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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Mothercare feeding in loo?

26 replies

Sassles · 13/01/2011 17:02

I went to a branch of mothercare at the weekend and needed to feed my ds. I was directed to a door and was a bit disgusted to find that the room with the bottle on the door was also the toilets.

There was a rather dirty cloth bench in the toilet beside the cubicle and next to the baby change area for you to sit and breastfeed.

I find this a bit surprising of Mothercare. To be fair, I have been in another branch of Mothercare and they had a lovely area where you sat on a nursing chair with a footrest and were surrounded by their products to look at while you fed. It also wasn't a closed off area so DH could stay with you if he needed. So I was a bit shocked to be in a very cramped and dirty (and rather smelly) toilet when feeding my child.

I want to point out strongly that there was a bottle warmer in the loo also, so this isn't an anti-bf rant and there was a bottle sign on the male toilets too, so they were not discriminating against whether mum or dad were feeding the child, it just had to be in the toilet!

It was a MASSIVE mothercare as well, so was a bit bewildered. DS was also totally disctracted from feeding with the queue of traffic doing their business.

OP posts:
pinkyp · 13/01/2011 17:11

thats not very good at all! i'd email the branch and ask them why, maybe they have their reasons but it'd be interesting to see what they are.

Tryharder · 13/01/2011 17:21

Not good. I came across a lady bf her newborn in the toilets cum baby changing area in Sainsburys the other day. I couldn't resist chatting to her and asking why she didn't go and feed in the cafe. She asked if that was OK to do that.... Shock

Ieattoomuchcake · 13/01/2011 17:53

That sounds exactly the same as my local mothercare.
I agree it's horrid. And I did intend to email or write to complain but just didn't get round to it. Blush

AnotherGreenDay · 13/01/2011 19:06

I've been in a massive Mothercare which had exactly this set up and was a little disappointed (still grateful to have somewhere to go other than a cafe though so not complaining too much!) and as \i came out of the womens toilets I spotted there was a big changing/feeding room around the corner but because I'd spotted the bottle sign on the toilet door I'd assumed that was the facility provided and it didn't occur to me that there would be another.

Do you think this might be the case where you were?

moonstorm · 13/01/2011 19:08

Yes same here. Awful. They used to have a drinking water fountain (great for feeding/ morning sickness), but got rid of that when they refurbished... Hmm

Might complain thinking fo it - they are called 'Mother Care'

Normantebbit · 13/01/2011 19:14

Why don't you just feed in a nice cafe?

cece · 13/01/2011 19:17

Same in my local Mothercare. I asked staff and they directed me to a chair in the toilets. I said I wouldn't eat my food in there and proceded to plonk myself on the display feeding chair in the middle of the store. I then gave DC3 a nice feed with lots of people walking by and smiling at me Smile The chair was very comfortable and so was the footstool. Wink

moonstorm · 13/01/2011 19:18

Not one near mine (Retail park) Smile, I just wander round feeding and walking... Grin

lal123 · 13/01/2011 19:19

Why did you feed your baby in a toilet? Just because there's a sign on the door doesn't mean you have to use it!

Did you complain? I'd have found the manager and told her that there seemed to be a mistake with the signage...

lal123 · 13/01/2011 19:20

Good for you Cece!

Ieattoomuchcake · 13/01/2011 19:22

My mothercare is in a retail park where the closest thing to a cafe is a burger van!
But even when there are cafes around I do sometimes like to nip into a feeding room. If it's lunchtime and I'd have to queue for a table, if I just don't feel like going for a coffee, or if I'm in a rush and just want to feed DD in a hurry.

greentig3r · 13/01/2011 19:34

Sounds exactly like the Aberdeen store. It stank. I only went in to use the loo and even that was grim, I'd rather feed her in the back of the car. There is a nursing chair parked outside the dressing room cubicles. I've never been sure if that's to feed in, wait for people in the dressing rooms or just stock on display.

