[swimswamswum]

So, I bought some shorts this weekend from Motherhood Maternity. The sales women were incredibly pushy and when I was paying they kept asking me for all kinds of personal information. First it was my phone number. I said, I would rather not give you that. Then it was my address. Again, I said, I would rather not receive anything from you, I just want these shorts. The woman said, oh, well, we'll send you a gift basket if you do. I said, I don't want the gift basket. She said, well it's got great stuff like formula and coupons for formula. I said, I would rather not receive that, I just want these shorts. Then she said, well the hospital is going to give it to you anyway, so you might as well get it from us too. I was so mad that I just stared at her. I didn't have the energy to say that I wasn't going to a hospital. I just repeated that I only wanted the shorts.<br><br>
I am so freaking pissed off. I will NEVER buy another thing from them. I actually thought about returning the shorts (because I kept getting more upset when I thought about the situation), but DH and I did the Race for the Cure yesterday and it was warm and I needed shorts.<br><br>
How dare they undermine pregnant women's breast feeding relationships for some evil formula company? <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/soapbox.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="soapbox"> What a bunch of freaking hypocrites to sell nursing pumps and bras and pads and then send everyone of their customers formula!! My fetus is not a potential customer! I think I'm going to write a letter to the head of that stupid store and let them know exactly why they've lost a customer. Grrrrrrrrrrr.

 

[runes]

i had the SAME experience as you, and i did contact customer service (through their website) about it. i never heard back from them. in the meantime, they sold my address to parents magazine so i ended up getting that nasty rag for a while, i kept trying to cancel my gift subscription and they still kept sending it to me <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/irked.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="irked">:.<br><br>
i would definitely write to them, though. don't expect a response, but i'm sure some number cruncher back at headquarters knows how many irate breastfeeding moms have gotten in touch with them.<br><br>
the other thing that i gripe about them is that they have this huge selection of ($$) pregnancy clothes and the [email protected] that they sell for nursing clothing is abysmal.

 

[rmzbm]

<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/hopmad.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="hopping mad"> Ick. I'm no Motherhood fan anyhow. (Though I LOVE their tanks!)

 

[ASusan]

I think every newly pregnant mother needs to hear this story as a warning.<br><br>
I had already had an inkling about Motherhood Maternity practices, so when I bought a pair of pants there, I used cash and denied to give them any information.<br><br>
If I want/need to purchase something from them in the future, I will be sure to use cash.<br><br>
ETA: Do you think they are partially owned by a forumla company? Or there is a shared parent company? Or, are they just paid by formula companies to share information?

 

[swimswamswum]

I talked to a good IRL friend about this and she gave me a nice list of regular clothing stores around us that have nice (and often cheaper) maternity clothes and don't sell your information (she also gave me a bunch of her clothes <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile">). She said Kohl's had a ton of stuff and also recommended Target, Younkers, Penny's, and Sears. I don't know why, but I didn't really think about the fact that regular stores have maternity stuff. She's also taking me nursing bra shopping to show me which bras were the most comfortable and easy to use. I will not be back to that place, no matter what.

 

[Juvysen]

I do most of my maternity shopping at old navy (I find the clothes are cheaper and fit me better) but, of course, while they don't care about whether you plan on nursing or formula feeding (no samples coming from them, no nursing clothes available, although I wish they did) they DO have their own problems w/sweat shops, right? If I could sew worth anything I'd probably be sewing a lot of my maternity stuff.

 

[artgoddess]

It's really dumb. Do they not understand that they aren't going to sell a lot of nursing tops if they undermine women who intend to breast feed?<br><br>
I second the Kohl's recommendation, I got a couple of breezy tops there I like.

