The East Lothian Council website proudly pronounces that it has developed a register of premises that are breastfeeding friendly “to support new mothers”.
Great, you might think. New mothers need support don’t they?
But what about the mothers who aren’t “new”, the mothers who have chosen…SHOCK!….HORROR!….to breastfeed beyond six weeks?
“Extended” breastfeeding is a term used largely to describe breastfeeding beyond a year but increasingly, I’ve become aware of several friends who have chosen to nurse their child in secret because they don’t want people to know they are “still” breastfeeding a much younger child.
(My suggested response to “Are you still breastfeeding?” is “It’s still none of your business”)
Judgemental descriptions such as “extreme” breastfeeding have done little to normalise breastfeeding beyond a year.
It makes me sad that women feel they have to breastfeed in secret or worse, stop breastfeeding before they want to for fear criticism.
If you want to meet other breastfeeding mums, feel free to use the comments sections to get in touch.
NCT Breastfeeding Line: 0300 33 00 771
NHS National Breastfeeding Helpline: 0844 20 909 20
Breastfeeding Friendly places in East Lothian
UPDATE:
In putting together this post, I searched on the council website for “breastfeeding friendly”. The first page in the list that was subsequently generated had general advice and a list of downloads but the the breastfeeding one wasn’t a hyperlink so didn’t work.
So I politely tweeted the council:
@LothianLoop List of breastfeeding friendly premises in East Lothian found via search option or @ http://t.co/dbmq2SBTMI
— East Lothian Council (@ELCouncil) February 12, 2014
@LothianLoop Yep and if you had clicked on option 6 you would have arrived at the list sent via the URL.
— East Lothian Council (@ELCouncil) February 12, 2014
I finally got the information I was looking for but not before being told I was the one doing it wrong; been made to feel like I was being a nuisance, and feeling like I was making an unreasonable demand. A bit like many women’s experience of breastfeeding then….
Still think East Lothian is “breastfeeding friendly”?