in our town. And how to "show" those (few) shops which are baby friendly
Chatting to another mum today who's DS1 is a few months younger than DS3. She's BFing, I'm FFing but we both agreed that there is NOTHING in the town in the way of facilities to make is more "accessible" to mums with babies.
Boots closed it's feeding/chaning/bottle warming facility (because apparently people were taking stuff from the shop in with them and then stealing it!). There is a "baby changing/feeding" facility in the (grotty) Car Park at the end of the shopping centre. It basically consists of a toilet, a wide "worktop" (can't think of the proper name) with enough space to lie you baby down to change them (think of lying you baby on the worktop next to your sink and changing them....) and a large bin to put the nappies in (oh and just enough room to get in with a pushchair and close the door behind you). No seat to sit on and feed, and nothing else (plus it's dirty).
Morrisons (just outside the town centre) does have a proper changing station, and a little room with a (uncomfortable) chair to sit on and feed - and a bottle warmer in the cafe - they've also been pretty good when I've sat in the cafe to feed DS3 (BF and FF). However not being in the town centre proper it's a PITA to walk there - and then head back to town.
Costa Coffee (apparently - although i've not been in and looked) has a changing room/feeding area.......
And that's it.
Friend said that New Look were incredibly helpful to her when she needed to BF her DS - she was in the changing rooms and asked if she could feed him (on the chairs outside the actual cubicles) - they were more than accomdating, even going to get a more comfortable chair for her to sit on - and offering her the largest cubicle to use if she wanted to have some privacy.
There are no signs up ANYWHERE, giving information on the (extremely limited) feeding and changing facilities in the town centre so it's very much hit and miss.
I'm sure I've seen in some towns stickers on shop/cafe windows saying they're breastfeeding friendly (or words to that effect - and IME that generally means that they're "baby friendly" in general - and if they have public toilets there's usually a changing station too). I'd LOVE to see some of those stickers on shop windows in the town - so that parents know that they can take their child into the shop without worrying "what if they need feeding/changing). The only such sticker I've seen is on the door of DS2's nursery, which is attached to an "off shoot" on the Sure Start Centre - it has it's breastfeeding policy (in short - feed whereever you're comfortable in the building, if someone doesn't like it THEY will be asked if they'd like to move - not the mother).
I want to see that the shops in town are BF friendly (read "baby friendly") not just discover it on the off chance.....