breastfeeding in public
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Category: General Chat
Forum Name: General Chat
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URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=762
Printed Date: 20 December 2024 at 5:24am
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Topic: breastfeeding in public
Posted By: lizzle
Subject: breastfeeding in public
Date Posted: 21 June 2005 at 11:26am
| Hey I was reading that NZ is proposing a law changes, allowing women to breastfeed ANYWHERE that she is legally entitled to be. Just wondering, for me personally I don't like breastfeeding in public for myself as I'm uncomfortable, then again, breastfeeding in a public toilet is just gross. What do you guys think? Will this new law mean you feel comfortable breastfeeding anywhere? |
Replies:
Posted By: kas
Date Posted: 21 June 2005 at 11:42am
I think that women should be able to breastfeed wherever they want its stupid how some place's put signs up saying 'No Breastfeeding'. Adults have to eat and so do babies, nobody likes the sound of a screaming baby and if you don't like seeing a mum breastfeed then don't look, its as simple as that. Not sure if i will breastfeed much in public because i'll have 2 babies but if i'm somewhere and they are hungry then i will do it.  ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Bizzy
Date Posted: 21 June 2005 at 11:55am
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i didnt know i couldnt feed anywhere i wanted to already. and i have never seen a "no breastfeeding" sign. so it wouldnt make a difference to me. ------------- http://www.myfitnesspal.com/weight-loss-ticker"> 
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Posted By: AlyAyde
Date Posted: 21 June 2005 at 12:02pm
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Im with you GS mum. I didnt know that there were places you couldnt feed. Alyssa was way to nosey for me to feed in public. And well Jayde screams. So i dint really have that problem to deal with anyway. ------------- Jayde 25/12/04 Alyssa 08/04/03 http://Alyayde.bebo.com |
Posted By: toniellis
Date Posted: 21 June 2005 at 1:49pm
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I have always breastfed in public. I try to be discreet and the tops I have are especially for breastfeeding and my partner said he can't even tell I'm doing it.
I never knew that you couldn't do it in cetain places. I know in Auckland there were a lot of malls that had parent rooms so you could have a private place to feed in anyway. They were so cool, comfy chairs, nice changing tables, kids sized toilets, a micromave for bottle feeding mums and even a little playground in some that I went to. ------------- Mum to Alex (11), Blaire (10) & Erika (8) and Damien (6) Successful HWB VBA2Cs! Soon to be surrogate |
Posted By: melz
Date Posted: 21 June 2005 at 4:44pm
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There are lots of cafes and restaurants that don't allow breastfeeding. My sisters friend was b/feeding in a cafe in Tauranga and was asked not too.
I never had any problem b/feeding in public personally as you can do it discreetly. The parents rooms in the malls are great. They even have a tv to watch when you are breast feeding... |
Posted By: nikkitheknitter
Date Posted: 21 June 2005 at 5:35pm
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I often breastfeed in public, and have not yet come across someone telling me not to, although there was a mall I was at in Wellington where I knew they had previously asked women to leave for breastfeeding so I went to their parents room. Very glad I did because it was so cool!!!
I think the law will be good. I know a few mums who don't like feeding in public, but the law isn't forcing them to expose themselves so I guess they can just continue on their merry way. It'll be good not worrying about being asked to stop! I'm so oblivous of people being offended by breastfeeding anyway! Given up my dignity long ago 
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Posted By: daikini
Date Posted: 21 June 2005 at 6:27pm
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The parents rooms are great! Might as well be comfortable! If one isn't available near where I may be, then I'd be fine breastfeeding at a cafe (for example)or whatever.
