Breastfeeding

[Jazzy]

A mother told to stop breastfeeding in an Ashford swimming pool has received a payout from the leisure centre where it happened.

Sophie Howes hit the headlines in October when a member of staff at the Stour Centre asked her to stop feeding her eight-month-old baby Connie in the pool.

Now Ms Howes, a midwife who lives in Landbury Walk, Ashford, has received an undisclosed amount from Ashford Leisure Trust in an out-of-court settlement.

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After reading the whole article, I felt truly disgusted that this woman won a settlement. I mean, isn't there a time and place for everything? Was breastfeeding in a pool appropriate?

What are your thoughts on this?

 

[DrLeftover]

I have mixed thoughts about this.

I have known women, and evidently the charming Ms Howes is one of them, who believe that the word "Discrete" should never apply to them and their darling offspring, and that wherever and whenever the baby squalls they should be allowed to do it, including, while driving a car, no I'm not kidding.

On the other hand, I have also known people who feel that breastfeeding is somehow Not Natural and should only be done behind locked doors and closed window blinds.

I don't think that IN a public pool is the appropriate place to feed a baby, but perhaps there could have been a mutually satisfactory arrangement made that didn't make her tit a celebrity.

But perhaps that was exactly what she had in mind.

 

[Jazzy]

I don't think that IN a public pool is the appropriate place to feed a baby, but perhaps there could have been a mutually satisfactory arrangement made that didn't make her tit a celebrity.

From the article:

Emma Wood, chief executive of Ashford Leisure Trust, told KentOnline at the time: "Ashford Leisure Trust fully supports breastfeeding at all its sites and understands the legal rights of mothers to do this.

"On this occasion it was believed there was a legitimate health and safety risk with feeding actually taking place while both the mother and baby were in the water and a suitable alternative area just a couple of metres away was suggested.

So, I am still not comprehending why they gave her a payout. In fact, in my opinion, I agree there was a safety risk. Wonder how this tit twit would like her baby getting a mouthful of piss pool water. Hope others sue this place too for not being allowed to bringing their picnic baskets in the pool to eat lunch.:s

 

[~KAGE-008]

I'm not against breastfeeding, but I HATE seeing women doing that where they shouldn't do. Those people maybe don't really know there IS another way to feed a baby, with breast milk substitutes (might do this alternative in the future) or just extracting part of the real thing and bottling it separately.

 

[seasidemike]

It comes down to the old 'just because you can, doesn't mean you should' situations.
There is no way she should have received any compensation, but the compensation culture has been somewhat mad for a long time now anyway.