about the breastfeeding cafe in Cheltenham?

[NotNewButNameChanged]

Sorry if someone has already done this but I haven't spotted it if so.

I live in Cheltenham and there is a café proudly displaying a sign saying:

"Breastfeeding mums. Pop in and have a free cup of tea if you need a pit stop. No need to eat, no need to ask - please relax "

I am very torn about this. On the one hand, it's great to be supportive of breastfeeding and we know it is illegal to discriminate against breastfeeding mums. But on the other, it's basically discriminating against mums who either can't breastfeed or choose not to. Somehow makes me feel that it's saying breastfeeding mothers are more important and deserving than other mothers.

Am I being unreasonable in being torn?

It doesn't say non breast feeding mothers aren't welcome though does it? So I don't see how it could make them feel unwelcome.

I'm a lactation consultant and a breastfeeding volunteer. I would be more comfortable with a sign offering a cup of tea to all new mums which also said breastfeeding was warmly welcome.

Pourquoi - ANYONE is welcome to go to the café, that's not the point. The point is that ONLY the breastfeeding mums can have free drinks.

I think it's a nice idea :) and I was unable to bf my DC which I found devastating.

Yanbu. I vote you nip in and ask if it applies to bottle feeding mums too and if they've just missed it off the sign.

I don't really see the problem. As a FF mum I wouldn't really feel like I was being discriminated against either.

Although tamba idea would be better though.

Breastfeeding makes you thirsty- not sure the same can be said for bottle feeding! I'd struggle to get wound up about it tbh!

I think it's fine. There's so few places that you can feel genuinely comfortable bfing in that it makes a nice change.

Although whenever you try to please one group of people other groups always feel left out.

Tbh that would piss me off greatly!! For health reasons I couldn't bf. I did try to put my health at risk and try but dd refused the Breast at every opportunity. I already had a hv who treated me like scum because I ff so a sign like this would have really upset me (still does) as it's yet another person calling me a failure for not feeding my baby myself.

YANBU its a very strange sign. I get that they are trying to be all pro breastfeeding but they miss the mark but abnormalising breastfeeding by trying to gimic it.
Anyway i thought people were advised against drinking hot drinks whilst feeding in case of spillage. Breast or bottle.

I think it's a lovely idea!

I suppose they have to draw the line somewhere, I see your point but I think it's just a nice gesture and there's not really anything to be upset about. Breastfeeding mothers do need to drink more, anyway.

I vote you nip in and ask if it applies to bottle feeding mums too and if they've just missed it off the sign

For all the formula feeding mothers who've been asked to stop formula feeding in public, put their bottles away etc, might feel uncomfortable, that would be?

I think it's a nice thing to do and they should be commended for it, personally!

This makes out breast feeding is something special and deserving of free things.

I think it's a great idea too - although a bottle of water would probably be more handy!
Breastfeeding is physically demanding of you, you need to eat more and drink a lot more, so I would assume it's in relation to that rather than that FF mothers aren't welcome.

I remember being out with my friend who was feeding and it was the other customers who kept tutting which got on my goat.

If you're someone whose always determined to be offended or look for reasons to suggest otherwise then I can see why it bothers you.
It's nice to see places so encouraging of bf mums given the hassle they receive.

Saying breast feeding mothers are welcome and there is complementary tea available is hardly treating anyone else 'like scum'!

I would also be quite surprised if a breast and a bottle-feeding mother went in together and fed their babies, only one cup of tea was forthcoming.

Having breastfed 3 of my DC I never encontered negative comments or made feel unwelcome, and I bf anywhere and everywhere.

And I live in Ireland!

The thing is a ff mother wouldn't think twice about going into any cafe and feeding their baby. A bfing mother always feels slightly self-conscious to a greater or lesser degree.

Somehow makes me feel that it's saying breastfeeding mothers are more important and deserving than other mothers.

Oh FFS OP !

Breastfeeding mums. Pop in and have a free cup of tea if you need a pit stop. No need to eat, no need to ask - please relax. Also all of you who are formula feeding, and those of you have finished breast and bottle feeding but are now in the messy stage of BLW come on in. And any supportive parents, friends, hangers on........welcome. Sorry you can't see actually INTO the cafe the the PC brigade insisted on this notice being fair to all and it is so big it covered the whole of the front window. But, be assured, we ARE a cafe and there are tables inside. So come on in!

No Monsters I didn't feel self conscience at all.

Breastfeeding rates in this country are appallingly low. Anyone making an attempt to increase them (by rewarding mums, allowing people to see breastfeeding, whatever) should be praised. For the sake of the health of our babies (and cost reductions to the nhs) breastfeeding rates need increasing!

That's interesting. I live there, and I've never seen that. It definitely would have encouraged me to go in when I was bfing ds1 or ds2. I think it's a nice idea. I eventually ended up ffing ds2 for awhile and I wouldn't have felt that it was discriminating against me in any way.