Stop Mum Abuse
I was in B&M today with my mum and my 3 month old baby girl. I went to go and get my bits I needed and mum walked round with Isabella in the buggy.
Suddenly, Isabella woke up crying. My mum did everything she could to try and settle her, in the one minute I was gone, at the other end of the shop.
I walked back to my crying baby and tried to calm her down, knowing she was probably hungry and had a dirty nappy. I was just about to leave the shop to go home and a lady came over to me and said “aww poor baby she needs a feed!”
I looked at her and said “yes she does, we are going home now.”
She then turned nasty and started having a go at me and quoted “shut that screaming baby up!”
I was in shock and felt like crying. How am I supposed to drop everything I was doing in the shop to whip my boob out to feed her? Babies cry, it’s normal. She then came back and said “take her out the shop and comfort her!”
At this point I was thinking she was going to call social services because the way she kept coming back having a go at me.
Another gentleman turned around to me in the queue and said “stick a dummy in her mouth”. So I replied “she doesn’t take dummies. I’m taking her home once I’ve paid to feed her.”
“Put something in her mouth and shut her up!” He stated.
I was in total shock. How can people talk to mums this way!? Surely they’ve had babies before? Maybe not?
I was next to be served. I had tears in my eyes. My poor mum had to endure all these people have a go at me, her daughter. A first time mum.
At this point, my mum took my baby girl outside.
I said to the cashier, people need to stop getting involved and being rude, it isn’t necessary. The kind cashier agreed with me and said “babies cry all the time, don’t worry I understand.”
Suddenly a woman came up behind me and I thought to myself - oh gosh not another person going to have a go at me. I can’t take anymore!
“You’re honestly doing an amazing job, it’s not easy being a mum, and it’s not nice to listen to people be like that towards you. You’re an amazing mum and please don’t listen to them.” She expressed.
I was overwhelmed to hear someone say that to me. To compliment me. To say I was doing an amazing job. That’s all mums want to hear. I thanked her and walked out the store with my shopping.
I told my mum about this lovely lady and then she walked by, I stopped her in her tracks. My mum thanked her and then we all gave her a hug. It was such an emotional moment.
Mums are not given enough credit. They are shamed for their babies crying in public. It is actual abuse the way people talk to them.
We need to stop this happening. It’s not fair to any mums, whether they are first time mums, second time mums and so on.
People don’t know what anyone is going through in their day to day life. They could have postnatal depression and if someone verbally abused them when out and about, it could push them over the edge.
Babies cry for all sorts of reasons, it could be because they are hungry, a dirty nappy, cold, want a cuddle, tired or anything. It’s normal.
People shouldn’t get involved and should allow the mum to calm her baby down without being judged.