Do you avoid establishments that don't support breastfeeding?

Jenny - posted on 02/05/2010

I don't think you are being difficult. It is one thing for one individual to be insensitive but when the company backs them up, that is inexcusable. I liked what Lisa said on the other post, the most important thing is that no mother stops breastfeeding her child because she is afraid she will be humiliated if she nurses in public! Do people understand that we would never leave the house if we didn't nurse in public??? Who can run home very 2-3 hours to nurse??? And I would rather protect a few "radical" breastfeeders" who maybe are looking to make a statement, than have any mom be made to feel uncomfortable or ashamed for feeding her child!! I guess I was just thinking of both sides, and I think it does hurt the cause if a woman is trying to make a statement by intentionally making others uncomfortable. But I guess in the long run, protecting mothers is the MOST important thing.

Ink - posted on 02/05/2010

You are absolutely right Jenny, It is very easy to get defensive about the subject. I do try to be respectful of others, mainly strangers. My friends aren't really an issue here, they all know who I am, and how I am, that I'll say and do anything that comes to mind. They are accustomed to me being bold so for them to see me breastfeeding is actually mild compared to some of the stunts I have pulled.
But I have to admit, if I were approached and condemned for feeding in public, I would probably take it to the extreme too. It is an easy subject to get defensive about. We are trying to feed our children, and some close-minded souls are trying to give us religion.
My husband and I argued about this on date night... I absolutely REFUSED to go to Applebee's, (his work buddies meet there for drinks friday nights) it added tension to our precious time alone. Am I being difficult by refusing to support these restaurants?

April - posted on 02/05/2010

my feeling is: if you don't want to see, don't look. my son hates blankets and nursing covers. he would never use one in a million years. do you eat with a blanket covering your face??

Melissa - posted on 02/04/2010

I hear you, Jenny. I admit that I've thought twice when I've seen the 'no food or drinks' sign; but continued on about my mission. It's really sad that this sort of nurturing has to be regulated...pretty soon, all of parenting will be regulated by state and local statutes.

Jenny - posted on 02/04/2010

I read those articles and I have to admit I'm torn!! I think all of the organizations were out of line. But when I read the article about Denny's it seemed like maybe the mom was looking for a fight. Now some of you may disagree with me and that's fine. It's just my personal opinion. I think 99.99999 % of the time moms are just trying to feed their babies. And I have fed many times with a blanket and without. And I have been fully "exposed" accidently several times as well. But if I had older sons and was sitting near a woman who was purposely exposing her breasts for an extended length of time I think I would be uncomfortable too. I want my boys to understand that breastfeeding natural is but you can't just magically desexualize breasts just because you want to. It also depends on the context, a swimming pool is a entirely different that a restaraunt. I have heard so many stories about moms being asked to cover up at a swimming pool and that is just ridiculous!!!!! And I think that NO ONE should EVER be asked to feed in a bathroom. I have never done it and I never will. But I think it hurts our cause as breastfeeders if we flaunt our legal right to breastfeeding my trying to antagonize. I don't know if the moms in the articles were doing this (some of them were obviously NOT) or if the people were just overeacting. The bottom line is, we have a legal right as well we should! But I don't think it's a bad thing to try to be considerate.

Melissa - posted on 02/04/2010

I have to say that I've never thought about not breastfeeding in public because it would be distracting or against the law. My hesitance had been with the comfort for my daughter and us to find a place that isn't a distraction to us; not whether we were the distraction. My first time nursing her, she was 6wks old and I was very new at breastfeeding. We were Christmas shopping at Bed Bath and Beyond and I thought I had more time than I did before she got hungry. Not so much, so I found a place in the bedding...took a seat on the bed and fed her. I did try to cover up with a blanket but she wasn't having that and as I said earlier...we were still pretty new. I'm sure a few people noticed us but I figured a crying infant would be less bothersome to others than me breastfeeding her. I've also nursed her at my YMCA in the family sitting room with nice comfy couches and it felt natural to let the lady know that I was going to feed my baby. I didn't ask her permission, just giving her a heads up, it was a courtesy on my part.

Ink - posted on 02/04/2010

Here are the details on the Applebee's incident...
http://www.blisstree.com/breastfeeding12...

Denny's Restaurant....
http://www.cafemom.com/dailybuzz/baby/29...

Delta Airlines....
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15720339/

YMCA.....
http://www.parentdish.com/2006/01/12/wom...

I haven't had any of these incidents happen to me personally, But I do support the cause by not going to those restaurants. I think it's a crappy thing to do to a baby! It would send me into a lawyer-filled frenzy, I promise!
If someone asked me to take my baby to a bathroom to feed, I would SOOOOO show my butt! Every time a toilet is flushed, the water is aerated. It is sent into the air in tiny particles. Any germs in that toilet are also sent into the air. I would NEVER feed my child there, and I would totally freak out on someone who told me to do that.

Now that I've read some other posts, I am going to pull up the Ga state breastfeeding laws and print them just in case ;)

Terri - posted on 02/04/2010

I feed whereever and weneva I have to. And if I knew a place had discriminated against a woman for breastfeeding then they would probably lose my business. Like Michelle and Tarah said it is illegal to do it here in Australia and there would be a big commotion about it lol

Tarah - posted on 02/04/2010

i would however i dont have that problem in australia it is illegal to ask someone not to feed no matter where they are you have a legal right to feed anywhere.

Minnie - posted on 02/03/2010

It's funny, because I nurse in Applebees all the time. And it was in Denny's that I received my only comment (and positive at that) about me nursing my baby in public.

I guess it depends on the area of the country one is in. We're in NH.

I don't boycott the business. I'm sure that pretty much everywhere one mother or another has received some sort of comment from the management that can be construed as negative. Why let them scare you off?

Shelley - posted on 02/03/2010

Luckily in australia it is against the law for a busness to behave in this way the law protects brestfeeding women.

Hannah - posted on 02/03/2010

That makes me really angry to hear! From the day I started breastfeeding, I have enjoyed the knowledge that if anyone asks me to stop, they are breaking the law. I think I almost hoped it would happen so that I would able to give the person a lecture! But luckily where I live it is quite common to see women breastfeeding, and I have never felt anything but comfortable. In fact, a friend of mine worked in our branch of Starbucks, and she tells me they have asked men to leave if they have seen them gawping/perving at breastfeeding mothers.



I don't know if I would boycott somewhere or not. I think I might just be bloody minded and go there and feed my baby ha ha!

Jenny - posted on 02/03/2010

I didn't know that about Applebee's, I breastfeed there all the time! I think I would be more likely to complain about the individual that was asking me to stop unless it is a company policy. If I knew about a company that had rules or policies, or had stood by an employee that had acted that way, I would think twice about giving them my business. This makes me think of an idea for another conversation. I think I'll go start it!

Cori - posted on 02/03/2010

i would stay away from it but if i was that mother you better believe that the manager, branch owner, and a letter to the corporate head quarters would all be getting a good piece of my mind as well as a copy of State and Fed. laws that say i as a woman, mother and citizen am allowed to nourish my baby in the most natural and loving way possible and if they have a problem with it i would be mounting a fight and making sure that everyone i knew and could get on my side would be sending in letters, making phone calls and neglecting the business in anyway possible