outside walking distance without having a man drive her. If this breastfeeding loophole can’t be used with someone who can drive them from place to place, they are still essentially trapped without a family member to accompany them, regardless.
Breastfeeding adult males in order to be allowed to be with someone of the opposite sex who is not a family member is no real solution to the issues of Sharia law. In fact, it actually exacerbates them, as it simply reinforces the idea that a woman sole purpose in existence is to extend and tend to the family unit. Women in the country deserve real freedom, not that which is only granted to them if they act as the “sustenance” of the family.”
This is from the lovely Kate Evans – hi everyone. I’m doing a talk on Tues at 2pm, at the Cowley Club, London Road, Brighton, on breastfeeding and babies and The Food of Love AND it’s the last one this year SO tell anyone to come along who might be interested. Yeah?
Sub heading: You can keep your soggy breast pads, says Kathryn Blundell. Giving your baby formula milk is nothing to be ashamed of.
‘It’s right up there with a drug-free birth as the rite of passage that proves you’re all woman and a good mother. Breastfeeding: the most natural thing in the world. But what if, like me, you really don’t fancy it?
For some formula feeders, ‘not really fancying it’ translates into ‘concealing the fact that I’m using a bottle’. So visits from health visitors are pre-empted by the scrabble to hide the sterliser under the sink. ‘What, oh that bottle. I’ve been expressing so Dave can give feeds.’ Hmm.
But why the shame? Sure, breastmilk has the edge over infant formula – it’s free, it doesn’t need heating up and you can whip up a feed in the middle of the night without having to get out of bed.
Then there are studies that show it reduces the risk of breast cancer for you, and stomach upsets and allergies for your baby. But even the convenience and supposed health benefits of breastmilk couldn’t induce me to stick my nipple into a bawling baby’s mouth.
HANDS OFF
After nine months of denial, lardiness and bad shoes, as soon as the birth was out of the way I want my body back. (And some wine). Not that I had anything particularly useful to do with my body, except – paradoxically – care for my baby. I also wanted to give my boobs at least a chance to stay on my chest rather than dangling around on my stomach, which, after two pregnancies, still has ‘tonal’ issues of its own.
They’re part of my sexuality, too – not just breasts, but fun bags.
And when you have that attitude (and I admit I made no attempt to change it), seeing your teeny, tiny, innocent baby latching on where only a lover has been before feels, well, a little creepy.
FORMULA WON
I don’t think I’m the only one, either – only 52% of mums still breastfeed after six weeks. Ask most of the quitters why they stopped and you’ll hear tales of agonising three-hour feeding sessions and – the drama! – bloody nipples. But I often wonder whether many of these women, like me, just couldn’t be fagged or felt like getting tipsy once in awhile. My reasons for not breastfeeding might not be in the league of ‘my boobs are falling off’, but they make sense to me and I hope some women can be reassured by my honesty.
I wasn’t always so confident about being an out-and-proud formula fan.
I recall one sunny afternoon when, happily feeding my baby in the park, ducks quacking in the distance, a passing stranger – also a mum – asked me whether I was breastfeeding. Reeling from the impertinence of such a personal question (and anyway, wasn’t the bottle in my hand a give away/) I hesitated to answer. Say ‘yes’ and I’d be a liar. Say ‘no’ and, from the pursing of her lips and arch of her brow, it was clear I’d be marked as a weak, selfish mum, straight from the Vicky Pollard school of parenting. The clock was ticking. Liar? Bad mum? I plumped for bad mum. ‘You do know your baby will get sick if you give him that poison,’ she said, flouncing off. Thanks, sister. Great advice.
THE WHITE STUFF
So, time for a reality check. Formula milk is not toxic, lacking in nutrients or in any way bad for a baby’s health when prepared properly – and we can all read the back of a packet for instructions. No, it’s not A-grade, but neither is it powdered scum that will turn my baby into an anaemic ball of flab with a life expectancy of three. Nor is the fact my baby suckles on silicone rather than skin going to give him a mental illness or mean we don’t bond. That’s just ridiculous.
