We need to normalise breastfeeding in public | Cheryl Gibbs

I visited my old haunt this week – Baffins Pond in Copnor.I used to live in Station Road which is only a couple of minutes walk from Baffins and there was rarely a day that went by that I didn’t walk around it – or run for that matter.
Cheryl wants to reduce the stigma around breastfeeding. Picture: Thinkstock/PA.Cheryl wants to reduce the stigma around breastfeeding. Picture: Thinkstock/PA.
Cheryl wants to reduce the stigma around breastfeeding. Picture: Thinkstock/PA.

When my sister, Michelle, suggested we take the kids there, I jumped at the chance to take a literal walk down memory lane.

The park is amazing – much bigger than I remember and while Harley is too young to enjoy most of it, she did have a go on the baby swing and loved that. Especially when her cousin Sienna pushed her.

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After playing with the kids, showing them the ducks, feeding them their lunch (the kids, not the ducks) and doing a nappy change (you just wouldn’t believe what goes into simply taking them for a walk), we decided to put them in their buggies and walk them around the pond which is when we saw a young lady walking towards us.

She was pushing a buggy with one hand and holding her baby in the other whilst simultaneously breastfeeding it. She looked the most natural mother in the world, but also a little sad, so as she walked past us I said to her: ‘Wow, that’s taking multi-tasking to a whole new level. Good on you.’

And I’ve never seen anyone look more grateful. She looked up from staring ahead and said: ‘Oh, thank you. Thanks a lot…now you have a lovely day won’t you.’

She looked a bit emotional but also relieved at the same time. It was only when I started talking to Michelle about it did we discuss our own breastfeeding journeys and how, still, even though breastfeeding is so encouraged, there is still a stigma around doing it in public.

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This young mum was doing the absolute best she could for her baby and yet she looked a little withdrawn and sad and then relieved that someone had acknowledged her.

Breastfeeding is such a wonderful thing to do, but it can also be quite lonely and isolating because people don’t want to look your way, I guess for fear of being accused of staring. But let’s normalise it and make it acceptable for a mother to feed her baby in public without feeling like she’s done something wrong.

Motherhood is amazing but it can also be lonely at times

I met up with my mummy friends from our NCT pregnancy group.

We all had our babies within about five weeks of each other and it’s amazing to see how much they’ve grown.

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We met at a café in Petersfield when a lady from a nearby table came over and introduced herself. She said that she had recently moved to the area and because of lockdown hasn’t met any other mummy friends and could she connect with us.

I had so much respect for her.

Naturally, we said of course she could and one of the mums took her number and we all connected later that day on Whatsapp. I can’t tell you how amazing motherhood is but its also lonely sometimes.

Hayling Funland is fun for all the family – especially dads

I went to Hayling Funland with my mum and Harley. She loved it so much I went back the next day with Matt so we could enjoy it together as a family.

We put her on this little ride in the arcade where she went round in circles and there was Aladdin-type music playing. Matt couldn’t help himself but dance and clap as she went round.

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I filmed it on my phone and Harley was laughing the whole time and was smiling from ear to ear. So was everyone else in the arcade, but they were laughing at Matt, who by this point, was putting on such a show that people weren’t looking at the cute baby anymore, but looking at her bizarre dad who was enjoying himself way more than she was.

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