The reason for the proposed law-change is because a woman wanted to breastfeed her child at a kindy, and was asked not to. She's got the pip, and started a petition to change the law. Apparently, she's got Plunket's full backing. I agree with it, to a point. There's all this push that "breast is best", but a woman who breastfeeds in public gets frowned at. The part I don't agree with (as far as in public goes) is that the woman's child is 2 & 1/2. At that age, it's just too hard to be discrete! ------------- Becca, mum of 2 girls & 3 boys |
Posted By: mum2paris
Date Posted: 21 June 2005 at 7:05pm
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Hmm i don't know.. then again, if appropriate places were provided then we wouldn't have to worry.. I went to a kids birthday party the other day, at mcdonalds.. and spent the whole time praying Ayja wouldn't wake up.. there was no mother's room, the toilets ( i would NEVER feed baby in the toilets) were tiny anyway, and I didn't feel that i could feed in public.. I never have, plus the party was for mike's workshop bosses little girl, i knew no one there and that made even more reason that i wouldn't. I think those who are comfortable enough to feed in public should have full right to. I don't find it offensive, but, and some may get angry at me for this.. a few months ago we were walkign through the supermarket.. there was a lady, walking around, her top right up, feeding her baby, not discreetly, everyone could see everything and she was walking around the shop. It was weird really.. they have a mum's room there, I just couldn't understand it. I dunno. I guess some people are more comfortable with their bodies than I am  ------------- Janine and her 2 cool chicks, Paris & Ayja 
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Posted By: lizzle
Date Posted: 22 June 2005 at 12:58am
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Isn't it ridiculous that a woman breastfeeding is frowned upon, yet young girls, more or less baring theirs in low cut, sometimes see-thorugh tops is perfectly acceptable. I was reading a thing about this woman in the US who was asked at a concert to stop breastfeeding, yet metres away girls were topless....no problem.
weird. I have for the record, never been told that I can't breastfeed in a place, but then again wasn't that adventourous where I fed. nearly fed at Te Papa though. A creepy man was looking at Jake and saying "he's the real work of art isn't it" and it creeped me out. Decided the boob could stay put. |
Posted By: Xander&Harmony
Date Posted: 22 June 2005 at 8:08am
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while I wsa breatsfeeding xander I didnt care where i was if he was hungry i wasnt going to rush off to the nearest parents room just to feed him.I am a real shy person but yeah the dignity of being a mum went out the door when i had him lol.Anyway,if i happen to be in the mall and Harmony wanted a feed then id go ti the parents room but if i were in say a cafe or sumthin thenid feed heere there.U ccan do it discretly ( even with big boobs) i tend to have a cloth nappy in babys bag and if i felt like i was exxposing myself id just chuck the cloth over my boob and babes head. ------------- BECS http://www.sparklee.com"> 
Angel Baby 10/07/09 (10wks4days) |
Posted By: AlyAyde
Date Posted: 22 June 2005 at 8:30am
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Its funny rob came home last night and we discussed this. He had had a big argument with a girl at work (shes canadian) about BF in public. She thinks its offensive. He told her would she go to the toilet to eat her food? But she thinks babys BF is like someone weeing in front of her...... Weird lady. Yes she is yet to have children. ------------- Jayde 25/12/04 Alyssa 08/04/03 http://Alyayde.bebo.com |
Posted By: kas
Date Posted: 22 June 2005 at 11:56am
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Weird lady alright! There are a couple of places in Rotorua that have signs up so i've been told, and i girl i know was breastfeeding in Mcdonalds and she got asked to stop feeding or to leave. I can only think of 1 parents room in Rotorua and i wouldn't say that its in the best place. If you've got to do it then go for it i say. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: mum2paris
Date Posted: 22 June 2005 at 1:12pm
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There are 3 parent's room's in Palmy, One, in the plaza.. the biggest mall of all, is big enough for 1, maybe 2 pushchairs before you start tripping over each other, and the 1 chair they have in there, is one with high arms.. not great for breastfeeding unless you want to wedge your child between the sides, or sit side on..
The other two are pretty good.. I usually avoid the plaza one unless i have to. Prob is, usually we go out when all the others do.. you know, friday night.. or wednesday/thursday after pay day.. they are always crowded. We went to one in coastlands mall in paraparamu.. it was wonderfull, huge and had separate cubicles like toilet cubicles, but big enough for buggys to go in too, and you could lock them so if you had little toddler swith you they weren't gonna run off. you'd think more places would provide adequate mum's rooms, surely it would improve business? ------------- Janine and her 2 cool chicks, Paris & Ayja
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Posted By: Roksana
Date Posted: 22 June 2005 at 4:07pm
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I don't know if I would feel comfortable feeding the baby in public, but I like to have the option. I know most major malls in Auckland have parents room....some are really posh!
