Facilities you'd need in a 'breast feeding friendly' establishment?

[thelady]

OK, a request for practical suggestions here please.

I run a small hotel. I would like to provide for breastfeeding mums. I can't provide a separate room for feeding - it's simply not practical - although there is a ground floor room (used to be a small dining room) which isn't heavily used at the mo.

On the basis that there's very little child-friendly in our town, and as I'm expecting my first in Dec, I'm hoping to at least show willing.

At a minimum, what would you need in the way of facilities in a place that aimed to be breast-feeding friendly?

In addition, what facilities would be on your dream wish-list? I know I won't be able to provide everything (expense, space, etc) but it would be nice to know.

My big wishes would be:

(1) Somewhere I could confidently park the buggy if I am coming in from the street, where I could see it but also know it wouldn't be in the way.
(2) A chair (I don't particuarly care how comfy
(3) A reasonable temperature in the room - open a window if you like but have you ever tried feeding an infant in a boiling hot room, they don't like it and they get fractious, I get sweaty and no-one is happy.
(4) Water, ooh yes please that'd be lovely.
(5) If you can't run to a changing table, then a small table with a lip and a changing mat is an excellent start and much better than the floor.
(6) Staff who see you arrive and offer drinks and then retreat to a discrete distance are great - esp if they hold food or at least offer to hold your food till you are finished (one time in and indian restaurant the waiter delivered a sizzling dish on a cast iron pan directly to the table, and dumped it right in front of my nursing daughter, bloody dangerous and also thoughtless - I couldn't eat, she couldn't nurse (because of the heat) and it was just horrible).
(7) If you want to bring kids back again and again, why not get a height chart in the loo so they can measure themselves while mums pee and then next time they can see how much they have grown. Or a kiddy sized low sink if you have the room (and the budget).

One thing I did see which I was amazed at and delighted with, was a fold down child safety seat in the loo that you pop your toddler into while you pee. They have straps and they are bloody fantastic, no more trying to stop DD eating loo roll and 'things found behind the cistern urrrggh'.

Not that I'm demanding you understand

BTW, well bloody done for trying to make things better. The worst thing in the world is wondering whether people will try and make you feel uncomfortable if you bf. I went into a 'baby friendly' restaurant in Hampstead today and felt so uncomfortable when I picked my daughter up to nurse, we left and went to Pizza Express a few doors away! The staff were just staring and nudging each other as if they were having a bet about whether or not I'd be getting my norks out. Twasn't baby friendly anyway, I had to carry the buggy down ten steps to get in!

oh and I wouldn't mind a man to massage my feet.
I am not picky about the apron thing

Haven't read all the other posts so sorry if repeating anything but I think the following would be great:

water
comfy chairs
cushions (don't have to be specific breast feeding cushions just something to rest baby on whilst feeding)
a room layout that allows for some privacy - chairs not facing room entrance etc.
footstall

Hope that helps.

thelady - just wanted to say well done you! I'd definitely drop into your hotel. Good luck with it - and with the new baby.

I think a screen is very unnecessary, it would feel like I was to be hidden from view. Just a normal chair does and I agree with TR, not even that really. The sign is a nice idea, but then I bf regardless of where I am, I don't care what anyone else thinks and noone would dare challenge me!

comfortable chairs, maybe one or two feeding cushions and footstools

little play corner with table, books, crayons, toys for older children

definitely something to read for the mother.

please no screens or curtains...

I agree wholeheartedly with having enough space for buggy and the 'holder' in the loo to put your child in. I now know where all the disabled toilets are in town as they are the only ones that I can use when on my own and have no-one to watch ds.

low, comfy chairs or sofas. A little table with books/paper/crayons for the other toddler. Free water. Table service? A screen if the mum wishes to have privacy (not for me, but I read a few MNers like a bit of privacy).

Good on you, which part of the country are you in?

I agree with you sorky, I will bf whenever and wherever and if anyone challenges me there are going to regret it
BUT I do understand that others feel differently and woul;d like a screen to use IF they want to.

Signs and education is what is needed in spades. People need to start feeling that bf is natural and page 3 is sexual, not the other way round.

In the Scottish Borders - tiny place with 3500 people and bearing a remarkable resemblance to Royston Vasey if you live here .

I'd never seen the on-the-wall high-chair things until last week, and they do look like a very good idea. Not yet, tho' - no space in the Ladies, again....

Give me a month or so to get this all organised. With the temps going up and down so much the flooring in the ladies is starting to buckle and I need to get that fixed first.

Signs first. Then staff training. Then a changing station. Then the battles with idiot locals who are stuck in about 1950.

Umm, maybe staff training first, and then the signs? So that they can handle anything that comes up. At least in Scotland you've got the law on your side. God it saddens me that there needs to be a law permitting breasfteeding.

PrettyCandles- there isn't a law permitting bf-ing, nor does there need to be. it's legal to bf wherever you like, but it's also legal for someone to harass you! the proposed legislation would make it illegal for anyone to harass you while breastfeeding (so long as your baby is under 12months and you're "discreet")

Ah, but in Scotland it is illegal to prevent a mother from breastfeeding. One more thing the Scottish Exec got right!

Last question: things I'm planning to cover with staff training.

1. benefits of breastfeeding
2. legal requirement to allow breastfeeding
3. standard response: show to morning room or beer garden (kids not allowed in pub), provide iced water, point to bell for service (only one staff on in pub at any time)
4. suggested put-downs for idiot complainers:

• can't feed in toilet as there's only one!
• illegal to prevent it
• if you don't like it, don't look
• ??? anything else polite that will still shut them up?

suggested put down if anyone's offended-although you could lose their custom-ask them if they want to eat their lunch in the toilet.

Thelady - you don't need putdowns. If the staff are of the attitude: 'we're glad you are here and we support what you are doing' the mums won't care if some drongo has a stare. Actually we might poke them in the eye but ho hum!

So you have to tell us where exactly you are so we can all turn up to get our norks out when you are done!

Kindly 'suggest' to interferer (sp?) that it might be nicer for them to have you bf than to listen to screaming baby! Or perhaps they would like to feed baby themselves?!

I agree you don't need put downs for people who object, just explain calmly that bfing is welcome in your establishment (and, indeed, protected by law) and you won't be asking the Mum in question to stop [big smile] anyway, you're sure it's preferable to a hungry baby yelling it's head off - leave it at that.

Dryad - no? only until 12m?! WTF?!

Definitely no put-downs. That would make your establishment look bad from the point of view of the complainers. The staff should certainly say that they will not stop a woman bfing, though.