A mum travelling on the London Underground said she felt 'invisible' when no one offered her a seat while she was breastfeeding. Samantha Holmes, 29, was left standing while trying to feed baby Celine as the Metropolitan line train rocked back and forth.
Despite being in plain sight, Samantha claims that none of the other passengers even acknowledged her as she fed her standing up while travelling near Finchley Road, Camden. She and her husband Jarred, 35, eventually got off the train.
Samantha, a nurse from Nottinghamshire and mum-of-two who was visiting London, shared: "It was about 7pm at night on the way back on the Tube. Our daughter had had some bad trapped wind and nothing I was doing was consoling her."
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She expressed her struggle by saying: "So we were standing initially and I'd expected someone to give me a seat with her being so hysterical. But no acknowledgement, and I just said to my husband I'd have to feed her."
Expressing her disbelief, she recalled: "It's hard enough to keep your balance on your own, never mind whilst trying to feed a two-month-old child. That's when I said to my husband, 'take a photo of this' as I couldn't believe it. I felt invisible - could anyone even see me?"
Reflecting on the incident, she pointed out: "Everyone had their heads down. I'm comfortable breastfeeding so that doesn't affect me. But for some people that are nervous to feed in public - that could have caused them to stop breastfeeding." Showing her frustration, she concluded: "I just couldn't believe it. My blood was boiling."
The Transport for London website advises that all its transport services have marked priority seats for those who need them. They suggest: "If one isn't available, ask if someone will give up a seat." and "You can apply for a Please Offer Me a Seat badge and card or a Baby on Board badge to help you get a seat if you need one."
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