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Whipping them out in public
By ella | November 22, 2005
This was reported on Sky news today.
Mum ‘Felt Like Criminal’
A mother has spoken of her disgust at being stopped by a police officer for breastfeeding in public.
Margaret Boyle-White said she was “made to feel like a criminal”.
She had finished breastfeeding her 28-day-old daughter Niamh in Watton, Norfolk, when an officer told her he had received a complaint from a member of the public.
The policeman suggested that if she wanted to breastfeed in public in the future she should use a pub or a restaurant, she said.
“I just felt so embarrassed,” the first-time mother from Carbrooke, Norfolk, said.
“I have never been stopped by the police before and this came as a complete shock.
“I said ‘at the end of the day the Government encourages mothers to breastfeed and if I want to breastfeed my daughter on a public bench I think I should be entitled to do so.”‘
She added: “I was made to feel like a criminal. I was very upset and angry about it. I have not breastfed in public again since this. It was humiliating.”
A Norfolk Police spokesman said the officer had dealt with the matter in a “discreet, professional manner”
“Norfolk Constabulary doesn’t have an issue with mothers breastfeeding in public,” he said.
“We can confirm that we have not received any formal complaint from Mrs Boyle-White, but we are happy to talk with her further about the incident.”
I avoided feeding in public wherever possible because I was worried about others making me feel uncomfortable but when I read about experiences like this it makes me so mad. I’m not saying that mothers should whip their boobs out at every opportunity but discreet feeding when a baby is hungry should be acceptable pretty much anywhere.
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