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?

I live in London and BF everywhere! I've BF DS1 until nearly 2 and I still BF DS2, at 18 months. I use BF tops that are very discreet (or I do the MN thing of having a vest under my top and pulling one up and the other down) and BF anywhere (the tube, buses, Sainsburys while walking, museums, parks, cafes, hospitals - really everywhere). People have always been very nice and even a few stopped to say nice things to me. (and I suppose most people don't even notice what's going on)

I think it's a shame that the bad news get so much space in the media, because most people (at least where I live, and also during short trips to Liverpool, Edinburgh, Bath, Brighton) are very positive.

I've found Pembrokeshire to be a very Breastfeeding Friendly Place. I have breastfed all my children in public in the past. On beaches, in the parks, at any cafe I happened to be in, but I always found Folly Farm was a great place as they had a feeding room where I could relax and feed my baby whilst OH took the older kids on the fair rides.

i've gone very lazy breastfeeding dc8! I just whop it out of a normal bra ruining the neckline of all my tops.
i then gently drape an oversize muslin over said boob and bairn but its usually after i've flashed bust at all in waitrose caff!

#passedcaringmummy

Why?

I would rather practice any new skill in a more private, quiet place, whether it be breastfeeding, riding a bike or anything else. Particularly after a long, traumatic, birth, when you feel tired and emotional with milk leaking everywhere, sore stitches or private parts and feeling exhausted. I'd definitely prefer a cosy, discreet sofa to a bench in a busy shopping centre or having to lean against a wall somewhere. And no matter how bf aware the UK may become (and let's all hope it only becomes more so) there will always be people who don't feel comfortable breastfeeding in a very public place.

BBO1 of course, and I agree, but there are lots of places to breastfeed that doesn't involve doing so in the middle of a busy shopping centre or against a wall. You can breastfeed in any cafe- but just because a cafe displays a breastfeeding welcome sticker doesn't mean you are going to have any more privacy, comfort or intimate surroundings than one that doesn't.
Many of the big coffee chains or indeed McDoalnds make it clear that they are breastfeeding friendly, it doesn't mean you are more likely to find a "cosy discreet sofa" though.
It's nice if shops do provide feeding rooms, but it is a courtesy only and would be a backward step to enforce that.

If a mother feels uncomfortable breastfeeding in a public place then no-one is forcing her to do it.

Deep, yes, see your point, but I think when I was a vv nervous new mum, seeing a sticker saying bf was welcome would really have put my mind at rest that the place I was thinking of going was used to having bfing mums going in. It shouldn't be necessary but, honestly, that's how I would have felt if the cafes in my town had those stickers on. I know it's not a guarantee they'll be any more comfy than other places but sometimes it is literally a choice between one particular cafe or sitting outside or in your car, for example on an industrial estate in middle of nowhere.

Btw my baby 'forced' me to do it

Nowadays, by the way, I breastfeed anywhere and everywhere and encourage all my mum friends to do the same

I see your point BBO1.
One of the things my breastfeeding group did was arrange regular cafe meets- which particularly encouraged new Mums. As well as the scheduled breastfeeding groups we would have regular cafe, lunch or picnic meets, where we would all meet a a pre arranged time and place for lunch or coffee- often with 6-10 Mums.
Safety in numbers if you like! we would use any cafe or restaurant we fancied- we don't have "breastfeeing welcome here" places in Scotland.

For many of the new Mums it was the first time they had breastfed outside home or a feeding room- but the old timers led the way in showing condfidence and helping other women reclaim public spaces to breastfeed.

Brilliant idea, Deep. That's exactly what we need more of. This will help normalise it for the general public too, with any hope.

