Baby Room in Boots - shut due to thieves?? Told to feed baby in public toilet - Opinions please

[wobblyweeble82]

This afternoon, I got told that the Baby Room in my local branch of Boots was closed indefinitely due to theft of baby items (ie taking them off the shop floor and using them in the Baby Room) and that I could BF my baby in the Public Toilets next door. Whilst I realise that its a sad sign of the times that some people behave that way, I was genuinely shocked that a company like Boots would behave this way. Past experience led me to believe that Boots was very pro-breastfeeding. I was equally shocked to be told to feed my baby in the toilets. Its the old adage of 'you wouldn't like to eat your lunch in the toilets so why should DD' ...

I realise some of you will have no issue in feeding your babies anywhere and everywhere, but I have massive norks and am very self conscious about them and how much is on show (you do see a lot with DD partly due to their size and partly her being nosey and pulling away) so appreciate greatly that these Baby Rooms are available. I was with ex-MIL who is a Senior Midwife Supervisor at the time. She made a verbal complaint at the time and has urged me to complain officially. I'm just interested in your opinions on it before I put my Snotty-Letter hat on. Thanks all.

Thanks birds. I'll get over myself soon hopefully! I had a bad experience when she was 3wo from a prick of an old man who did the whole 'that's disgusing' thing. I gave him what-for at the time but its kind of stayed with me. Its not forever anyhow. But thanks :)

If it's a reasonably enough store to have a baby room, there's a fair chance they will also have a consultation room at the pharmacy for private discussions with the pharmacist; in future it might be worth asking if you could use it if it's free.

It does have a consultation room. But I'm guessing if they're not going to let me use the specific room that has everything I need in it, they're not going to let me use a make-do room either.

A sense of expectation?

Entitlement more like.

Hey, bibbity! U got pmt mate? I only got back on here the other night after being gone for a v long time and i really dont recall u being such a grump before. Dont worry i dont expect u to remember me at all. Its been a long time.

Mrsjb, they made a policy. They failed it. But quite frankly whatever.

I don't think you need to get over yourself - don't give yourself a hard time. It's hard, I know it's hard and the fact that you've had someone be a git to you must have really shaken you. What a tosser. There are fewer and fewer people like that out there these days, at least in my experience, and I really do hope it's the first and last time someone gives you grief for the heinous act of, er, feeding your child!

Very extremely stressed, menopausal, sad, emotional and grumpy - yes! And also ill. So perhaps I shouldn't have contributed - but I still think this is a really tiny issue and not worth complaining about. I agree with what MadameJ wrote, actually.

I wanted all opinions Bibbity, agreeable or not so thanks.

And Birds, its not happened since - doubt it will too but it does stay with you. I've just got used to seeking somewhere to feed her or bobbing off to do it in the car. I'd forgotten about how inconvenient I've made it for myself to be honest and have just gotten on with it. Not sure whereabouts you are, but round these parts BF is definitely the minority choice. Even when DD got admitted into hosp when she was rather young, the doctors all assumed she was formula fed. My own soddin' parents think its the wrong choice too! But I wouldn't have it any other way, and neither would DD am sure, so not a lot else matters.

I'm angry about this, but my anger is not focussed at Boots, who have been providing a valuable facility and who kept it open under some adversity.

My anger is directed at the utter twats who were doing the theiving.

Ah, well, I'm sorry to hear that Bibbity, I'm glad you did come back tho, I remember when you left. I slid out the back door a month or so later.

Edithweston, agreed, but also the utter twat who suggested the op use the loo when not only is that disgusting, but also against store policy.

You are feeding your baby yourself.
Can't see what Boots have got to do with it ffs.

Well, well done then for doing it with such little support. I've had support from my family, esp. my mum, and that does make a difference, esp. when you're out of your own home. It's the norm where I live but in the wider city and esp. at our local hospital too I am treated like some minor celebrity for still doing it 8 months on (with DD). They all look a little deflated when I tell 'em it's not for the want of trying to get DD on a bottle, she's refused one since she was 9 wks old so I don't have a choice...

In that case: complain.

The policy someone linked to was dated 2005!!!!

You have to accept that this is life .. The thieving bastards have forced the closure of the mother and baby room. Tough, yes, unfair on you, yes, unfair on boots getting shitloads of stock stolen and this causing prices to rise, yes.

There will always be places which don't have such rooms and you have to improvise. It is a tough climate out there.

get a bebe au lait cover - they are fab and keep you totally covered. With twins I feel my boobs are permenently out so dh bought me the cover from mothercare online.

I hate feeding facilities as they are nappy changes too and smell of poo. definitely wouldn't feed in a loo ever!

I'd be annoyed at being told I could feed in a toilet but most baby rooms reek worse than the loos so I'd of been inclined to decamp to local coffee shop anyway. It might be worth complaining if only to make sure the next mother to come along doesn't experience the same.

As a point of praise the only exception I've found to smelly feeding rooms is John Lewis, the Edinburgh one has a big room which is well ventilated and doesn't smell of poo! It's a bit of a mecca for local b/f mothers (midwives recommended it as an easy start to b/f in public) loved it when DS was small.

Shops arent obliged to provide any baby feeding facilities so IMO you would be unreasonable to complain. Plenty of other places to bf a baby

"adequate signing"?

Why was telling you to your face not good enough? Whats the difference bewtween an inanimate sign telling you its shut and a human? The outcome is still the same

OP- is there a BF group you can go to or can you chat to someone from LLL or NCT? If you built your confidence up about BF in public then you wouldn't need to worry about whether or not baby rooms are open.

As Lilham suggested you could also try a nursing apron if you think that might help or you could try a ring sling.

I think it's great that you are BF at 5 months when you've not had loads of support. Maybe you could ask your HV if she knows of any other BF mothers so you could go out together and get the hang of BF in public.

I agree that a letter explaining how important the baby room is to you would be helpful. You could mention in there that they suggested you BF in the loos.