Picture: Getty

For many women, breastfeeding publicly is a nerve-wracking experience.

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Partially that’s because you’re exposing a part of your body that has historically been covered up when you’re out and about.

Breasts are often seen as a sexual part of a woman’s body, rather than as a functional one, and because of that, a woman unbuttoning her top in public is sometimes met with shock or scorn.

One woman who’s not standing for any crap about her public breastfeeding is Bethanie Alys.


Bethanie was carrying her child in a sling, and breastfeeding at the same time, which might sound like quite an achievement but is in fact very common in some parts of the world (as well as sounding very practical).



However, one man who was walking past didn’t seem to think that what Bethanie was doing was practical. He seemed to think that it was ‘too far.’ The man in question then shared the following on Facebook:

Unsurprisingly, Bethanie wasn’t very happy with the local radio DJ using her breastfeeding as a talking point. Bethanie told Metro.co.uk:

‘I found out [about the status] because we have a massive breastfeeding group in which 27000 share experiences and support each other. We often share things that we have heard about locally.

At first, I felt really vulnerable. I have never had anything more than a whisper or the odd stare. The fact that I was reading about myself and all the comments about me made me feel like I’d been involuntarily pushed on stage. So I turn this feeling around, welcomed the spotlight and thought it about time someone called people like him out.’

Of course Bethanie could have been crushed by the facebook discussion of her breasts, but instead, she decided to use it as a platform. Bethanie shared this status on Facebook:

Since her initial post, Richard and Bethanie have been in conversation privately. Bethanie acknowledges that Richard has been apologetic, however, she also states that Richard has not apologised publicly, and she has been asked for the post to be removed, saying that a ‘lawyer has been notified.’

She also told us:

‘Luckily, I’m incredibly passionate about this and nothing, not even the threat of a lawyer, will stop me breastfeeding. So I’m glad in a way, that it happened to me and not another less confident lady.

‘Not all breastfeeding mothers have the confidence I do. And people like Richard are the reason why. There a women who will not breastfeed for fear of encountering comments like this, judgements, stares…There are women who mix feed, which eventually causes a drop in supply and means they end up entirely formula feeding.

‘Do you really think a woman not sure on breastfeeding will want to after seeing this? The only breastfeeding advertisement you see are stories like mine which, unfortunately, just shows the type of things we have to put up with.’

Bethanie doesn’t think that the original post was malicious, but that it was caused by ignorance, saying:

‘I do not think it was his intention to cause shame. But, having said that, impact is greater than intent, and he caused shame whether he wanted to or not.



‘I believe he wanted comments and likes and so opened up this “controversial” discussion. He was incredibly irresponsible. I think his behaviour is a very classic, white privilege male attitude in the sense that he feels he is entitled to have an opinion about another person’s body and share that opinion, no matter what the repercussions of that might be.

‘He didn’t think about the person he was talking about (in this case me). I do not believe he wanted a healthy discussion about the topic. His last comment in the post was…“a step too far?”. I see this this as click bait. He wanted to provoke a response. He knows he has many friends and followers and used this as a way to get some activity on his page.

Luckily, since posting about her experience, Bethanie has experienced great support from the breastfeeding community and further.

‘The reaction has been astounding. I’m thrilled. It’s been shared all over the world and of thousands of comments I’ve seen a handful negative and all those are being jumped on by people explaining to them.

Picture: Getty

‘I am angry, however, because someone has reported my Facebook profile and post for being “mentally unstable” and “in danger of causing harm to myself or others”. This means that my original post with the thousands of shares and comments has been removed. This has left me angry because I have been labelled the “emotional angry mother”.’

I asked Bethanie about the walking and feeding at the same time, which most people will agree seems pretty brilliant. She told me:


‘Walking and feeding is the only way I get anything done. My partner is away at the moment and I don’t drive so I walk everywhere. We have never used a pram (aside the running jogger recently) with my baby because I believe they should be close to their mothers.

Picture: Getty

‘He practically lives in the carrier. We go shopping, I do the dishes, I cook and clean and he’s in the carrier. I don’t have family nearby so he stays with me and we get on with it. SO his mid-morning nap sometimes happens in the middle of the supermarket and he likes to feed to sleep. He’s happy and asleep, I’ve got hands free to carry on shopping and it works really well for us.’

In response to her experience, Bethanie is now organising a nurse-in, where mothers come together to breast feed. She explained:

‘The event is called These Boobs Were Made For Walking. As I’ve seen many nurse-ins for situations when a mother has been shamed for breastfeeding I thought this would be great for this event as the dj was so “shocked” by me walking and feeding.

We’ve got tandem feeders (people with more than one nursing) dads, siblings, grandparents, coming along to support us so I’m hoping it raises more awareness of public breastfeeding and shows Richard that it isn’t so shocking to see us walking and feeding.’

Maybe one of these days people will realise that there is literally nothing shocking about feeding an infant.


You can find out more about the event here.

Dicky Dodd responded to our request to comment with the following statement: ‘I have apologised to the woman for any offence caused. I am happy to clarify that no offence was intended. I won’t be commenting any further on this matter.’

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