Mum with 3 day old baby told to stop breastfeeding in Costa Coffee

[grouphug]

I still am so angry at this. I had to post, although I probably has been posted already.

Taken from a newspaper.
A Mum was feeding her three-dayold son Callum under her jacket when she was approached by a waitress.
She was told customers had complained it made them "uncomfortable" and she was asked to leave.
The 20-year-old, who had been in an outside seating area with her back to the window, burst into tears.
She said: "It was humiliating. I'd just got over a fear of breastfeeding in public and now I've stopped. It's something a mother should never have to go through."
The coffee chain has apologised to Nicola for the incident in the shop by her home in Poole, Dorset.
A Government spokeswoman said it had broken a new sex discrimination law by throwing out a breastfeeding mum.

Here's what I emailed:

Dear Sir/Madam,

I was appalled to hear a woman was asked to leave a Costa Coffee shop in Poole, Dorset for breastfeeding her 3 day old baby. Many breastfeeding women use Costa Coffee (and spend lots of money there no doubt) because typically, they are comfortable, baby-friendly places to sit.

The attitudes of complaining customers and ill-trained staff are to blame but your corporate body surely has a role to play in enforcing good practice. I do not know if Costa is a franchise, but I'd imagine even if it is you have some control over customer relations in individual stores?

The anti-breastfeeding attitude is archaic, unfashionable and against the grain of all available health advice. I do hope you will encourage the Costa group to make amends. For example, by offering a 'free coffee to breastfeeders week', by making a donation to one of the breastfeeding charity helplines such as La Leche League, NCT or Breastfeeding Network, by putting up signs in all shops saying breastfeeding welcome here.

The birth rate is rising; women with young children have disposable income and time during the week to make use of the coffee shops. They are also no doubt often the kind of demographic group you would like to see in there. It would be economically damaging for you to encourage a boycott, don't you think?
yours
Monkeybird

Myself and my friends frequently BF in our local Costa Coffee and have never had a problem. In fact, they are always very nice, welcoming and helpful.

What a shame that other ladies have had problems.

haha have left a comment!!

Finally have a possible five minutes to myself to email them!

The Costa where we used to live, was fabulous about bfing, and would bring you free top ups if you were feeding in there and ran out of drink.

Our nearest Costa now certainly has a big Breastfeeding welcome sticker in the window.

Its always just down to the staff on the day though.

I'm going to suggest sponsoring our BF calendar as a gesture of good will.