In a message dated 5/16/00 7:26:47 PM, [log in to unmask] writes:

<< The reason she was given was
that a 7 year old saw someone breastfeed by the pool last year and "freaked
out", so now they won't allow it.  This is in Lake County, Illinois. I am
wondering if any of you know if she has any legal recourse.  >>

I wonder why it has *never* been a concern that a 7 year old might freak out
by seeing a newborn baby propped with a bottle of ABM by the pool? When my ds
was 5 years old, I was training bf peer counselors in a hospital clinic-based
program. I picked up one of the moms to give her a ride. She had her 5 day
old baby with her in a carseat w/ a pacifier in his mouth. My ds, who just
had never seen a baby up close (in our car) w/ a pacifier, said to the mom,
"Take that thing out of that baby's mouth!". (He is 11 now and is not rude,
but was just reacting to what he saw and knew). But, he was truly appalled.
    This mom had bf for 5mos at the longest w/ her other 2 babies. I
apologized to her and talked to ds later about other people doing things
differently. But, the result was that she realized that some babies never use
a pacifier and some children have never seen one. She ended up weaning him
from the pacifier and nursing him until he was 3. She became am amazing
counselor and remains a close friend today. She says that his total innocence
in what he said made a powerful impact on her nursing experience and shifted
her thinking completely.
    It is interesting that we are supposed to teach our children tolerance of
artificial feeding in public, but it can be considered acceptable for others
to indulge a child "freaking out" b/c of normal behavior.
    In CT, a similar situation was the ipetus behind our law which protects
mothers who nurse in public. Maybe that is the way to go w/ this.
Jennifer Tow, IBCLC, CT, USA

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