The editor of Good Housekeeping magazine says this in her Sept 07 editorial:

“[my bra buying experience] came hot on the heels of a law being passed to protect breastfeeding mothers in England and Wales (Scotland has gone further: it is actually an offence there to ask a breastfeeding mother to stop).

I’d also read that the number of breast enhancement operations int he UK increased by 30% in the past year - and just as much among older, educated women as young wannabe Jordans.

Fertility symbol, baby nurturer, secondary sex characteristic, female shape enhancer - the female bosom seems to mean different things to different folks. I, for example, don’t really mind seeing women sunbathe topless on a Mediterranean beach, but I hate the same sort of thing on men’s magazine covers in my local shop. It seems to me that it’s all about context.

As I’ve formerly breastfed three babies, I might be expected to support the new law. But, on examination, I’m deeply ambivalent. Discreet, low-key feeding in a public place has always been tolerated, but in-your-face, milky-breast-baring is not the same thing at all. I don’t care how many women say they think it’s fine; we have to take on board that, because breasts are associated with sex, breastfeeding does make many men uncomfortable.

Agree? Disagree? I’d love to hear what you think. Let me know at

www.goodhousekeeping.co.uk“

 I have responded with this:

 ”Dear Louise

I am emailing in response to your September 2007 editorial, about the importance of protecting the right of women to breastfeed in public. Breastfeeding is an important issue not just because it’s the done thing to do, but because of its implications for individual mothers and their babies and its wider implications for society as a whole. Formula feeding increases the risk of so many short-term and long-term illlness to both babies and their mothers, that the impact on the health of our nation if all babies were breastfeed for as long as mothers and babies wanted to could be great. As many as 9 in 10 mothers who stop breastfeeding before 6 weeks did so sooner than they would have liked to. Some women stop breastfeeding because of the fear of doing so in public, and some women sadly do get harrassed for breastfeeding in public.

Our society is so used to formula feeding that breastfeeding is no longer considered normal and the impact of this formula feeding culture is that few mothers get the support they need to be able to continue breastfeeding for as long as they want. For this support to grow, breastfeeding needs to become a normal thing in our culture and that will only happen if more women do it, and if fewer breastfeeding mothers are sonervous of breastfeeding their babies when they need to (including in public) that they hide it from the world. The more breastfeeding is seen, the more it will be considered normal, the more women will succeed and the healthier our babies (and their mothers) will become.

For more information on the wider social and political importance of breastfeeding, may I suggest you read The Politics of Breastfeeding by Gabrielle Palmer?

With best wishes”

As I signed it as a Breastfeeding Counsellor, I didn’t want to fan the flames too much, but what I would like to have added is this:

“Besides, since when did men’s sensibilities become more important than the nutritional and emotional needs of a baby and his or her mother?  Why are you worried about how some poor little man feels just because he believes wrongly that breasts are primarily for sex and might get a bit upset seeing a baby using them for what they were designed for yet you’re not worried that the alternative would be a hungry, emotionally distressed baby and an upset, embarrassed mother?  Aren’t you getting your priorities mixed up here????”

  I get so tired of the ‘breastfeeding in public’ debate.  It’s just such a non-issue.  Baby cries, mother feeds it.  That’s all there is to it.  If you’re upset by it, then don’t look.  Simple!  Oh yes, and maybe go away and examine why you are feeling upset by it and deal with it…it’s not the mother’s problem!

Rant over…thank you!