I wrote this about breastfeeding in Brighton. An all-round positive experience for me. Having said that, I do know some mothers who have been asked not to historically, but in general Brighton is very open minded, and that's one of the reasons I live here.

mummingatmumra.com/mumming-2/a-breastfeeding-post-i-wrote-for-brighton-mums/

lovely story lotus. One thing I would say to new mothers in particular that for most of us it gets easier to breastfeed in public surprisingly quickly.
Like many I started off in feeding rooms, with shawls, cars, and yes even toilets, but within a few short weeks and reaslising that most of the stumbling blocks were mine and internal, not external ones- I was away- feeding anywhere I liked.

I have breastfed for a total of nearly eight years, surprisingly most of the negativity has come from my own family-not random strangers in the street or cafe.
Of course it does happen and women do have awful expereinces, but hopefully becoming more publicised and as a result women have the confidence to know that this is not a shameful act that needs hidden away.

Good idea!

I created a breastfeeding / bottle-feeding map of good places in central London - on the right hand side of my (out of date) blog (see below)...

I had many problems trying to breastfeed so I'd seek out somewhere with a bit of privacy so that he (or I) could cry to our hearts discontent and I could disrobe to whatever extent I wanted (being 'discreet' was never my forte...).

London Museums and galleries are generally excellent, offering to open up private rooms for you, and others have private nursing rooms. Many, such as the small feeding room in the basement of Wholefoods at High Street Ken are not advertised so a comprehensive map which tells all is a fab idea.

incompetentmother.blogspot.co.uk/

I just tweeted this:

@SportsDirectUK told a breastfeeding mum she was "not welcome". Tell them to apologise bit.ly/1ikhi6h via @SumOfUs

Mothercare lisburn in Northern Ireland. Feeding room is great, clean, free water, co fly feeding chairs, pillows and toys for bigger kids. Perfect when I was feeding but had my other children with me as they couldn't run off and were kept entertained.

Also the kingdom cafe in lisburn as that has a great toy area too.

It was a while back but I appreciated the bfing room at boots in cambridge with DD and all ikea branches.

I understand the argument that BFing rooms give the impression that you have to use them to BF, but it is important to me at least to have the option of a quieter calmer place. DS is now four months and the slightest noise or indication of company makes him stop feeding to play and grin. Cute but very infuriating especially when in a hurry.

fed today in café in Gardenlands garden centre just outside Telford, near Shipley.

had a lovely slab of delicious toffee sponge and a massive squidgy chair in the corner, nobody batted an eyelid.

Tunbridge Wells M&S, both of them. I've both fed in the furniture departments and also in the cafes. I didn't just plonk myself down in a new chair, a member of staff mentioned it as dd was yelling her head off and I had a milk stain growing lol. she was so lovely, even got me a glass of water.
I didn't have any problems any where in Kent, only in Leeds did I have a problem where I was moved out of a small café being told I wasn't to 'do that' at a table where there were people eating......

I liked the John Lewis feeding rooms when I was new and still getting my confidence up.

I fed all over after a few weeks' practice and didn't hear or see any negative reaction. I particularly liked the cafe at Ikea in Wednesbury as they had a rocking chair (the same one we have at home) with cushions, a footstool and magazines to hand. I could have stated there all afternoon some days

Just about to start again when DC2 makes an appearance so will endeavour to get some pictures.

The diner at Salts Mill in Bradford. Helped me with "first time feeding in public" nerves.

I fed on park benches, on benches in the main entrance to Asda and Tesco, in cafes and churches.

Everywhere. Literally wherever my daughters have wanted feeding I have fed them.

My first public feeding was in an international airport. I had no fear after that!

Hi Mumsnet, in Sheffield we have worked hard to establish a Breastfeeding Friendly City and now have a list of approx 250 Breastfeeding Friendly venues.
Mums can find the list on the Breastfeeding in Sheffield website, www.breastfeedinginsheffield.co.uk and on the Family Information Directory www.sheffielddirectory.org.uk/ and the Help Yourself website www.sheffieldhelpyourself.org.uk/

From the end of May 2014, the list of venues can be accessed by calling the Breastfeeding Information Line on 0114 2734567.

If anyone would like more information, please email me at [email protected]