Help us create a breastfeeding map of the UK

[KateSMumsnet]

Breastfeeding hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons again this week, after news broke of a mother being asked to leave a branch of Sports Direct after she breastfed her baby there. It's hugely important, of course, that we all pick up on stories such as this, and offer support to mothers who are made to feel embarrassed or uncomfortable about feeding their children when they're out and about - but at times it can feel like playing catch-up.

It seemed to us that we could take this opportunity to change the rules of the game, and start celebrating those places - and companies - that make feeding on the move easy and enjoyable. So we decided to start a thread asking you to tell us about your favourite places to feed your DC in public.

Whether it's a park bench overlooking a nice duck pond or a particularly cosy corner of a cafe, we'd love to see your pictures of your tried-and-tested spots to feed your little ones. Please add them to this thread, along with their location - if we have enough submissions, what we'd really like to do is create a breastfeeding map of the UK, featuring great feeding spots up and down the country.

We've a page full of tips and advice on how to breastfeed in public, please do add any other pearls of wisdom you'd like to share below. If you want to chat about places to breastfeed in your area, why not start a thread in your Mumsnet Local site, or add a venue you love as a listing?

Also Nuneaton hosp for rushing me through after mashing my finger when they realised my 3 wo ebf baby was in the car with dh pfb was not going into a Germy a&e

Should say never had any probs really! Live in areas which have been either v conservative farmers or very covered culturally dressed. People cared more if a hungry baby was screaming than feeding.

On the tube. I thought it would stop everyone staring at me (baby was in hunger meltdown screaming the carriage down)

Never had a problem feeding anywhere you can "sit" and it is normal to do so - be it a cafe, park bench, or feeding area in department store. I am another that questions the value of a map. I've fed 2 DC without incident for about 2 years .

However, I would never dream of feeding my DC in the middle of a store - the seats there are to try on shoes surely! To me it isn't the rights or wrongs of breastfeeding it is about appropriateness - you wouldn't sit down and eat a packed lunch in the middle of a shop either and there wouldn't be an outcry if someone was asked to leave for doing so. I doesn't take too long to find an appropriate place in which to sit for a while and my baby isn't going to suffer having to wait a short while - they don't have to be fed there and then.

Yes I too question the map- it indicates that breastfeeding is something to be done is special places. it's not- it can be done anywhere. I have breastfed for a total of nearly eight years with my babies, and breastfed everywhere- park benches, in the street, in a supermarket queue, hairderessers, dentists waiting rooms, church, library,aeroplane, train, bus, cinema, bus stop, park.

glowstick, this is not about eating a packed lunch, this is about breastfeeding. Whether you like it or not women have the right to breastfeed wherever a baby has the right to be.

Forget me nots in Culcheth, Warrington - tiny independent toy and book shop with little cafe and play area. Lovely staff, always so friendly and helpful... Boobs aplenty every day in there (and fabulous cake!)

Wherever the need arose! Westfield on a bench, park benches in Kew Gardens, the Science Museum, in pubs and restaurants in London, on the plane - I was lucky and never told to stop/go somewhere else. Thanks to clever breastfeeding tops I think I was quite discreet; it might have looked like cuddling at a glance.

I cannot see how breastfeeding in public is an offence - why aren't there any special rooms for other bodily functions with no hygiene impact? If anything, there should be designated sneezing and coughing areas.

Haven't read the whole thread so apologies if already mentioned, but the benches around Winchester cathedral are lovely. There are the ones tucked around the back if you're shy, or the ones in plain view of the front of the cathedral - lovely view, enough going on to keep you from becoming bored while feeding, and comfy benches. Oh and little trees with just the right amount of shade. I think this map is meant to be more about where is nice to feed than where can/would you feed. Like in Winchester, you could feed anywhere, no one would comment (I don't think?!), but this is a pretty and enjoyable place to feed. So perhaps mentally removing the impact of members of the public (ie assuming people will only be positive about bf'ing in public) would allow us to think about favourite places without worrying that we're making everywhere else seem bf unfriendly. Hmm, if that makes sense. It does in my head, not sure it translates to written very well...

Ocean Bells coffee shop, Watford high street. Fabulous cake, seriously good coffee and they bring you water.

The London Underground, yes, all of it and London buses.

Tate modern - lots of space in their cafe to park a buggy too.

St Paul's Cathedral, Madame Tussauds and Fortnum and Mason's were all very accommodating (big family sightseeing trip - these are not my usual haunts)

I came home from my training as a 'Breastfeeding Welcome' counsellor last week, to find this news on Mumsnet, it's shocking! I have blogged about this - annikazam.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/milking-it-for-all-its-worth.html

So my plan is to see if I can convince my local Sports Direct to put a Breastfeeding Welcome sticker in their window or at least agree to join the scheme (I keep coming up against no window sticker policies!) I know I might end up banging my head against a brick wall but please watch this space.

