Breastfeeding mother surprised by stranger's random act of kindness

Briar McQueen shared her experience in Facebook post which has been liked more than 300,000 times

Friday 03 June 2016 17:54 BST

(Rex Features)

When Briar McQueen was approached by an elderly woman in a cafe while breastfeeding her eight-week-old son, she thought she was about to be told to cover up.

But the mother from New Zealand was surprised and delighted when the stranger offered her words of kindness instead.

The woman also cut up Ms McQueen’s food for her as she continued to feed her son, so she could eat it before it went cold.

“Today was the first time I went out for breakfast alone with my eight week old son,” Ms McQueen wrote in a Facebook post, which went viral and has now been liked more than 300,000 times.

“I had just received my breakfast and hot chocolate when Jaxon started crying wanting his booby so of course I fed him, after a few minutes this older lady walked up to me.

“I was scared, thinking she was gonna tell me to put my boob away, instead she starts cutting up my breakfast for me and said, ‘what a good mama you are, we can't have your food getting cold can we.”

Ms McQueen said she was nearly moved to tears by the random act of kindness.

“I honestly could have cried [...] loveliest lady ever,” she wrote.

Thousands of social media users shared and commented on the post, with some describing times when they had been criticised for breastfeeding in public.

“Love this,” wrote a Facebook user called Bekie Murray. “I got tutted at by an older couple once in a costa for feeding my son. I was also alone and felt awful.”

Another user, called Nicola D’Costa, wrote: “I'm still angry about the old bag who stomped out of a coffee shop where I was discreetly breastfeeding my daughter saying I was disgusting and had put her off her morning coffee three years ago.”

A YouGov survey found that more than 75% of people in the UK believe breastfeeding is acceptable in public.

Breastfeeding in public controversies

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1/11Breastfeeding in public controversies

Breastfeeding in public controversies

A woman has sparked a heated debate among parents after she revealed that she breastfeeds both her and her friend's son. Jessica Colletti, from Pennsylvania, said nursing Charlie Interrante's son “seemed like the natural thing to do” because she was already breastfeeding her son. Colletti told the Mama Bean parenting blog that she asked permission to nurse Interrante’s son when she began looking after him, after they met at a photoshoot for new mothers. Interrante agreed as her son had not taken to formula milk

Breastfeeding in public controversies

New Hampshire State Rep. Josh Moore said on Facebook that men should be allowed to grab the nipples of breastfeeding mothers if the law banning women exposing their breasts did not pass

Breastfeeding in public controversies

When Gemma Colley's photo of her son with fake tan on his fake after she breastfeed him went viral, she also saw that no parent is alone when they make a silly mistake. Over 100,000 people liked and 40,000 people shared Ms Colley’s photo of her son’s sleepy face with fake tan encircling his mouth and nose, after she posted it to the Unmumsy Mum Facebook page

Breastfeeding in public controversies

A candid image of a mother breastfeeding her young child while using the toilet has divided parents online, as some argue it’s an honest depiction of parenthood, while others have labelled it “disgusting”

Breastfeeding in public controversies

The exclusive Claridge’s hotel has been widely criticised for asking a woman to cover herself with a “ridiculous shroud” while breastfeeding her three-month-old daughter. Lousie Burns said she burst into tears when staff members at the five-star venue asked her to cover herself and her baby with an oversized napkin in order to avoid “causing offence” to other guests

Breastfeeding in public controversies

An Australian café has been praised for sticking up for a breastfeeding mother after a customer told her to cover up. Jessica-Anne Allen, owner of Cheese and Biscuits Café in Queensland, Australia, has described how she was approached by a male customer in the café to complain that he was upset by a woman in the coffee shop breastfeeding her child nearby. The customer asked the café owner, 29, to tell the mother to cover up. When Mrs Allen refused to do so, he took matters into his own hands and challenged the woman himself. Staff at the café then asked the man to leave

Breastfeeding in public controversies

A woman who claimed a Primark security guard had forcibly removed her child while she was breastfeeding has admitted to perverting the course of justice. Caroline Starmer sparked a series of headlines after claiming on Facebook that a store guard had taken her nine-month-old daughter Paige away from her. The mother from Leicester then repeated her claims in a number of interviews, before Primark denied the incident and handed CCTV over to the police to show there was no evidence to support the allegations. Appearing in Leicester Crown Court, she admitted the charge of perverting the course of justice by not telling the truth

Breastfeeding in public controversies

Pope Francis has become an unlikely advocate for public breastfeeding, by encouraging mothers to feed their babies in the Sistine Chapel. During a ceremony in Vatican City on Sunday, the Pope baptised 32 babies and told their mothers: “If they are hungry, mothers, feed them, without thinking twice, because they are the most important people here”

Breastfeeding in public controversies

Facebook has changed its community guidelines to allow users to post photos of breastfeeding. The change comes as the wide-ranging #FreeTheNipple online campaign has built pace in its attack against guidelines used by social media websites to regulate nudity – from photos of breastfeeding to topless photos post by singer Rihanna’s on her now defunct Instagram account. Facebook’s Community Standards, which outline what users are allowed to post, never included a outright ban on photos of breastfeeding

Breastfeeding in public controversies

The manager of a public swimming pool at the Lux Park centre in Liskeardhas been forced to apologise after he told a mother to stop breastfeeding her son by the waterside. 23-year-old Rebecaa Hough of Torpoint, Cornwall, was feeding 10-month-old Max a few steps from the main pool, when the manager told her to carry on in the changing rooms in case the infant was sick into the water. She was also told that she should not to return for half an hour to ensure the milk was fully digested

Breastfeeding in public controversies

A Conservative MP has claimed allowing women to breastfeed in the House of Commons chamber would expose politicians to “tabloid ridicule”. Sir Simon Burns, a former transport minister, spoke on what he called a “controversial subject” in a debate in making Westminster more family-friendly

In December 2014, Nigel Farage caused controversy by saying women should not be “openly ostentatious” while breastfeeding.

This was after a woman was asked to cover herself with a shroud while breastfeeding her three-month-old daughter at Claridge’s hotel in central London.

Subsequently, a mass breastfeeding protest was held outside the high-end venue.

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