In this "political correct" world, nursing mothers are being harassed in public daily for using the primary function of their breasts, to feed their children. I hear at least one story a day regarding a nursing mother being asked to leave a private or even public place or to take a seat in the bathroom. Would you take your lunch into a bathroom and sit on a toilet and eat?! Not only is a bathroom a petri dish for various germs and bacteria, but why as mothers, would we want to expose our babies and toddlers to that as their immune systems are still growing? I have even received dirty looks while nursing P-man and he was hidden under a cover. I just don't understand how individuals can walk past a Victoria Secret display with barely covered women in provocative poses, and never walk into the store and complain. However, when there's a nursing mother involved, you better believe they will be the first people to complain.
This happened to a nursing mother here. She was at the local mall and her 13-week-old baby girl got hungry, so she started breastfeeding. It didn't take long, and two mall security guards approached her, told her mall goers were uncomfortable, and she needed to finish feeding her baby in the bathroom or leave. Of course, the mother told the security guards of her rights to breastfeed her child wherever and whenever she wants, it's the law. In fact, forty-four states, the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands have laws that specifically allow women to breastfeed in any public or private location. (Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.) This was taken off the NCSL(National Conference of State Legislature) website.
Of course, the mall fired back with a written statement, and said they never once asked her to leave. However they were receiving complaints that she was "overexposed". Overexposed, really?! Sort of like these pictures hanging in window displays in your mall:
With all this said, the nursing mother harassed this past weekend at the mall, has arranged a nurse-in. It will take place this Sunday and I will be there to show my support of nursing mothers everywhere.
I'm sad P-man isn't nursing anymore. However, to show how breastfeeding is a natural primary function of our breasts, I will have a poster in hand of P-man and I sharing that close, intimate bond as well as the written Ohio law on public breastfeeding. Us, as mothers, need to stand by each other for support and guidance. We live in a different world today, compared to many, many years ago, and breasts are no longer viewed as nature, but more as sexual nudity. Please help me by showing your support and advocacy for breastfeeding mothers everywhere!
that makes me sick! I never thought about the fact that there were lingerie models all over the place, and why is breast-feeding supposed to be taboo? I think it has to do with the fact that American's are so uncomfortable with their bodies, they don't want to embrace the real reason that our bodies are here...just like women who expect their bodies to go back to "normal" right after giving birth..hello, you just grew a child and labored it, give your body a break!
ReplyDeleteBeautifully written post! I am currently breastfeeding my 13 week old daughter. I use a cover when in public, and have been lucky enough to have never been approached. This is the 3rd of my 4 babies that I have breastfed. Maybe people know they don't want to mess with me, because they would regret it LOL. I hope the nurse in goes well! If I lived close by I would be there 8)
ReplyDeleteJust a few weeks ago there was outrage over a picture of Miranda Kerr (Orlando Bloom's wife) breastfeeding their newborn son. People claimed it was disgusted and couldn't believe they had shared the picture. Yet she shows more of herself on the run way, and even in photos of herself promoting her make-up. I thought it was a beautiful modest picture of a mother sharing her bond with her newborn.
This is at the Fairfield Mall that they are doing this? Correct me if I'm wrong...or tell me where it is. I will go!
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