Wednesday, December 9, 2009

...On the Topic of Breastfeeding

Unfortunately, babies don't just get hungry at home. They get hungry at the mall. They get hungry at the restaurant. The get hungry at the library. They get hungry at church. And they even get hungry at Target!

My sister, an executive with Target, forwarded this info to me from Target Headquarters:

Tom Lyden, investigative reporter at Fox News in Minneapolis, is reporting on an incident that occurred this week at the Eastland Target store in Michigan. The incident involved a guest who was breastfeeding in our store, and resulted in a call to law enforcement by the store. Tom contacted Target Communications seeking comment. The following messages were shared:

* Target has a long-standing corporate policy that supports breastfeeding in our stores. Guests who choose to breastfeed in public areas of the store are welcome to do so without being made to feel uncomfortable. Additionally, we support the use of fitting rooms for women who wish to breastfeed their babies, even if others are waiting to use the fitting rooms.

* We regret that the situation escalated and have apologized to the guest for her experience.

* To ensure nursing mothers feel welcome in our stores we are reinforcing our breastfeeding policy with our team in all 1,744 stores across the country.

So, despite the fact that there was a really unfortunate incident that happened in Michigan, this has caused Target to re-train their team members on the policy. Good for you, Target!

In 2006, Kentucky passed legislation that affirms a mother’s right to breastfeed or express breast milk in public. The law says breastfeeding or expressing milk for a child “shall not be considered an act of public indecency and shall not be considered indecent exposure, sexual conduct, lewd touching, or obscenity.”

No one blinks an eye at a mama who pulls out a bottle to feed or comfort her baby. But when a breastfeeding mama feeds her baby in public, everyone is all up in arms. Give me a break. Why is this even a topic of debate requiring legislation? I don't know. Check out this link.

As breastfeeding mamas, we are giving our babies the most nutritious food available. I don't know how in the world something so natural has become such a deviation from the norm, but I am going to continue to meet my child's needs, in public or not. I have never had any problems feeding Muffin in public, with the exception of a glare or two, probably because I am as discreet as humanly possible. But it is not something I am ashamed of or try to "hide away" to do.

I am quite proud that I have chosen to give my baby the best start she can have. Hopefully I can serve as inspiration to brand new mamas or mamas-to-be who see me out. Breastfeeding is the best thing you can do for your baby and it can be done in public without giving on-lookers a peep show!

What are your thoughts on breastfeeding? Do you use nursing cover-ups while breastfeeding in public? What is your favorite nursing accessory? I couldn't live without my Bebe au Lait!

1 comment:

  1. I breastfeed in public and use a coverup. I don't think that I have ever been glared at. I am glad that there are law protecting breastfeeding woman so that no woman has to pump at work in the bathroom (not happened to me).

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