Mom Booted from UK Cafe for Breastfeeding

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Monday, March 19, 2007

It never ends, does it?

The Portsmouth Today News is reporting that a mother was tossed out of "The Spring Cafe" on High Street in Portsmouth for nursing her six month old. The crazy thing is that the woman even had her son covered with a blanket!

Mrs Dore said: 'I argued a bit at first. He said all the other customers would be offended, and I couldn't understand that because I sat in the corner and covered myself.

'Then he started taking our drinks and saying "get out".'

Mr Ozdemir said the cafe welcomed up to 20 buggies every day, and that he was thinking of his other customers when he asked Mrs Dore to leave.

He said: 'I get hundreds of people come in here with babies and I've got no problems with them. But I can't have someone breastfeeding while another table next to them is eating.

'At least she should turn away and do it in a proper way. She just argued with me while I politely asked her to leave.'

Wonder exactly what he means by "do it the proper way"... I suppose he means in a way that no one but mom and baby can see? Heaven forbid those other mothers see a child eat.

And when, when WHEN are people going to understand that a breastfeeding baby IS EATING. So you can eat at your table, but my child can't eat at mine?

Now as I understand it, Scotland has legislation that protects the right of a mom to nurse in public, but it doesn't look like England does? I did some hunting, but didn't find much apart from some articles that are a year or two old talking about a push for legislation.

Any of my UK readers care to update us on the issue?

Labels: Nursing in Public

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