What Should I Do About Breastfeeding In Public?
November 6, 2009 by Guest Author
Filed under Breast Feeding Supplies
Should I do something about this? I went to the pool at my moms apartment and the lady who checks in the guests TOLD ME I COULDN’T BREASTFEED my 3 week old baby IN PUBLIC. She said I had to go to my car. I decided not to make a big deal about it so I went into the bathroom but I felt so offended by the way she came at me. That is like saying I can’t eat in public, I have to go eat on the toilet! Should I say something to the owners or should I write a letter? I feel violated by what she said, like I was doing a bad thing by breastfeeding my baby. I even had a towel to cover her up. Do you have any suggestions or opinions on what I should do?
First of all, breastfeeding is *legal* in public anywhere in the US. In many states, there are laws *specifically* prohibiting anyone from telling a mother she can’t nurse wherever she and her baby are legally allowed to be (in fact, in a number of states, the law reads wherever *she* is allowed to be–in other words, a location has to allow a breastfed baby even if babies are normally forbidden). You do *not* have to cover up (although do it if you feel more comfortable).
You should absolutely take action. First of all, if you live in the US, determine what, if any, laws there are in your state (see sources section below). Then write a letter complaining. And you might want to talk to a lawyer.
WHAT A B*#@H!!! I am offended for you! Absolutely report her and if that doesn’t work I’d go higher up the ladder. As long as you are discrete and don’t flash boob etc. there is NO reason why you can’t nurse in public. Half the time people don’t even notice you’re doing it if it’s done discretely. I would have thrown a fit if that happened to me. Keep your head up and don’t let other people bully you because you’re trying to raise a healthy nurtured baby. You can buy tanktops that have nursing access and use a light weight blanket to cover up. God Bless & keep it up.
It depends on the state laws. In some states she may have the right to tell you you can’t breastfeed in public. It’s unfortunate, but true. I suggest you talk to management and find out their private policy on it before you do anything else, and then check with your state’s laws on nursing/breastfeeding rights. Also the LeLeche League may be able to help you out. Good luck with that, and I’m on your side.
Unfortunately if you live in the US people are weird about that kind of thing. If it were somewhere in like lets say europe then youd have no problem. However since this society is so sensitive about nudity and such a natural process as breast feeding then i guess i would just not do it in public even though i believe you should still have the right to.
UNBELIEVABLE! In most states there are laws that specifically defend the rights of women to be able to breastfeed in public, covering or no. Now, I admit, I’m a little squeamish about watching someone breastfeed with their bared breast sticking out, but I always kept a receiving blanket with me to drape over my shoulder so that I was discreet. Get in touch with your local La Leche League, and they should be able to tell you what laws apply to your area. Next time you go back, bring the information with you, and tell them that out of respect you agree to cover yourself while nursing, but you have the right to feed your child wherever you wish.
I can’t believe people have the nerve to say that. I wouldn’t put up with it (much as my Y chromosome says I’ll never need to). I saw something in my local paper about the same sort of issue. It suggested “I don’t eat in the restroom, and neither does my baby.”. Cute.
You are free to breastfeed in public as you see fit, states can not make it a crime.
Know your rights. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO FEED YOUR BABY NO MATTER WHERE!!!! It is not against the law. Check out http://www.breastfeeding.com. I would contact the owner or manager and talk to them about it. I am breastfeeding my 4 month old. I would feed him anywhere if he was hungrey.
I had a similar incident when I was nursing my son but that was 22 years ago I thought that kind of small mindedness was a thing of the past. You make sure to raise a fuss about this. She had no right, legal or moral, to keeping you from feeding your baby. I would call the management, follow it up with a letter, and then write to the editor of your local newspaper. Good for you for giving your baby the very best start you can.
Just cover up! Breastfeeding is the best thing for your baby, just be discrete and safe people can be perverts.
in most states, the feeding of human milk is protected by law.
you should tell the lady you will call the police if she harasses you again. you should never ever refrain from feeding your baby in public. giving in to these sick-minded people only encourages them. some people are offended by the existance of gays or by interracial dating. who cares what the sick and narrow and completely ignorant are offended by?
If the law isn’t on your side yet, you should stand up for your child and all other children and nurse your child at the pool in public and force that woman to call the police on you. then, get many other women to join you in a nurse-in. the pool lady will lose big-time.
What they did is against the law. La Leche League has information about this and probably paperwork you could submit to them. We have the right to breastfeed anywhere we want to. They have the right not to look. If you really want to raise a stink call your local news station. They love to do stories like this and it will help other moms and establishments understand the laws we have to protect us. Good for you…stand up for what you believe in! I did.
