One in 4 top British restaurants say they BAN women from public breastfeeding. Unbelievable! In Scotland it has been an offence to ban public breastfeeding since 2005. Should the same law apply in England and Wales too?
If you think so, please leave your message on this thread. Prima Baby and Babyexpert will be taking your comments, in the form of a petition, to Downing Street to help convince ministers to support legislation favouring breastfeeding in public.

Yeah Unbelievable!

Makes me so glad I am a Scottish breastfeeing Mummy.

The same law should apply here as well. I think it is disgusting that you can be prevented from feeding your baby in a public place. I can imagine the response (quite rightly) if the same restaurants banned mothers from bottle feeding on the premises.
xx

My goodness - how antiquated and ridiculous! Feeding is feeding be it from a breast or a bottle. I would be utterly incensed if someone told me to stop feeding lo when I was out and about!!!!!

The law MUST be changed!

I am also glad I'm a scottish mummy! I think its disgusting that women cant do something as natural as feed their baby in public in a so called modern, fair britian.

im sure the same people that complain would complain even more if they had to listen to a screaming baby because you couldnt feed them. Its disgusting that this has not already been legalised,nothing can be seen once baby is feeding anyway.Something must be done,hanna n baby grace.

I thought they had brought this legislation in already - you can bf in public (and not be asked to leave) up to 6 months of age so far....

I'd have liked to see anyone try and stop me bf, in my area we name and shame the ignorant prudes who arent bf friendly - and they lose a lot of business!

Maybe Gordon Ramsay can do a Restaurants from hell on these places.....
Or maybe Mr Brown (who still isnt our elected leader because he's too cowardly to call an election) should pull his head out of his "lets stop everyone getting a payrise this year, except of course our 40k one" arse, and do something for the people of this country for once and for all!!!!!

Yea I think its stupid that the government has put a limit of 6 mths on your right to breastfeed in public its tantamount to saying they do not support breastfeeding after 6 mths and that people have a right to be offended by the sight of a baby being fed. a baby has the right to receive nurishment regardless of its age, I have fed both my sons until 1 yr and intend on doing the same for this baby when it arives and have never refraind from feeding when out n about but this law which is intended to protect us has actualy made me a bit fearfull to feed my baby once it passes that magic 6 mth mark does this mean that narrow minded prudes can stop me from feeding my baby because it is over 6 mths? please Mr Brown get real follow Scotlands example and stop being so closed minded.

Women have done it since the dawn of time - what could possibly be so offensive about feeding a baby in public? The human race wouldn't be around if it weren't for breastfeeding.

There is something wrong in the heads of people who are against bfing in public - they are the ones that want to sort psychological treatment! If it upsets them, they don't need to look do they?

It's the best food for my baby so everyone else can sod off if they are against it and the government should back us up on this if they want to cut the amount they spend on the NHS! (By this I mean that breast fed babies are on the whole healthier than bottle fed babies and are much much less likely to get sick from infections and disease)

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[Modified by: ~yummy_mummy~ on June 23, 2008 10:20 PM]

i think it is disgusting that it is not a womens legal right in this country to breast feed, what could be more natural

we should have the same rights as any other parent wanting to feed there baby, wether that be breast or bottle. what harm are we doing. if people have a problem with it then maybe they shouldnt be looking and watching anyway. its natural so why try and stop us from giving our babies the best start in life. we shouldnt have to hide away as though we are doing something wrong.
caz x x

Although the same law doesn't apply here, it is illegal to refuse to serve or give substandard service to a woman because she is breastfeeding. There is also no law they could use to stop you from breastfeeding. So in all they would have a difficult time stopping anyone from feeding.

I do agree that the law should be similar to the Scottish one though.

Im a bottlefeeding mother but you have my total support. I'd never let my baby go hungry because of someone elses hang ups xxx

its the most natural thing in the world how can it be banned HAS TO HAVE BEEN A MAN WHO PUT THAT LAW IN PLACE

I strongly support a womans right to breastfeed her baby in public - it's outrageous that mothers in England do not have the same rights as those in Scotland. The NHS are pushing breastfeeding so much, this seems to contradict with the current law which discourages breastfeeding in public x

Breast feeding mums should have the same level of freedom and protection to feed their babies in public as formula feeding mums have.
Im pretty certain that no self-respecting restaraunt would EVER dream of asking a FF mum to stop, or to leave (imagine the headlines!!!)

We dont whip our babs out and wave them around in peoples faces! BF mums are discreet and show far less flesh than you can see on display on any given Friday/Saturday night out, or in any town/ on a beach on a hot sunny day!

It seems that the slogan 'Breast is Best' ought to be changed to 'Breast is Best, but only if you become a recluse and hide away at home for the duration, or abandon your friends mid- day out and slink off to feed in some poky smelly changing room/toilet cubicle. Or live in civilised, forward thinking Scotland' !!!!!

The rest of Britain has got a lot of catching up to do!

We should have the same law as they do in Scotland.

The new legislation being proposed (The Equalities Bill) is intended to protect mothers BF babies up to the age of 6 months, but nothing is in place for a BF mother, older baby or child. And so a BF mother could technically be approached and charged with indecency for exposing her breasts etc.
And that is just not good enough for me or any other BF mother in england.
And also because there is an age limit on this new legislation in tale assumes that breastfeeding is only appropriate in public up to 6 months of age, which again is awful.
There is pressure on the maternity services from the goverment to get mothers to BF as the goverment say ''breast is best'' ''we have stats that bf should be done upto 2 yrs of age'' ect and yet we have an almighty crap law.
The goverment also bang on about how we have the lowest BF rates well can I ask do you know why that is? Because the answer is in front of you.

You can't sit there complaining & wondering where you are going wrong while running the country when the people are telling you over and over again how to solve the problem, how to fix it and even better how to help people and yes I mean women the BF mothers who need that little bit more support.

TBH what a sad sorry affair it is for the people having to petition for their right to feed their children in public and on demand.

breastfeeding is the most natural thing in the world. how would all these political biggots feel if we stopped them eating in public?? its the same thing. im sure some of their mothers breast fed. maybe they should think about that one, eh??

I was asked to feed my son in a toilet when he was a couple of months old as the family on the next table in the cafe objected.When I refused I was asked to leave! This was my 1st child (hes nearly 10) and due baby no 4 anytime in next 2 weeks.If same thing happened again I have much more confidence to stand my ground.I also agree with naming and shaming.What is more natural?!

hiya theres nothing wrong with breastfeeding AT ALL...its ALOT better than formula milk anytime....i think this rule sucks and it really wrong...
reply to julieslot....
hiya hun when ur next baby is due and ur ever in a place BF'ing ur baby and sum1 ses to u to go feed ur baby in the toilet...say...would u eat ur dinner in the toilet would ya....
its the most natural thing ever...
STUPID RULE THAT THEY SHUD DEFF CHANGR GRRR!!!!

I just can't understand why some people see breast feeding as an offense. It's utterly ridiculous and it's about time the law was changed.