Breastfeeding in public

So with the recent story in the news about the nursing mom asked to go indoors by a police officer, I was curious what attitudes and laws regarding breastfeeding in public there were in the UK.  In the US, I think it is starting to become more of a hot issue, and many stores and shopping malls are setting policies that mothers are free to nurse in public without harassment.  Many malls in the US are also setting up comfy nursing rooms for mothers to use.  I knew all of the breastfeeding laws in Michigan, so I was ready to back up any harassment when I was nursing in public.  Does anyone know what laws exist here?  Is a situation like the one in the news rare here, or common?

Here's the story, for those who haven't read it:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/11/22/nfeed22.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/11/22/ixhome.html

i heard about this on the radio yesterday while the BBC 2 was talking to someone about it becoming a purist society.

i was never bothered while bf'ing in public, most people dont even mind. and yes, some malls (for example, bluewater in kent, have great feeding areas.)

I always see people breastfeeding in public,usually people don't mind,occasionally you get the typical male making inappropriate comments but as for law wise,I don't think they can legally kick you out of a place or give you a fine,if they did they'd be in hot water

I see them as well.  Most of the mums are really discreet anyway.  My friend and I were having a coffee once and some guy was staring looking all bothered.  She looked right back at him and said it you don't like it leave!  he did.  Guildford though is full of babies and mums are pretty much left alone and  feed there babies in peace.

Bitty!

Bitty!

OH NO YOU DIDN'T!

Last month, Scottish Parliament made it illegal for anyone to harrass a nursing mother.  She cannot be told to move along, go to the toilet, stop, etc.

Yeah, you can have all the Page 3 girls you want, sell the likes of Zoom and Nuts in any queue you want, but God forbid a woman dare use her breasts for what nature intended.

Don't the polis have some drunks to chase up?  Can't say I've ever had to dodge pools of breastmilk on the pavement on Sunday morning - unlike vomit, dog poo, urine and blood.

As for baby changing rooms, nursing rooms, etc.  I can count on one hand how many of those exist in Edinburgh - and tell you exactly where they are.

Bitty!

Okay, that I would have a problem with! 

Last month, Scottish Parliament made it illegal for anyone to harrass a nursing mother.  She cannot be told to move along, go to the toilet, stop, etc.

That's great to know!  I like to know when I have the law to back me up.  Just for curiousity's sake, where are the nursing rooms around in Edinburgh?  I have no problem nursing in public, but it's always nice to know where they're at in case I have a baby who's a fussy nurser. 

I'm glad that, on the whole, people seem to leave nursing mothers alone.  This sounds like it must've been an isolated incident. 

The only proper nursing room I've seen is in Mothercare, and it's part of the baby changing room, so it whiffs of dirty nappy sometimes.

Ocean Terminal and the Gyle shopping centres have baby changing rooms where you can nurse as well, or benches in the toilet area where you can nurse.

That's about it. 

Space is very limited here as it is, so providing a separate area for nursing mums when most places don't even have disabled access toilet facilities probably isn't on the cards for the forseeable future.

I haven't ever seen anyone here bothering about a nursing mum, however.  Most people are just left to their own devices whatever they are doing. 

I'm up in Inverness and haven't ever had an issue with feeding in public.  I bf my dd for 17 months and my son is now almost 7 months old and I feed him where ever his appetite strikes and have never had any sort of comment or noticed any disapproving looks.

With my daughter, I started out feeding in changing/feeding rooms, but got annoyed that I was spending most of my time out hiding away in tiny rooms that often were a bit smelly.  So, that was it for me.  I am discrete, but I feed any time he needs it without bother.