You should’ve said something to her. I assume you’re in America, it’s so stupid how uptight we are. Next time try something like, “I’m sorry if I offended your delicate sensibilities by feeding my starving child. How could I have been so inconsiderate?”
Report her, get some friends together and have a nurse -in.
Please do report her to the higher authorities .Is she a human ?how can she say u have to run to your car when ur baby is wailing in hunger.hey if u have the cover up then where ever u do shudnt be a problem . next time she says like that tell her that when she is starving she shud run to the car with some 7 lb baggage and eat in her car then see her reaction.
I wish I had an answer for you but here is the La Leche website and someone there should know weather or not it was illegal for the woman to tell you to leave. I think it is, but double check and I would actually write a letter stating that your rights were violated.
Yes.Write someone about it…I would call the local news and tell them, I’m sure they would be interested.
Way back when, the moms always tossed a blanket over her chest and the baby. They always breastfed in public–even church and no one complained.
I think a lot of people think that some moms have lost the sense of modesty in this age of going half naked anyway.
I would write a letter to the owners…there is no law against breast feeding in public…sounds like you were discreet about it. I would write the letter that you want a formal apology, and if you don’t get it…you will go to the media. Your child needs to eat, so they eat. You don’t eat in the bathroom or a car do you??
As long as you are convering up while the baby is feeding, DON’T worry about it………I would have told her to go get her boss if she had such a problem with it………….Take care
I would most definitely report her to her supervisor and keep going up the chain until you find someone who will help you. People are so stupid.
I would report it. They cant not allow you to nurse in public. I was at a Taco Bell once and they asked me to go to the bathroom or my car and my husband got into the guys face and it was a mess. There were managers and police and it was just crazy. But there is no place you cant nurse in public. When I take my 5 month old for a walk if he gets hungry I stop wherever I am and nurse.
But I would call the manager and if that doesn’t resolve I would call the building owners.
What an idiot. You should have told her to call the police if she thought you were breaking the law or something. Go ahead and write the letter.
Let’s get over our hang ups. Would this really be a difficult thing to explain to a child? If my daughter asked me I would have no trouble explaining it to her.
And Tim, if you dont like it dont look. Breasts were made for feeding babies. Sorry if I sound sexist but that is the way it is.
Listen, babies have to eat and be nourished. It sounds like the lady is someone who is ignorant and probably doesn’t have children of her own. I say that if it isn’t against the law then ignore that person and feed your baby when and wherever it may be when necessary…….
You know what i was watching a show on 20/20 last nite and there is nothing wrong with what you were doing. that lady just had some problems with herself. I would definantly write to the owner and if he doesnt respond the next person up. this was completly , i mean completly inappropriate. But what does she mean in public cause the government completly supports public breastfeeding you know they put about 2 million dollars to raise support this. so screw her.;)
Inform them about the law.
First, what state are you in? Here are the laws on the books protecting breastfeeding.http://www.lalecheleague.org/LawBills.ht…
Next time, let them know what the law is and the consequences they face if they discriminate and break the law. If they do anything to you they are in huge trouble!
I breasfed my son in public. I breastfed him in the bathroom a lot, though, because sometimes people seemed uncomfortable seeing me. My son is my first and only baby and I was not very experienced and hence good at how to drape the cloth over his head. I wanted to see him eat to make sure he had a good hold of it.
I would not go out to the car, especially in this hot weather. I would not want to go there anymore but would rather go to a place that was friendly to brestfeeding mothers. You could always ask them ahead of time before putting yourself in that situation. I know when your baby is hungry, he is not going to want to wait for very long for you to have to find a place to feed him. these things have to be planned out so there are no surprises.
Do NOT EVER stand down to someone who tells you you can’t breastfeed in public!! NO ONE has the right to tell you you can’t do that. Contact the ACLU if you really feel that you are being intimidated into doing something that is completely natural and healthy for your child. People need to get over their hang-ups and get over it. I’m sorry this happened to you!
Well, that is a bad thing. No offense, but think about how other people feel. No one else looks at it like you eating in public. No one wants to see someone breastfeeding, especially since this is a pool at an apartment. Forgive me if I misunderstand, but a lot of people there live in the apartment, and even though you’re the daughter of someone who lives there, you’re still a stranger coming in and breastfeeding at their pool. Is it that much of an inconvenience to go somewhere else? If this is at your mom’s apartment, why can’t you go there, if you don’t want to do it in your car? It seems like you chose to feed your baby in the bathroom, when there were plenty of other non-public options nearby. Call me sexist if you want, but that’s the way it is.
I think it should be fine as long as you are covering it up. If it were me, I would complain to her superior.
Your not doing anything wrong people like that need to be taught a lesson in the future if people have a problem tell to get over it what are they going to do call the cops on you for feeding your baby
outraged!!!!!