Where is it legal to ask you not to breastfeed?

(52 Posts)
McBaby Wed 06-Mar-13 01:41:36


And hospitals, yes. Any and every ward...not sure

While I always advocate bf anywhere and everywhere, I do think this is slightly different. In general, if ppl are uncomfortable with seeing bf, they can go somewhere else. In this case, they prob couldn't. I do think the nurse handled it badly though

FamiliesShareGerms Fri 08-Mar-13 20:18:23

I completely agree that you are allowed to bf on the ward, and the nurse has handled this so badly.

The only thing I would say is that those posters shouting about how outrageous this is and the feelings of the other patients is irrelevant should stop for a minute and consider that by the sounds of things they will all be men, probably older and frail, possibly in their last few days of life. Why on earth should they be made to feel embarrassed or awkward? Their feelings are completely relevant, and I'm saddened to see a lack of compassion for them.

OP, I'm sorry to hear about your father, I hope you are able to spend some quality time with him and his grandchild. If he does stay in the ward, maybe draw the curtain round partway to create some privacy, but please don't feel you are doing anything wrong by feeding your baby.

SirBoobAlot Fri 08-Mar-13 20:00:49

You can legally breastfeed anyway. ANYWHERE.

The nurse was not only wrong, but highly out of line to have said something to your dad. Complain.

Very angry for you OP.

midori1999 Fri 08-Mar-13 19:22:54

According to the booklet my midwife has just given me, you can legally breastfeed in any place open to the general public. It doesn't mention any restrictions on this for any reason.

I would imagine a prison would be excluded as its not open to the general public.

you really should complain about that nurse, she needs retraining. she is advocating the opposite of what she should be.
Someone is free to be racist, disablist, bigoted or whatever in their own home but as a patient in a hospital they don't get to inflict their prejudice on others, so if the other patients were uncomfortable, that's tough for them. lucky they have their own curtains.

tabulahrasa Fri 08-Mar-13 17:39:00

You can be asked not to breastfeed anywhere that you'd be asked not to feed a baby at all, it's not discrimination if there's a health or hygiene reason why food shouldn't be allowed.

You might want to check if the NHS trust is signed up to the Baby Friendly Initiative, if they have a maternity unit anywhere in the trust the likelihood is that they do and they have breached their agreement.

Either way, you can BF wherever the heck you like and you are entitled to do so without you or people you are with being hassled about it BY LAW.

KatAndKit Fri 08-Mar-13 17:34:02

A casino. Because it is illegal for your baby to be there. Anywhere that your baby is allowed to be, they are allowed to feed (with the exception of the biohazard zone mentioned above!). Your baby is allowed in the hospital so your baby is allowed to feed there.

ReallyTired Fri 08-Mar-13 14:33:14

The only place where I think its illegal to breastfeed is a laboratory where radioactive substances are used. In fact it is illegal to eat or drink or bottlefeed in such an enviroment.

bellablot Fri 08-Mar-13 14:31:11

I can't believe that this sort of shit happens and especially in a hospital! This is the type of crock that puts women off breastfeeding! confused

narmada Wed 06-Mar-13 17:18:14

Unless there is a health-related reason (and really, there can't be!) then the hospital needs to be alerted to the bad advice the nurse is giving out. IT could land them in serious hot water (court cases etc.)

Really sorry about your dad OP sad

You can BF anywhere you like in a bloody public place, the nurse was very wrong. thanks

I just re-read Parsnips posts 3 times and I still don't understand Daisy's rant... confused
OP. sorry to hear abut your dad, that must be really hard without rubbish like this. You can BF were you like. You shouldn't 'have' to pull the curtain 'round but it might mean less agro during your precious time with your Dad thanksthanksthanks

McBaby Wed 06-Mar-13 16:49:50

Thank you all. I think I was feeling paranoid I had done something wrong and equally don't want to upset the other very ill patients (who didn't notice!)

He is being moved to his own room which should solve my problem I just so annoyed with the nurse for upsetting my dad over it rather than speaking to me if she thought it was a problem (she obviously didn't say it to me as she knew I would refuse).

zipzap Wed 06-Mar-13 16:45:39

Oops managed to post the first sentence of my post by mistake, sorry blush

nextphase Wed 06-Mar-13 16:44:41

Sorry to hear about your Dad.
Does the hospital have Baby Friendly status? ie have the maternity wards been assessed to prove they follow 10 steps suggested by WHO/UNICEFF to encourage breastfeeding?
I'd speak to the infant feeding coordinator!

Hope your Dad gets to see his granddaughter again.

zipzap Wed 06-Mar-13 16:44:06

From the thread title I was thinking the only place i'd be ok with being moved on when bf is if the police/etc were moving everybody else on too out of an area, say if there was a bomb threat etc. But if that's the case, chances are I wouldn't want to be hanging around anyway.

So sad about your dad - and angry about the nurse putting him in the position of telling you. Not to mention them wanting you not to bf there. Maybe if your dad was in with an ingrown toenail for a day or two, it would still be wrong but more a trivial annoyance.

But to ask you, through your dad, when it would cut down on limited time you have left together, is awful. Definitely complain to Pals, citing the references others have provided. Also see if the hospital has any sort of bf policy or claims to be bf friendly - I think they mostly include bf visitors as well as just being about establishing bf in newborns, so it could affect that creditation too.

HOrrid that this is happening when you have so much on your plate at the moment sad. Thinking of you over the next few days.

nickelbabe Wed 06-Mar-13 16:39:43

sorry, not new zealand, US

nickelbabe Wed 06-Mar-13 16:35:31

Trucks - a quick google says that in 2011, there was a woman chucked out of a court in New Zealand for BFing, but there are no instances or references to not being allowed to BF in court in the UK.
It seems that judges don't like to have children in court, but you can ask the court for advice before gong.

EauRouge Wed 06-Mar-13 16:34:12

I'm pretty sure that you can BF in court. The only exceptions to the rule are places that are single sex (I think there was a thread once about visiting a men's prison) and places where it would be a health and safety issue. This is a really good guide to the law.

Just carry on as you are - if anyone says anything again take it further...

I was thinking breast feeding might be frowned on in a nestle board meeting - but not illegal.

ginmakesitallok Wed 06-Mar-13 16:26:26

Fine for a baby not to be allowed in a ward, but if they are allowed in then you have every right to bf. I would have complained to j the hospital.

People recovering from transplants etc, sorry posted mid sentence.

I think you can't bf in court.
Or where patients are isolated because of immune problems - they don't usually let babies or dc in when peo

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