If you're breastfeeding and live near Kidderminster, it's time for a nurse-in

That poem was harsh. If anyone had ever told me to feed my daughter in the loo, I'd have never left the house again.

I don't know what was going on here and why on earth someone working in a supermarket would come out and tell someone what they can and cannot do in their own car (when it doesn't affect anyone else). Different (though still wrong and unlawful) if the woman had actually been breastfeeding her baby in the shop. The woman said she cried, I think I'd have told them to bog off (and not used the word bog).

But as a pp said, it is unfair to judge a company on the actions of one or two employees. it's how the company then responds to the issue.

Breastfeeding can be so fucking difficult in the first few weeks. Coupled with, for example, no sleep, continence issues, post birth body, lack of support network, hormones etc. For some, a lot of confidence is required venturing out into a world that is very opinionated about (and actually sometimes quite hostile to) women who have the audacity to need the loo, push a buggy and feed their child.

Curious at the opposition to peaceful protest.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-61977754

Disgraceful!

One good thing out of this is I found this absolutely amazing poeist (is that a word 😬) someone posted on that Twitter feed…

Wise words

I think these storms in teacups do more to make women anxious about breastfeeding in public than to support it.

This wasn't a Sainsbury's policy. It was one weird woman who also worked at Sainsbury's. It's not possible to legislate away weirdness and I'm not really sure what the mum it happened to wants. On the assumption Sainsbury's doesn't have a policy stating their carparks must be patrolled for breastfeeding women, it's all a bit 'sad face in a local paper'.

I once bf dc in a wetherspoons while waiting to meet someone for lunch, got asked not to as 'wasn't the right place' by a member of staff, mentioned to the manager that was disappointing and he was absolutely horrified and embarrassed and insisted next time came in had meal and coffee free. Don't think you can always judge whole company by one person.

I know this store and the car park is so massive it makes it even weirder. Anyway... I saw a very good comment along the lines of Sainsburys should stop taking advice off Stonewall and maybe try some womens organisations!

'Breastfeeding in public places is protected under the Equality Act 2010 for as long as you wish to breastfeed your baby, toddler or small child without an age restriction. Protection covers any public space from parks and leisure facilities to public buildings and using public transport. You’re also protected in shops, hotels, restaurants, hospitals, theatres and cinemas'

FWIW, women protesting are actually asking for less attention, not more. They are taking the heat/flak away from mothers who are less able to stand up to the bullshit unwanted opinions of people who just can't help passing judgement on women for being too loud/female/visible.

Nursing mothers are protected in law, you are able to feed your baby in any public place. You don't need to ask permission.

breastfeeding.support/uk-breastfeeding-laws/

I remember going out with my newborn (second baby so a bit more confident feeding out of the house). But it was just as we were coming out of lockdown and none of the cafes were allowed to open. I went to M&S thinking they'd have a feeding room. I asked a lady who worked there who said no. I then asked if I could use the (closed) cafe just to sit and feed - she said no and suggested I use the disabled toilets instead.
I felt totally deflated after being proud of myself for getting out of the house. I didn't want to sit in the toilet (not to mention the ladies were out of order so it was literally the only toilet available for women)
I ended up walking back to my car - all the while the baby was screaming. If I'd been told I couldn't feed in the car it would have pushed me over the edge.

Mothers of small babies are likely to be tired and emotional, when you know you need to feed your baby, you have calculated all the other stuff ie whether you can hang on, what else needs doing ie presumably either doing the actual shopping you’d set out to do or driving home and not wanting a screaming baby beside or behind you.
I remember taking DD on a flight full of businessmen from City airport and was hanging on til we were about to take off and wanting to hug the female member of the cabin crew who shot me a big grin and asked the bloke next to me to move over to give us the spare middle seat.
I also remember an older woman on a bus who shouted at me for not having a dummy when screaming DS and I were minutes from our stop and I knew I could stop and feed him.
One helpful person can make your day and one unhelpful one can have you in tears at that stage.

It happens unfortunately, usually it's women too (women who chose not to breastfeed i suspect) when it happened to me I told them to get lost, do they eat sitting on a toilet (the only woman's toilet I should add) and they backed off.

Full marks went to British airways who offered to let me use their crew rest area to feed dd when the most enormous woman was next to me (I was flying alone) overhanging my seat on a full flight, they also snuck me a first class meal because I needed my strength! Yes others were jealous of my food

But how will people get the attention they so clearly crave if they accept in this instance it was sorted? I agree on the whole any sort of normalising and events are great, but seems ridiculous to target this event particularly

It does say in the local paper that the store has apologised, offered a voucher and will be reminding all colleagues of the law around breastfeeding. I'm not sure what else is required to be honest.

I would be weary of attending such an event to be honest, you don’t know who could be around or watching for nefarious reasons.

I don’t think ‘sit ins’ work, or raise awareness, they either bemuse the public or annoy them a little.

im glad sainsburys apologised, it would’ve been a nice gesture to give her a voucher or something and it looks like lesson learned

Even if Sainsburys behaved perfectly throughout isn't it perfectly reasonable of women to use the incident as an excuse to get together and promote the "breastfeeding is not a crime" message? Maybe they could even acheive more than Sainsburys staff training could?

I think some people don't realise how important enabling breastfeeding is, as part of supporting new mothers to be 'outside' and part of society.

I'll never forget the kindness of my local Post Office staff when DD was just a few months old. I'd misjudged how long she'd last and after a coffee with friends I thought I could post a parcel and still get home in time. I was wrong, and she went totally ballistic! I asked them for somewhere to breastfeed, and they found a seat for me behind a screen, and were so kind - even though it was clear it wasn't something they'd had to do before.

I'm sure they didn't realise how vulnerable I was, and how hard I found it to get out of the house with DD. It was only a few weeks earlier that getting to the end of my street and back was an achievement to celebrate (I sent DH a photo to prove I'd done it - and I was so triumphant!)

I soon gained confidence, but being supported was so important.

No, oddoneout, that's not on. No woman should be harassed or made to feel bad for feeding her baby.

I'm in favour of standing up on behalf of other women, and especially to help out new mothers, who are often vulnerable, recovering from pregnancy/birth hormones, and in no fit state to 'stand up' to officious arseholes themselves.

I'm surprised ihaven't seen this on Facebook!

Oh actually, looking at the Twitter thread it was perhaps a few days ago? Ignore my last comment!