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A woman who was breastfeeding her eight-week-old daughter in a café was reduced to tears after she was insulted by a customer.
Nikki Davis recalled the "distressing" moment a woman eating in the same café told her she was "putting her off her teacake".
The 32-year-old said:
This was really distressing to hear and actually made me cry.
Picture: SWNS
I met two friends from my National Childbirth Trust class. We’ve all recently had babies so wanted to meet up to support each other at the café at Mistley Park Place.
I then overheard a woman describe us to her family as the “mammary brigade” and stated we were “putting her off her teacake” by breastfeeding our babies.
Davis didn‘t let it go, and confronted the woman who was making the offensive comments.
"The woman responded stating she found it offensive and we should feed our babies in the toilet," Davis said, adding:
This whole incident has really knocked my confidence as a new mum.
It really is difficult, which is why the UK has the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world, with only 1 per cent of babies still being exclusively breastfed at six months despite the health benefits of breast feeding.
Picture: SWNS
My main hope is that people will just be kind to breastfeeding mums and realise it is a tough job and we are doing our best.
Ostracising us for doing something so natural does cause a lot of upset and has the potential to stop mums breastfeeding despite the health benefits to babies.
Peter Taylor, the owner Mistley Place Park Café, said:
We have got no problem with women breastfeeding at all as it’s just a natural thing to do.
This isn’t the first time breast-feeding mothers were confronted in public.
A few weeks ago a woman who was breast-feeding in a restaurant in Texas was told to ‘cover up.
More: Woman told to 'cover up' while breastfeeding has the best possible response
More: Mother told off for 'inspiring lustfulness' by breastfeeding in church
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