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Original poster

Breastfeeding mother is told to leave Sports Direct

181 replies

CamelDave · 24/04/2014 10:11

Saw this in the Nottingham Post today, can't believe the store would go to these lengths....

www.nottinghampost.com/Breastfeeding-mother-told-leave-sports-shop/story-21004058-detail/story.html

Disgusting.

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birdsnotbees · 24/04/2014 18:03

its not that the shop is a nice place to feed or not; it's the fact that when they're hungry, they're hungry - in the case of my DD this was every 20 mins for months and months. I had no choice but to feed on the go as otherwise we'd never have left the house. Those saying she could have gone somewhere else clearly never had a difficult baby or understand, actually, how feeding on demand works.

MrsBungle · 24/04/2014 18:04

I live in nottingham and have breast fed two babies in a lot of places in the city centre with no problems at all. Shitty behaviour from the staff concerned at sports direct.

Legologgo · 24/04/2014 18:07

i think we regulars ( rather than first time posters ahem) should have a site policy where we agree to not even discuss WHERE is right to breastfeed. its just NOT a problem

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MoominsAreScary · 24/04/2014 18:11

I don't understand why people are talking about sports direct being unclean, murky, hemmed in etc.

Sounds no different to some of the feeding rooms ive been in.

StarlightMcKenzie · 24/04/2014 18:15

I had to feed ds on the bottom step of a double decker bus getting up every stop to let people off whilst my baby continued feeding.

Breastmilk comes in a portable sterile container ffs.

I occasionally fed ds in a John Lewis feeding room, but usually by the time I had navigated the exit through various escalators and crowds he would be hungry again so I'd have to feed him on the pavement or a bench if I could find one.

TheScience · 24/04/2014 18:16

Some of these comments are really bizarre. She wasn't just wandering around town thinking "now where shall I feed my baby? Ah, Sports Direct - I'll go in there".

She was stuck in SD, waiting for family who were shopping, when her baby needed feeding.

I fed my baby at the leisure centre today - not because I think leisure centres are lovely places for breastfeeding, but because my older child was having a swimming lesson and I was waiting for him.

ZenGardener · 24/04/2014 18:32

I've bf in all sorts of places. Never in a swimming pool though.

The shop staff was wrong and they should apologise for how she was treated and make sure their staff are better trained.

FengMa · 24/04/2014 18:55

I'm currently BFing DC2 (literally and generally, as it happens!). Both babies have been fed wherever we happen to be.

In the words of Adam Hills, Sports Direct needs to stop being a dick.

I'm so enraged by this unlawful lunacy that I almost dare them to move me along instead. I have some words.

Notmyidea · 24/04/2014 20:31

Totally unacceptable! Really just placemarking to make sure I get to hear about any nurse-in type activities, should they be required to ensure this lady and her baby receive a suitable apology and SD address their staff training on this issue.

Oddthomas · 24/04/2014 20:35

There's going to be a nurse-in at 2pm on Tuesday at the Nottingham branch where the incident happened, nothing planned for any other branches I don't think.

kinkytoes · 24/04/2014 21:03

Hope it gets lots of support. I'd take part but I'm nowhere near.

ASmidgeofMidge · 24/04/2014 21:06

I'm going to try and get there

ErrolTheDragon · 24/04/2014 21:07

Oh good. Hope there's lots of well-fed babes!

Oddthomas · 24/04/2014 21:11

If anyone hears of one a bit more Northern, I'm in.....

Joylin · 24/04/2014 21:19

No feeding means no feeding, why should there be exceptions for breastfeeders? You wouldn't be allowed to take a bottle out for a three month old, or a sandwich for a hungry toddler in a clothes shop, they don't want anything getting onto the clothes, naturally. It's only discrimination when eating is allowed.

ErrolTheDragon · 24/04/2014 21:24

'they don't want anything getting onto the clothes, naturally'

BFers don't squirt it around all over the place, you know. HmmGrin

Oddthomas · 24/04/2014 21:37

:o at soray

I've bottle fed babies in shops (including Sports Direct) and had nothing at all said to me, why should breastfeeding be any different?

Oddthomas · 24/04/2014 21:41

:o at spraying it about the place.

I've bottle fed babies in shops (including Sports Direct) and had nothing at all said to me, why should breastfeeding be any different? She was made to leave a public place for feeding her baby, she was told she wasn't welcome there for feeding her baby, she was public ally humiliated and forced outside into the rain with an infant for daring to feed her baby.

There is a world of difference between going a toddler a sandwich in a clothes shop and latching a baby on for a breastfeed. For one thing, shops can legally state no food to be eaten in the shop, they cannot legally say breastfeeding is not allowed/not welcome and what they did to this poor woman was illegal.

They're a bunch of dicks.

nancy75 · 24/04/2014 21:41

I should imagine the member of staff was more concerned about her taking up a chair than squirting milk about.

I am always intrigued by sit in/feed in type things. given that a shop is private property and has the right to ask anyone to leave without giving a reason how effective are they really?

NotGoodNotBad · 24/04/2014 21:42

they don't want anything getting onto the clothes, naturally

Then they should ban people with fake tan and make-up. I tried to buy a white sports bra in a sports shop one time and they were all splodged with a strange sandy colour...

Goldmandra · 24/04/2014 22:13

Imagine if the shop just happened to be full of parents and children and they all took a pew to feed a baby?

I don't thinks it's a problem any shop has ever had to deal with up until now so not really relevant. However, it sounds like it's exactly what's going to happen next week in that store and good luck to anyone who participates. I hope someone reports back Smile

Oddthomas · 24/04/2014 22:18

Imagine if the shop just happened to be full of parents and children and they all took a pew to feed a baby?

What are the odds that all of those babies would be hungry at the same time? However, supposing that they were (which is highly unlikely), not all of them would need a seat. Some of them might be in a sling and will feed there. Some of them, like DD when she was very small, might prefer to be fed while their mother is standing. Some might have a bottle and may, like DS1, dislike being held while they feed in which case they might be in their pushchair while a parent holds their bottle.

Sparklingbrook · 24/04/2014 22:22

I don't rate Sports Direct as a shop, it's horrible. They were wrong in telling the woman she couldn't BF in there.

BUT

I FF and wouldn't have got a bottle out in a shop, I would have gone and found a more suitable place and the baby may have had to cry for a couple of minutes.

I would also not have stood in the rain feeding. That's a bit strange.

Goldmandra · 24/04/2014 22:27

I would also not have stood in the rain feeding. That's a bit strange.

No it's not strange. It's the reaction of someone whose confidence has just taken a battering and who has a hungry baby and nowhere to feed him.

It's appalling that she was put in the position of needing to do this.