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

*'Didnt say he was.

Well I’ve no fucking idea why you went down the ‘but is he getting enough food’ rabbit hole, but here’s hoping that’s over now.'*

Erm chill out. My comment wasnt directed at op btw. People are allowed their own opinion Laurie, your way or the highway I see. I stand by everything I said. Agree to disagree. Hoping this is over now

I don’t think the possible SEN has anything to do with this debate. There is absolutely nothing inconsiderate to others about breastfeeding your child when they need it, whether they have ASD or not. This is your problem (those who have a problem with it).

@OldHarrysGameboy

On the very odd occasion I see a woman feeding her child I always think ... awww bet she’s wrecked & go her.
Generally I’m too preoccupied to notice anything as it’s such a small activity that generates so little attention .
I’m genuinely perplexed by the opinions on this thread

A 2.5 year old can wait for a couple of minutes whilst their mum leaves a shop.

It is natural and nurturing. Just because someone doesn’t have the same view as you, it doesn’t make them an idiot.

YABU for not expressing. There is no need to still be using your breast on a pre-schooler; especially in a shop

@Yesterdayforgotten
You’re going very antagonistic & snug.
If the topic doesn’t really bother you .... move on.

*antagonistic & smug

So let me get this straight...

The WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, after which you gradually introduce foods along with breastmilk upto one year of age or as long as mutually desired.

Unless it's in public, then its exclusive feeding on Quavers up to six months, after which you gradually introduce Wotsits, Doritos and Salt and Shake crisps up until one year, or as long as mutually desired?

haven why give a child expressed milk in a bottle, which can be thrown in temper, when popping them on the boob for two minutes calms them down no problem? And I say that as a mother who never bf a single one of my 3 children.
There is fuck all wrong with breastfeeding, for any reason, for as long as mum and child are comfortable. It's no one else's business.

It’s not about he who shouts the loudest. Swearing and calling people names is so unnecessary. If you are part of an adult forum, then allow others to have an opinion and accept it may not be the same as yours.

Personally at that age I wouldn't have done it in a shop (but then I wouldn't give them a drink in the shop either)

If it was a young baby (as in breastfed on demand) I probably would have fed (but not sat down - I know that sounds weird but I remember feeding several times while in a shop but never sitting down to do it)
If I had been sat down feeding and she'd asked me to not sit there to feed as the seats were for trying on the shoes - I'd have probably stood up and then stayed in the store for as long as possible, baby latched on, asking the assistant who asked me to move to get me different sizes of shoes etc

@sauvignonblancplz I have been absolutely fine, why do you feel the need to nitpick through my comments? I wasnt the one swearing and being rude.

It's a bit jobsworth but I can see their point, there's better places to choose, you wouldn't give a baby a bottle there would you?

oh and why are you telling me to move on yet you are allowed to voice your opinions. Yes the topic did bother me and I said that op needed to feed her child as a matter of urgency due to ASD etc
Some nasty inflammatory people on this thread

These threads always turn so ugly.

I think YABU, more for the drip feed that followed. Many of my friends bf toddlers, it works for them and does indeed calm them down quickly, but honestly can’t see any of them bf in a quiet shoe shop.

@iolaus all breastfeeding is "on demand". That's the entire point of breastfeeding - that it meets the child's immediate needs.

A 2.5 year old should be a fully functioning eater ie if hungry perfectly capable of either a) waiting or b) having a snack. There is no way on earth that you "needed" to breastfeed him there at that exact moment in time. Absolutely bloody ridiculous.

@HavenDilemma Do you know the efforts a woman goes through to being able to pump milk ? Do you know anything about h&s about pumped milk? You need to make sure you follow some steps as otherwise that milk could make your child ill. Also the ops child didn’t want milk , he wanted comfort and this was provided by a cuddle in a form of a 2 mins breastfeed.

@Yesterdayforgotten
You’re being pedantic about the amount of milk a child should or should not consume. Ergo very antagonistic & smug- belittling the whole topic .
The question reflects quite a large hole in people’s acceptance in whether a woman should parent her child in a very natural way. She is protected by law to do so and your line of discussion is childish.

@sauvignonblancplz I'm now of an age where if I can, on the rare occasions I see a mother breastfeed in public, give her a little smile if her gaze meets mine in what I hope is a gesture of middle aged woman solidarity. I'm quite looking forward to getting to the age where it's ok to directly give supportive comments about how lovely it is to see, same as I got from multiple older women when I was feeding mine when they were young.

*where I can

@oldharrysgameboy - i admit I used the wrong word, was trying to think of how to explain it - without saying exclusively breastfed because if a woman mixed feeds she could still breastfeed wheneverwherever she wanted

Oh and I wouldn't have sat down to cuddle my toddler either - I would have picked them up and cuddled them - I've just realised that I very rarely sit down when I'm out (and breastfeeding while standing got a little weary on my arm once they were past about 13/14 months purely due to weight (and getting distracted by whatever else was going on)

Are you actually allowed, legally, to ask or demand a nursing mother moves or stops? Genuine question.

@sauvignonblancplz Nobody is debating that breastfeeding isn’t natural or protected by law. A pp mentioned that these threads always turn ugly. The reason they do is that if anybody has an opinion (which they are entitled to) other than “yes, breastfeed whenever and wherever you want”, they get pounced on and belittled.

@sauvignonblancplz laurie kept picking at what I said and that wasnt childish? Btw are you the same person?
I said one thing about diet being more important than milk further up thread and that was jumped on immediately and then I tried to be lightheaded and make a joke to lighten the mood . I actually think it is childish to nitpick and goad people as well as belittling others for their opinion. You are extremely condescending. I haven't disagreed with the op! What ever mission you are on please aim it at somebody else and do not make me your scapegoat....