Mum slams supermarket after being told off by worker for breastfeeding in car park

30 June 2022, 11:14 | Updated: 30 June 2022, 11:36

The mother of two who was asked to stop breastfeeding her four-week-old baby in a Sainsbury's car park says she will never return to the supermarket chain following the incident.

Beth Coles left the supermarket store in Kidderminster, Worcestershire, at around 8.30pm on Friday after her newborn daughter Rosie began to cry.

Her partner James stayed inside to finish off their food shop while the young mother went to breastfeed in their car.

Ms Coles said she was fully covered with a blanket and muslin and was breastfeeding Rosie when there was a knock at the window from a Sainsbury's staff member.

The woman, who wasn't wearing a name badge, then allegedly told Ms Coles it was "inappropriate" to be breastfeeding there.Ms Coles then burst out crying and said the staff member "just shrugged her shoulders and walked off".

Speaking to Nick Ferrari, Ms Coles said: "I had a child who was screaming, because as I opened the door she then unlatched, as they do as well.

"My partner then came back out of Sainsbury's in floods of tears, and I just went 'We just need to go home. I can't cope. I just want to go and shut myself behind a door'.

"I messaged a breastfeeding awareness group going 'Am I being melodramatic about this? Have I taken this the wrong way? To which, obviously then all of this has started because it was taken and put on Twitter, and the support has been huge."

Nick asked her if she had returned to Sainsbury's since.

"I went back yesterday to physically meet the manager, had a bit of a wobble because I was shaking and nervous about it," Ms Coles said.

"I did make it very clear to him, I will not be shopping in Sainsbury's again, but I went back for the apology I wanted."

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