ianstone
09-24-2010, 06:10 AM
Mother breastfeeding her eight-week-old baby girl is asked to 'face the wall' in library
By Daily Mail Reporter (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=y&authornamef=Daily+Mail+Reporter)
Last updated at 8:52 AM on 24th September 2010
Comments (102) (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1314676/Mother-breastfeeding-baby-asked-face-wall-library.html#comments)
Add to My Stories (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1314676/Mother-breastfeeding-baby-asked-face-wall-library.html)
Breastfeeding support groups have expressed concern after a mother breastfeeding her eight-week-old daughter was ordered to 'face the wall' by a library worker in north London.
A male member of staff told Ayala Ochert that he was concerned she would 'offend others'.
Ms Ochert, 38, was feeding her baby Nina in St Ann's Library in Haringey, while reading to her three-year-old son, when she was approached by a the library worker who told her to be 'more discreet'.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/09/24/article-1314676-0B520F48000005DC-126_468x356.jpg Face the wall: Ayala Ochert, 38, with eight-month-old baby Nina, was told to be 'more discreet'
The mother-of-two, a member of support group Haringey Breastfeeding Campaign, said she was sitting in the children's section of the library, and that only one other woman - who was pregnant - was in the library at time.
She says just as she had finished feeding Nina, a male library employee confronted her, despite the fact she was wearing a breastfeeding top, which makes feeding a baby a fairly discreet affair.
More...
Parents' fury after police send riot van to hand out parking tickets outside disabled school (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1314636/Parents-fury-police-send-RIOT-VAN-hand-parking-tickets-outside-disabled-school.html)
Eating three square meals a day 'is a better way to diet than grazing' (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1314586/Eating-square-meals-day-better-way-diet-grazing.html)
Ms Ochert said: 'I had finished feeding her and she was asleep when a male member of staff came over and asked me if I could be more discreet next time.
'I told him it was against the law to ask me not to breastfeed, but he said 'I'm just asking you to be a bit more discreet, perhaps next time you could turn and face the wall.'
'He said a children's tutoring company would be using the library soon, so could I make a 'special effort' if I wanted to feed Nina again.'
She added: 'Fortunately I'm quite experienced at breastfeeding, but I was concerned about it happening to someone breastfeeding in public for the first time. It was quite insulting.'
A spokesman for Haringey Council said: 'We want all our libraries to be places where parents and their children feel comfortable, including mothers who wish to breastfeed.'
They did not comment on the member of staff who suggested Ms Ochert 'turn to the wall' during feeding.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1314676/Mother-breastfeeding-baby-asked-face-wall-library.html#ixzz10RLSW59M
By Daily Mail Reporter (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=y&authornamef=Daily+Mail+Reporter)
Last updated at 8:52 AM on 24th September 2010
Comments (102) (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1314676/Mother-breastfeeding-baby-asked-face-wall-library.html#comments)
Add to My Stories (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1314676/Mother-breastfeeding-baby-asked-face-wall-library.html)
Breastfeeding support groups have expressed concern after a mother breastfeeding her eight-week-old daughter was ordered to 'face the wall' by a library worker in north London.
A male member of staff told Ayala Ochert that he was concerned she would 'offend others'.
Ms Ochert, 38, was feeding her baby Nina in St Ann's Library in Haringey, while reading to her three-year-old son, when she was approached by a the library worker who told her to be 'more discreet'.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/09/24/article-1314676-0B520F48000005DC-126_468x356.jpg Face the wall: Ayala Ochert, 38, with eight-month-old baby Nina, was told to be 'more discreet'
The mother-of-two, a member of support group Haringey Breastfeeding Campaign, said she was sitting in the children's section of the library, and that only one other woman - who was pregnant - was in the library at time.
She says just as she had finished feeding Nina, a male library employee confronted her, despite the fact she was wearing a breastfeeding top, which makes feeding a baby a fairly discreet affair.
More...
Parents' fury after police send riot van to hand out parking tickets outside disabled school (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1314636/Parents-fury-police-send-RIOT-VAN-hand-parking-tickets-outside-disabled-school.html)
Eating three square meals a day 'is a better way to diet than grazing' (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1314586/Eating-square-meals-day-better-way-diet-grazing.html)
Ms Ochert said: 'I had finished feeding her and she was asleep when a male member of staff came over and asked me if I could be more discreet next time.
'I told him it was against the law to ask me not to breastfeed, but he said 'I'm just asking you to be a bit more discreet, perhaps next time you could turn and face the wall.'
'He said a children's tutoring company would be using the library soon, so could I make a 'special effort' if I wanted to feed Nina again.'
She added: 'Fortunately I'm quite experienced at breastfeeding, but I was concerned about it happening to someone breastfeeding in public for the first time. It was quite insulting.'
A spokesman for Haringey Council said: 'We want all our libraries to be places where parents and their children feel comfortable, including mothers who wish to breastfeed.'
They did not comment on the member of staff who suggested Ms Ochert 'turn to the wall' during feeding.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1314676/Mother-breastfeeding-baby-asked-face-wall-library.html#ixzz10RLSW59M