A young mother was followed by police and security officers through a shopping mall then questioned after a complaint over her expressing breast milk in a parents room.
This occurred in a shopping centre in Adelaide. She was in a parent's room which is for the purpose of breast feeding, and was doing this behind a curtain, and was seen by a cleaner who invaded her privacy by going behind the curtain, and a child who was running around the parent's room.
Why is our society becoming so prudish? Why should a young mother be forced to express milk in an unhygenic place such as a toilet. (Would you prepare your meal in a toilet?)
Breast milk is the best that can be given to new born babies. These days, it's not always possible for new mothers to have their babies with them all the time, some like this mother have to return to work for financial reasons, and mother's will express milk for future use.
This woman is owned an apology by the shopping centre, the police and the cleaner who made the complaint. The cleaner should also be reprimanded and warned that any future incidents like this will result in dismissal.

I find it hard to believe that the Police would not have more to do than talk to this woman about this matter. I wonder if we are not being told the full story?

Oh I don't know - they seem to have pretty strange attitudes to breasts in Adelaide:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/08/27/2347993.htm

Strange that anyone would even think its a problem in a parents room. I'd be a little mre reserved about sitting on a bench out in the open, but at the end of the day there shouldnt be a problem with that either as its no different to breastfeeding in public, which is perfectly legal (even though some still cant get their minds around what breasts are really for). The main reason that I wouldnt sit on a bench out in public to express is that it is much more revealing that simply breastfeeding, resulting in much more staring. As someone who expresses several times a day (thanks to working and still trying to do the best thing possible for my baby), I am a bit ticked off by a report like this.

SM, can you provide a link to this story? Frankly, I would seriously doubt the accuracy of this story. The media loves to exaggerate and sensationalise, and these sort of over the top tales need to be taken with a grain of salt. Just because the media says something happened in a particular way, doesn't mean it did. You know the old line, "don't let the truth get in way of a good story".

Country gal, your education appears to be sadly lacking.

I suggest a couple of days studding with Pamela Anderson, who, I'm sure, can advise you on what breasts are really for. I believe she is, or was, or will be, in Oz, now or shortly, or some such.

Perhaps our policemen, with nothing better to do, were merely trying to helpfully advise this lady of her error.

Perhaps she should have gone to the beach, where she could have disappeared in a sea of breasts. Ladies do sunbake topless even in Adelaide, don't they?

Yes Sally, it was probably a quiet [news] day in Adelaide, many of them are, in my experience.

SallyG,

Here it is.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,24250024-421,00.html

I heard an interview with someone from a breast feeding advocacy group this morning. The whole thing seemed so strange I was left wondering if there is a part of the story which has not been told. Either that or the cleaner who reportedly complained to the police has some serious issues.

R0bert

You stole my thunder Robert;
I was going to say that if Police question a woman for criminal use of a Brest pump; then what the hell do they indoctrinate them with when they have to sit for a degree?
Fairdinkum, The policeman or woman should be embarrassed, and when some Idiot phones to complain (A wild assumption, that we know mental constitution of the complainant) the operator ought to have said get stuffed and grow up Idiot.
I am concerned that we actually have another association of Brest Feeders and advocacy group, Voluntary group I hope?

If the police get a formal complaint they HAVE to investigate it.

Was she charged with anything?...Jesus.

I think the whole thing's a storm in a D-cup :)

Seriously, it sounds like the cleaner and the police involved need to be counselled by their superiors. It must have been embarrassing and humiliating for the poor woman who was subjected to such treatment for using a parenting room for one of its legitimate purposes.

I feel theres more to this story that has not been revealed. Was she expressing milk or was she doing something else with it?

...."Was she doing something else with it...?" Oh, you mean like making a Molotov Cocktail with it, maybe, or painting an obscene picture?

I guess you were joking, but the words sorta conjure up an idea for a new series like that "101 Uses for a Dead Cat". Maybe we could come up with a "101 uses for breast milk?

Bloody hell!!

Now that you mention it Romany, I thought that jason60's comment was a little odd too.

Jason - what exactly is it that you imagine this woman might have been doing with her breast milk in a parenting room that would warrant the indignity of a police interview over it?

The mind boggles.