 

[stillill]

OK. I have to breath slowly so my blood doesn't boil.<br><br>
I had the same pushy experience when I was prego. They tried to get me to sign up for some credit card and when i told then no, the sales lady said "why wouldn't you want to save for your child's education"..Apparently this credit card put a portion of your spending into some account. BOOOO. Rude. I told her I thought her sales tactics were lacking and she informed me she was a REGIONAL SALES MANAGER. Lame. OK so then....<br><br><br><br>
8 days after delivering my daughter via emergency c-section after a long unmedicated frank breech labor.....<br><br>
I needed a nice skirt to wear to a family Christmas gathering that didn't squeeze me. With no local resources I dreadfully decided to haul my NEWBORN child and HUGE sutured wound 40 minutes to the stinking mall and.....<br><br>
While shopping I felt some leakage in my panties and decided I'd better check my pads and dressings in the fitting room with my NEWBORN.<br><br>
When I came out, I heard the SALES LADY say.."some people think they can change their kids diaper anywhere."<br><br><br>
ROAR!!!!! Needless to say I shot off an e-mail because I was afraid of how I might act if I addressed the sales ladies directly... I got no response either. Boooooo. This store is so lame. I don't care if I have to go naked I am NOT buying anything from them.<br><br>
Just typing this makes me so mad and I am typically a mellow person....

 

[swimswamswum]

Here's a c&p of the e-mail I sent to their customer service:<br><br>
To whom this may concern,<br><br>
While paying for my purchase at your Okemos, MI store on Saturday April 28th, I encountered pushy sales people who did not understand why I would not want to share my private information to receive a "gift basket" of formula. I will be breastfeeding my baby. I have no interest in receiving formula. I am disgusted that your store sells nursing clothes, pumps, bras, and breast pads and also supports a practice that undermines women's breastfeeding relationships. Formula companies send formula to new mothers hoping that they give up on breastfeeding and start buying more formula. My fetus is not a potential formula customer.<br><br>
I am disgusted that your store supports this practice. I will not be back. I will not give Motherhood any more business and I have encouraged all of my friends to join me in this boycott. I hope that you change this practice soon. It is disgusting.<br><br>
-swimswamswum (I signed my real name)<br><br>
Here's the link to the company e-mail if anyone else has had similar experiences:<br><br><a href="http://www.motherhood.com/Shop_CustomerService/SendEmailToCorporate.asp" target="_blank">http://www.motherhood.com/Shop_Custo...oCorporate.asp</a>

 

[^guest^]

This is their standard business practice. They are a subsidiary of Mother's Work ( <a href="http://www.motherswork.com" target="_blank">http://www.motherswork.com</a> ) and I would not doubt if they have a partnership with the brands of formula (what was it, similac I think? Can't remember) featured in their "gift basket". I had the same issue, when I first started needing maternity clothes, they were the only place I could find that carried anything more fashionable than a flowery mu-mu. When they were taking my personal information the first time, I didn't think anything of it. Toys R us does the same as well as some other places I've shopped and never had a problem with. I assumed they had a catalog or some such that I would be sent. Then I got the gift baskets, the Parents mag, Working Mother (which, har dee har har, I started getting after I was fired. Oh, my iron knee), and a host of other junk I had no interest in. Expect this kind of behavior from any of the stores which carry Mother's Work brands (see the site for a full list). Not that many of us could afford to shop at Pea in a Pod anyways, lol. But, it's good to know who to boycott <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile">

 

[Juvysen]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>stillill</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/7993859"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;"><br><br>
While shopping I felt some leakage in my panties and decided I'd better check my pads and dressings in the fitting room with my NEWBORN.<br><br>
When I came out, I heard the SALES LADY say.."some people think they can change their kids diaper anywhere."<br><br><br>
ROAR!!!!! Needless to say I shot off an e-mail because I was afraid of how I might act if I addressed the sales ladies directly... I got no response either. Boooooo. This store is so lame. I don't care if I have to go naked I am NOT buying anything from them.<br><br>
Just typing this makes me so mad and I am typically a mellow person....</div>
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Funny... the Motherhood Maternity store in my town is *ALWAYS* where I take my child to change her and nurse her. They don't seem to care (or if they do, I've never been approached or heard anything), and they have signs around saying that breastfeeding mothers are welcome to nurse there. I rarely buy anything... just use it as a changing station<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol">

 

[Jennifer3141]

