Express journalist equates breastfeeding to...?

When I was feeding newborn DS, DD1 dragged the man from the local shop in when he delivered the groceries. 'Come and see my mummy feeding the baby' she said. I don't know who was more startled him or me! He obviously expected to see a bottle.

When I had my first son in 1970 I was feeding him when my in-laws popped round to see the newborn. I threw a shawl over my shoulder and carried on while they chatted. When my (then husband) showed them to to door my Brother-in-law said 'Umm tell T...... that she had the shawl over the wrong shoulder' Oops.

Good question Ana sounds like an excuse rather than a reason.

I cannot understand how the journalist can equate the ingestion of food with the excretion of urine and other bodily fluids.

Now if the mother was changing a dirty or even wet nappy in a cafe next to me I might find that nauseating.

The Health & Safety of whom?

I read today about a mum being told she couldn't breastfeed in a hospital waiting room !!!!!

There were 6 women in the room, non of whom complained yet a nurse told her for H&S reasons she had to stop. Another nurse took her to a side room.
I thought NHS supported breast feeding

I am at a loss to know why anyone should find it nauseating. Most mothers are very discreet and you would really have to make an effort to see anything. We recently had a case locally where a mother was asked to stop feeding her baby in a cafe and to go and use the toilet. Do you see many adults eating their lunch in the toilet? Why is considered suitable for babies?

Funnily enough it always seems to be other women who complain about breastfeeding.

I have never heard of this Virginia Blackburn, and it looks as if she is on her own with her nasty opinions, apart from the vile person who posted it on Facebook. Name and shame?

There is nothing visible except a baby's head! Is it more acceptable to see celebrities falling out of their dresses on the red carpet?
Perhaps some men find it titillating (excuse the pun) because they were bottle fed as babies?

Eating is a natural function, too - perhaps this daft journalist thinks that should be done in private, as well? What's a better place to sit and eat, and feed your baby, than out in the sunshine when hunger strikes? I wouldn't have got out very much when mine were tiny, if I couldn't breast feed them whilst out of the house. It's easy to be discreet. I see plenty of young mums breast feeding their babies in parks and cafés, causing no offence to anyone.

I breast fed my three children whenever they needed to be fed wherever we were. It is possible to be completely discrete if you wear a T shirt or wrap a pashmina round your shoulders .none of my friends husbands seemed bothered because I wasn't, and my fatherinlaw thought it was marvellous. It,s the perfect food for babies none of my children ever had a tummy upset when they were babies but the bottle feeding babies did sometimes. We should encourage Breast feeding not make a scene about it. Shame on the journalist I say!

What a load of twaddle that article is, the author was definitely looking for her moment of fame, as other comments have made clear.
Most women breast feed discreetly and if they don't, so what. I fed my children in cafe's, church, friends houses, the car etc. I was lucky, and only ever had smilies from people nearby. Good luck to this protest and let's hope the publicity backfires on the journalist.

DGS #1 wouldn't latch so DD fed him on expressed milk. She was quiet happy to sit and express in front of her dad. Telling him " If it bothers you, go for a walk"

I have seen photos of the many mums who joined her to repeat the scene
There was a very good turnout. There were gatherings in other cities too.

I never have a problem with mothers' breastfeeding in public, I often see it done in coffee shops and I think most mothers manage to do it very surreptitiously, anyway who cares, don't look if it upsets you. In my opinion it's much more offensive to see young women stumbling around drunk in the street with everything hanging out!

I cannot honestly believe that this 'reporter' had anything in mind but the furore it would cause when she decided to write this piece. Call me cynical, but I'm sure she guessed it would stir up this kind of response and that's why she wrote the article in the first place. It's tosh.

I can remember, back in 1965, coming home from hospital with baby number 2, and my in-laws were there to greet us. Baby needed feeding, and being a bit shy, I made to leave the room with her. "Where are you going?" asked MIL. "To feed the baby", I replied. She said, "Sit down and feed her, he`s seen titties before, haven`t you Pops?" So I sat down and fed her!! After that it never bothered me feeding in front of people, but only in our home, or those of others, never out in public, but only because of my own shyness, not because I thought it was wrong.

@Joelsnan - That's exactly right - for some reason there has been a concerted effort to consider the breast, with its nipple as in some way indecent. Well, you couldn't be arrested for indecent exposure if you went topless - only for causing a crowd to collect!

I saw this on facebook too. My DD who has a 3 month old and is breast feeding saw it on Mumsnet and "shared" the photo. I hope the protest went as planned. When I was in England in January we went out together and had lunch in the café in Boundary Mill. We looked for a table in a corner in case DGD needed feeding and DD could be discreet about it! As it happened she slept the whole time but things could have been different. This person who took the photo wouldn't eat in the toilet why should a baby!!!

What a stupid bit of old fashioned journalism. The other day I saw a young mother pop a bib/cape thingy over her head. She fed baby and I thought it was just part of her outfit until the truth dawned. Felt a bit silly for watching but it was an attractive top!

I go all aaahhhhhhhh if I see a mum breastfeeding.
But TBH unless you are watching like a hawk the baby's head covers up the mothers nipple.

These are the attitudes we get because society has allowed the sexualisation of the breasts instead of regarding them as what they are intended for...baby feeders.

I remember when I was very young, watching a neighbour breastfeeding her baby. I had never seen anyone do that before and she explained how if, for instance, she ate blackberry and apple pie the goodness would go into the milk for the baby.
I used to have a vision of blackberry coloured milk if the mum ate blackberries.

When I saw that photo, I thought it was quite odd. But sweet in a way, Both of them having their lunch.

Yes. She is definitely a stupid woman.

But, do you know, I'm not very keen on seeing a woman breast-feeding in a cafe, when I'm having my lunch. (shoot me now)

(I did breast-feed mine)

How on earth can she compare breast feeding with men urinating in the street? Completely barking.