The Milk Mafia can keep their guilt trips. Bullying other mums about something as special and nurturing as feeding their babies (and yes, bottle feeding can be lovely and intimate) is a depth that even Vicky Pollard wouldn’t sink to. So, let’s hear it, ladies, for modern nutritional science, but most of all for our freedom of choice.
The Onion is an American news satire organization or as they prefer to call it “America’s Finest News Source”, this video is a spoof breastfeeding advocacy interview. What do you think, is it good for the cause, or bad?
I never much enjoyed expressing, although I got the hang of it after I learnt to let my son activate the letdown process then swapped him fast onto the other side. He, however hated bottles or milk from anything other than me so I stopped trying pretty soon!
How about you? Do or did you express because you needed to, or because you wanted to? Or do you not express at all?
If I have missed out any possible answers please let me know and I’ll add them as options. You can have more than one choice as an answer.
And if you have any good expressing hints please let us know. What pump do you prefer, any positions that work better for you?
My personal cut off point for breastfeeding was going to be when my son was 3. I don’t think I had any particular logic in mind I just though that around about 3 would be a good time for me to get my body back. He actually self weaned just before he was 2 anyway so I didn’t have to make any decisions in the end.
I’m really interested in what other peoples personal cut off points are and what reasons would stop you breastfeeding. If you can think of any other reasons please comment below.
Thank you to the adorable Noah who is only 4 weeks old in these pictures, and thank you to his mum Sam for sending me the pictures. What a superstar, I love the pose!
I am now sold out of size 1-2 years and have a limited supply of 0-6 months in pink and blue and a slightly bigger stock of 6-12 months left in loads of different colours. They are unlikely to be this price ever again so get them while you can!
If you are fast you can catch the ‘Not all Nappies are Rubbish, Cloth Nappies go on and on’ t-shirt at www.lactivist.co.uk for a very silly £3. Usually it is £9.99 so get it quick before I change my mind about making a loss on them
This is a podcast by Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett, Ph.D., IBCLC, who is a health psychologist, and specialist in mind-body medicine.
“What are your options if you’re a breastfeeding mom and feeling depressed? Can you take medication to treat depression while breastfeeding? Are commonly prescribed anti-depressants passed through breastmilk? If so, are they safe for your baby to consume? Is it true that breastfeeding itself can combat the symptoms of depression?
Lansinoh got Dr. Kendall-Tackett on the phone to answer these questions and more. I think her responses will put many minds at ease! The most important information that came out of our conversation was:
Stay away from the MAOI class of antidepressants. While almost all other antidepressants are safe, this type of drug (Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor) is dangerous to consume while you’re pregnant or nursing. Dr. Kendall-Tackett mentions that Nardil and Parnate are two names to avoid.
Don’t discount the effectiveness of non-drug treatments for depression. Exercise, bright-light therapy, Omega-3 fatty acids, and psychotherapy can all be very effective. Some have been shown to work as well as pharmacologic solutions.
Breastfeeding lowers stress hormone levels. Those warm fuzzy feelings moms get when they’re breastfeeding aren’t just a nice side-effect. They can actually combat and prevent symptoms of depression by reducing stress.
Depression can lead to early weaning. When you lose confidence and feel you’ve lost control over things in your life, which are two symptoms of depression, you might start believing your body isn’t capable of making enough milk for your baby. Supplementing breastmilk with formula might negatively affect your supply, and eventually lead you to wean inadvertently.”
Her website is http://www.uppitysciencechick.com/UppityScienceChick.com offers a forum for sharing current and noteworthy research on the mind-body connection and how it relates to cardiovascular disease; diabetes; trauma and PTSD; depression in new mothers; and breastfeeding. Research presented on this site is useful, potentially life-changing–and cool.
Health Specialist comment on affects of Alcohol on Breast Feeding
Affects of Alcohol on Breast Feeding
Press release 31.03.2010 09:28
Consumption of alcohol in men and women are highly hazardous to the overall body condition. The major consequences are observed especially in women at the period prior and after pregnancy. Consumption of alcohol has lead to numerous hazardous effects that the poor baby has to fall prey off. According to the latest surveys, the major and most commonly observed syndrome in females is while breast feeding. There has been a misconception that alcohol improves the quality of breast milk, experts are of the opinion that drinking as little as two glasses, before breast feeding can majorly affect the amount of milk production in mums, apart from this, alcohol consumption may also slow down the release or flow of milk when the baby starts sucking.
