Did you hear that Dublin Airport have a dedicated baby feeding room for breast feeding mums travelling through Terminal 2? I wish the story ended there. I wish we could just celebrate this achievement and hope that the same will soon happen in Terminal 1. Unfortunately that is not the case.
Dublin Airport undid all of their good work with the ridiculous sign they put up.
The sign read, “Mothers, thank you for using out breastfeeding facilities which are provided for your convenience and privacy.” So far so good.
Had it ended there, all would be good in the world, but someone felt the need to add one more line – “We would ask you to use discretion and respect the privacy of others!” Exclamation mark? Privacy of others? WHAT??!!!
How about respecting MY privacy and my right to feed my child. Don’t stare if it makes you feel uncomfortable. Your starring makes me feel uncomfortable.
Let’s clarify something, when I am breastfeeding in public I am not getting my boobs out for the public’s viewing pleasure or to make people feel uncomfortable. Other people are the furthest thing from my mind, and their privacy doesn’t even enter my mind! Instead, I am thinking about feeding my hungry child – making sure he is comfortable and happy.
That said, I hate to admit it but I still feel uncomfortable feeding in public. I’ve fed in the car, facing a wall and even behind a tree. For a while, I used a breast feeding apron. It worked while my son was tiny but I had to stop using that when he was about 4 months old. He hated being hidden. He wanted to see what was going on in the world around him and refused to feed if under it. Do you blame him? How would you feel if you were told that all your public meals had to be eaten under the table, rather than on the table or, even worse, in the toilet (thank goodness I have never had that experience!)
According to the journal.ie, Dublin Airport removed the sign a couple of days after it had been put up and they said that no complaints were made about the sign.
If no complaints were made, I am giving Dublin Airport the benefit of the doubt and hoping they took it down because they realised how ridiculous this request was!
Designated breastfeeding rooms I welcome. Not because breastfeeding needs to be hidden but sometimes some peace and quiet during a feed is exactly what mum and child need. So Dublin Airport, thanks for the room but perhaps the support/concern for all parents feeding their children (in whichever mode they chose) can be extended throughout your whole airport.
