facilities for feeding babies

[nymptonite]

I was shocked to be in mothercare in Taunton the other day and to find that in this decade, they have a baby feeding area in the same room as where the pooey nappies are changed.
What do you think?

It's pretty horrible, I agree. Our nearest MC is the same. I recently asked for a chair to sit and feed DD2 on and was told to use that room. I said no, I didn't want to sit in the toilets thanks (it really is the same room as the toilets, not just the changing mats!) They claimed they could not help and it was that or nothing (although were able to offer a chair a few months before when I was heavily pregnant and wanted a sit down after shopping in the store for an hour [hmmm]). Charming.

So I wandered off through the store to find someone else to ask and spotted the Dutalier feeding chair and gave everyone a free demonstration

(although I know other people might not want to feed in public and so clean, private rooms would be preferable)

Had to get that off my chest!

i had the opposite experience in mc in oxford. they had one of the lovely dutailer chairs in a separate feeding room and almost fell asleep feeding lo while dh was shopping happily

lol racers - that is brilliant!!
mind you, my pet hate is dirty nappy changing rooms, can they not empty the nappy bin more regularly!!??

I have only ever seen feeding rooms that are also changing rooms - John Lewis, Boots, Babies R Us.

Our local John Lewis has a lovely parents room with seperate nappy change, bottle feeding and BF areas so that multiple mums can feed their babies at once without queuing. The BF area has lovely sofas so that mums can get really

If you are stuck most of our local M&S stores will give you a changing cubicle to feed your baby.

Best I ever had was at a D&A optician. Fed LO before going to my appt. His dad brought him 20 mins later, red in the face with crying and hungry again. The optician gave me one of the eye exam rooms so that I could feed in private.

It's really interesting. For myself I am happy to feed anywhere, and I will. All power to you, racers, I would do same. It's just what mothercare's stance says about the status of breastfeeding that bothers me, and also the experience of maybe younger, maybe less confident or newer mums who DO need to feed in private?...

Mothercare in retail park in east kilbride is the same - feeding is about 2 feet away from the toilet. Mothercare in glasgow city centre is lovely seperate room for breast feeding with comfy chairs. It's ridiculous that all stores are not equipped the same. East Kilbride store is twice size of glasgow one.

All the bf rooms I have been in have also been changing rooms - can be a bit smelly and disgusting.

Worst experience I had was in a really big and busy M & S. There were only 2 chairs in the feeding/changing room so I ended up sitting on a tiled floor feeding lo. Luckily he was 6 months old at the time so I had the hang of it by then - would have been far more difficult if it had happened when he was a newborn. This was in a M & S which had only recently been refurbished so the facilities were really disappointing.

When I asked about a feeding area at M&S I was told to use an empty cubicle as it would be much nicer. And it was

The feeding facilities in our local Sainburys are combined not only with Nappy changing but a childrens toilet. It gets used by adults who can't be bothered to wait in line. I tried it once and ran to the car to feed DD. I would have sat in the cafe but it was late and closed.

I've never found a nice feeding room (although TBH I avoid them like the plague) - even ones that have been touted to me as nice.

I fed in a mothercare once and just wanted to check it was ok to use the feeding chair in the shop. They strongly suggested I use the feeding room, but I told them I didn't want to! They were surprised but didn't say no. However, when I'd fed DS and was putting him back in the sling he decided to do a nice big bit of sick on the floor. I went to tell them there was a mess, and they bought me and my friend (also with a DS in a sling!) a cloth and some spray and went away.

I just stick to cafes where its clean enough for both me and my baby to eat! Even if you're shy about it (and I'm not) its normally possible to find a quiet corner!

In defence of Mothercare (although thier customer service is shocking) our local one (Lincoln) has a separate room, off the changing room with 2 glider chairs and a water cooler.

But need any help when you want to spend several hundred pounds in the store? No way you're on your own, trying to figure out how that pram fits with the car seat, or which way up the matress goes!

Mothercare in Tamworth is a grim experience- a bench in the women's toilet, next to the door and underneath an air conditioning vent.

Using it was my first ever out and about feeding experience, which I had to share with someone with rampant diarrhoea and lots of nosy children.

John Lewis in Solihull is lovely.

i had to feed DS2 in mothercare in east kilbride town centre and it stank from the bins. when i changed him after it was obvious the bins hadnt been emptied from the previous day.

what made it worse was another mum coming in to change her DD (with her DS in a buggy) and her mother wandering in for a chat. they both started cooing over my DS whose only 2weeks old. i know they meant well but am struggling to feed and it didnt help having two other women examining my feeding child

Emma1977 - I agree about Solihull John Lewis - lots of happy memories in there!

Birmingham - do people know that on floor 3 in Selfridges (at the back, near the exit to the men's and the lift) there's a white door and a passage which leads to a room with a blue carpet, beige glider chair and a lovely underwater mural on the wall (and a lock on the door)? Just thought I would mention that as it is little known about.

Also, in Birmingham Mothercare (the new one) there is no separate feeding area and just a changing area, few chairs, sinks and a highchair. The old one had a beautiful feeding room with leather sofas and glider chairs. When they were moving I was talking to the manager and she actually said that the reason why they had decided not to have one in the new Mothercare was because people were just coming into there and feeding and leaving. She said that they'd done a survey on people in the store and lots of people were just using it for the feeding room and not buying anything. Now I personally think that that is a very shortsighted view to take. I sometimes went in there and fed ds without buying anything, but other times I would come in and spend lots of money. I wouldn't have done that if I hadn't seen the item as I passed through the shop regularly. Now I barely go in there, particularly this week when the loos and changing area are out of order! Why go all the way there when the Bullring has the same facilities?

that should say "next to the menswear section".

all i can say is move to australia!!! a bit drastic maybe but here we have parents rooms complete with private feeding cubicles, babycahnge areas, microwaves for bottles, secure play areas for bigger kids all in one room... well sorry to brag but plenty in each shopping mall! i was just so shocked after i went back to the uk with dd and had to feed her sat on a toilet in a motorway service station. DS now doesnt know how lucky he is to be back in aus and have luxury feeds. in fact i dont think i have had to feed on a toilet or near one since he was born and he is nearly 5 months old now. But they are VERY VERY pro breast feeding here so that helps.

AlexanderPandasmum, you are so right about it being a short-sighted view. Have spent loads in mother care but will try not to now.
chloeb2002, it sounds fab, but we have no excuse for not being just as good here