THE public breastfeeding issue just will not go away, will it? Nor is it likely to as long as mothers like Lavina Lewin (Letters, 19 August) remain obsessed with their "rights", completely ignoring their obligations. The point, as usual, has been missed.
Of course a mother has a right to breastfeed her baby, and the baby certainly has a right to be breastfed – I couldn't agree more with this!
What she does not have, however, is the right to a) risk upsetting other people by baring her breasts in
public, and b) calmly set about breaking rules imposed by the management of a public place, with the comfort of all clientele in mind.
Does it ever occur to these "rights" obsessed mothers that perhaps their babies have a right to be fed in peace, preferably at home, rather than be carted around everywhere like pieces of luggage, for their mothers' convenience? It's only for a few months usually, after all!
In case anyone should be tempted to argue, as they so often do, that, "breastfeeding is perfectly natural", why should that be put forward as an excuse?
I can think of at least three other activities which are even more natural, in that more people do them, but we don't use this 'naturalness' as a reason for doing them in public, do we?
Private
So please, mothers, do not converge on the Rothwell Leisure Centre to feed your babies. Do it in private, and leave the baths for swimmers and other rule-abiding citizens.
For the record, I have had four children, and breastfed them all, but never in the public gaze.
They were, of course, born in the days when it was natural to consider our obligations and the rights of other people just as easily as our own rights.
MRS MARION BANKS, Peasholm Drive, Scarborough
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