Doctors explain, breastfeeding process is highly associated with prolactin and oxytocin hormones, Prolactin stimulates the mother’s breast to fill it with milk, Where as, oxyticin functions by stimulating the release of milk, when the baby starts sucking. The study was carried out by taking 20 non-smoking mums, who possessed breastfeeding babies from the age group of two to four months. These women were given a glass of orange juice on two separate days, on the first day the drink contained pure orange juice extracts, whereas on the other day, the juice was mixed with alcohol equivalent to the quantity of two wine glasses.
After researching, the females used breast pumps to stimulate milk flow, and a major change has been observed in the levels of breastfeeding hormones. Health care professionals explain that, drinking alcohol to moderate quantity does not seriously harm the baby’s health. Mums should not stop breastfeeding because they have had an alcoholic drink. The basic consequence behind drinking alcohol, during the phase of breastfeeding is highly related to milk production levels. Although it has been experienced for a short term basis, it is in a way hazardous to the health of mums involved in drinking alcoholic drinks.
Drinking of alcohol increases the levels of prolactin hormones tremendously, where as a fall in the levels of oxytocin hormones has been observed by 78 percent. The fall in the levels of oxytocin results makes it difficult the production of the first drop of milk, and the further procedure associated with the milk production is also delayed. On the contrary, the rise in the levels of prolactin hormones may give the feeling of breast fullness.
The major question that a pregnant lady faces, is whether the alcohol consumed passes in to breast milk, It is highly possible, that the alcohol consumed pass on a small amount to the baby through breast milk, the cases are highly possible if breastfeeding is done immediately after drinking alcohol. Alcohol contents can make the milk smell and taste different. Hence, mums are advised not to consume alcohol before breast feeding. An occasional drink like one glass of wine or beer would not necessitate interrupting breast feeding. Experts never recommend daily drinking as it can inhibit milk production and can lead to gradual weight gain in infants.
http://bitsofmyself.com/ is the blog of Jenn who is having treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma. In her blog she talks about pumping through chemotherapy, her 2 returns to nursing & getting ready for a stem cell transplant. There are loads photos, medical explanations & personal stories.
Jen said “I’ve found that mothers facing cancer are starved for real info, for more than a “no you can’t.” they want to see what it looks like, feels like? how did I pump, didI have to relactate? what did my Drs. say? Which books to buy & which lactation professionals to email.
I want my battle with disease to serve others. I want my daughter’s suffering to spare someone else’s. I hope my family’s strength might support others in times of need. ”
BN, developed from observations of mothers who enjoy breastfeeding, describes the holding and cuddling that most mothers naturally want to do as soon as the baby is born. It is a newly developed approach to breastfeeding underpinned by a strong neurobehavioural theoretical framework.
In recent years hospitals have made progress in breastfeeding promotion. This is largely due to the work of excellent public health initiatives like the Baby Friendly Initiative. Today, no one would argue that breastfeeding is the best way to feed babies. However, aspects of current practice remain unsupported by any research evidence (Colson, 2005a 2005b).
People often suggest that breastfeeding is the easiest and most natural way to feed a baby. However, many mothers disagree, saying that breastfeeding does not feel natural at all; many do not appear to enjoy breastfeeding. Mothers often say they find breastfeeding difficult. This bad press together with gaps in the evidence base and static, low breastfeeding continuance rates present a strong argument to examine and develop new approaches.
Biological nurturing is one such approach. For more than 25 years, I have observed and supported thousands of mothers who appear to enjoy breastfeeding in a variety of acute and community settings. Appointed as one of the research midwives on the Hawdon, DeRooy and Williams team examining patterns of metabolic adaptation for healthy, moderately preterm infants, I used biological nurturing to support breastfeeding and formally articulated the strategy as a breastfeeding intervention for an MSc dissertation in midwifery studies (Colson, 2000; Colson, DeRooy and Hawdon, 2003). In 2001, in conjunction with South Bank University, Biological Nurturing was introduced during a midwifery practice development project funded by the Department of Health and carried out in East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust (Dykes, 2004). This project resulted in a peer reviewed nurturing booklet written for mothers (Colson, 2001). To date over 8000 copies of this booklet have been distributed or sold.
