<< I deliberately ate lunch at Hooters one day just so I could nurse in there;
show those people what "hooters" are really for! Unfortunately, no one even
noticed. After four kids, being discrete comes to easy! Kim Sherwood, AAHCC,
LLLL in upstate NY >>
After reading all the posts about Target and Kim's post above, I thought you
might all enjoying reading the following that is in response to a woman who
contacted a local newspaper columnist with her complaint about breastfeeding
mothers at the mall.
Wichita Eagle columnist, Bob Getz, had a column (12/4/98) about a woman named
Marci who worked at a local mall that had called him commenting that she was
disturbed by the breastfeeding mothers that sat on the benches around her shop
and nursed their babies. Some descretely, and some who "let it all hang out."
She said her customers were "grossed out" by it and she was wondering why
those moms just could go to the hall way, restroom or give the baby a bottle.
I tried to get a copy of the column off the website (wichitaeagle.com) to
share, but it wasn't there. Anyway, I have sent the following letter to the
editor and copied it to Bob Getz with a short note.
Many others have already sent notes or called in a response, so we'll see
where it gets us. Marci needs to find something to really worry about.
Here goes.......
Dear Wichita Eagle Editor:
Most new mothers have a deep desire to successfully breastfeed their babies.
But many factors can make a new mother apprehensive about nursing a newborn
baby, or about nursing a baby past infancy even though she knows it's best for
her baby. In our culture, a mother may feel uncomfortable or embarrassed when
nursing her baby away from home. Those reasons are often high on the list of
reasons why mothers wean their babies prematurely.
The woman who contacted Bob Getz for his 12/4/98 column clearly illustrates an
unenlightened and unacccepting attitude towards breastfeeding. We live in a
culture that does little to support a breastfeeding mother and our cultural
attitudes can make some women think twice about how a breastfeeding baby can
fit into their lives.
Without a doubt, scientific research has clearly shown that there is to no
equal to human milk for human babies. Nature designed a perfect plan, where a
mother's milk is perfectly suited to her baby's needs. The physical and
emotional benefits of breastfeeding a baby lasts a lifetime. Now, here lies
the problem. We live in a culture that views a woman's breasts as sexual
objects. Therefore, many people view a mother breastfeeding her baby as doing
something sexual in nature, and if she has to do it, she should do it in
private, behind closed doors. Or, in the case of the mall, in the public
restroom. This is a sad state of affairs.
The American culture has come to accept a woman's breasts as an alluring and
suitable tool for advertising many products including alcohol, automobiles,
soft drinks, lingerie, shampoo and exercise equipment, just to name a few. We
even accept a restaurant named "Hooters" where waitresses must have specific
measurements to be considered for employment. They also have two breasts in
their corporate logo.
To further illustrate my point, how about cruising through the grocery store
checkout line? Do parents shield their children's eyes from the latest
edition of Cosmopolitan Magazine? I will guarantee you that the cover models
bare far more breasts than any breastfeeding mother I have ever seen nursing
in public. How about cruising through the very mall where Marci works or how
about the River Festival? You will see teenagers and women dressed in very
revealing clothing. But, as a culture, many of us are still not accepting of
a mother breastfeeding her baby away from home and around others, even though
the mother has chosen to provide her baby with the whole package that
breastfeeding offers a baby; perfect nutrition, warmth, closeness and a sense
of well being.
Would Marci and her customers be more pleased and less offended with the
breastfeeding mothers she described had they let their hungry babies cry until
they made it to the public restroom? Do we, as a culture, really want mothers
to feel that they must retreat to a public restrooms to feed their babies when
away from home? I doubt that Marci wants to have her breakfast, lunch or
dinner in a public restroom.
If our culture truly cares about babies, children and parents, we will work to
have a better understanding of breastfeeding as a normal and expected way to
feed a baby. We will understand that breastfeeding is not sexual in nature,
but just the opposite, a pure and simple act of nurturing a baby in a most
loving and natural way.
Our society can choose to support breastfeeding mothers by offering
encouragement and acceptance. Retail businesses can offer a clean, quiet
corner with comfortable chairs and a sign that says, "nursing mothers are
welcome here." Corporate businesses can offer their employees a "pumping
room", where breastfeeding moms can pump their milk at work while away from
their babies. Grandparents, friends and family members can give reassurance
and encouragement to new parents with a breastfeeding baby. Health Care
Professionals can provide knowledgeable and up-to-date breastfeeding
information, offer encouragement and congratulate mothers who are still
nursing through their well baby check ups. Only with that kind of support,
can breastfeeding become the cultural norm that nature meant it to be.
Barb Gabbert-Bacon, Wichita, Kansas, USA
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