Breastfeeding toddler in a shop, AIBU?

[Refreshed]

To cut a long story short, out this morning and fed DS (2.5) sitting on a cushion seat in a shoe shop. A few other customers around but nobody even looking like they'd like to try on shoes. All other seats next to me completely free.

An assistant came up to me and said please can I do that somewhere else? The seats are for trying on seats only.

DS was done by this point anyway so I got up and left.

AIBU to have fed him there, and see it as an acceptable place to feed? No other people were sitting there and I wasn't preventing anyone from sitting next to us in the mny other seats avaible

[Sux2buthen]

FIN

[Sux2buthen]

FEED WHEREVER YOU LIKE

[auslass]

Is 1000 the limit for threads? If so, adding a comment to get us there. This is nuts.

[2020vision10]

Whether people agree with the original post or not, this thread has shown what is wrong with society and its attitude to breastfeeding in general.

We get "pressured" and told "breast is best" and feel like failures when we can't or don't but then also get vilified by some for doing it... Can't win! Disgusted by some of these comments.

[Double3xposure]

8. They are sick and tired of the hackneyed, entitled and demanding attitude of women who make such a song and dance of wanting their needs met NOW regardless of anyone else around them, and then being accused of 1 - 7 by Le Leche/NCT loons before going to the press

Thank you @StillbreathingStillhere. You have made my point for me very well. So very Daily Fail.

[PointlessAddict]

She was asked to move, she was victimised! Read the law.

If you read the law you’d know that this isn’t what victimisation means in the Equality Act

[DesLynamsMoustache]

Thankfully this thread is about to fill up, and in the nick of time as it seems to have attracted some loons.

[StillbreathingStillhere]

@Double3xposure

1. They are sick and tired of the hackneyed, entitled and demanding attitude of women who make such a song and dance of wanting their needs met NOW regardless of anyone else around them, and then being accused of 1 - 7 by Le Leche/NCT loons before going to the press.

[Iminaglasscaseofemotion]

Some wild accusations there 😂

[2020vision10]

Double... I agree.

Sadly I had to stop breastfeeding at 3 months (won't go into the reasons) but if I could have carried on I would have... It's the biological norm, that's why I have breasts... Don't get me wrong I know you get sanctimonious breastfeeders that shame formula feeders but I don't get this weird obsession some have over others breasts when it's perfectly natural. They obviously have issues.

[MarchDaffs]

That's wrong ilovechinese, on both counts.

A breastfeeding mother is legally entitled to feed anywhere that both she and baby are allowed to be. Not everywhere full stop.

And she can be asked to leave, just not because she's breastfeeding and not when a non-breastfeeding woman would be. So eg perfectly legal to ask a woman mid breastfeed to leave because it's over 21s after 5pm, as long as thats why you're asking and you wouldn't allow a woman who wasnt bf her baby to stay. Can't ask her to stop breastfeeding though: she would be entitled to continue feeding as she left the premises.

[Double3xposure]

I always wonder what motivates these people who vilify mothers for BF. I can think of a few reasons.

1. They feel guilty about their own infant feeding choices
   
2. They want to control other women and keep them at home and not out in public.
   
3. They think that breasts are for men’s sexual titillation and not for feeding babies
   
4. They worry that if they don’t support the patriarchy at all times, their partner will leave them
   
5. They are obsessively jealous/ insecure and worry that their partner might see a tiny flash of another woman’s breast
   
6. They are controlling and think that everyone else should bring up their children the same way they did.
   
7. They are arrogant and believe that their own choices are by definition the best so everyone who does something differently is a terrible mother.
   
8. They are paranoid and think that mothers who Bf their Own children are doing it to attack and denigrate them personally.
   

These latter ones can be spotted by use of the words “ boobies” “ flaunting “ and “ whipping out “. They read newspapers with headlines like

“ Tarty Jane Smith flaunts her gorgeous pins and has all the men gagging for her “ beside a photo of a woman leaving the gym wearing gym clothes.

[Witsendagain]

@hearhoovesthinkzebras yes I would accommodate them, if I had space for 20 people to come in and feed their babies, because it would be their legal right ot to be moved on.
As it happens we have hosted nct groups, they spend a lot! An nct group simply wouldn't enter a business without previously arranging to with said business, and they would, as a group, always have coffees at least, probably cake and sometimes brunch so a situation like you describe wouldn't be likely to happen.

[WinterCat]

A breastfeeding mum is legally allowed to breastfeed anywhere and cannot be asked to move

This isn’t true. If she is somewhere she is not allowed, then she cannot just decide to be trumps this and to obtain access anywhere. She also is not allowed in certain places for health and safety reasons. I’d struggle to see a justifiable reason for her not being allowed in a shoe shop - although she does not have the right to take over a seat or area in order to breastfeed.

[2020vision10]

That's right.. It's breastfeeding ffs... Some strange people on this thread

[Ilovechinese]

A breastfeeding mum is legally allowed to breastfeed anywhere and cannot be asked to move

[StillbreathingStillhere]

Makes me wish I still had milk because I'd love to accidentally squirt there direction

Yuck.

[StillbreathingStillhere]

What's even more disturbing is some of these weird comments come from other females

It's breast feeding FFS....Not the X Files

[Ilovechinese]

The WHO (world health organisation) recommends breastfeeding till two years and beyond so yes she should still be breastfeeding him @PrincessHoneysuckle

[2020vision10]

What's even more disturbing is some of these weird comments come from other females.

[2020vision10]

Some comments on this thread shows a great example of why breastfeeding rates are so low in this country. So many weird views on such a natural thing.

[EveryFlightBeginsWithAFall]

So if someone with mobility problems sits down while the person they are with browses the shoes is the shop assistant going to kick them off it? Doubt it!

[Clackyheels]

@Raspberry truffle and herein lies the trouble. ITS NOT ABOUT BOOBS!!!!!!!! Yes breasts, which are just skin, which the biological use of is feeding a child, provide the milk. It's people like you, and all the others on here, plus most men, that make woman feel like they should be ashamed of feeding with their breasts. If YOU dont like it. Look away. It's not for you, it's for the child.

[Raspberrytruffle]

Op forgive me for my ignorance I only fed my daughters for the first few months , you say it was to comfort him surely a nice cuddle and a kiss and saying what a big clever boy you are rather than getting the boobs out? I understand you say hes suspected asd? I'm a mum of a child with severe sen so shopping can be hard especially when people are given you the stink eye. Makes me wish I still had milk because I'd love to accidentally squirt there direction @Refreshed

[MarchDaffs]

Sorry legally allowed to be asked to leave. Obviously a mid breastfeeding woman has every right to choose to leave!