"Breastfeeding Welcome Signs"

This morning i went to a shopping centre i don't usually go to and ended up chatting with a woman at the hairdresser as i was asking her where the parenting room was. She then openly offered for me to breastfeed in their salon and i was aghast! what a lovely offer! Basically she said that she's from sydney and has noticed here in Perth there are NO signs anywhere saying "breastfeeding welcome" at cafes/resturants/shopping centres etc. I said to her i'd never seen such a thing and she told me that in Sydney these signs are everywhere now. I was absolutely amazed as i'm one who does not feed in public because i feel uncomfortable about offending others and also i know that some people look down on feeding older ones (DS 15mths) and i just dont want those stares. She said that having breastfed 3 kids she could sympathise and was surprised they don't have these signs here. I admit i'd much rather feed in a lovely funky cafe on a comfy bench rather than in a dirty stinky feral parents room - i'm yet to find a nice one.

Anyway i guess i'm hoping Perth might catch up on that trend - we are always behind the times, as it would be fantastic to see that kind of support from local business!

That was lovely of her :) But I have to admit that I've never seen one of those signs around here.... I'm going into the city on the weekend so will have to keep my eyes open ;)

Dear Ourlux,

did you know you can e-mail info@breastfeeding.asn.au and request as many "breastfeeding welcome here" stickers as you want - completely free? And then put them up everywhere! Perth mothers will bless you for it.
I'm sorry that you feel constrained to breastfeed your son in public. But research shows that many women feel as you do, and it has a negative effect on breastfeeding rates.
Every mother who does breastfeed her baby when she is out and about is, IMO, doing an invaluable public service. New mums, pregnant mums, teenagers, little kids and anyone else needs to see breastfeeding. It's how we learn!
So, get your hands on some of those stickers! We might be able to make Perth the breastfeeding friendly capital of the world
Warm Regards
Barb

I'm not sure where she was from exactly but perhaps she meant the city?

Barb i didn't realise i could do that, but to be honest i'm not sure if i'd feel that confident, maybe if it was somewhere i went often. Its a shame the aba didn't have an offical team handing them out, even if they were volunteers?

I know as a sahm mum i frequent cafes quite often - twice a week at least just to have a change of scenery and i've never seen one here with a welcome sign. It would be nice too though and i would certainly favour them with my business.

What a great idea, I breastfeed my twins till 16 months and never saw a sign in any cafe in suburban Melb.

One local coffee shop was great, usually when you order they call out when your drink is ready, I would tell them I was BF and they would bring it over to me, no worries and no dirty looks. One waiter is a young man too and he acted as it was very normal to him.

I saw a couple of those when I was BF DS but that was a while ago and thought they were brilliant. I BF everywhere and in fact was great to sit beside another mum the other day in Harvey Norman on one of their display benches while a big sale was on (and our hubby's were off looking at stuff) I would just dare one of the sales men/women to approach me (considering there is no parents room available, or any other seating!) but everyone was understanding.

What would be great is for the business themselves to put them up, maybe that's something I should approach my local ABA about, taking them around to local business and asking them to put them up????

I've seen a few around. Can't remember where tho! But I do remember pointing them out to DH and saying yay! hehe.

Hi,

ABA volunteers are just like the rest of us - busy mums! And they are worked to the bone (no - that's a joke - the great thing about ABA is you do what you can do - nothing more is expected - we are all busy) Why don't you e-mail for a couple to be sent and give them out to the places you really DO feel comfortable with.
Anyone can request them and request their local shop or cafe to put them up. There was a PR campaign in My Child Mag last month - but we can all do a little bit - it would have a fabulous impact!
warm regards
Barb

I'm in Sydney and I haven't seen any "breastfeeding welcome" signs anywhere. Although it's illegal to ask a breastfeeding mother to leave a cafe/restaurant, etc. Isn't it?? I breastfeed everywhere (once I had my baby at work with me in an office full of men) and no one has ever said anything or even looked at me strangely...

what a wonderful idea! those stickers!! :) I am not even pregnant or b/feeding yet however if i walked into a cafe or store and saw the sticker on the wall i would think that is so great.

its a shame we really even have to have the stickers in the first place though, if only more ppl supported b/feeding.

Why don't all mums get together on a 'national b/feeding day" or something (may exist already?) and stand in the middle of the shops in a big group and b/feed their babies or something to show ppl, hey this is normal! or would that be waaaaay out of line? just a thought.

