For those of you who are following the situation about breastfeeding in the
Nanaimo school district  Here is the latest.  It has been referred to
committee -- no big surprise but it DID generate two editorials and a follow
up article. Remember this started many months ago and involved an 8 month
old. I found it interesting that in the article breastfeeding was written
correctly but in the editorial it was hyphenated. I would still greatly
appreciate any written policies which exist in other areas. Or even samples
you would recommend.  This has certainly brought the issue to the forefront,
and I THINK progress is being made... I'm just not SURE it is.  The mom is
getting worn out -- this is a long fight and no end in sight.  Because of
the vigorous verbal attack from the parents group she is not now feeding in
the school.

SCHOOL DISTRICT EXAMINES BREASTFEEDING POLICY (Furore erupts over nursing in
classroom)
Tracy Elsaesser, Nanaimo Free Prss June 7, 96

        Sparked by an incident at an elementary school, the N.-L school
district will examine a new policy on brfding in schools.  At Wed.'s
education committee meeting senior staff were asked to develop the policy
with the help of parents and employees who associate with parents.
        The task originated because of an incident...where a mother nursing
her child...was asked to cover up or move to another room to feed the baby.
As a result, the district was flooded with letters from supporters of the
"breast is best" method, including a community nutritionist from the Central
Vancouver Island Health Unit, and internationally certified lactation
consultant and the LLL of BC and Yukon.
        That's not the point, said the superintendant... "I don't think
there's anyone who would dispute the value of breastfeeding...I haven't
picked up on any of that at all.  It's a case of the manner" Dyck said it
was his understanding that the location where the mother was nursing was at
issue not the method.  This location will be a focus when the policy is
discussed, hopefully in the fall.
        Mary Anne Domarchuk said the issue goes deeper than just the
location in which a nursing mother feeds her child. It was D.'s choice to
brfd in her daughter's grade 1 [6yr olds] classroom -- her back to the
children -- that initiated the discussion in the first place.  She said she
didn't feel attacked by the teacher who asked her to use a blanket or move
to another room.  The attack came later at the parent's advisory council
where hostile parents complained.  "As far as I can see, the kids just
carried on with their business" she said, "It's the parents who are
concerned.  It's a mixed message and for the most part a negative message"
D. said she doesn't make a conscious effort to cover up when feeding at
home. With 3 children she doesn't always have the luxury of moving to a
private location.  Nor would she. "If the mom is comfortable where she is,
then leave her alone.... If other people are uncomfortable then they need to
be educated. It isn't breastfeeding women that need to be asked to change
their behavior. They're doing the very best thing for their children." D.
said society has created barriers for women that they should cover up or
leave a room when brfding. That keeps women at home and causes them to wean
quicker.
        The ideal is to have women brfd exclusively until a child is a least
6 mos of age. A 1993 Vancouver Health Dept. survey showed the average length
of brfding was 29 days.  She hopes any school district policy respects the
mother's right to brfd where she chooses.

NOW for the Editorial, same paper same day

BREAST-FEEDING ISSUE SHOWS VICTORIAN ROOTS

        That the school board should be debating the appropriate place in
which to breast feed a child is proof positive that we haven't come very far
from the Victorian ear. But that doesn't mean, of course, that we should
throw out the window, all the modest scruples we've developed over the
years.  The dual edged argument means that the debate is likely to land the
school b. in a pickle no matter how many committees, delegations, public
hearings and reports are prepared.
        The issue was raised because a liberated breast-feeding mother
followed nature above all else by satisfying the hunger of her baby in a
classroom of children.  That sparked a debate on what is an appropriate
place to brfd and the school b. now finds itself in the unenviable position
of having to decide where and possibly when it is appropriate to perform one
of the most natural functions of motherhood.
        And lets God bless the Queen while we're at it. The school b. can't
poosibly win this one. For every liberated mother who quite rightly sees
breast-feeding as natural and a nipple in public about as offensive as a
baby bottle, there wil be someone else who is uncomfortable with a public
display of nudity and will object...........
        If the school b. is wise they will do one of two things: completely
ignore the whole question, because it's not exactly like the issue pops up
daily, or pass a compromise policy directing hungry infants to the staff
room for attention.
        The former is cowardly, but probably politically safer.  The latter
will go farthest to recognize both sides of the debate: that brfding is
preferable, but that it is still primarily a private matter.
        The third choice is to be a leader and to make a public statement
that brfding is completely natural and that it should be encouraged; that
infant hunger comes first and others should simply get comfortable with the
fact that babies need feeding. A progressive and idealistic school board
might want to put its name on the map with just such a statement.  Consider
this a dare. But we do have a warning for any board member who wants to
stray this way; Queen Victoria has been dead for a number of years now, but
gosh darnit, she still holds a lot of sway.

Second editorial  different paper
Nanaimo Times, June 11, 96

BREASTFEEDING ISSUE POSES LONG, DRAWN OUT DEBATE

        Nanaimo school trustees are poised to turn the issue of
breastfeeding into another prolonged, bureaucratic debate.  Rather than
develop a simple policy stating it's OK to breastfeed in district schools,
or better yet, ignore the issue altogether, the school board instead opted
for the ridiculous and rather gutless choice of asking administrative staff
to develop a policy with the assistance of parents and employees.
        And we have to ask why? Either the board approves of this most
natural and healthy form of feeding infants, or it doesn't. Dispatching the
issue to district staff shirks responsibility and threatens the kind of
protrated debate and endless revisions that took two years to develop a
policy on racism.
        There is no need for district staff to be wasting time developing a
brfding policy. Trustees have all they need to make this decision quickly.
What they lack is the conviction.

"Without interest and passion, nothing great has ever happened in history."
                                                                    G.W. Hegel
Rhoda Taylor, B.A., IBCLC         ph 604-748-4945
3346 Glacier St                   fax 604-748-2743
Duncan, B.C.                      e-mail [log in to unmask]
Canada,  V9L 3Z8