You would think by now that people would be more enlightened to the needs of a new mother, but sadly for one woman in the UK recently, this was not the case.
An apology has been issued to mum Nicole Bentley, after she was banned from a local Women’s Institute meeting for breastfeeding her baby.
A shocked Nicole took to Facebook to share the details of her ‘disappointing’ experience, and her post has made waves across the UK.
Nicole revealed that she headed to the Nottinghamshire meeting hoping to connect with other women and mothers, and she told the chairman out of ‘courtesy’ that she intended to breastfeed daughter Scarlett in the early months of the meetings.
She was understandably shocked, however, when she received a message informing her that, after asking members if they minded the baby attending, the majority were against it.
“Absolutely disgusted in the newly-formed WI in Sutton. I’m not welcome because I breastfeed my baby. I thought it stood for women united together, but obviously not! Really disappointed,” she wrote on Facebook.
The mother-of-four added: “When I went to the meeting last month it looked like it was going to be great, lots of different-aged women too, so very diverse. They all seemed really nice. I didn’t think there would be an issue. I’m actually stuck for words.”
Since Nicole’s story went viral, the Nottinghamshire Federation of the Women’s Institute has issued a public apology.
“When informally asking whether her new-born baby would be welcome at the meetings, the woman in question was advised that it would be a child-free zone, as some of the women setting up the WI were eager to keep it so. This is a common policy at WI meetings, as many WI members see the meetings as an escape from family life where they can concentrate on themselves and meeting other women,” a statement read.
Insisting that the WI will ‘always fully support’ a woman’s right to breastfeeding in public, however, it added: “This does not of course extend to breastfeeding, and the organisation fully supports and acknowledges the Equalities Act of 2010 and every mother's right and freedom to breastfeed.”
