It's not uncommon to hear of breastfeeding mums being made to feel unwelcome in public places.

 

But one mum was reduced to tears by her experience recently.

 

Carla Francome (37) was in the middle of feeding her six-month-old son Archie on a Saturday lunchtime when she was told that she would have to 'cover up' or leave the main part of Italian eatery, La Porchetta, in Islington, London.

 

The new mum, a Londoner herself, said she was horrified and was made to feel as if she'd done something wrong.

 

"I totally broke down and cried in the restaurant," she told the Daily Mail's Femail section. 

 

 

"I felt like I must have done something embarrassing."

 

It all kicked off when Carla, out for lunch with pals, lifted her T-shirt to feed her little boy.

 

She didn't use a blanket to cover herself as she was facing the kitchen and there was only one other family in there.

 

Plus, there would only have been a "centimetre of skin on show", she said. 

 

However, it wasn't long before one of the waiting staff - all of whom were male - approached her and asked her to go somewhere else.

 

"It was weird to have a man come up to you while breastfeeding," Carla said.

 

"I was shocked to feel I was doing this in way which was like flashing. I was so mortified."

 

 

 

When Carla asked the waiter to clarify what he meant, he told her that their policy was for breastfeeding mums to cover up completely, or use the back room. 

 

Carla tried to feed Archie downstairs on a sofa before leaving to go elsewhere. 

 

"I felt like I was in a place that was safe [when I started breastfeeding]. But after that I thought "How am I going to be able to do it again?"'

 

The restaurant is advertised as a family-friendly chain, and a spokesperson for the company has since apologised.

 

"I am really disappointed," she said. "It is absolutely not our policy. It is very unfortunate. We can only apologise to this lady. The manager will be disciplined."

 

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