Help! I have been charged for Breastfeeding my baby and using the hard shoulder of the motorway to do so?

Question

I am due in court in 5 weeks. I have spoken to a solicitor and I have been told there is not much I can do to prevent this charge going through. I have a 6 week old baby and I stopped on the motorway as she was crying. I am a first time single mum and unfortunately after a while of my baby crying I start producing breast milk automatically. I did plan extra rest stops on out journey and I thought she was ok as I had stopped the previous hour. I tried singing to her, playing some music to her but nothing helped. It got a bit distressing and the services were not far (I recall they were around 10 miles away). I know it is not right to stop on the motorway but it was really stressing me out. I know some babies can get very upset and hold their breath when they are crying. My baby’s face had gone bright red and I guess out of fear for that really I decided to stop even though I know the hard shoulder is meant for an emergency. (Q continues in details…

I stopped and breastfed my baby. This stopped her crying immediately. I am guessing maybe she was dehydrated as we have had warm weather in the U.K recently. Unfortunately whilst all this was going on I did not realize that there was a police patrol car a few cars behind me which decided to stop. In a nutshell the police officer was not impressed that I had stopped so close to the next service station and also that I had taken my top off as my shirt was soaked as I had produced a lot of breast milk when my baby was crying.I have also been told by my solicitor that it is likely that the press will publish the story in the press as they are allowed to sit in on Magistrates courts hearings. I don't want all this for my baby or me. What can I do

Answer 1

most likely the cop was not a father, he would of understood. I would tell the judge everything that happened. many judges are parents and they will understead. what you should of done, is put the milk into a bottle while you are driving and this would not of happened. good luck

Answer 2

Did you say the closest service station was 10 miles away? If your baby had been crying for that long, I can't imagine driving another 10 miles (unless you were seriously speeding, which would probably be MORE dangerous for your baby than stopping to breastfeed on the shoulder of the road). If you had done that, then you would have gotten a speeding ticket and ended up going to court anyway.

I think it's horrible that they ticketed you! As long as you were well off the road, and far away from the lane, you should have been OK. I don't know what advice to offer you other than good luck at court. Cops make me sick.

Answer 3

Well, I think you will probably be let off anyway if this is a first offence. If the magistrate has children, they should understand that it was an emergency but I just wonder, if you know you "leak" like that, why didn't you use pads? And if a baby stops breathing, they will pass out and begin to breathe again anyway so I don't think you will be able to use that reason. You knew you were doing something wrong and I also wonder why you were driving if you were that stressed?

I am assuming that the charge is actually for using the hard shoulder, not for feeding your baby. If they are trying to charge you with something for feeding your baby, tell them they are stupid and ask if they would expect a bottle fed baby to be left when he/she is hungry.

Answer 4

Thats disgraceful! U have a right as a woman to breastfeed. You tell the judge the following: all of the above plus the fact that as you were stressing out, this could have had a consequence on all drivers on the road, could have caused an accident. Those who have never been in the car driving whilst their baby was hungry can never understand the hurt and worry of a mother when the above happens. I personally feel they don't have a case. I WOULD HAVE DONE EXACTLY THE SAME!!! I have a 9 week old baby and I understand exactly what you are going through!! Dont stress as you might lose your milk. Sue them for discriminating against mothers and human kind. Your baby could have stressed himself out so much that he could have stopped breathing. BOLLOCKS TO THEM, THEY SHOULD CHASE THE REAL CRIMINALS AND NOT PICK ON AN INNOCENT WOMAN AND HER BABY, THATS WHY WE PAY TAXES - OUTRAGEOUS!!

Answer 5

"It's Me Again" had good answer as far as your defense to the court and hopefully it will be thrown out, but learn from the experience. You made a perfectly understandable mistake. But don't let your child learn that holding its breath will get her what she wants. She can't harm herself by holding her breath -- even if she did it until she passed out, she would immediately start breathing again once she did (I know that sounds mortifying, but there it is). The cold, hard fact of the matter is that ten more miles would not have been too far to wait, even though it seems like a thousand to a new mother of a crying child. It just takes practice to develop your tolerance to the point that you won't make mistakes in judgement like you did. The bottom line is that you gave in to your own anxiety and by doing so, posed a danger to yourself and others. Don't be too hard on yourself about it -- just live and learn and deal with it the best way you can. Good luck.

Answer 6

Whilst I sympathise 100% imagine a 38 tonner coming down the driver tired and smashes into you killing you and your baby, there would be an uproar, the hard shoulder is for emergancies, ie you break down, in this event, the thing to do is get out of the car and move as far away as possible, as for a hungry baby as distressing as it is he or she can wait until the services, at least he or she will be alive

Answer 7

This is absolutely ridiculous!!!!! The police are crazy. They arrest and charge people for things like this and cannot control real crime???? There must be a Womans Rights campaign that can take this up on your behalf. What I would do is write a letter of apology to the police and say that it will not happen again and perhaps they will drop the charge. Isnt it stupid...men can go without a shirt but women who need to breastfeed cant? MAYBE they were worried that you would distract motorists and cause a crash?

Answer 8

If your solicitor said there is nothing to do...he knows the law better than even most English people. I know you were stressed but its very dangerous to stop on the shoulder of a highway. Another car could have smacked into you and your baby wasn't even in her carseat. Sometimes its just better for the baby to let her cry and get to a safe spot.

Answer 9

I would tell the judge that this was considered an a emergency because the next rest stop was 10 miles away. You can not keep your baby from eating and when a baby that young is hungry they want to eat right then. They don't want to wait, I would say kindly put yourself in my baby shoes would you want to wait for food for another 10 miles or eat right then.
good luck

Answer 10

I dont see you had much choice how is anyone meant to concentrate on driving with a screaming baby in the car
explain in court that it would have been more dangerous for you to continue driving with that distraction and fear for you child as her face was turning red

any sensible magistrate would throw the case out of court

Answer 11

that is such a shame I'm not a mother but i can understand why you did what u did. baby screaming, breasts leaking ,driving fast on motorway. you were stressed and felt you had to attend your baby's needs (which i think is right) just tell them what you have told us and hopefully the judge will understand, The police should be out there finding really criminals and not petty things like this
good luck and hope all goes well