Mom denied fitting room to breastfeed—her story shows a bigger problem

For Sahana Chowdhary, a trip to a mall turned into a moment of doubt no parent should have to face. When her 8-month-old daughter Alina grew fussy, she asked to use a fitting room to nurse—but was told no.

“Fitting room is for trying on clothes, it’s not for feeding babies. I cannot give you a space—you’re not supposed to be feeding in public,” a man said in her video, as reported by ABC7.

Chowdhary pressed further, but was denied access even after explaining her needs.

“At one point, I also questioned myself—am I doing the right thing by asking them? Am I even allowed to feed in public?” she told ABC7.

Though state law clearly protects the right to breastfeed in any location a mother is otherwise allowed to be, real-world support can still fall short.

Real-world gaps in breastfeeding support

Chowdhary’s experience reflects a broader issue: legal protections exist, but many parents still face barriers—from confusion and stigma to inadequate policies in both public and workplace spaces.

• A 2025 survey by Mamava and Medela found one in three breastfeeding parents still lack access to a designated pumping space at work, despite federal protections like the PUMP Act.
• Public health data shows that while 83 percent of babies are breastfed at birth, that rate drops sharply by six months, reflecting the cumulative impact of insufficient support structures.

Parents feel the impact of these gaps on their emotions and physical well-being. Without a proper place to pump or nurse, parents can experience stress, discomfort, and disrupted milk supply.

“The brands need to train their employees,” Chowdhary told ABC7, “It is insensitive and nobody should go through what I have gone through with my baby that day.”

Why support matters

Beyond nutrition, breastfeeding strengthens family bonds and supports overall health. But when access and awareness trail behind legal rights, families pay the price—through diminished confidence, lost feeding momentum, and heightened emotional strain.

As Ellen Maughan, a breastfeeding advocate, told ABC7, “A mother is entitled to breastfeed her baby in any location of a place of public accommodation, a resort or amusement where the mother is otherwise entitled to be. We have to do a better job of getting the word out.”

Supportive environments make a difference: they correlate with longer breastfeeding duration, lower turnover, and better workplace wellbeing. Yet too many of those environments remain out of reach.

Moving forward: Collective responsibility

An apology was issued following Chowdhary’s story, but a true shift requires sustained changes:

• Train staff to understand breastfeeding rights and de-stigmatize nursing in public and private spaces.
• Provide accessible, private spaces for nursing or pumping that are clearly communicated and user-friendly.
• Raise public awareness, so parents don’t internalize stigma or doubt themselves when feeding their babies.

A national call for support

Chowdhary’s story highlights how fragile support for breastfeeding can be, even in states with strong legal protections.

Every parent deserves to feed their child with dignity and ease. Cultural understanding must catch up with legal progress—or families will continue to face unnecessary setbacks.

By sharing their experiences and advocating for better support, parents like Chowdhary help pave the way for a world where every family can feed their child with confidence and dignity.