Protest staged at US store after mum told to breastfeed in the bathroom

Just when you think there might no longer be a need to ‘normalise’ breastfeeding in public, a mum is told to feed her baby in a bathroom.

Karina Gomez was directed to the bathroom after being told by an employee of US chain store Marshalls at the weekend that she wasn’t allowed to feed her daughter in a dressing room. Posting the below picture to Facebook, she says, “Yes, this is me sitting on a toilet feeding my sweet, Katalina Maria, after I was denied my right to breastfeed where I wanted to by a ‪Marshalls employee.”

She adds, “What a way to treat breastfeeding customers, shaming them for breastfeeding, making them feel embarrassed that you need to feed your child. I am angry, upset, but more so humiliated. My rights have been violated.”

Her post, which has been shared almost 500 times, led to a group of mums staging a protest by breastfeeding their children at the Portland, Oregon store yesterday. According to KGW, the ‘Nurse In’ lasted around an hour, with mums being welcomed inside.

Let’s hope the very powerful and candid photo of a mum feeding her baby in a bathroom will encourage Marshalls and other businesses to think twice about their breastfeeding policies. We’re sure breastfeeding mums all over would welcome a policy like the one Target has in place.