We keep hearing about it. Breast is best, try to breastfeed. We know all the studies that show children will be healthier than their formula fed counterparts. Yet in our country, working moms rarely are supported in their quest to pump their breast-milk, or liquid gold. Moms are routinely harassed when they nurse their hungry kiddos in public.
Oh, breast is ONLY best when it is done in a closet, away from other people, or under blankets. By the way, I never ever used blankets. If people were offended that was their issue, not mine. I was too busy caring for my child. But you know what? Most people would look away if they were uncomfortable, others were so happy and supportive that I openly nursed my baby.
Here is the latest story about a woman who was being a good mommy. She nursed her hungry child in public at an Applebee’s Restaurant in Kentucky. For that, another patron was SCANDALIZED, SCANDALIZED, because she saw *gasp* the woman’s breast in a baby’s mouth. Oh my goodness! Imagine that! A boob doing what it was specifically designed to do.
The manager of this Applebee’s Restaurant, knew exactly what to do. He requested the nursing mother cover herself. The mom, being an educated woman who knew the harassment nursing mommies receive ALL THE TIME, was prepared for the ignorant man. She had a copy of Kentucky’s State law that says, nursing in public is not indecent exposure. She proceeded to give him a copy of the law.
Afterwards, this awesomely dedicated mom spent TWO MONTHS working the Applebee’s chain of command. This is the letter CORPORATE sent to the woman. Be prepared:
After a second letter, a Thomas & King lawyer said the restaurant chain would consider keeping blankets in the restaurant so that breast-feeding women could cover themselves.
“It is perfectly legal to breast-feed in public and we support that,” Scanlon said. “I’m not sure the manager said cover the baby’s head, I think he said cover yourself modestly. This was by no means intended as interference, but a request to do it modestly, which I believe is an appropriate response.”
Oh yes. Some man gets to decide what is “appropriate” for a mother trying to do what is right by her child. Love it. Never mind that what is “appropriate” for the man, is completely ILLEGAL!
There will be a national nurse in at your local Applebees on Saturday, September 8. If I were still nursing my kiddo I would go in a heart beat. Nursing families unite! We HAVE to make the culture change and the only way to make change is to force change.
For the full story go to The Lactivist.
For other stories about the challenges and successes of working mothers pumping at work go here.
Thanks to MommaSteph at Momsquawk for the head’s up on this ridiculous story.
I drive by a billboard that went up about a month ago showing a smiling baby saying:
Yeah…I breastfeed in public.
Do you eat in public?
__________________________
I am not too militant on the issue. I’ve known one woman for whom it seemed breastfeeding in public was like a dog marking its territory, it just had to be the most upfront and conspicious act.
I remember not too long ago during mass a woman just started feeding her infant. She was discreet about it. It didn’t bother me in the least. It generally doesn’t bother me at all. I think the only time I’m ever bothered by it is when a woman tries to hold a conversation with me while feeding her babe. I can wait.
My wife btw prefers to go to the car. The woman I mentioned couldn’t imagine why my wife would want to go in private.
As a healthy heterosexual man who was breast fed himself, I really think the more public breasts, the better. Crude, yes. Joking, yes. You can’t say that I”m not behind public breast feeding, though.
I bet these people will watch all kinds of violence on TV and movies without batting an eye (and probably let their kids watch people being shot with guns until they are numb to the effect). And yet, see a part of the female body and its Taliban time!
The sad part is that probably the only thing going through the Applebee’s employee’s mind was whether the check for the offended person or the mom was bigger.
The “free market” just going to “work this situation out,” huh?
MZ: I am not sure what your definition of “militant” is when a woman wants to feed her baby without being harassed? No one thinks that everybody HAS to feel comfortable exposing their boobs in public when nursing their babies, but being compared to a dog marking its territory is an interesting choice of words when talking about breastfeeding mothers in public.
