Mother's anger at being criticised for formula-feeding

Rosie Boys, 32, was shopping in Aldi in Lewes on Monday, when her 11-week-old baby girl, Darcy, became unsettled because she was due a feed.

Rosie said: “I had already prepared her bottle at home, so took it out to give it to her at the checkout, when a man in his mid-50s came right up to me and said “naughty.”

“I asked what he meant and he said I knew what I was doing and that bottle-feeding my baby is naughty.

“I was really gobsmacked and completely overwhelmed that he had the cheek to say something like that to a young mum.

“My friend was with me, but not close enough to hear him or I know she would have defended me.

“I was just trying to do my shopping on a Monday morning, I was so shocked, I’m just a mum trying to do her best.”

The Patcham mum-of-two, told The Argus she was sleep deprived and too tired to get into a discussion with the man.

She said: “I quite rudely told him “whatever” and he walked away.

“Sometimes people are just looking for an argument, but I didn’t have the energy at the time.”

Still angry when she got home, Rosie contacted The Argus to tell us about her experience.

Rosie, who also has a six-year old daughter called Emily, chose to switch to bottle-feeding after breast-feeding baby Darcy for the first six weeks of her life.

She said: “I did it for convenience really.

“I have to spend time with my other daughter too, there’s the school run, homework to do and keeping her entertained.”

The pro-choice mum said she felt pressured to breastfeed by healthcare professionals when her baby was born.

“It’s ridiculous I should feel that way,” she said. “Everyone seems to have an opinion on how I feed my baby, but it is my choice.”

Rosie’s husband, James Boys, 44, said “I was shocked to hear this man approached Rosie and feel he should have minded his own business.

“As a father you do feel a bit left out when it comes to feeding the baby so it’s nice to be able to help.”