Pay for the right to breast feed in public??

**RobinSparkles** · 02-06-2012 00:35

I find the whole thing weird, that there are "members only" parents rooms seems so bizarre?! What, are they silk lined, fully catered and someone gives you and your baby a pedicure while you feed them?? I think if that is their policy then fine but it makes them seem very money hungry, I would think nice clean (FREE) parent rooms would entice customers into the store and increase the opportunity for more sales.

**SpecialPatrolGroup** · 02-06-2012 00:40

Originally Posted by TinyLittleTootsies

$10 for a feeding room is ridiculous. Like a PP said, they offer services like these in order to draw in and keep customers for longer so there shouldn't be a membership in the first place.

I guess the point that I didn't make fully was that for a major retailer it is less of an expense to maintain parents rooms, but for a small retailer it is a big expense, particularly if most of the mums aren't stopping to buy their nappies or formula there, rather going to the supermarket where they can buy them cheaper. So this retailer offers a club to offer a premium product to members.

I looked on the website for the pharmacy mentioned in the article and it says that the membership costs $10, so they were not attempting to sell her a one off admin to the parents room, they were telling her the price of the membership but the headline of the story would have you believe they were trying to have her pay to walk through the door once.

I personally wouldn't pay to be a member just so I could use a parents room, but as a business with overheads, they have to cover costs and they are free to charge to offer a premium service to ensure their membership has some value.

I do agree though that this story is a sad indictment of the way breastfeeding mothers are perceived and perceive judgement from those around them.

**trishalishous** · 02-06-2012 01:31

Ill bet they are reviewing their club now, as I imagine the loss of business from the bad publicity cant be good.
And Id never pay to join a club to use a parents room, Myer and DJs usually have nice ones

**Koberose** · 02-06-2012 01:59

I dunno wouldn't it kinda be like some cafe's and places like that you can only use the bathroom if you are a customer, same thing I guess

**Mrs E** · 02-06-2012 04:17

Originally Posted by TimTamsandTea

So the parenting room in the pharmacy was for members only?
If she were a pharmacy member the $10 would not have applied?

I dunno. I guess it's like any private club, isn't it?

I guess the shame for me was that

a) There were not more public, accessible and clean parenting rooms available &
b) This young women felt so uncomfortable about breastfeeding in public and actually thought she'd be confronted and challenged for her decision to do so.

Anyhoo, that poor bubba having to wait 4 blocks to be fed

I agree with this.

I looked at the website and the membership offers you discounts and other things.

It's the media sensationalizing a response with the heading also.

**share a book** · 02-06-2012 07:07

It wasn't paying to bf in public, it was paying to use a private room clearly labelled member's only. Talk about media beat up .

**Atropos** · 02-06-2012 07:45

Originally Posted by Super Trooper

I havent read the article - but i dont understand why breastfeeding should be confined to a parenting room anyway... Id rather spend $5 on a coffee and chill in a cafe whilst feeding then spend $10 to hide away like a leppar.

Sent from my GT-I9100T using BubHub

She was offered a seat in the store to feed but declined, wanting to use the members room.

**Atropos** · 02-06-2012 07:46

Originally Posted by share a book

It wasn't paying to bf in public, it was paying to use a private room clearly labelled member's only. Talk about media beat up .

This

**~Bec~** · 02-06-2012 07:51

Media beat up.

According to the article the room was clearly signed as members only and she was asked if she would like to join as a member.
In regard to feeding in public, the baby was only 4 weeks old, the poor Mummy was probably still very new to bf'ing and if anything like me, was very much still on her breastfeeding L plates. She may have needed to expose an entire boob, use of a pillow and 2 hands to bf and it may have taken a good hour to feed the baby. She also may have still been experiencing attachment pain as well as mastering attachment. If she doesn't feel comfortable feeding in public then she doesn't feel comfortable. Personally I would prefer a quiet feeding room rather than a cafe any day.

I do feel sorry for her, it's awful to hear your baby crying and there's nothing you can do about it in the immediate. I think we've all been there at some point.

**Renesme** · 02-06-2012 08:31

THe title of this thread is wrong. She was not asked to pay $10 to breastfeed in public. The pharmacist had a parenting room which I'm assuming they paid for out of their pocket for the use by their members. To be honest I think it's fair enough. It's no different to Hoyts refusing non-movie going people using their toilets. They offered her other options so I don't see the problem.. she's the one who didn't want to breastfeed in public (fair enough) she was never charged to breastfeed in public.