Mum left 'mortified' after being asked to move to a back room in restaurant while breastfeeding
Carla Francome was dining out with friends at an Italian restaurant in North London, when a male waiter approached her
A mum from London was left 'mortified' after being asked to move to a back room in a restaurant while breastfeeding her son.
There have been some pretty stupid things said about breastfeeding in the past. And this latest story is another in a long line of mums who've come up against scrutiny for breastfeeding in public.
Carla Francome was dining out with friends at an Italian restaurant in North London, when a male waiter approached her and asked her to move while she was breastfeeding her son.
The 37-year-old mum said; 'I totally broke down and cried in the restaurant. I felt like I must have done something embarrassing.
'It was weird having a man come up to you while breastfeeding. I was shocked to feel I was doing this in a way, which was like flashing. I was so mortified.'
Carla, who is from Archway, explained that she didn't use a blanket to cover herself because there was only one other family in the restaurant and she was facing the kitchen.
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The 'all-male staff' explained to Carla that it was their restaurant policy to require women to cover themselves after a male customer had complained previously.
The mother-of-one was told to move with six-month-old Archie to a backroom, which she did, but then left and went to another cafe.
'I felt like I was in a place that was safe. But after that I thought – how am I going to be able to do it again?'
In the UK women are legally allowed to breastfeed anywhere under the 2010 Equality Act but frequently face criticism from other members of the public.
In 2014 Claridges Hotel in Mayfair faced controversy after a mother was told to place a large napkin over her baby's head while she breastfed.
Louise Burns, 35, was 'shocked and appalled' at her treatment and joked that the 'ridiculous shroud' of a napkin was drawing far more attention than the baby alone. Claridges said in a statement that it 'embraced' breastfeeding mothers but would 'urge mothers to be discreet'.
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