A right to refuse a mum to bottle feed?


A recent encounter has got me thinking:


I went into my local branch of Natwest for a scheduled appointment and needed to heat up Layla's bottle as she was due for a feed. I didn't forsee that this would be a problem as I had requested this in many different places; salons, leisure centres, cafes, shops and it had never been an issue. However, when I asked for the hot water to warm her bottle up I was told due to health and safety reasons that this was not allowed. I was baffled. I reexplained that my daughter was unable to have her bottles cold so there was no way I could feed her otherwise but I was met with the same response. What I really couldn't understand is that they routinely provide customers who have a scheduled meetings, like myself, a hot beverage. I had no choice then but to leave and walk my now screaming daughter home in the pouring rain to angry and embarrassed to go into somewhere else to ask for hot water, As soon as I got home and fed her I rang Natwest to complain it took them 3 weeks to get back to me but I was told that they had every right to refuse me the hot water I required to warm my child's bottle. 

Was I wrong to be so annoyed withe this verdict? Is this as bad as a refusal to breast feed? After all by not supplying the water I required to heat the bottle I was unable to feed my child. 




Post Comment Love

9 comments:

  1. Wow, not very helpful of Natwest!

    Definitely not the same as refusal to breastfeed though, as they didn't say you couldn't feed her. Just wouldn't provide part of the means to do so.

    It will be some policy that they don't give hot drinks when children are present or something like that, but totally annoying for you. I know some mums have a thermos type bottle warmer (sorry, thats a crappy description- I breastfeed so wouldn't know where to start!)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What I found most frustrating was that the employees themselves drink hot drinks and provide hot drinks to people (when children are present) so I din't see what the difference was. Unfortunately the thermos only keeps the water hot for a short period of time as I have one built into my change bag and some that attach but thank you for the tip!

      Delete
    2. hmm..that is really strange then! Don't see the difference either, some people drink hot water, should have said it was for you then stuck the bottle in! ha ha! x

      Delete
    3. I think I will next time! Then what can they say?! Xx

      Delete
  2. I think the way they treated you is ridiculous! There is company policy and then there is common sense! You're there for a meeting so it could last a while + Layla is bound to need feeding during some point of the meeting. I think you were right to complain!

    xxxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you I just wanted an apology but still waiting. I have now switched banks because of this.

      Delete
  3. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sorry pressed return too soon. Sorry this happened to you, it must have been grim. We bottle feed the Tubblet and never had an issue when we asked for hot water etc. The whole thing seems really odd

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for reading! To not even get an apology to and I was told it was up to the manager so a different natwest might have let me?! We have moved banks to Halifax now. They were shocked when I told them what had happened

      Delete

Guest blogs/features

The butterfly mother guest post- Why breast isn't always best

DISCLAIMER