Edinburgh : John Lewis cafe and parenting room; Ocean Terminal - Tikki Cafe; Mimi's cafe; The Drill Hall

Scotland, anywhere really, thanks to the legislation.

My favourite place to breastfeed is Endsleigh Garden Centre in Ivybridge Devon whilst drinking a decaf Latte and eating a lovely fruit scone. I am always made to feel welcome and the staff are very helpful carrying my tray while I push the pushchair.

I actually second Endsleigh. They do carry your tray if you have a pram. It's the little things that make a difference.

I'll whack a boob out anywhere, but I've yet to find better parent and child facilities than in Westfield Stratford. Plenty of space, secure changing tables, curtained areas with comfy seats for feeding if you want privacy, or sofas in the main parent room. There is also an area for older children to play/watch TV while you deal with the baby.

In the sky! I flew with a fractious four month old and Easyjet were great. The cabin crew were very understanding of the need to nurse. They even let me use their own seats to do so as I was stuck in a middle seat. They didn't make a massive fuss but just let me get on with what I needed to do.

Have just heard from Anglia Counselling who provide baby changing facilities and are supportive of breastfeeding clients attending the practice.

Here they are.

All public buildings in Barnsley
Many, many shops and cafés in Barnsley

Please add "Skylark Garden Centre" & "Skylark Maize Maze & Funyard" to your breastfeeding map of the UK, see you soon, ladies!

All over London: no complaints, even when I fed dc3 in the middle of rush hour on the Northern Line

The British Museum (Elgin Marbles room was my favourite), British Library (there's a lovely roof terrace on the 2nd floor that's pretty and private), National Gallery and Tate Modern (6th floor cafe balcony) were all super lovely, relaxing and friendly places to feed.

The whole of the Costa chain seem particularly relaxed and welcoming - I've had lots of nice friendly support and offers of 'can I bring you anything over' right across London Starbucks less so

There's a reasonable 'mother and child' room in Fenwicks, Brent Cross, that doesn't smell too badly of poo, and a well designed feeding room in John Lewis at the other end of the centre - although I'd prefer to sit in the JL cafe that's right next to it and have a coffee at the same time.

In Central London, Selfridges were really helpful and offered me a large booth to feed in, and Debenhams are pretty good.

To be fair, I don't think I had any problems anywhere in London, once I got over the biggest obstacle to feeding outside the home, which was my own fear and embarrassment.

I've never had any problems feeding out and about, other than like the PP mentions - it took me a while to get the confidence to do so. I don't have particular favourite places to feed but do have particular memories of feeding in my local Thornton's cafe (first feed in public) and my local Costa (first feed in public by myself - no DH or friends with me). Both also have sofas which I always found easier and both are very good at offering to carry over trays. They have benefited from my custom many more times since!

Mumsnet - if you are going to make a map, please could you add something along the lines of the Breastfeeding Welcome message ("We are Breastfeeding Welcome but mothers have the right to breastfeed anywhere") to remind mums of their rights.

Ooh, that breastfeeding welcome message is good RedKites - perfect!

John Lewis cafe and also the millennium centre in Cardiff Bay is fab - all the cafes inside are really welcoming especially Bar One, but there's also comfy public seating if you don't want to buy a drink. And IKEA is great and has the added bonus of a play area and free coffee.

To those questioning the point of the thread - others may not be as confident as you. After the first few weeks I would bf anywhere and everywhere but when you have a difficult screaming newborn, being somewhere they make an extra effort makes you feel much more relaxed.

Whilst I accept it may be encouraging to those less confident about breastfeeding in public to have a map of welcoming places I share the concerns that this can give the impression that it's not OK to breastfeed wherever you wish to/baby needs to.

Good points about the breastfeeding welcome message and also about knowing where will make an extra effort to be welcoming making the less confident feel more relaxed (and able to progress to breastfeeding wherever and whenever).

I breastfed for over 5 years between 2001 and 2008 so a little out of date now but never encountered any negativity. I preferred cafes/restaurants over special feeding rooms. I remember the IKEA restaurant being a place that I'd never seen so many breastfeeding mums in one place before. I also remember holding a long conversation with a young waiter in Pizza Express whilst breastfeeding my 6 month old son. He clearly hadn't realised what I was doing as when he did he became a little embarrassed but I like to think that if/when he's a dad he'll appreciate the normality of a woman breastfeeding her child.