The fear of adverse public reaction is often cited as a key reason for women who don't breastfeed, writes Michael Kelly.
GREAT DIFFERENCES exist in the prevalence and duration of breastfeeding across Europe, but it is generally accepted that Ireland has one of the most underdeveloped breastfeeding cultures in the EU.
Despite recent improvements, cow's milk adapted infant formula feeds are still the norm here, despite overwhelming evidence of the health benefits of breastfeeding for both child and mother.
Our national average stands at approximately 47 per cent - extremely low when compared with our European neighbours such as Germany (96 per cent) and Norway (almost 100 per cent).
The potential for adverse reaction to public breastfeeding is regularly cited as a key reason women don't breastfeed or they switch early to bottle-feeds, according to Maureen Fallon, national breastfeeding co-ordinator with the HSE.
"Invariably, if a mother continues to breastfeed beyond the first few weeks, they will have to nurse in public. We would argue that breastfeeding makes it easier for mothers to get out because they don't have to be preparing feeds in advance or bringing bottles."
The visibility of breastfeeding in public has increased, she says, but we still have some way to go before it is accepted as the norm. "We don't get as many complaints about negative reactions as we used to. But we still need to continue to increase the rates and, very importantly, the duration of breastfeeding.
"If women are only breastfeeding for a short time, they will not be seen in public and this contributes to that sense that it is not common practice."
Low rates of breastfeeding, she says, contribute to the perception that the human breast is primarily a sexual organ, so a woman who breastfeeds in public is often unfairly perceived as being exhibitionist or flaunting her sexuality.
"Breastfeeding can be misinterpreted as a sexual thing," agrees Sue Jameson, who is a breastfeeding tutor with Cuidiú, "but ask any nursing mother and she will tell you there's nothing sexual about it.
"It's acceptable for breasts to be on display when a product is for sale but get a woman doing something which nature intended and you get comments. I think there is a level of immaturity in Ireland about it and there are deeply entrenched attitudes that have to be challenged."
Negative reaction, according to Jameson, generally comes from other women - the demographic you would imagine would be most supportive. "We think that in some cases it may be due to the fact that it reminds them they didn't breastfeed themselves. Men are generally mortified. They don't know what to say."
Jameson urges women to seek out local breastfeeding support groups before they have their baby so that they can learn to breastfeed discreetly. "When breastfeeding is done correctly, very little flesh is on display - or none at all. That minimises the potential for adverse reaction and makes the mother more comfortable."
Protection from harassment and discrimination in public for breastfeeding mothers is provided under the Equal Status Act (2000) and the Intoxicating Liquor Act (2003).
"It is important that women understand that they don't have to ask permission to breastfeed," says Maureen Fallon. "They can do so whenever and wherever their baby needs feeding. The owner, manager and staff members of a premises are not allowed to ask a breastfeeding mother to use separate facilities or to ask her to leave."
Sylvia Ferguson breastfed all three of her children and says that people were generally positive and supportive. She breastfed two of her children up to two years of age and she feels she got a "strange reaction" to this because of the age of the child. "The first time you breastfeed in public is very daunting. The child comes everywhere with you so if they are hungry they have to be fed. You feel a little bit fumbley and exposed but you get the hang of it."
Most of the time, she says, people didn't even notice she was breastfeeding, though she does recall that men (particularly of a certain age) would sometimes just get up and leave the room. "There is very little flesh exposed really so people aren't aware of it. I breastfed Thomas in the Gaiety and I am sure people raised an eyebrow at that. I remember seeing a member of the cast glancing down at me and thinking 'oh my God'!"
Sinead Acres from Clondalkin is currently nursing her one-year-old daughter and says she has nursed "pretty much everywhere in Dublin".
"I've breastfed on a couch in Superquinn in Knocklyon and sitting on a chair that was for sale in Homebase! I have never been asked to stop or anything like that.
"People go out of their way to compliment me, especially as she gets older. My thinking on it is that it's less offensive for me to feed her than for her to be screaming in public because she is hungry."
Her only negative experience, she says, occurred in Dublin Airport. "I sat beside someone who I thought would be least offended but she got up and walked away. The way I feed and present in public it would have to be a very mean, callous person to take offence.
"I never feel on show, particularly with breastfeeding tops, they are so discreet. The reality is that my daughter is so close in to me that someone would have to be right beside me to see anything."
• The HSE Breastfeeding Support Network is at breastfeeding.ie
When out and about, remember . . .
• You don't have to ask to breastfeed. You can breastfeed anywhere you and your baby want or need to.
• If you are happy to breastfeed in a public area, the owner, manager or staff of a premises are not allowed to ask you to use separate facilities, or ask you to leave.
• If you inform management that you are being harassed by other customers for breastfeeding in public, they have a duty to protect you from this.
• Make it easier for yourself by wearing trousers or a skirt with a top that can be pulled up from the waist.
• If possible, wear a maternity bra that can be opened from the front with one hand.
• Find out if there are any restaurants, shopping centres, hotels or other places in your area that particularly welcome breastfeeding mothers.
• If you would prefer more privacy, ask if the restaurant, hotel or shopping centre has a private feeding room (not a toilet area) available for your use.
Source: Breastfeeding - Out and About- produced by the Equality Authority and the Department of Health