As a father, I am sure you know when a baby needs to eat a baby needs to eat. My baby literally was connected to me for the first 6 months of her life, I was always exposed. And her reaction when some woman tried to cover us with a blanket? “You have a problem with one boob, I will show you two!” That is exactly what my very smart daughter did. She would lift both sides of my shirt high.
For modest women, it is difficult to get used to pulling your boobs out in front of everyone, but I got over that quick, mainly because I did it ALL-THE- TIME!
Is that what breasts are for? I thought they were for titillation…
Thank you, I’ll be here all week, don’t forget to tip your waitress.
This blog is really getting to be a joke. This illustrates how anti-family our culture is? I heard driving into work this moring on Focus on the Family (that should set you folks off huh?) about all the anti-family legislation the California State Assembly is passing. They are truly building an anti-family culture out there on the left coast. The craziest one was making it a right for a man with SSA and various STD’s they commonly have to be a sperm donor. Of course the more immediate anti-family aspects could be found in the laws aimed at indoctrinating public school children regarding the joys of you know what.
back to the issue…as a father of a breastfed 21-month old, I think the American public needs to get over itself. First, the American Academy of Pediatrics, along with many international organizations state that it is preferable for a baby’s health to breastfeed for AT LEAST two years. Second, like RCM said, when a baby needs to eat, it needs to happen immediately. There is no reasoning with an infant, or sometimes even a toddler. Third, I’m sure like MM said, that the very people who are “scandalized” by this support much more scandalous and violent activity by what they watch and tolerate in other areas of life. As the father of a breastfed child, I can say that those who breastfeed in public are doing so only out of the best interest of their children. Period. It is unfortunate that some sheltered people’s feelings become more important than the health and well being of one society’s most vulnerable, and now exploited, members.
Well Tim, there are MANY ways of saying that children are not welcome. This is one example. Haven’t you heard about parents with large numbers of kids being harassed as well? All of this, plus the examples you give, are part of the Culture of Death. I don’t know why you are so upset by this example.
Thanks, PJ. And good for your wife for continuing to nurse your child! Excellent!
Sorry to take it off topic PJ. I just was trying to point out that there are other much more serious threats to the family than one person in an Applebee’s making a fuss about a woman breastfeeding in public. If everyone in the Applebee’s or everyone in the town was raising a fuss then I think statements like “The American public needs to get over itself” might be appropriate. And I thought M.Z.’s reference to dogs marking territory was pretty funny and too often true.
Oh I see RCM and I cross posted. I just don’t think it’s that big a deal. A woman breastfed her baby in the pew in front of me a few weeks ago in Mass. She was discreet. No big deal to me. If she had whiped them out as you encourage woman to do then I might have thought diffferently.
Tim, did you read the Applebees’ story? The woman was in the BACK of the restaurant. How much more discreet can a woman get and frankly this is not the issue. If she wanted to sit in the FRONT of the restaurant and NOT be discreet she is protected BY LAW to do so. I am GLAD to hear you don’t mind if women nurse their children, but I find it odd that you think I am encouraging women “to whip” out their breasts. The truth is, if you bothered to educate yourself, women are kicked off airplanes, denied entry into buildings, kicked out of buildings at least once a month because they nurse their children. Did you ever bother to ask why such laws exist that HAVE to say that breastfeeding is not indecent exposure. Or maybe you think it is if you can see the woman’s breast? If she is not “discreet” as you say.
But, maybe, Tim, the only thing you care about is the homosexual agenda and making sure kids are not aborted before birth but what happens afterwards is completely irrelevant.
Tim, to follow-up on RCM, there are far too many instances of women being harassed for breastfeeding: asked to leave restaurants and other public places, airplanes, etc. Some states I believe can by law arrest a mother for breastfeeding in public, I know this was the case in West Virginia where I live up until very recently (this spring). How is depriving an infant one of the most basic human rights not a threat to the family? Or, perhaps now you agree.