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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

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Original poster

John Lewis

21 replies

WinkyWinkola · 16/12/2009 12:38

I love John Lewis. I think it's brilliant in general and not least because they have automated doors for the Parenting Room.

But today I noticed they have one section (Watford branch) in said room marked on a sign Bottlefeeding Area and another labelled Breastfeeding Area. How weird is that?

Why is that? Do they think bottlers and breasters automatically don't like to sit next to each other?

OP posts:

CMOTdibbler · 16/12/2009 12:43

In the JL that I spent any time feeding in (the huuge one at Bluewater), the bottle feeding area was next to the door into the parent room, so dads could nip in, and the breastfeeding area was tucked round the otherside, so that no one just walked past and it was nice and discreet if you needed that.

Original poster

WinkyWinkola · 16/12/2009 12:48

Ah maybe that's it. Breastfeeding area is at the back of the room behind the bottlefeeding area. I did wonder.......

OP posts:

FaintlyMacabre · 16/12/2009 12:52

I always used the gliding nursing chairs in the nursery section. Very comfy!

MadameDuBain · 16/12/2009 12:56

Yes in ours the breastfeeding area is screened, I think it's just so that you don't have to show passers-by/men your norks if you don't want to. But our JL is a magnet for mums of babies and loads just BF in the cafe without a problem. I don't think they're suggesting you have to go in the breastfeeding area.

Confusedfirsttimemum · 16/12/2009 13:54

I've noticed that at Bluewater and find it odd too. Maybe it's because the more private area is quite small, so they want to encourage women who are bottle feeding to use the more public bit of the area and not to take up space that a self conscious new mum wants in the breastfeeding area?

That said, I breastfed in the bottle feeding area loads of times, and in the cafe. Never had any problems with either.

llareggub · 16/12/2009 14:05

I've always found the set-up quite helpful. When I was a new and inexperienced breastfeeder with my massive norks I was pathetically grateful to have a place to hide. 3 years, and 2 babies later, I have no need for privacy. The bottle area has warming equipment too.

llareggub · 16/12/2009 14:06

Why odd? Men are as likely to use the parent room to feed. They've just designed the room to give the breastfeeders more privacy if they want it.

JustAnotherManicMummy · 16/12/2009 14:13

At Kingston the parents' room is nappy changing, toddler little loos and feeding all in one.

I find it smells a bit like a loo and prefer to feed my baby in the furniture section. Sitting on a nice comfy sofa I pretend to be interested in buying

Or in Starbucks where I can get a comfy chair and coffee

Habbibu · 16/12/2009 14:17

The Edinburgh one is great - a big room with huge windows and fantastic views over the city. (It's the top floor - not a shop window display of breastfeeders in a row...)

Mishy1234 · 16/12/2009 18:49

Habbibu- agree the Edinburgh one is fab. I didn't find it until quite late on with DS, so looking forward to using it a bit more this time around.

cupcake75 · 16/12/2009 20:08

I had to use the empty bottle feeding section to bf my DD at John Lewis last week. The breastfeeding section had two other mums and babies in a small room and my six month old DD was too distracted by the other babies to feed. So was handy to have two separate areas.

mawbroon · 17/12/2009 11:19

The Edinburgh JLP has a fantastic view over the Forth from the parents room.

Except in the screened off "breastfeeding area" they have put a frosted covering over the window, presumably to stop people from outside (who exactly? people with telescopes????) catching a glimpse of a breastfeeding mother.

I just used to sit in the other bit and enjoy the view.

islandofsodor · 17/12/2009 11:25

I breastfed anywhere but during the first month of ds's life I had to exclusively express so I did make for the places where there was a screened off area.

breastfeeding in public is one thing, expressing in public was too much!!!!!

Skillbo · 17/12/2009 11:29

John Lewis is ace! The one in Southampton has two areas, both quite private so not sure why they do it - the main parent room is where all the bottle warmers, changing mats etc are.

Having said that, like a lot of posters, I have always just used the cafe with absolutely no problems. The staff are also super helpful ie taking your tray to the table for you if you're alone and laden down with your buggy!

It was my venue of choice when DD was really dinky and now she's a bit older, we still love to go there as there are always loads of mums to chat to!

TigerFeet · 17/12/2009 11:30

the feeding area at jl in peterborough is getting very tired looking and is poky and claustrophobic unfortunately. much easier to sit in a corner of a cafe imo. i do think it's a good idea to have a private area for feeding, for anyone who's not confident about bf in front of others. it can be the difference between staying in and getting out of the house for some. i do wish that shops with bf areas wouldn't let them get so shabby though [composes letter to jl peterborough]

imaginewittyfestivenamehere · 17/12/2009 11:59

Tigerfeet I agree about Peterborough - good resource but in need of an update I think

imaginewittyfestivenamehere · 17/12/2009 12:04

Tigerfee I've just emailed here

TigerFeet · 17/12/2009 12:21

Well done imagine - I've just done the same. Will let you know if/when I get a response!

MrsJamin · 17/12/2009 12:26

I heart JL. I don't find it weird that there's different rooms - I'm sure it was done in response to customer feedback rather than any particular ideas about feeding either way. What I do find weird in the Reading JL is that the chairs in the BFing room are quite upright dining chairs with arms - making it really difficult to BF a baby any larger than a newborn! Glider chairs would be amazing.

InDulciJumpilo · 17/12/2009 12:29

justanother - I do the same, we did buy a chair for dd's nursery specifically because I'd sat on it and found it really comfy to feed her in, I've subsequently tried many of their sofas and armchairs! The staff in our JL (Cambridge) are really friendly and have even offered to bring me a glass of water while I feed her. The breastfeeding area has 2 seats so gets pretty busy - also the new dyson hand driers tend to scare a lot of the tiny babies!

imaginewittyfestivenamehere · 17/12/2009 13:07

"new dyson hand driers tend to scare a lot of the tiny babies" I wish I'd known this when I emailed Peterborough asking them to update. Do you think it would be weird to follow up with "but please no hand driers"

Seriously who thought it would be a good idea to have hand driers of any kind in an area where babies are let alone the seriously scary loud dyson ones?

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