Original poster
Sassles · 13/01/2011 19:59

I was in a Sainsbury's cafe prior to this and i have no issue whatsoever feeding in public having fed everywhere and anywhere when he was younger, but DS is sooooooo easily distracted feeding at the moment (will be 8 months next week). We are doing BLW but meals are still supplemented with a wee feed. The cafe was very very busy and when he pulls off to nosey around my nips tend to be on show. I don't really care, but some people would not want a flash of nips.

I went to the mothercare as I remembered the lovely place at the one in Paisley.

I should have just said "are you joking" and asked them for somewhere else. cece I like your style! It really was grotty. I was amazed at the difference in store facilities esp as this is a big one and paisly relatively small.

anothergreenday I did have a look about for another room, but couldn't see one. Sigh.

OP posts:
Original poster
Sassles · 13/01/2011 20:01

lal123 I should have complained, and don't know why I didn't. Will write to them.

OP posts:
Weemee · 13/01/2011 20:45

I have yet to go to mothercare which is not a total shambles. Rude staff, manky toilets, changing only in toilets do DH can't help (it is at times a 2 person job!), and impossible to get your pram round. Methinks Mothercare have forgotten their target market.......

JetLi · 13/01/2011 21:29

Sassles - the Mothercare in Rotherham has just won a local breastfeeding award for its faclities, voted by local BF mothers. The address of the winning branch is here:

Stadium Way,
Parkgate,
Rotherham,
Yorkshire
Tel: 01709 780 111

Maybe copy in Mothercare HO on your complaint & ask why their policies are so different in different areas of the country?

JetLi · 13/01/2011 21:35

They were winners of the Breastfeeding Friendly Rotherham, Best Place in Rotherham to Breastfeed your Baby competition to give it it's full title.

"The competition was designed to highlight places which welcome & support breastfeeding mums".

spiderlight · 13/01/2011 21:58

It's strange that there are such vast differences b etween stores. The only Mothercare I've ever BF in had an absolutely lovely feeding area with big soft comfy chairs, and that was a relatively small town-centre one.

Ieattoomuchcake · 13/01/2011 22:40

greentig3r the very one. I've actually decided to boycott now. Not bf related, but I went in today and picked up some Milton wipes for £2 and a pack of weaning spoons for £4.50. Then went to sainsburys to do my grocery shop and found the same products for £1 and £3 give or take the odd penny.

I would never have noticed if I hadn't done one straight after the other.

fiveisanawfullybignumber · 13/01/2011 22:51

I have great issues with Mothercare as our local one had a lovely feeding room. It's been shut down and relaced with ELC toys!Angry
I emailed them and was basically fobbed off, but I've found a great way to get their attention. I became a fan on their facebook page and kept asking what their policy was on supporting BF mums. They are going to do a survey of their shops.
Go to their page and ask if they think feeding a baby in a toilet is acceptable.

pinkyp · 14/01/2011 17:09

JETLI -mamas and papas at parkgate is much nicer :)

JetLi · 14/01/2011 23:01

Hi pinkyp - I found it too tiny to get me & the pushchair into that room, but agree its a very lovely room. Costa at Parkgate are very welcoming too. They got second prize

Beveridge · 15/01/2011 00:06

greentig3r

I know that chair well, have used it many times to bf DD! It used to be in the middle of the store beside the cots,don't know why they've hidden it away now.

I'm appalled that they think it's acceptable to feed a baby in a toilet, whether bfing or bottlefeeding (and a manky one at that). Was Shock when I noticed the bottle warmer there in there too, perched beside the sinks. Gads.

Annoying they don't have a separate parents room too, especially when DD's nappy is definitely a 2 man job.

Kosmik · 15/01/2011 08:52

I once used the so-called baby feeding room/change facilities/ladies toilets in my local Mothercare among sanitary bins full of shitty nappies and I had to breathe through my mouth throughout the horrible experience. Never again. It never occurred to me to write a complaint but I will do now. It is not acceptable.

pinkyp · 15/01/2011 22:51

Never thought of that jetl, I always looked at it when pregnant every time i went in,i'm yet to use it

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