I actually like to shop there. I like to play with the clerks.<br><br>
When they get to that point, I always exclaim loudly, "OMG, people actually FEED their babies that crap?!? You have got to be kidding me!!! I would never put something so harmful into my infant!!! That's disgusting!! How many babies are you harming by giving away that free crap?! Of course it's free, no thinking mom would CHOOSE to give that to their baby." Etc. Etc. Etc.<br><br>
Be as loud as possible. They really, really like that. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/demon.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="demon"><br><br>
I once bought an entire outfit piece by piece everyday that way. They just LUUURRVVED me.<br><br>
And um, then I returned the outfit. But I did it all in one trip because I was kind of tired of treking to the mall every other day.<br><br>
Jennifer3141, "Customer extraordinaire!" <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol">

 

[Dimples_2005]

I can't stand MM. Their nursing bras are like torture devices and they ask for more personal info than a mortgage lender. They get nasty when you decline giving them your info too. I'd rather wobble and leak than buy anything there again.<br><br>
They made me sign something indicating I understood their nonsense return policy, rather than signing my initials I wrote fuck you in my nicest handwriting. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/loveeyes.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Loveeyes">:

 

[swimswamswum]

Dimples and Jennifer, you're both cracking me up!

 

[pixiesmommy]

I bought a nursing shirt from them when dd was about 4 weeks old or so and they asked me to go into the changing room to nurse rather than sit on their comfy couch in the front of the store. I did it because I didn't know any better, but I have not since been back!<br><br>
'Manda

 

[jeanine123]

<div style="margin:20px;margin-top:5px;">
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<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="99%"><tr><td class="alt2" style="border:1px inset;">
<div>Originally Posted by <strong>swimswamswum</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/7993753"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">I talked to a good IRL friend about this and she gave me a nice list of regular clothing stores around us that have nice (and often cheaper) maternity clothes and don't sell your information (she also gave me a bunch of her clothes <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile">). She said Kohl's had a ton of stuff and also recommended Target, Younkers, Penny's, and Sears. I don't know why, but I didn't really think about the fact that regular stores have maternity stuff. She's also taking me nursing bra shopping to show me which bras were the most comfortable and easy to use. I will not be back to that place, no matter what.</div>
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Kohl's sells the "Oh Baby!" brand by Motherhood.

 

[swimswamswum]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>jeanine123</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/7994540"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">Kohl's sells the "Oh Baby!" brand by Motherhood.</div>
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Yeah, I just saw that on the link provided above. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/irked.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="irked">:

 

[devster4fun]

Oh they looooooved me at my local store.<br><br>
I had to buy quite a bit of maternity stuff, since I was still working in a corporate enviornment. I actually took the gift bags, since they had free Intuition Razors. (These were awesome for leg shaving while I was preggo)<br>
Pitched the rest of the crap....and told them a Coverdell savings account and NO credit debt is the best way to save for a college education.<br><br>
When I went to get bras (before delivery) the lady said I should wait. WHY?<br><br>
Let me quote, "You don't know if the whole nursing thing is going to work out or not!"<br><br>
Let's just say she got a famous, patented soapbox from me. I told her that was exactly the type of attitude and self-doubt I was trying to avoid. I strongly believe if you think you will fail (even a glimmer or hint of failure) the chances go way up for failing.

 

[earthmommy2]

I hate hate hate MM...I started hateing them after my first pregnancy, when everything made me look like a huge @$$ cow when Target started selling the Liz Lange collection that is what I started to wear and felt better about myself...because I didn't feel like I had to MOOO as I walked.<br><br>
I went to buy a nursing bra, but my boulders broke the holder and I was trying to nurse in my regular bra until I got my current one...I hate the fact that the girls that work at our local MM are teens who have no knowledge of pregnancy as it is...<br><br>
I also find it funny that they have a breast feeding welcome sticker in the window yet ask you to do it in the dressing room....I'd rather sit in the play area of our local mall watching my toddler play as I nurse DS even if I have to cover up a bit more than I would at home (again big ol' boulders and I"m not a NIP pro YET!)<br><br>
ETA: They do include 1 pack of Avent breast pads (which DH used as coasters b/c I don't care for them) in thier gift bag...But that is the closest thing to BF friendly stuff.

 

[Juvysen]

I think I've only nursed (or changed my daughter) in their dressing room... once. The rest of the time I just sit in the chairs provided for those observing some pregnant lady try on tents. Of course, I usually go in there with a couple friends who also nurse and change their infants, so maybe they dont' say anything because they feel outnumbered... or maybe I just lucked out with a store that doesn't care.