By Wubba87 - 27/06/2012 10:32 - United Kingdom - Liverpool

Today, I had to have a long and awkward meeting with my boss. It wouldn't have been too awkward though, if I didn't have to avoid staring at her exposed breast whilst she fed her 8 week old baby. FML
I agree, your life sucks 26 648
You deserved it 5 200

Wubba87 tells us more.

Wow, didn't realise this would get so much attention so quickly. Thanks guys! Not suprised that this has stirred a debate on breast feeding as a whole though... To clarify, my boss has recently had a child (duh!) and has therefore been on maternity leave. This is the first time she's come back to work. I actually work in a research lab, and so my boss gathered myself and a few of my coworkers (a doctor and a PhD student) together in an office to discuss the progress of our research since she's been absent. I didn't mind having the meeting, I didn't mind that the kid was there too, and I definitley didn't mind her having to feed the child (nor do I ever mind when any woman has to do this, but especially in this case because she asked us all if it was OK to feed her before doing anything). But I have never had to work so hard on maintaining eye contact in my life! Awkward!

Comments

That's so inappropriate to do in front of an employee. I can't believe that.

olpally 32

Really??? What the actual **** is wrong with people????? Good lord op, I would have asked her to stop what she was doing because that just ain't right... :/ I know boobs are awesome, but seriously, she shouldn't be doing that...

hotPinklipstick 24

'What the actual ****' is an expression of surprise or confusion used when 'what the ****' is insufficient to convey the magnitude of the situation. The increasingly flippant used and associated devaluation of the query 'what the ****' has the necessitated a more heart felt derivative.

olpally 32

85- they're equivalent... 93- don't be such a smartass prick... Big words don't impress me... Asshat...

hotPinklipstick 24

95- My comment wasn't directed to you, and I wasn't trying to impress you either. I'm also not a smart ass prick, seems to me like you are though.

olpally 32

Sorry for the mis-understanding. I'm actually a nice guy. *crawls back under rock*

Wow, if she had to breast feed during the meeting she could at least used a feeding shawl to cover up with..... That's so unprofessional.

The breast thing to do in this situation would be to avoid eye contact...

Can everyone grow the **** up, and stop ******* comparing about it. It's nature people....nature! Yes, I guess it could be pretty awkward at first, but honestly, how in the world is it gross?

Taking a dump is nature too. Nobody wants to witness their boss do that during a meeting either. While there is nothing wrong with breast feeding a baby, much like everything else, there is a time and a place for it. If she didn't think to use a breast pump for an occasion like this, she could have taken a break in the meeting, went somewhere more appropriate like an empty room and then fed the child. Unless of course this was one of those brown bag meetings and everyone else was eating their lunch too. ;)

PixeeLi42 10

Comparing pooing with breast feeding is such a logical thing to do. They're totally related behaviors in like...every possible way.

ky765 0

Maybe because you are trying to have a meeting with someone. well not the gross thing but just weird.

ky765 0

It was a great connection, both are natural things.

That is true, but that's not as half as bad as taking a shit. I mean, c'mon, it's shit. Shit has always been naturally disgusting; milk on the other hand, no....but I mean unless the milk is spoiled ;p

PixeeLi42 10

That shows a massive disconnect in how people view women and their place in society.

I was at a friends house one time, and her mom came and sat down on the couch, took out her breast, and started feeding her baby, I think breastfeeding is fine, but it IS awkward when you're sitting there, and a lady next to you has her bare breast out.

67) please dear god, go to work tomorrow topless. It's natural and about as close to breast feeding as you can get. I'm not even trying to be a perv, but that's really the only way you're ever going to prove your point.

Sorry 195, but I can't :( I don't have a job just yet! :P

Comparing breast feeding to taking a shit is completely ridiculous. And about the breast pump thing, that'd mean that she'd have to use a bottle and if the baby is breast feeding he or she most likely wouldn't be used to a bottle so they won't take it. I'm not saying all breastfed babies don't like bottles but if they're never introduced to them it'd be difficult to get them used to it.

Isa_fml 20

Not a valid comparison. Feeding a child doesn't create a public health hazard, and breast milk is not bodily waste.

The Same Happened To Me..................Awkwarddd

Yeah except it's not the employees problem if your baby is not taking the bottle. Whatever you may find comfortable, if your employee doesn't find it the same way, is not acceptable in the workplace. Workplaces and professionalism are not natural, in any way.

58---I am laughing so hard at your comparison! 100% agree with you! Time and place people! Sounds like the woman was a barbarian. I'll tell ya this much--I've breast fed three babies and you would never see me do something like that. Why make a beautiful moment in to something that's uncomfortable (and should be uncomfortable for both parties)

When me and my sister were born, my mom would take her top off to feed us. No matter where she was...

eyecon502 13

At least you didn't have a random stream of breast milk hit you...

Xquisite1 28

There is a time and place for everything. YES--the baby needs to eat HOWEVER the mother should not conduct a business meeting with an employee while having an exposed breast. Almost borders on the line of sexual harassment if you truly think about it. Because the coworker is in an uncomfortable position including an exposed body part at the workplace. Either pump it beforehand or at least use a cover up. Totally inappropriate and unprofessional on the boss's end.

As a mom who nursed, totally agree. Yes I nursed in public when I absolutely had to, but that's why they make covers. But I wouldn't even do that in a professional setting. No way.

OP is lying. I was the window washer on the outside of the building and saw this meeting. While there was an exposed breast, there was no baby. She was using a breast pump to pump milk for later consumption for her baby. Still unprofessional though.

