My friend and I stopped at the mall today to look for a bathing suit for dd for our trip to Hawaii, and we passed by Victoria's Secret. I love their undies, they last forever, and they're having their semi-annual sale, so I figured I'd pop in and see if they have any sexy bras in my size (36-38 D.) Well, they didn't, they were all bland, plain colored bras (if I wanted to pay $25 for a plain bra, I'd buy a nursing one from Motherhood, at least it would do something) and I was a little bummed out. 
My friend was shopping around their fragrance section and Emily got restless. There weren't any benches outside of the store, so I went to the back to find a dressing room. I asked the attendent for one to nurse my baby and she said they were all full. There was enough room in the area where you wait for a dressing room that I just said I'd settle down on the floor and nurse her there, that I'm not shy. Another one of the women working there said, "No, you'll need to use the restroom," and proceeded to unlock the employee bathroom. I firmly said, "No! I don't eat in the restroom, she's not going to eat in the restroom!" Magically, a dressing room opened up after that, we nursed and left (without buying anything, my friend had a bunch of stuff she was going to buy but when she heard the story, she got mad and said she didn't want to get anything.)
Well, my wallet had fallen out of my purse in the store somehow, and $20 was missing when I got it back (convenient, eh?) So, I called the store to complain and was talking to the manager, she said there was no way to check because the store doesn't have video cameras. I brought up the subject that someone asked me to go to the bathroom to nurse and she said, "Well, she was probably concerned that a patron would be offended." I got SOOOO mad at that! My friend said she thought I was going to blow up at the lady with the look on my face (I'm on the phone with her.) I said, "Excuse me? You have half naked women in your commercials, your mannequins and models show more in your lingerie that you have for display and sale than I do when I'm nursing. I'm using my breasts for the very reason they were made, to feed babies, not to lure men!" I went on to her about how she needs to let her staff know that it's inappropriate to ask a nursing woman to use the restroom, and if a patron complains, they can politely tell them to look the other way.
Later this afternoon, I was talking to a woman (just struck up a conversation with a new mama) and I told her what happened. She ff, but she said that with all the media coverage on bfing women being asked to go elsewhere, you'd think companies would start to cover their butts a little better.
I'm going to be calling VS's corporate offices to complain. I know it's happening at other stores, and apparently they need to retrain their staff.

My friend was shopping around their fragrance section and Emily got restless. There weren't any benches outside of the store, so I went to the back to find a dressing room. I asked the attendent for one to nurse my baby and she said they were all full. There was enough room in the area where you wait for a dressing room that I just said I'd settle down on the floor and nurse her there, that I'm not shy. Another one of the women working there said, "No, you'll need to use the restroom," and proceeded to unlock the employee bathroom. I firmly said, "No! I don't eat in the restroom, she's not going to eat in the restroom!" Magically, a dressing room opened up after that, we nursed and left (without buying anything, my friend had a bunch of stuff she was going to buy but when she heard the story, she got mad and said she didn't want to get anything.)
Well, my wallet had fallen out of my purse in the store somehow, and $20 was missing when I got it back (convenient, eh?) So, I called the store to complain and was talking to the manager, she said there was no way to check because the store doesn't have video cameras. I brought up the subject that someone asked me to go to the bathroom to nurse and she said, "Well, she was probably concerned that a patron would be offended." I got SOOOO mad at that! My friend said she thought I was going to blow up at the lady with the look on my face (I'm on the phone with her.) I said, "Excuse me? You have half naked women in your commercials, your mannequins and models show more in your lingerie that you have for display and sale than I do when I'm nursing. I'm using my breasts for the very reason they were made, to feed babies, not to lure men!" I went on to her about how she needs to let her staff know that it's inappropriate to ask a nursing woman to use the restroom, and if a patron complains, they can politely tell them to look the other way.
Later this afternoon, I was talking to a woman (just struck up a conversation with a new mama) and I told her what happened. She ff, but she said that with all the media coverage on bfing women being asked to go elsewhere, you'd think companies would start to cover their butts a little better.
I'm going to be calling VS's corporate offices to complain. I know it's happening at other stores, and apparently they need to retrain their staff.











VS stated that they are not anti-breastfeeding and issued some sort of apology. They said that there was just a misunderstanding on the part of the employee. It looks like not only the employee is screwed up in this situation, but the manager too, which is why I think it calls for more drastic action.

I almost just choked on my soup!
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