Mum posts selfie on Facebook shaming passengers for making her breastfeed standing up

A FRUSTRATED mother has hit out at passengers on a train for not letting her sit down and forcing her to breastfeed her child while standing.

AN angry mother has taken to Facebook to share her frustrations after being forced to stand on a train and breastfeed her baby because the people around her refused to give up their seats.

Essex woman Bryony Esther posted a picture to Facebook on Saturday showing herself standing on a crowded train attempting to breastfeed her 15-month-old while a group of passengers sit in the surrounding seats.

In the post she claims that a group of men were taking up spare seats with their suitcases, which they were “rolling joints” on, and the man sitting behind her was letting his bike roll into her as she was trying to feed her child.

“Having to stand on a train while breastfeeding my baby thanks to the lovely bunch of charmers giving more priority to their suitcases and rolling joints!! It stinks. Plus the cyclist with a fancy bike that keeps rolling into me, sat in the disabled seat,” she wrote.

“Please share cos I’d love it if their mothers, girlfriends and wives get to see how they behave.”

Esther, who also had her five-year-old daughter with her, said that when she politely asked a passenger if they could move their suitcase so she could sit down they ignored her. When a commenter asked if they may not have realised she was breastfeeding the mother said they “1000% knew”.

“The ones staring at my breasts making me feel incredibly uncomfortable were quite aware thank you,” she wrote in the comment section.

She claims that, not only did the group refuse to let her sit down, one of the men was staring at her and making her uncomfortable while she breastfed.

The photo has gained a lot of attention, accruing over 36,000 shares since it was uploaded on Saturday, with people quick to share their views on Esther’s experience.

“So sorry you have to experience such selfish inconsiderate behaviour! I wonder what world we live in most days lately,” one Facebook user said.

“I remember many journeys on the train breastfeeding standing up even while heavily pregnant. It’s not a great feeling. Sorry you have experienced the same,” another commenter shared.

Other commenters pointed out that the bike was in the correct place on the train, with one user saying: “It does suck that people won’t give up seats ... however, you are standing in the place on the train where people are supposed to put bikes. A place where there are only 3 seats that whole end.”

Esther was travelling with her two children aged 15-months and five years.

According to Esther, after the post went viral she got messages from strangers telling her that her child “looks too old to be breastfeeding” and calling her an “exhibitionist”.

People apparently told her “that’s disgusting, put it away” and others suggested that she could avoid the situation by getting a car.

Esther said that this isn’t the first time something like this has happened on public transport and she was following her friend’s advice by taking a photo next time she was in a similar situation, in order to make others aware of this issue.