Notts mum ashamed to breastfeed after pharmacist '˜threw towel over her'

Hucknall mum Catherine Porter was covered by an Pharmacist while breastfeeding in a City chemist.

Young mum Catherine Porter from Hucknall said she was ‘literally livid’ after she went into a Nottingham pharmacy with her baby, Mya.

She told: “Me and my sister went to the pharmacy with five-month-old old daughter – when we were waiting I decided to take a seat and feed my daughter as she was getting very restless.

“In doing so a man who worked at the pharmacy threw a heavy towel over my daughter and me. I was fully covered and you couldn’t see anything other than my daughters head.

Young mum Catherine was 'livid' after a pharmacist covered her with a towel while she was breastfeeeding.

“The towel was heavy, dirty and I wouldn’t say it was light enough for her to breathe through.”

The full-time mum, 19, added: “I am a young mum that I chose to give my baby the best start in life by breast-feeding. I have never been made to feel so disgusting for feeding a child and I’m in complete and utter disbelief that I was treated this way. It’s made me feel as if breast feeding is the wrong thing to do.”

The pharmacist at Canning Chemist in Beastmarket Hill, Nottingham, who asked not to be named’ confirmed he covered the breastfeeding mum with a towel but denied ‘throwing’ the towel.

He said: “It was held in front of her to cover her. Nothing was thrown at them. We’re a pharmacy, we don’t throw things over our customers.”

We have all ages that come in from young to old. We didn’t realise we were offending them but apparently so.

People can do that in public if they wish. But because we had customers we felt it was appropriate.

We asked the pharmacist if he agreed stigmas surrounding nursing can only change if mums have the confidence to breastfeed in the open.

He responded: “We’re not against it at all. The culture may change and one day there will be breast feeding in the Market Square. It’s something I felt was appropriate to do, we’ve offered it in the past and it’s been okay. Often people have their own shawls and cover up themselves.”

Nottinghamshire NHS’s breastfeeding team said: “Breastfeeding is more than just a valuable food. Responding to your baby’s need for love, comfort and food helps their brain to develop and make healthy connections. Babies need to feel safe and loved.”