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, ‘Ask A Bear.’
Q: My wife has been breastfeeding our 3-month-old daughter, and she’d like to get out for her first post-pregnancy backpacking trip this summer. While we cannot take the little one along with us yet, we had planned to take a breastpump and dispose of the pumped milk. We can’t seem to find any information about whether it is safe to camp in bear country while…uh…lactating. So, how about it? Is it safe to camp in bear country when you are a breastfeeding mom? Thanks! —Mike from Virginia, via email
A: Hey Mike. First of all, congratulations on the new cub—here’s hoping she has two eyes, ten claws, and a shiny fur coat. Secondly, as long as you dispose of the milk properly, your wife should be good to go on that backpacking trip. There’s no evidence to suggest that lactating females would attract bears any more than those who aren’t. If it’s inside your body, a bear probably can’t smell it; any food or external odors left on your skin or clothes are more likely to attract bears. As for disposal: You can treat it much the way you would treat dishwater. Scatter it broadly at least 200 feet away from water sources, and well away from your camp (strain it, if need be). This way, impact should be minimal. If you want to truly reduce your impact to zero, however, you should probably wait to go backpacking until your wife stops lactating. It’ll certainly cut down on her discomfort. And if you ever need a babysitter…
This page provides safety information about correct positioning for newborns and small babies in soft carriers such as pouches, ring slings, mei tais (Asian-style baby carriers), wraps, and buckle carriers.
It also warns parents of the risks of using bag-type carriers such as the Infantino SlingRider and similar duffel-bag style carriers made by companies such as JJ Cole, Premaxx, Boppy, Lamaze, Munchkin, or any other similar design.
Any bag style carrier that resembles a duffel bag, with a flat bottom and two sides that slant upwards towards an elasticized or padded top, is inherently unsafe and should never be used for a newborn or small baby.
1) The bag carrier forces baby into a prone, C-shape position, tucking baby’s chin to chest and potentially impeding breathing.
2) Even if a mesh panel is present, the baby’s head being enclosed in fabric may cause baby to rebreathe her exhalations that are high in carbon dioxide.
3) It is difficult if not impossible for parents to view their babies’ faces at all times and monitor breathing.
4) Babies may roll towards the side of the carrier and end up with their faces pressed into fabric, obstructing breathing.
HOW TO USE THIS SITE: Please start with the links, look at the pictures, and read through the discussion pages. Please post if you have any questions! (read less)
Mission:
To promote safe babywearing by educating parents about baby carriers and the ways that baby carriers should and should not be used.
Products:
PLEASE NOTE: this page is a compendium of information from many experienced babywearing advocates and educators. Thank you to all of you for all of your hard work in teaching parents how to wear babies safely! An especially big thanks to M’Liss Steltzer, RN, for her tireless efforts to bring attention to the dangers of bag slings and to put together the photo-illustrated positioning handout to demonstrate the proper positioning of newborns and small babies.
Press Release from The Art of Change – Confusion lifted over breastfeeding
20th July 2008 01:00
UK mothers who breastfeed their children, are celebrating after the government clarified today that mothers are, and always have been, free to breastfeed in public places. Breastfeeding mothers are also protected in law under the provision of goods, services and facilities section of the Sexual Discrimination Act when breastfeeding, whatever the age of the baby, in places such as cafes, restaurants, libraries, surgeries etc.
When Harriet Harman announced plans for the new Equality Bill three weeks ago, she could not have known that people around the country – and around the world – would respond so strongly to her proposal to include the word ‘breastfeeding’ in the definition of maternity.
Under the new proposals, the government was stating that a mother, breastfeeding a child of six months or less, would now be more rigorously protected by law from discrimination. It was this six month cut off point that started panic amongst breastfeeding mothers who, in accord with WHO and Government Health guidelines, seek to breastfeed well beyond six months. They were concerned that they could now be discriminated against, for feeding a child older than six months when in public.
As Barbara Follett, Deputy Minister for Women and Equality, stated: “The law is not as clear as it could be. People are unsure of their rights and their responsibilities in this area. Some people also think that women can be charged with indecency for breastfeeding in a public place. This is utter nonsense and completely wrong”.