Comment moderated for rule-breaking.

Show it anyway
PixeeLi42 10

Because YOU view breasts as purely sexual that somehow gives YOU the right to stare at women feeding their children and be an a**hole perv about it? Um...no. You're sick.

PixeeLi42 10

OH GOD, WOMEN - YOU ALL NEED TO STOP FORGETTING THAT IT IS YOUR FAULT AND YOURS ALONE IF PEOPLE CAN'T CONTROL THEMSELVES IN REGARDS TO YOUR BODY.

I totally understand! When a mother breast feeds, she makes sure everyone is looking by standing in your face and saying usless comments like "Ouch! Why'd you bite so hard? Silly baby..." What if she's wearing a cover up, but still breast feeding? Do you still stare?

Yep. Take that shit into the restroom where it belongs. They are doing it for attention so I give it to them. They think it's funny that they are making others uncomfortable with their behavior so I turn the tables on them and suddenly, it's not funny when THEY are the ones who are squirming. And FYI, I am a woman, not a man, so it isn't sexual. I just think I should be able to walk in public without seeing some stupid twat whipping a tit out so her kid can have a snack. Public places provide private areas for that so use it, unless you're OK with guys whipping out their dicks and pissing wherever they happen to be. Hey, you kid needed to eat? Well that guy needed to take a whiz. I don't want to see either, but somehow I am forced to witness the one and not the other. When my kid was on breastmilk I pumped like a decent woman. I didn't shove my tit in the public's face to make some stupid point about women's rights.

PixeeLi42 10

SHAME THOSE WOMEN RIGHT BACK INTO THE KITCHEN. (*Note, you don't have to be a man to find breasts sexual OR actually find breasts sexual to have your views affected by society's insistence that breasts are only sexual and start being all pervy on women who disagree. You do, however, need to be a sexist. Good job!)

PixeeLi42 10

AND BREAST FEEDING BABIES ARE GROSS SO THEY SHOULD BE FORCED TO EAT IN THE MOST DISGUSTING, BACTERIA COVERED HEALTH HAZARDOUS LOCATION THERE IS - PUBLIC RESTROOMS!

Wow... You people are stupid. You obviously don't remember that babies are too young to go around getting their own food, and that the only way to feed them is with milk. When my little sister was a baby she would not drink out of bottles no matter how hard we tried, so the only way to feed her was with breast milk. Women don't do it for attention, they do it because if the baby doesn't eat, it will die. Instead being such a giant douchebag about, next time just tell them politely that it makes you a bit uncomfortable and ask them if they could cover up a bit. OP same to you, I'm sure if you had politely asked for her to cover up a tiny bit, she would have realized that it makes you uncomfortable, and done so promptly. Though I agree that it is a bit unprofessional to have not covered up before hand

PixeeLi42 10

@78...read like...all of the rest of my comments...or at least the rest of the comment the offending kitchen joke was in... And then read the woman-shaming, borderline victim blaming comments I was reacting to. It's okay, we all have knee-jerk reactions sometimes.

45- They do it for attention? You're the one forever taking any chance you can to tell everyone in detail just how HORRIFIC your childhood was and how EVIL your parents were, and it's patently obvious you do it for attention, so I don't think you're in much of a position to be criticizing others for supposedly being attention ******.

Nobody forces you to look. She DOES have the right to breastfeed in, gasp, public, you DO have the right to complain about it, but if it really bothers you that much, just look away and quit being an obnoxious douchebag about it.

There‘s a difference between breastfeeding in public while keeping to yourself, and breastfeeding bang-splat in front of your employee during a meeting. If you do stare at breastfeeding women in public and encourage others to join immaturely, then you‘re a downright disgusting excuse for a person.

111 - exactly. I'd feel kinda awkward if that happened to me at a meeting, because it's in such an enclosed space, but in public? Jeez. Get over it.

monnanon 13

If you had done that to me I would be up on an assault charge, how dare you act like that to anyone. Do you not see what is wrong with your behaviour? and encouraging children to join in too? sheesh you really are an antisocial moron. It is none of your business how someone feeds their kid, it is NO ONES business. Who cares if the woman was sitting in the mall feeding her kid, I bet you eat at the mall, why shouldn't a baby? Just because you have serious issues concerning the human body does not mean you can have such a horrible attitude to other people.

Bankrupt, you clearly have even more issues than I thought. Just because a woman decides to feed her helpless newborn in public does NOT give you the right to look or make her feel uncomfortable intentionally. She is doing a beautiful thing, and you're making her feel bad about it? What a miserable person you must be.

Are you one of those people who think it's okay to rape a woman who wears a short skirt, because "she asked for it and made herself a fair game"? Stop harassing people.

raraisbang 12

Wow. Just wow. Women have every right to breast feed in public. If you can't act maturely about it and just move along without looking, you should probably stay at home and never leave your house. Obviously you aren't ready to be a grown up yet.

While I think your methods are bullshit I can't tell whether I should be agreeing with your right to do that or not. On the one hand, you're an idiot. On the other, if a woman has the right to expose herself like that, knowing it will make some people uncomfortable, then there really shouldn't be any reason why someone couldn't stare if they so wanted just because it makes her uncomfortable. Hmmm, regardless you are still being a douche about it.

Wow, what in the world is wrong with you? I would like to meet you the next time I'm BF in public. I would guarantee you a face full of milk directly from the source.