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Shocked mum ordered to STOP breastfeeding in Mothercare

Zoe frangou was "disgusted" after being asked to move by staff

A mum was left “shocked and upset” after being told she could not breastfeed her poorly three-month-old son in the UK’s largest high street chain for babies.

Zoe Frangou visited Mothercare in Bluewater, Kent, when here little boy was crying out to be fed.

She says she sat down in a quiet area of the store to feed him.

But Zoe was left “disgusted” when staff members told her she was not allowed.

The 29-year-old publicly complained on Facebook, which Mothercare quickly deleted.

She wrote: “What is more shocking is that this was in one of the largest mum and baby retailers in the UK.

“I am disgusted at how I was treated and that the welfare of me and baby were not considered.

“This was even more stressful because he has been very unwell.

“Ironically I thought Mothercare would be a perfect opportunity to breastfeed.

“I was with a friend who needed to do some shopping there, so figured I could quietly sit there.

Read more: Mum asked to stop breastfeeding by “disgusted” staff in IKEA

“At first they tried to tell me the reason I couldn’t feed was because they were moving boxes around, but if that were they case they shouldn’t have babies – whether breastfeeding or in a pram – anywhere near the store.

“I’m a new mum, I’d have hoped I would have been supported by them. It was disgraceful.”

Her post has gone viral and many other mums have revealed that the same thing has happened to them.

The Equality Act 2010 has made it illegal for anyone to ask a breastfeeding woman to leave a public place.

A spokesperson for the store called the incident “disappointing.”

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“We would like to sincerely apologise to Mrs Frangou for the disappointing way she was treated in our store.

“We provide all our stores with our breastfeeding policy which clearly states our full support for all nursing mothers.

“Our customers are welcome to nurse their children anywhere on the premises and for those who prefer some privacy, we provide comfortable feeding facilities.

“We are saddened to hear that on this occasion, our guidelines were not adhered and her complaint was not dealt with immediately.

“We are fully investigating this incident and will be making sure that all our store teams are aware of our breastfeeding policy and guidelines for supporting our customers.”


Nancy Brown
Associate Editor