turned away from beauticians because I had my baby with me

[PattyO46]

I have just been turned away from a beauty salon because 'we don't allow children '. Not only do I not have childcare but my baby is so exclusively breast fed. I feel so upset, humiliated and angry. Is this a commonly accepted practice?!

I don't want to spend my time with other people's offspring no matter how old they are, babes in arms or not.

Why on earth would you want to expose you baby to that environment?

Not sure you would be allowed to take a baby in a tattoo place or a night club either.

Yes, BF babies are barely noticeable. That's why they're so easy to look after

a baby or child doesn't have to be noticeable though even perfectly behaved there are and always be places they can't go.

deal with it.
and put the sodding baby down

a salon with its fumes amd it's hot wax and massage oils is not the place fir a baby. doesn't matter how it's fed. doesn't change the risks involved in their presence.

Maybe the OP was a touch dramatic but actually it is fairly common where I live for babies to go with their Mum's to the beauticians/hairdressers. Admittedly we live in a very baby friendly area. I actually think that it's fairly important that women still have access to things that give them a bit of a boost when we know new mums confidence can take a huge knock. I have had 3 breastfed babies and in the early days their feeding patterns were completely unpredictable and pretty constant tbh.

I went for a massage one day and a woman had a screaming child in the other part of the salon. It was awful, and I complained, but the mother tried to pull the discrimination crap about not being allowed to breastfeed.

There are some places that just aren't suitable for children. It's not discrimination, it's common sense!

See, this mentality that breast fed babies must be with the mother at all times is one of the reasons that so many woman view formula feeding as so much easier. Bfing advocates talk about the ease of whipping out a boob compared to making up a bottle, missing entirely the difference between being able to have other people help you vs being never able to do anything without your baby.

I breast feed with a routine (it is possible!!), and managed to get gaps of a couple of hours in between from a few weeks so could go get a wax/hair done/have short breaks.

This needs to be talked about more by breast feeding advocates, you can have breaks from the baby and do normal stuff like get your nails done. Being a breast feeding mum doesn't need to be all consuming.

Where is the MNHQ comment? I can't find it.

I can't even begin to imagine, why you'd take a child there, in the first place?
With all due respect, there is nothing duller or more annoying, than other people's children

Navyandwhite I don't particularly care if I am allowed to take my baby to these places I am just saying that it is really the norm where I live for babies to be there. Therefore in our area it wouldn't have been unreasonable for the OP to take it for granted that she would be able to take her baby. I live in an area of London with ALOT of babies.
Dinosaurroar I think that everyone has a different experience of breastfeeding. It's great that breastfeeding on routine suits you and your babies, as I said for me and my babies in the early days it just didn't work out that way. Actually had I been warned that in the early days it really can be all consuming I wouldn't have caused myself a load of stress trying to force my first born to routine feed. So whilst I wouldn't assume that you can't feed to routine (many do) nor should you assume that everyone can.

It's only 8 weeks or something difference I suppose but I think it was probably easier when we started weaning at 3 4 months. By the time they were 5 months you could leave even a bottle refuser like mine for half a day with their dad and a couple of jars. As an aside, my bottle refuser only refused them when I was around. Worth considering, for anyone feeling a bit trapped with an EBF baby.

I think you're getting an unfair hard time on here but you did ask.

YANBU to ask but the premises and business belong to the beautician so their rules apply.

I can remember two times getting my hair done with tinies, both times the hairdresser was quiet though so there was a junior available to 'shush' the baby if needed.

Enjoy your baby.

And a mother and a breastfed baby are a biological unit. Their bodies and hormones are in synch and it's harder to separate them.

Piffle!

Exclusively breastfeeding doesn't mean constantly breast feeding, put the bloody baby down!

And a mother and a breastfed baby are a biological unit. Their bodies and hormones are in synch and it's harder to separate them.

Bleurgh. What a load of soppy nonsense. Plenty of breastfeeding mums manage to separate themselves from their babies without either of them spontaneously combusting.

Good Lord

What a load of tosh

PurpleDaisies
High Five!

Depends on the place. My current salon isn't very fancy and actually encouraged me to pop in if lo was asleep to have my eyebrows threaded (was apologising for the state of them on account of not being able to leave the baby until husband was free!). My old pre-childrenplace was the sort of place you'd go to for a fancy massage/facial and was all expensiveplinky plonky music and candles so wouldn't dream of taking baby/child there.

I get my beuty treatments done in the back of an Indian clothes shop and it's not unusual for the beauticians themselves to have breast feeding babies!! It would've totally acceptable to bring kids or babies there. I guess it depends on the establishment

That is just snarky and unhelpful purpledaisy!

I don't remember this complete biological synch. Mine needed more frequent feeding than most due to a genetic disorder, but never to the point where I could not have e.g. left them with a friend pushing the pram around the block for half an hour while I went for an appointment.

Else, how would people with more than one child ever manage to meet the needs of the older children? How would you deal with the toddler having her jabs or the primary school child throwing up, if you physically cannot put the breastfed baby down for half an hour?

As Dinosaur says, this is something that needs to be talked about, so new mothers are not put off the idea of breast-feeding because it seems logistically impossible.

Hi Patty046

I wonder if you gathered the opinions you thought you would?

And even though you have been through a pregnancy and have an exclusively breastfed baby you haven't ever posted on Mumsnet before?

You should stick around, Mumsnet is a great resource for new parents. You could even post your vague location and Mumsnetters would recommend a baby friendly salon or mobile beautician for you.

cory of course you can blooming well put the baby down for half an hr. You just can't always predict when. If your sick toddler needs you when your baby is crying for a feed then clearly you prioritise their needs. You might feel a bit shite if you are prioritising your mani/pedi over your crying baby though. No? Also some of us don't have friends/family to hand over to for even 30 mins. I don't say that in a self pitying way.

Mobile therapist probably a good idea. I have a bottle-refusing 13 week old and have trimmed my own hair! Going to a wedding in a few weeks and if he still won't take a bottle I will be doing my own Shellac nails. Mobile hairdresser is a friend of my mother in laws so at least that should be OK! Am more concerned about finding a breastfeeding-friendly outfit as I presumed he would be on formula by then....