Ikea breastfeeding protest goes ahead despite store’s claim staff didn’t insult nursing mom

There's a truism in sociology, known as the Thomas theorem, which states essentially that if people perceive a situation as real, that situation produces real consequences.

Which explains why two dozen women held a "flash feed nurse-in" at an Ottawa Ikea store to protest the dissing of a breastfeeding mum that may or may not have happened.

The Ottawa Citizen reported some 25 nursing mothers took over the Swedish home-furnishing giant's living-room display Sunday after after Brea Rehder claimed a store staff member told her she was "being disgusting," by breastfeeding her nine-month-old daughter while in the checkout line.

Ikea initially apologized and reiterated the company supports breast-feeding in its stores. But later the company said an investigation turned up no evidence the encounter had actually happened.

[ Related: Superstore customer told to breastfeed in change room ]

Ikea spokesperson Madeleine Lowenborg-Frick told CTV News a careful review of store security footage and interviews with employees found nothing to indicate there was a confrontation like the one Rehder described.

"Even when we did find her on our security footage, there's no evidence of the interaction she's described. In fact, at no time can we see her breastfeeding her baby," Lowenborg-Frick said Saturday.

She said Rehder's child was sitting in a highchair in the store's restaurant, attended by another person, while Rehder was going through the checkout.

Rehder is sticking to her account, however, saying Ikea may have confused her with another customer.

Sunday's breastfeeding protest organized through Facebook went ahead regardless, though organizers weren't calling it that.

“We’re not saying that Ikea as a corporation has done wrong, but we’re saying clearly there’s a need for more awareness about helping nursing moms,” co-organizer Jackie Kennelly told the Citizen. “A mom doesn’t have to hide away in order to nourish her child.”

Modern retailers know better than to interfere with lactating mothers.

The H&M fashion chain's Vancouver store was the target of a similar protest in 2008, when 50 mothers held a "nurse-in" after Manuela Valle said three employees barred her from nursing in a public part of the store.

"I don't want to live a world or city where that's acceptable to shun women for breastfeeding," nursing mum Sonia Tilley-Strobel, told CBC News at the time.

H&M, like Ikea, quickly apologized.

"And it seems to be a miscommunication and a misunderstanding," spokeswoman Laura Shankland said. "Our policy is to allow breastfeeding nursing mothers to breastfeed or express milk freely in our stores."

[ Related: Poster promoting breastfeeding older kids nets praise ]

CBC News noted a B.C. Human Rights Tribunal ruling in 1997 upheld a mother's right to breastfeed anywhere.

Back in Ottawa, Ikea welcomed the mothers involved in Sunday's "nurse-in."

“We’re happy to see moms coming into the store, and we’ve always been welcoming them to breastfeed wherever they want in the store,” store manager Isabelle Auclair told the Citizen.

Many of the women said they have had positive experiences at Ikea but felt the protest was needed after Rehder's complaint produced negative reactions from some, including people saying mothers should breastfeed out of sight – in bathrooms, for instance.

“Just because you breastfeed your kid doesn’t mean you’re some radical person," participant Rebecca Wurm told the Citizen. "You’re just doing what’s healthy for your baby."