But I don't think there is any thing wrong with breast feeding in public...as some of you said, if you don't like it...don't look!! I am all go for the law!!! ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: nikkitheknitter
Date Posted: 22 June 2005 at 4:07pm
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Kelly, with you on the disgusting state of mother's rooms in Rotorua. I'm back home at the moment and I don't want to end up in town and having to feed Hannah
I did once (in the mall by the Warehouse) and didn't want to touch anything or put her on the change table because it was so disgusting! Sometimes mothers are gross 
Haven't seen any signs around here yet? |
Posted By: newmum
Date Posted: 22 June 2005 at 4:22pm
I can't believe that there are some places that have signs about not breastfeeding!! When I was still at school I had a weekend job at a cafe. They asked a young mum to leave one day because she breast fed her tiny baby there, I got really angry and quit that day! I just couldn't believe my boss could be that rude! I think that if it is done discreetely there shouldn't be a problem. It is just a natural thing, and like someone else has said, I am sure people would prefer a quiet feeding baby at the table next to them than a screaming hungry one!  I haven't checked out the parents rooms in my area yet, I will have to have a look! I am hoping to breastfeed our baby and would hate to have to be ashamed of it.
OOps, that sounds very opinionated doesn't it!? The double standards just make me mad. You can have almost naked boobs on the cover of magazines everywhere but... anyway, I will stop raving now! ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: nikkitheknitter
Date Posted: 22 June 2005 at 4:34pm
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I think you did the right thing! (And I don't think you sound opinionated...well atleast not more than myself!)
I got really mad with an opinion poll in the Daily Post with this young twenty something year old bleach blonde girl who was talking about how women shouldn't breastfeed in public. As if she has any idea what it is like!!!!!!! (now I'm the opinionated one  )
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Posted By: lou
Date Posted: 22 June 2005 at 5:43pm
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I had no problems feeding in public, quite often I would end up feeding Sophie while waiting at the check out at the supermarket. I didn't care what others thought - if she was hungry, she was hungry ------------- Mother to two beautiful children - Sophie age 6 and Ephraim age 4 |
Posted By: Xander&Harmony
Date Posted: 22 June 2005 at 9:34pm
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ger this ladies........ over in brisbane there was a parents room that had HUGE areas for changing and feeding.PLUS they had an employee fulltime in there cleaning and theres even a bassinette or bed there if u wanted to put baby down for a sleep and the lady that minded the room looks after baby ( that is if u were trusting enuf to want to leave ur child there).my MIL told me about the faciliteis when she was over there last year.Sounds like it is a home away from home. ------------- BECS http://www.sparklee.com">
Angel Baby 10/07/09 (10wks4days) |
Posted By: lizzle
Date Posted: 22 June 2005 at 9:43pm
| In japan the parents room are FABULOUS!! Comfy chairs for breastfeeding, you can rent breastpumps eve. vending machines full of juice and baby foods, nappies and stuff. And all with attendants to help out./ |
Posted By: nikkitheknitter
Date Posted: 22 June 2005 at 10:36pm
| attendants??? woahhhh! that's so cool! |
Posted By: AlyAyde
Date Posted: 23 June 2005 at 8:00am
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I reckon id stay there all day! ------------- Jayde 25/12/04 Alyssa 08/04/03 http://Alyayde.bebo.com |
Posted By: lizzle
Date Posted: 23 June 2005 at 10:49am
| well, in summer with the air conditioner I almost wuld do...but in the electronics shops you can sit in the massage chairs. They have big lines of them for you to try out and you don't even have to pretend you ever plan to buy one. There's always old people asleep in them. |
Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 23 June 2005 at 11:18am
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It's a good thing no one ever told me off for bf in public, coz they would have gotten a damn good earful! The WHO, Plunket etc. all go on about how breast is best, so why should we be restricted where we feed our babies? I fed Maya anywhere and everywhere, in church, in the immigration office when we were waiting for her passport, in restaurants. And I couldn't be too discreet because I have big boobs. No one ever said a word to me. I think it's silly that we need a law to allow breastfeeding, it's completely natural.
As for breastfeeding a 2 1/2 year old in public, I think that's completely unneccessary. At that age they don't need to be fed on demand, if you are still breastfeeding (which I think is a little freaky) then it should be something that is reserved for before bed, or at least for home. -------------  Maya Grace (28/02/03)
 (02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: daikini
Date Posted: 23 June 2005 at 1:03pm
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I agree, Emma, that feeding the 2 1/2 year old should be kept at home.
I was just reading about breastfeeding in public on an american forum I belong to, and the general opinion was that until the kid is on solids (and coincidently still at that stage when nothing distracts them) discrete BFing is fine. Some men gave their opinions, and they all said that it doesn't bother them, and isn't a "I see breasts!" turnon type of thing. Rather they find it admirable, and seeing other women BF reminds them of when their wives and children were at that stage. Most of the mums said that they'd go to a parent's room if one was available, but would also feed wherever they happened to be - along the lines of when baby needs feeding, baby gets fed. ------------- Becca, mum of 2 girls & 3 boys |