B/feeding is one of the things i most look forward to about having a baby :) i really hope i can! I NEVER see women at the shops b/feeding and if i do, i think "good on you! thats great"

I'm in South America at the moment and women breastfeed EVERYWHERE! here. Its fantastic. I was on a boat the other day and one of the local ladies was breastfeeding her little girl. The bub was an older bub, walking etc but not sure what age, anyway..the mum feel asleep while she was feeding and the bub got full and stopped feeding. The lady was lady was sleeping there with her nipple poking out of her dress and it was the most NORMAL thing in the world! The little girl played for a bit and then had another feed when she was ready and latched on again. Mum was perfectly content and this boat was full of people including lots of foreign men, but no-one even looked ascance at the mum. It was really nice to see.

How nice of her!

I have only ever seen those "breastfeeding welcome here" signs a few times in Sydney.
Not that I wouldnt breastfeed just because the sign wasnt there.. i breastfeed anywhere just about.

Hi,
I'm also in two minds about the need for stickers. Yes, you can breastfeed anytime anywhere and in 14 years of almost non stop breastfeeding I have breastfed anytime and anywhere - church, restaurants, mountaintops, school during reading - anywhere. I have never had anyone ask me not to - ever. I have barely even registered a bad look. Sometimes a curious question - I guess it's a bit unusual when you are breastfeeding a much older child (esp when she's Chinese and you are not - we adopted each other) But overall I find the stickers reassuring.

In Canada I have never seen a sign. I used to feed where ever we happened to be without a second thought. No one ever approached me. The first time we were out for dinner my DH nearly had a heart attack when I just started nursing her. I'm sure he though the staff would be over to ask me to stop. I thought I am up for the challenge. He did get used to it. He was not raised in a situation where he saw breastfeeding moms. I would not go and sit in some dark closet of a room set aside for nursing. Our mall has a family room but it is a bathroom it does have a chair but I am not nursing in a bathroom!

Has anyone ever been asked not to breastfeed??

I know part of it is my perception, but i truly cannot breastfeed in public without feeling like men are ogling me. I don't know why but the ideas of signs give me a sense of comfort and safety.

I understand Barb about the lack of resources labour wise, and certainly after my move when i find some new cafes i will see about offering some stickers!

I am sure there are other women who feel like me.

I think the signs are a great idea because it shows immediately the support the business/organisation is giving. And it makes people aware even if there are no breastfeeding mothers around about the issue. The only place I can remember seeing some is at Australia Zoo in the food court. They are very openly supportive of breastfeeding and other family activities.

There are alot of those stickers around the Hawkesbury. Not even my doing LOL.

I will email them about getting some stickers. I frequent a few cafes and have gotten to know the owners, and would happily pass those stickers on to them. While I think you shouldn't need permission per se to BF, to see support and encouragement is a good thing, not for those mums who BF, but more so for the general public. I was another who BFed virtually anywhere. My mum used to joke that I couldn't wait to get the boob out, but I just fed whenever I needed to, and if anyone tried to stop me, they would have copped a mouthful. But I did get stares sometimes - and I glared back defiantly waiting for them to say something (cue Dirty Harry, c'mon punk, make my day) but it *****s me that I have to do that even. If it said that BFing was welcome, then you as the customer understand the establishment's stance when you walk in the door.

Yep, even though I will feed where ever when ever I need too, If I had the choice of 2 cafes & 1 had a sticker, thats the one I would go to.

Good idea Sushee, and i would also think that if cafe owners see other cafes displaying them they might follow suit you know?

Just have to say.. went to the registry office in Sydney to see BIL get married, and they had the signs everywhere there :) And the parents room was just a change room, nowhere to sit & feed.. so yay.. they welcome it out in the open! The change room actually had a miniature toilet there, like at preschool hehe. So cute.

i always breastfed in public, was actually disappointed that I never got asked to refrain as I was determined to make a bit media deal out of it!! LOL BF is natural and needs to be done more in public, so that the next generation can see it is natural. As many have pointed out, our girls (and boys) need to see it is totally natural, otherwise they'll have the problems that the current generation of mums is having, and Nestle will truly win. I had a cafe and I put in a couch with BF mums in mind.... didn't advertise it, but that's what it was used for. :)