Motherhood Maternity

[Blucactus]

just wanted to share a good mall experience i had!
nak
dh and babyman and i were at the mall yesterday. we walked into motherhood maternity to browse, and babyman started fussing. i was talking quitly to dh who was holding him about whether he needed to eat right then or if i should wait to get in the car since we were just about to leave anyway (there was nowhere to sit and i was wearing a medium-length skirt that was impossible to sit on the ground modestly in & still comfortably nurse). the sales girl heard us talking softly and said, "oh is he hungry, you can feed him in here, the last dressing room on the end is empty..." she was really encouraging us to just feed him. it turned out he did need to eat RIGHT THEN so we all went into the last dressing room and there was a nice chair for me to sit it and room for dh to stand to keep me company. we kept the door open and i noticed they had a sticker on the mirror that said 'breastfeeding welcome here.' anyway, i have heard a lot of complaints here on mdc about this store, and wanted to share my positive experience with them--the girl on duty anyhow, was eager to inform us that i could certainly feed him and made sure i knew she and the store were fine with it and supportive. i thought it was nice. i didn't feel like she was trying to shut me in the dressing room, just that it was the only place to sit.

[clicksab]

I'm glad you had a good experience! Before I was really comfortable NIP I would always duck into the Motherhood Maternity store to nurse. They never even hassled me about the fact that that was the ONLY reason I was going in...they always seemed glad I had a place to go to feed my hungry babe, and so was I!

[rmzbm]

[ollineeba]

That's great to hear

[Momtwice]

They have been selling moms' contact info to formula companies for several years so it's nice to hear something nice about them...but at the corporate level, they care more about money than supporting breastfeeding.

It is a nice story and a step in the right direction though!

[ananas]

Sounds like a good experience

[APmomto3boys]

Originally Posted by Momtwice

They have been selling moms' contact info to formula companies for several years so it's nice to hear something nice about them...but at the corporate level, they care more about money than supporting breastfeeding.

It is a nice story and a step in the right direction though!

That is what I was going to say!

[imatulip]

dressing rooms were always one of my favorite places to go nurse before i was able to to feel comfortable nip. glad they were helpful. i always hated the "required" name and address thing at that store though.

[silverspook]

Our Motherhood is the same way!

[hollytheteacher]

Originally Posted by Blucactus

just wanted to share a good mall experience i had!
nak
dh and babyman and i were at the mall yesterday. we walked into motherhood maternity to browse, and babyman started fussing. i was talking quitly to dh who was holding him about whether he needed to eat right then or if i should wait to get in the car since we were just about to leave anyway (there was nowhere to sit and i was wearing a medium-length skirt that was impossible to sit on the ground modestly in & still comfortably nurse). the sales girl heard us talking softly and said, "oh is he hungry, you can feed him in here, the last dressing room on the end is empty..." she was really encouraging us to just feed him. it turned out he did need to eat RIGHT THEN so we all went into the last dressing room and there was a nice chair for me to sit it and room for dh to stand to keep me company. we kept the door open and i noticed they had a sticker on the mirror that said 'breastfeeding welcome here.' anyway, i have heard a lot of complaints here on mdc about this store, and wanted to share my positive experience with them--the girl on duty anyhow, was eager to inform us that i could certainly feed him and made sure i knew she and the store were fine with it and supportive. i thought it was nice. i didn't feel like she was trying to shut me in the dressing room, just that it was the only place to sit.

I just had the exact same experience at the one in my town (burlington, VT)

[christifav]

Originally Posted by imatulip

dressing rooms were always one of my favorite places to go nurse before i was able to to feel comfortable nip. glad they were helpful. i always hated the "required" name and address thing at that store though.

Last time I went there it was just to buy nursing wear and I told the sales clerk that I wasn't preggo and didn't want the sample bag, thank you. She said "no problem" and didn't pressure me at all.

I'm glad you had a good nursing experience there.

[gini1313]

Originally Posted by imatulip

dressing rooms were always one of my favorite places to go nurse before i was able to to feel comfortable nip. glad they were helpful. i always hated the "required" name and address thing at that store though.

The last time I was there, they asked me if I wanted to give my name and address so I "could get free stuff like formula and diapers." That wasn't offensive to me, but I thought the saleswoman must not be too bright because all I was buying was a nursing bra, lol...

[pammysue]

Originally Posted by Momtwice

They have been selling moms' contact info to formula companies for several years so it's nice to hear something nice about them...but at the corporate level, they care more about money than supporting breastfeeding.

It is a nice story and a step in the right direction though!

