Mum hits back after breastfeeding toilet "humiliation"
We often share stories about negative attitudes to breastfeeding, because the way we see it, if it’s still happening, we’re going to continue to talk about it.
While of course shaming a mum and telling her to cover up in public is pretty much as low as it gets, herding a mum and her hungry child into a toilet to feed isn’t much better.
Karina Gomez was in US store Marshalls, when her baby Katalina Maria needed to be fed. But upon requesting if she could breastfeed in the changing room, she was instead directed to the toilet.
Humiliated, the mum posted a photo on Facebook feeding her child while sitting on the toilet. And just like Karina, we find it offensive and upsetting.
“Yes, this is me sitting on a toilet feeding my sweet, Katalina Maria, after I was denied my right to breastfeed where I wanted to by a #marshallsemployee,” she wrote. “I was denied to breastfeed in a dressing room, instead I was directed to a bathroom stall to breastfeed. What a way to treat breastfeeding customers, shaming them for breastfeeding, making them feel embarrassed that you need to feed your child. I am angry, upset, but more so humiliated. My rights have been violated.”
We can completely understand where she’s coming from. For one thing, babies need to be fed like ALL the time, so it stands to reason a mum will need to be able to feed her baby numerous times throughout the day, wherever she may be. And people need to realise this, and accommodate instead of shame.
And secondly – and perhaps more importantly – who wants to eat a meal in a toilet? Seriously? Would the people so quick to ask mums to feed in a bathroom sit down in there with a plate of food on their laps themselves? We very much doubt it.
Thankfully after Maria shared her post Marshalls replied with a full apology, stating, “Thank you for reaching out to us. We have a breast feeding policy in place which instructs Associates to allow customers to breastfeed as they choose within stores. We have looked into this matter and regret that it may not have been followed in this instance. We apologise for any inconvenience in this matter.”
Thanks to mums like Karina, who are speaking out about this kind of treatment, slowly but surely attitudes are starting to change. And about time too.