Got told off for feeding in cafe yesterday...

[chatname]

There's a cafe in a town local to us that hubby and I have often used since we moved to our village 18 months ago.

I have been in there 3 times since I had my son, who's a month old. It is a "Christian" cafe and I felt it was a safe place to breastfeed in public. Yesterday, one of the workers told me that she didn't think I should be feeding my son the way I did, because I wasn't discreet enough.

This was despite wearing a mac over a maternity dress with a breastfeeding neckline, feeding my son under the mac with the lapels pulled up and sitting at the back of the cafe with my back to most of the other customers.

This woman told me that she thought I should "put a nappy over the baby's head ( ) so that other people couldn't guess what I was doing" and said that she thought it might be embarrassing for any male customers they might have, if they realised I was breastfeeding.

I found this quite extraordinary and rather embarrassing . I don't really want to go back there again now!

I am wondering what to do next, whether to write to the manager or what, but I wondered if anyone has had any similar experiences and what you think/ would do/ have done.

lol
whoops sorry

right, a woman with a nappy on the baby's head would not attract any attention AT ALL, obviously

in her defence I think she probably meant a muslin or terry nappy ie just a cloth

not a Huggie

go in and worship satan

lol at mrsbee and twig

rofl at image of baby with nappy on head - reminds me of that baby doll-thing programme when fake baby was wrapped in nappies.

I have signed petition linked below.

Definitely complain, it is not a Christian attitude! I've breastfed in Church regularly and it has never been a problem, nor should it be!
Please don't let this experience put you off!

Oh and I breastfed at a BBQ hosted by one of our Curates, and I was happily chatting away while feeding DS to one of the lay preachers (a man in his 50's). He didn't bat an eyelid

PMSL at nappy on head suggestion.

DonDons, what petition? sorry, being dim, cannot see what you mean.

Shocking. Maybe you should've put a nappy on her head! I definately thought a woman was entitled to bf ANYWHERE she wanted.
That must have been so awful for you.

If it was a Christian cafe, how exactly did Mary feed the baby Jesus?

Madonna lactans

stick the nappy over her head (the waitress)

this petition - sorry, got my threads mixed up

Go to your local paper. This is a brilliant story and they will jump at it.

hilarious the idea of baby with pampers on his head, though i agree that she probably meant a cloth nappy, as lots of women use muslins so that would work much better.

i should probably go away as i have no useful advice, i think you should feed with a disposable nappy on the baby's head as a hat but hey i'm just making trouble!

Agree with little ducks.. that was my first thought.

Maybe you could put a brightly coloured little swimmers nappy on his head as a sunhat and go back.

Then ìf anyone asks why your baby has a nappy on its head, you can politely explain why

Outrageous

Agree with little ducks.. that was my first thought.

Maybe you could put a brightly coloured little swimmers nappy on his head as a sunhat and go back.

Then ìf anyone asks why your baby has a nappy on its head, you can politely explain why

Outrageous

Not a great idea to quote legislation, IMO - it's not clear at the moment anyway in England. There is in any case nothing illegal about breastfeeding in a cafe. The cafe worker was 100 per cent out of order in asking you to be discreet....in fact it is preposterous, as she was concerned about an imaginery customer who might be embarrassed just knowing you were breastfeeding, not even seeing it! The idea was that you should prevent men not from seeing but from guessing what you were doing! So not only do we have to hide any stray glimmer of flesh, we have to look as if we are not doing it, just in case a man 'guesses'!

This is taking the protection of male sensibility a little too far

A strong letter, explaining how embarrassed you were, and a request for an outline of their policy should do it...I would suggest going to the press, local and national, too. If you go to the local press it will reach the nationals as well. Go for it!