Mothers call for new law (From The Oxford Times)

Mothers call for new law

6:44pm Tuesday 22nd July 2008

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A group of mothers staged a picnic to campaign for new legislation supporting breastfeeding in public.

Mothers gathered in the University Parks, Oxford, to coincide with the Protect My Baby, Protect Me event in Parliament Square, London, to raise awareness of new breastfeeding legislation proposed in the Single Equalities Bill.

At the moment, it is legal to breastfeed in public but it is also legal for anyone to ask a nursing mother to move on, and mothers are calling for new legislation giving them greater protection.

Mum-of-three Lorayn Brown, 27, from Arncott, near Bicester, who organised the Oxford gathering, said: "In Scotland, there is legislation protecting mums breastfeeding in public and we want similar legislation in this country.

"At the moment, if you are breastfeeding in a café or restaurant and the proprietor asks you to leave, you can't do anything about it.

"A couple of years ago I was breastfeeding in a shopping centre in Northampton because the baby room was out of use and a woman came up to me and said 'my fella doesn't want to see your breasts - that's disgusting'. I was so shocked I actually apologised but I don't think women should have to apologise for being maternal.

"The support for breastfeeding mums at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford is really good and there is a network of baby cafés."

One of the most popular baby cafés is Headington Baby Café in Waynflete Road, which celebrated its second anniversary in February. It has gone from strength to strength, with hundreds of women making use of it.

A survey by the National Childbirth Trust two years ago found 79 per cent of mothers would like a law to protect their right to breastfeed.

The trust advises women to breastfeed because of the numerous health benefits. Breastfeeding for just one month has a lasting impact on health during the first 14 years of a child's life.

Breastfeeding also reduces the risk of osteoporosis and cancer of the ovary for the mother.

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