Ruth Mason
Manager, Rape Crisis Centre, Brighton and Hove 

About 60 mothers gathered in central Brighton in southern England yesterday to highlight the need for a supportive attitude to breastfeeding in public.

The event was organised after Brighton mother Claire Jones-Hughes was told by customers, while she was nursing her child in a local cafe, that breastfeeding was “unpleasant”.

Coverage in the local paper, the Argus, has sparked debate with comments demeaning mothers who breastfeed as being attention seekers and not taking adequate care to cover “themselves up”, while other parents have been outraged at these seemingly old fashioned views.

Breastfeeding is widely cited as the best start for babies and parents. The NCT (a British charity for parents) and the La Leche League state that breastfeeding helps infant/parent attachment and can help to counter obesity in adult life.

Children who are breastfed tend to have a stronger immune system and are generally thought to have a “healthier” start to life.

In light of this information that is, in many ways, a success of the public health campaign started in the 80s, the opposition raised to breastfeeding is suprising.

The city’s response to Claire and her colleagues indicated that over 15% of the Brighton and Hove residents thought that it was unacceptable for a woman to breastfeed her baby in public.

Although this is a low percentage it feels depressingly high in a progressive city like Brighton and Hove.

Is the time right for a national litmus test to see what the public think about breastfeeding in public and then maybe the question should be – so what?