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

Omg read the law yourself. I’m not your teacher

stop attacking everyone

The law is there because BFing mothers should be supported to feed their children wherever and whenever the deem it to be appropriate.

They should not have to justify their decision to anyone and they should. It be asked to move from any safe place.

BFing a toddler in public isn't going to create an entitled monster who screams the place down when they don't get what they want. It also won't negatively affect their emotional development.

BFing is a healthy and effective way to calm a distressed 2YO.

Other foods being available doesn't make it less OK to BF.

It's fine not to be actively trying to end BFing when your child is 2.5.

People sit in the seats in shoe shops without trying on shoes for all sorts of reasons. The Op has told us that there were lots of other seats free.It's clear that it was a BFing, not the sitting that prompted the staff to ask the OP to move.

You aren't pro-BFing if you limit your support to circumstances and age ranges in which you would choose to BF yourself.

Where, why and when the OP chose to BF her son was her decision and hers alone to make.

OP, YANBU.

😂 reading up on what your debating about is really helpful.

@ByMeansToGo
I think you’re being incredibly aggressive and attacking .
For what purpose?
One person is defending a woman being made to feel uncomfortable for feeding her child.
You are for some reason offended by a woman nursing in a seat that was not occupied by anyone else.
What’s your motive?

I'm also confused. The law doesn't seem to state that public places need to provide chairs for breastfeeding women.

The Equality Act 2010 says that it is discrimination to treat a woman unfavourably because she is breastfeeding. It applies to anyone providing services, benefits, facilities and premises to the public, public bodies, further and higher education bodies and association.

sauvignonblancplz misplaced guilt perhaps.

I’m not going to sit here for an hour arguing with you both. You’ve verbally battered some people on this thread. Bunch of fish wives!

You’re the one arguing 😂

@AllesAusLiebe
I already responded to you about this... just upthread.
If you’re going to partake in the discussion do try and keep up.

The law is the law

@Bymeanstogo There is no argument - that’s what’s so baffling . She’s allowed to nurse there. The shop was wrong .

You’ve both argued/challenged numerous PP on this thread, the threads dead, you’ve verbally buttered it to death

Exactly there’s no debate here.

@Bymeanstogo we won 😂

@Bymeanstogo and yet you’re still here ...

@sauvignonblancplz I haven't been at all rude to you, despite our clear difference of opinion and would appreciate it if you took this into consideration before your response.

You said that the op shouldn't have been moved on if there is no designated breastfeeding area. This seems to suggest that one needs a seat in order to breastfeed.

I haven't interpreted the law in the same way.

@FET2020 Unfortunately it would seem not eh.
Women will still be judged and criticised for parenting their child in a way that doesn’t fit other people’s narratives and methods.
The thread has made me very sad as the sheer lack of compassion is seeping out of most people.
It would such a lovelier world if it was just an accepted norm to care for your child in a way that suited you .

I admire your fighting spirit good luck

@sauvignonblancplz yes it’s very sad. As a breastfeeding mum it’s made me worried about public breastfeeding

@AllesAusLiebe
Rude?
You’ve been incredibly rude & argumentative . Even when faced with the basics that she is protected by law you still want to persist.
As a woman and a mother , knowing the difficulties it can present , why argue over something so simple that isn’t hurting anyone.
Why would anyone condone anyone else making a mother practicing one of the most basic and human acts of care , feel awkward and comfortable and embarrassed? I’m just gobsmacked. What she was doing was harmless.
I don’t understand you at all, and to belittle the argument by being pedantic is rude & insensitive.

I've only skimmed the thread but it seems there are definitely two camps of opinions.

I"m in the one that thinks FFS, just because you CAN feed where you like (legally) doesn't mean you should. Totally inappropriate in my opinion. Breastfeed til whatever age you want to (not that they need it at that age) but surely you could have just waited 5 mins and done it in the car?

It's as if people want to make a scene, want to prove a point (everyone LOOK AT ME FEEDING MY TODDLER) , want to dare people to tut, or disapprove or pass comment.

Seriously. Lots of things are natural but doesn't mean you have to just drop everything to do it.

I wouldn't get a sandwich out to feed my 2 yr old child there, so you shouldn't be whipping boobs out either to feed a child. Totally different if it were a newborn baby crying.

@FET2020

Don't be. All these pearl-clutching keyboard warriors would never say anything to your face. Genuinely never had anything but positives when feeding in public.

Witsendagain

So you would welcome the local NCT group into your restaurant, in the middle of the lunch service say, and accommodate 15 or 20 mums all breastfeeding but who don't intend spending a penny in your restaurant? Even if that meant turning away paying customers?

I cannot see how this can be the law. I totally accept that a mum, using the service, cannot be asked to leave when she starts breastfeeding but I just can't understand how the law says that every business has to accommodate a breastfeeding mum even if she isn't a customer.