August may be breastfeeding month, but it seems we have a long way to go towards full acceptance.
Ingrid Wiese Hesson, mum of a six-week-old baby boy, was humiliated recently when the management of the store she was in asked her to leave for breastfeeding her son.
Ingrid was shopping in Anthropologie, a clothes shop run by Urban Outfitters, and had just spent over $700 on clothes and products when her baby started to cry.
She sat down in the back of the nearly empty shop, and had started to breastfeed her baby when management approached.
The manager escorted her to the ladies room to finish feeding, where there was nowhere to sit except on the toilet.
Ingrid left the store embarrased, but decided to take action.
Posting on her Facebook page, Ingrid shared her letter of complaint to Antropologie’s corporate office, explaining her treatment by the shop’s manager.
“Imagine my surprise when the manager Meredith approached, "I'm here to escort you to the ladies room where you can finish feeding your baby." Shocked, I unlatched the infant, he began to cry, and we did the walk of shame to the stock room bathroom. There was nothing but a toilet in the room” Ingrid wrote.
“Please inform Meredith that CA law grants me the right to Breastfeed in public. As a store that caters to women, I would hope your staff would be more understanding.”
“Meredith said, "we must be fair to all the customers, not just moms." Meredith, moms are customers too ... Shame on you Anthropologie.” Ingrid finished in her letter.
Head office responded to Ingrid with a comment on their Facebook page:
"Given our staff's dedication to providing exceptional customer service, we welcome this as an opportunity to enhance our customer experience by providing further training and education for our staff."
"Our aim is that all women – all mothers – be comfortable in our stores and delight in their relationship with Anthropologie."
Not feeling this response to be enough, Ingrid gathered her fellow breastfeeding mums and organised a protest at the store.
Over 100 new mums staged a sit-in protest, breastfeeding their babies in the shop to exert their legal right to breastfeed in any public place, as laid down in California law.
Ingrid shared a picture of the protest on her Facebook page with the caption:
“100+ women Breastfeeding at the Beverly Hills Anthropologie!!! Mommy strong! Refuse to move! Know your rights!!”
