Breastfeeding In Parliament
People seem to have all kinds of funny rules about where breastfeeding should and shouldn’t be allowed.
Apparently, how women feed their babies is still up for debate, even though it’s 2015.
Should breastfeeding be allowed in cafes? What about on public transport? How about in Parliament?
Of course, the answer to all of these questions is, or should be, yes. Women should be free to feed their babies whenever and wherever they want. The very idea that a person could be offended by the sight of a mother feeding her child is, quite frankly, ridiculous. Breastfeeding isn’t sexual, it’s not something women do to show off — breastfeeding mothers are not exhibitionists.
Though society may want to encourage breastfeeding mothers to stay at home and focus on feeding their babies, breastfeeding women are capable of so much more. Mothers can chair meetings, save lives and run the country, and a little bit of breastfeeding shouldn’t stand in the way of that.
The Government says it supports families and breastfeeding mothers, and now they’re ready to make it official. A Parliamentary committee has recommended that parents should be able to bring babies into the chamber ‘when needed’.
After speaking to a number of members, the committee recommended that breastfeeding should also be allowed in the chamber. For a government that claims to promote and encourage breastfeeding, this will be a huge step in the right direction.
Real Support For Working Families
The Parliamentary committee was asked to suggest ways Parliament could do more to support working families in Government. This was deemed necessary after it was revealed that one new mama and MP was encouraged to express breast milk to avoid missing Parliamentary sessions.
These women who find a way to balance the demands of motherhood with the important role of running the country are nothing short of inspirational. Of course, these women deserve to feel they are doing both jobs well, and that means deciding how and when they feed their babies without having to skip important Parliamentary sessions. Of course breastfeeding should be allowed in Parliament, it should be allowed everywhere.
It’s hoped that making breastfeeding easier for women in Parliament could have a knock on effect around the country. As employers see breastfeeding women multitasking and making important decisions about the running of the country, it’s hoped they will realise the full potential of their breastfeeding employees. Breastfeeding is normal and natural, and women who choose to return to work should be free to continue breastfeeding for as long as they wish. How long women breastfeed shouldn’t be determined by the practicalities of working life.
Would you or do you breastfeed at work? Let us know in the comments section below.
Recommended Reading: If you’re currently trying to find a way to balance motherhood and working life, take a look at BellyBelly’s article Breastfeeding: Returning To Work.