You can opt out of that stuff tho...you still have to give name address. I bought clothes there in Oct. and made it very clear (but politely) that I did not want to be on any mailing lists or receive any samples and I have not heard a peep since. The cashier did look at me cross eyed when I told her I would be exclusively breastfeeding and cloth diapering. Then I got a mini-lecture on not wearing a underwire during preg. b/c then my milk would not come in. Uh-huh.

I do agree with corporate caring more about money...that is why after that 5-10 minute ordeal of having all these advertisements and pamphlets thrown at me when all I wanted to do was pay, I will not purchase from them any more.

[bigeyes]

Originally Posted by pammysue

I do agree with corporate caring more about money...that is why after that 5-10 minute ordeal of having all these advertisements and pamphlets thrown at me when all I wanted to do was pay, I will not purchase from them any more.

I thought they were still on the boycott list for being hypocrites after they mistreated a pregnant employee a while back.

Maybe they're trying to improve their image. OP, I'm glad you had a good experience.

[pammysue]

Originally Posted by bigeyes

I thought they were still on the boycott list for being hypocrites after they mistreated a pregnant employee a while back.

I had no idea...do you have a link?

[Da WIC Lady]

Originally Posted by bigeyes

I thought they were still on the boycott list for being hypocrites after they mistreated a pregnant employee a while back.

Maybe they're trying to improve their image. OP, I'm glad you had a good experience.

Boycott list? They're the only place I can walk in and try on nursing wear before I buy it. Nobody else in town carries it on the rack, and I've learned my lesson with mail order. I realize that a corporation is going to want to make money in whatever way they can. I don't like the idea of them selling my contact information either, and opt out of their "offers from our partners" or however they phrase it. There are a lot more damaging things in the world than the annoyance of a little junk mail. As to the mistreatment of employees, I hadn't heard anything about that. That is something to get up in arms over.

I've always had a wonderful experience at all of the Motherhood locations I've shopped, though the best had to be the last time I was in there. I was 5 days postpartum shopping for something to wear to my granddaddy's funeral. They couldn't have been more helpful or accommodating in helping me find something that was appropriate and fit my still so big belly and could nurse in. I'm glad that I'm not the only one that has had a good experience with them.

Anna

[veganf]

Originally Posted by pammysue

You can opt out of that stuff tho...you still have to give name address.

No you don't. I never have. I just say I'm paying cash and I will not give them my info and they continue on with the transaction.

[katiedidbug]

OP-I'm glad you had such a great experience. I think the stickers are a nice touch, too.

[llamalluv]

Originally Posted by pammysue

You can opt out of that stuff tho...you still have to give name address.

You NEVER have to give that information when doing a cash and carry purchase. The only time you HAVE to give out your name and address is when you are arranging for delivery. If the store insists on it, you can either forgo the purchase, or give them a bad address.

I never use my real address on those grocery store card applications. I use 742 Evergreen Terrace or 1313 Mockingbird Lane.

To my husband's amusement, we found out that the Dominick's and Jewel cards are interchangeable. Which led to the following exchange at the cashier stand one day:

Me: I forgot my Jewel card - just use my Dominick's card.
Cashier: It won't work.
Me: Yes, it will, I've done it before.
Cashier: Well, it will work, but not really.
Me: Just use it - it works. I get all the discounts you advertise.
Cashier: Yeah, but it messes up your account and you won't get the mailed coupons.
Me: I don't use them because even with coupons the products are too expensive or not things that I use. And what makes you think you even have my real address on file, anyway? All your coupons are going to Marge Simpson.
Cashier: You can't do that!
Me: (reaching over and scanning my own Dominick's card) I just did. Please ring me up, or call your manager over so I can complain about your attitude.

[bigeyes]

Originally Posted by pammysue

I had no idea...do you have a link?

It's worse than I thought. The one I knew about was a woman who worked for them and was treated lousy when she was pregnant. Apparently they also don't hire pregnant women if they know about it when they interview. :

http://www.eeoc.gov/press/1-8-07.html

http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1123504530160
http://www.sptimes.com/2007/01/14/St...thing_re.shtml
http://www.lawcash.com/attorney/4197...rk-lawsuit.asp
http://www.spokesmanreview.com/news-...15&date=052103

This is the only link I have found so far to the story I remembered from 2005
it's to a blog. The manager for one of their stores was fired for wearing a pair of tennis shoes because her (pregnant) feet were swollen. :

http://pregnancyweekly.blogspot.com/...1_archive.html

I'm still searching for a better link, I'm fairly certain she won her case as well. They have a history of violating the rights and just plain being nasty to the very women they make their living from. And I threw in one about religious discrimination that I found as well. Nice folks.