Right, so I was just in John Lewis Cardiff with my family in the food hall where I was breast feeding my 11 day old baby. I know they have breast feeding rooms but to be honest who wants to be sat in a dull, tiny little room on their own staring at the wall for 40 minutes when you can discreetly (under a muslin cloth) feed the baby as part of a sociable atmosphere whilst enjoying a coffee with your family. I am not the most comfortable with breast feeding in public and of course would much rather be in the privacy of my own home. I am having some difficulty with feeding my baby at the moment as I have inverted nipples. For this reason I am always sure to be well covered as I am very self conscious about people seeing my breasts.
So, imagine my horror when I notice one of the young male waiters staring at me whilst I'm trying to latch my daughter on to feed. Not only that but he then quickly went over to another young male waiter and gave him a nudge and told him to have a look too. If that wasn't enough he then called over a third boy and said something along the lines of 'there's a woman over there with her tits out' along with an air punching fist gesture and an exaggerated 'YES!' This staring a whispering went on for some time with lots of slow walking up and down past my table whilst trying to have a good old look. The first waiter then went into the kitchen and then shortly after a manager appeared in the doorway and looked straight over at me so I can only imagine he'd told his manager there was a breast feeding woman in the food hall. It was at this point I started wondering whether I was actually doing something wrong.
When I had finished feeling my baby I decided to ask to speak to the manager. I started with 'As you're aware I was just feeding my baby at that table' to which he said 'Yes I am'. I told him what had happened and that I felt very uncomfortable to which he replied 'Well, I think the staff were concerned as we do have a breast feeding room that you can use and people do tend to complain when you choose to do it in here'. I told him I didn't want to use the room and I wanted to be in a sociable environment to which he replied 'Well, it does make people feel very uncomfortable'. I told him I thought it may be a training issue and that his staff should be taught to expect it to which he said 'Well I can have a word with the staff but I can't do anything about the customers staring I'm afraid'. The funny thing is that none of the other customers batted an eyelid, just his staff. I was quite shocked and upset and his response and still am. He didn't even apologise on behalf of them. Not what I expected from a family store and a company such as John Lewis. I love John Lewis and have always thought the staff there to be amazing on customer service and customer care. I feel annoyed and to be honest put off breast feeding there in future. As far as I'm aware it's not against the law is it? What sort of people complain about this?? Funny that no one would have pointed or stared or complained if I'd been feeding my baby powdered cows milk from a plastic bottle but the most nourishing, healthy and natural breast milk from a....SHOCK HORROR...naked boob well that's another matter!! Maybe if there wasn't a room where you had to hide this dirty act away that more women would have to feed in public and then people could get more used to it? Maybe if John Lewis spent more money on staff training instead of bear/hare cartoons I wouldn't have been made to feel so uncomfortable. I bet that bear was breast fed at some point in his life anyway and I bet his bear mum got her big hairy, milky bear nipples out and did it right in the middle of the forest where everyone could see!
Not quite sure what to do about this next. Obviously want to contact the store to complain. I'm so angry...grrrr...
Rhiannon