Breastfeeding in Public... When is it not ok?

[OmarsMum]

I wouldn't feed my son who was on formula in a shop as small as Claire's on a busy night. for me it's inappropriate & I don't mean the bfing, I mean the feeding in general in a busy, small shop. I've always been around BFers, non of them were that desperate to ask for a chair & bf in a small busy shop within a mall. There are more appropriate places within a mall to NIP without making it to the news headlines.

My mum NIP in the weirdest places & that was 17-18 yrs back, she never bfed in a toilet or tried to hide while NIP so I never considered NIP as something weird, it's something natural. I do understand if it was a shop within a street in a very hot or cold weather, but within a mall, I don't understand her reasons other than trying to make a point or making it to the news.

 

[NellyLou]

It was really the specific store she chose that gets to me.... smallest most cramped store in a mall. There were so many other options for her that would have been much more comfortable for her. I breastfed my lo at church discreetly with no issues. When a baby is hungry, they need to be fed, I get that. It's just kind of like having a room full of chairs and then a mother choosing to sit on a foot stool to feed her baby.

 

[Lina]

People talk about funerals being inappropriate places, have you seen some of the clothing people wear to these places? The flesh above the nipple is often squeezed and fully visible, yet people are uncomfortable with the inconspicuous nursing of an infant.

Infants should be nursed, preferably somewhere where it isn't inconveniencing others but western society increasingly want natural acts banished, whilst scantily clad posters adorn most public places. Crazy.

Well I would hope that most people would be uncomfortable with someone wearing a revealing outfit to a funeral.

I personally don't care if anyone breastfeeds at a funeral but I wouldn't do it. While I normally don't care if I offend anyone by nursing in public, a funeral is a very sensitive situation where I'd just take into consideration that some people might not be comfortable with it.

Neither would I, but am a big prude. We also have a claire's over here, not sure if it's the same one but I would be frightened of people tripping over me or the contents of the rack tumbling down my bra.

 

[special_kala]

I don't think breastfeeding should effect anyone else which is why I wouldn't ask for a chair. The same way I don't think me feeding my baby is anyone elses business so will feed where I need too.

 

[Eternal]

Breast or bottle, a small busy shop isn't the best idea surely? Surely it wast helpful to the staff, the child or the mother No issue with breastfeeding in public. I don't see the issue in a funeral, in fact if you bring your bring to a funeral then it's probably the best idea. Keeps the child content in a quiet environment.

Woman should be free to breastfed where they like, but that doesn't mean they should sit down in a tiny busy shop, creating a health and safety issue just to prove a point. That sort if attention does nothing to help breast feeders.

 

[jojo_b]

It didn't mention anyone in the article being offended by it. I'd assume it was a space issue rather than a BF-specific issue. I'd never dream of asking to sit and feed my baby in a tiny shop, whether they were BF or FF. I'd just go outside and sit on a bench etc. seems to have all been blown out of proportion to be provocative and sensationalist IMHO.

 

[louandivy]

I do agree with jojo_b, and this woman sounds a bit entitled to be honest. When Ivy was younger I never would have expected some random shop assistant to accommodate me feeding my child, I would have sat on a bench somewhere.

 

[Erinsmummy]

Ah I see!! Im sorry I didn't read the full story!! Didnt realise it was a tiny shop like that. Seems like the issue isn't the breast feeding really, just that she chose to get in the way and draw attention to herself rather than just walk out and find somewhere else.

 

[whit.]

I don't see the issue in a funeral, in fact if you bring your bring to a funeral then it's probably the best idea. Keeps the child content in a quiet environment.

I don't think it's wrong to breast feed at a funeral. I think it's one of the places that it should be done discreetly, though.

 

[Tasha]

Claires here wouldnt even have space for a chair other than the one fr peircing ears, she could of sat on that if you guys have them there.

I did need to sit down when BF but I am sure if you asked someone sitting on a bench or even when to a bigger store and found some where to sit it wouldnt be a problem. Extra couple of minutes if that.