Barry Durdant-Hollamby, a communications specialist for The Art of Change, became concerned that mixed messages were being given out to the public, when he was alerted to a newspaper story suggesting that it was an offence to breastfeed in public. ‘I found it hard to believe that there could be a law suggesting that breastfeeding in public was an offence. And yet there was this story suggesting it was. And then I thought of all the young, vulnerable mothers – and of all the service providers such as the managers of food chains – reading that same article and acting according to what they had read in the article. I had to get to the bottom of it. It has been a challenge, but I feel we can spread some positive light on all this now.’
As a result of Durdant-Hollamby’s investigations, the Government Equalities Office has confirmed that:
1) There is not, and never has been, any law that prohibits a woman from breastfeeding a child of any age in public, for example in a cafe.
2) The 1975 Sexual Discrimination Act created legal protection for a woman under the provision of goods, facilities and services section. This protection covered a woman breastfeeding a child, of any age, by implication, and meant that she could not be discriminated against for breastfeeding in places such as restaurants, cafes, surgeries, libraries etc.
3) The 2008 amendment to the SDA brought in more specific cover under the wording of ‘maternity’ – this also brought in the first mention of a six-month period, as it is tied to broader maternity rights covering 6 months before and after birth – whereby a mother could also challenge the owner under the grounds of maternity
4) The Equality Bill seeks to make it even more explicit that this maternity protection includes breastfeeding, by including the word breastfeeding in the statute.
So, for example, if a mother who is breastfeeding a 27 week old baby on a bus or in a café is asked to leave or to stop breastfeeding, she can take legal action on the grounds of sexual discrimination. If that same mother was feeding a child under 26 weeks, she could take action under the grounds of maternity or sexual discrimination.
Mike Brady, Campaigns and Networking Coordinator at Baby Milk Action, said: “We, and our colleagues in the Baby Feeding Law Group, are pleased to see the Government making it clear that women are free to breastfeed in public and stating that these women are already protected under the Sexual Discrimination Act. During the consultation phase for the Single Equality Bill, we have also asked for there to be no age limit specified on the additional protection (provided under ‘maternity’) for breastfeeding in public. In many countries I visit, mothers do not give a thought to breastfeeding wherever they may be, which is quick and convenient and nobody sees it at odd.”
Only this week, the need for clarity was demonstrated when the junior manager of a McDonald’s asked a breastfeeding woman to leave the premises. Fortunately Head Office understood the law and offered an apology to the woman involved. It is this type of confusion that Durdant-Hollamby was determined to lift.
Deputy Minister for Women Barbara Follett concluded: “Mothers have to be confident that they can breastfeed their infants in a café, restaurant or shop without the embarrassment of having the owner ask them to stop. This type of discrimination has in fact been unlawful for more than thirty years, and the mother – with a baby of any age – could challenge the owner under the Sex Discrimination Act.”
My name is Ruth and I designed the Rooti Tooti breastfeeding top when my daughter was born. It is a unique breastfeeding top and offers great versatility as it is worn with your own nursing bra and then your own clothing, which you feel comfortable in, on top or the specifically designed Rooti Tooti wrap top (this is cut to the hip to allow easy access to the feeding holes). The tops are made in England by a small manufacturers we have a close relationship with.
Rooti Tooti offers a unique breastfeeding top to help mums breastfeed discreetly and confidently when out and about. It’s very easy to use and comes in a variety of colours, and can be worn with the coordinating Rooti Tooti wrap tops or underneath your own clothing. Our hope is that the Rooti Tooti Breastfeeding Top will revolutionise the way a mum feeds her baby.
We are also currently have 2 offers running; We have 20% off our entire Sky Blue range until stock runs out and we have 20% off our entire Wrap Dress range in all colours again until stocks last.
These adverts are generated by Google - now and then a sneeky formula one gets in but I can block them so please email me at moomum@lactivist.co.uk if you see one.
I never considered how I will feed my children, I am not sure why this was, but I just assumed that the whole point of my breasts being there was that. I have often thought hard about why I felt that way, but I still don’t know…
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