Mum asked to stop breastfeeding a TWO YEAR OLD in shoe shop.

At 2 are they still feeding on demand (breast or bottle)? That’s the bit I find odd!

as for bf in a shop - nothing wrong with that if necessary but with an older child who can wait I’d have thought there are more comfortable places to feed. But recognise that depends on the shopping center

I don’t understand why so many people are so obsessed with how other mothers behave. Why does it affect you? Why do you care if someone ‘whips their boob out’ in public?

You must feel threatened by it in some way.

Even if we suppose it’s attention seeking behaviour, surely the best approach would be to ignore? If someone is being performative and attention-seeking, then they WANT you to stare at them disapprovingly/make judgemental noises and comments. So the best thing to do is ignore them.

As I’ve said elsewhere, I only breastfed my children for the first six months.

So much vitriol against other mothers. Live and let live.

I think that is more about predator awareness - a bit like the way dogs hold eye contact with their owner when taking a dump.

I tend not to use animals as guides for my social habits anyway.

No. In that same way that said child eating a sandwich or a bag of crisps or some chocolate isn’t uncivilised. Anyone with an ounce of self awareness though would probably think that a shoe shop isn’t the best place to sit down and eat the sandwich/crisps or whatever and take a few moments to move somewhere else. A few moments not to take up space the shop probably needs for their customers. Nothing to do with the sainted breastfeeding.

YAB completely U and really judgey

Sorry, I don't care to respond to the triggered quotes.

I also don't care if you want to BF your 6 yr old.

My opinion is my opinion.

Eh, I don't care how long someone breastfeeds and obviously, mothers can breastfeed wherever they like but there is a difference between breastfeeding a small baby who is reliant on milk and a 2 year old where breastfeeding might be something the child wants in the shoe shop but it can probably wait.

I don't agree with how the mother was spoken to or that she has to ask for permission to breastfeed which is against the law as it should be but I do think there's a time and a place for breastfeeding an older child and just because you can, it doesn't mean that you should. A 2 year old can wait.

Capitalism

The twix was in jest (or post lunch craving....)

Because the child is upset or crying and has asked to breastfeed. Because it is a warm and comfortable place to sit and expose skin. And because it is your legally protected right to do so.

legally it makes no difference. Breastfeeding in shops and other public spaces is protected under the Equalities Act and asking a breastfeeding woman to stop or leave is illegal. Full stop. It doesn’t matter how old the child is.

And don’t wear pants!

Flashers, the lot of them.

It is (biologically) normal @Hons123, the natural age of weaning is 4-7 years. It’s you and your family, and western social norms, that are actually the weird ones.

missing the irony are we?

https://www.bmj.com/rapid-response/2011/10/28/humans-are-primates-designed-breastfeed-years-not-months

in fact they walk about the their nipples visible all the time and never cover up as they surely should do in polite society

I’m a bit on the fence about this. I did bf all of mine till two but cut it down to just nighttime feeds somewhere between 12-14 months partly as just sick of having boobs out.

I think its the age they objected to, not the act itself

Wow what a judgy post....

For what it's worth I breastfed my 3 year old wherever he needed. Why would I want or need anyone's attention for that? On that note why would anyone who breastfed a baby decide there was ever a time when they 'needed' to buy formula and introduce a bottle? That sounds like the most inconvenient thing ever.

Each to their own, in terms of how old you wish to breast feed. However, I would feed my two year old at all in a shoe shop. Go to a cafe etc sit down and do it.

That pp might just be older. Attitudes have changed and that is how a lot of generations would have thought. ETA though I agree the fetish comment was most odd!

I agree with all of those. Can you list reasons for breastfeeding in a shop?

Humans losing their milk teeth is a big clue.

Human beings don't need to impose an arbitrary limit on breastfeeding because there is a breastfeeding term between 2-7 years when children will stop of their own accord and/or are no longer physiologically able to stimulate milk production. In all human societies that have ever existed. This is around the time that children lose their "milk teeth" - ever wondered why they're called that?

Maybe you ought to learn something about this topic before you express such strong options. Could get embarrassing.

Most mothers know what's best for their own children.
This mother probably did what was right for their own child.
The shoe shop was very unlikely to know what was best for that mother and child! But probably won't be getting their custom again

For what it's worth, not all children are having three meals a day at age 2, and not all children have had bottles!

Completely irrelevant but I breastfed all three. Two naturally went down to one feed a day at 2 and no feeds at 2.5. The other, who was absolutely tiny, went down to 1 feed a day at 3 and no feeds shortly after. Weaning was never straightforward - sometimes they wouldn't eat at all and sometimes they would. Sometimes they were very sick and would eat/drink nothing other than the breast. But they all weaned eventually and all eat absolutely fine now.

I can assure you that when they are teenagers, there will be much bigger issues to worry about than the precise month they stopped feeding. As with all these stages, one day you realise it's just all over!

Let's support mothers. Mothering is hard enough as it is without criticising each other.