 

[Dragonfly]

In general here people often wonder why mums get flack with children., sometimes they arnt allowed in shops, no one offers them a seat on the bus, people take their parking spaces and on the other half people dictate where is ok to feed their children....I remember feeling really ill once and I asked in a shop if I could use their loo, it wasnt in a shopping center it was in a street and the public loos where a long way away. I was refused, same happened in the local library. And at one of them occasions they could see I was near fainting. Having worked in retail myself I let a woman who wasnt feeling well sit out the back with another member of staff. This wouldnt happen at all. To me thats called at the shops discretion, maybe against the rules but we are suppose to be human and help each other. As I wasnt there or any one here in claires I dont think this woman asking for chair was wrong, maybe she to felt bombed and needed to sit. Wouldnt personally do it myself but would give the benefit of the doubt to this mum. I wouldnt assume personally she was a diva demanding a chair in a shop. But the bigger picture here is most dont want to help people any more at all. If you want help people accuse of you of being entitled. Or the why should I help attitude. And we wonder how some can walk past human suffering to. Its a shame even this has to be a debate. Such a simple subject causes taboo in the uk. And the mums side is rarely on from other mums.

 

[special_kala]

I had to say no to people using the toilet at work. It's not about lack of care its the rules. If I let someone with a small child out the back to use the loo and they got hurt my job would be on the line and a lot of parents would be quick to blame and sadly now even sue even though someone was doing them a favour.

My children are the centre of my universe I don't see that they should be the centre of everyone elsew too

 

[NellyLou]

Exactly, I don't think other people need to cater to moms just because they have a baby whether they are bf or ff. I chose to be a parent so I will parent and be respectful of other people, which to me would mean not deciding to sit down in the smallest store and be in the way.

 

[Dragonfly]

I give up. lol Usually am alone in my point anyway. I just wish society was a bit more helpful not less and other mums to.

I understand what you mean about the any one using the loo but I didnt say any one.

 

[staralfur]

When I was working retail I would've been fired on the spot for letting someone, even if they felt ill, use the bathroom in our store. Luckily I worked in a mall so if I were in that situation I would just walk with the person to the mall bathroom. But I wouldn't expect anyone to lose their job over that TBH. Of course it would depend on the severity of the situation I suppose.

 

[Tasha]

Thats interesting because I use to work for a well known supermarket and we had to let pregnant women or young children use the toilet.

 

[OmarsMum]

Dragonfly- have you ever been to a Claire's shop? It's a tiny shop for accessories, I wouldn't even go there with a stroller as it doesn't fit, many of their shoppers are teenage and young girls. Here during the holiday season you can't even find a space to move around the shop as it's always crowded, The mum wasn't even doing an emergency shopping (I wouldn't consider accessories shopping as a necessity). Her baby is 8-9 months if I remember right? I wouldn't even dream of going in there with a baby during that time, the crowd itself is very overwhelming for a baby.

We're not talking here about a department store like Marks & Spencer or Debenhams.

 

[Dragonfly]

Yes and I said I wouldnt do it myself, I know how small them shops are. But since I wasnt there I try not to pass judgements on the why did she do that stuff as i wont get that answer from thinking. She was still asked to leave. Each time something like this pops up in the news it always is followed by negative comments against the mum. Dosnt matter if she is in a resturant people will say its not appropait and rude. Same here for the local story to where a woman was asked to leave a cinema and I know who she was to but people just speculated her baby was crying when it wasnt she was escorted out of the premises for breastfeeding. It caused rows, not for the mums side. but against mums. What I am saying is mums have it hard enough and other mums dont back them or even give them the benefit of the doubt. As if it wasnt hard enough out there. I am also not directing this at any one in this thread. The general air is hide away and breastfeed in the end of it. My own mum told me to breastfeed in the toilets in a shopping centre. I wish mums got more help.

 

[RedRose]

I'm trying to put myself in the mum's shoes, and I'm in Claire's Accessories and my baby needs feeding. I just can't imagine it being easier to ask someone to go and fetch me a chair so I can feed on the shop floor in front of the novelty hairbands, than it would be to put my shopping down/pay quickly and find a bench.

I wonder if the mum is just a bit of a drama queen?

 

[staralfur]

I honestly think I'd feel much differently about this story if her baby was a newborn vs 8 months old. To me there's a big difference in urgency there. If she needed to feed in the store with a newborn then I wouldn't even question it. But by 8 months I think there's a bit more predictability, or ability to keep the baby calm for a minute while you find a seat.