Breastfeeding in restaurants
What’s the difference between the two photos listed above?
One shows a left breast, the other is a right t……
A comment made by UKIP leader Nigel Farage on a radio show has caused an uproar and reopened the debate about the appropriateness of breastfeeding in public places.
In case you have been living under a rock the last few days, Farage had commented on a news story regarding a woman breastfeeding her child in the restaurant of upmarket London hotel Claridge’s who was asked to cover up by a member of staff.
When questioned on the subject, Farage suggested mothers should “perhaps sit in the corner” when they breastfeed their child in restaurants.
“It’s not an issue that I get terribly hung up about,” he said. “But I know particularly people of the older generation feel awkward and embarrassed by it.”
Archaic
Farage’s comments, and the original story, have dominated the headlines over the weekend, with breastfeeding mothers even staging a “nurse-in” outside Claridge’s on Saturday afternoon.
Politicians and women’s groups have condemned Claridge’s action and Farage’s comments as “archaic” and said women shouldn’t feel guilty about breastfeeding their child in public.
“It’s depressing that when there are such well-documented benefits of breastfeeding, officious policies like this make new mums feel uncomfortable for doing nothing more than feeding their baby,” Liberal Democrat Equalities Minister Jo Swinson said.
Support
Here at Simple ERB, we fully support breastfeeding mothers and believe if other diners have a problem with it they should simply get used to it.
The health benefits of breastfeeding children are plentiful and we think it would be a real shame if mothers began to feel more embarrassed about breastfeeding, particularly as the NHS has campaigned for so long to make it inclusive.
As for Farage, we can’t help but echo the many internet commenters who suggest he sit in a corner with a bag over his head – after all, some people might feel awkward and embarrassed by him.
