Tami_Hughes' Blog

this blog is very interesting and informative to read, tami_hughes. did you see the response i posted on a blog that another blogger posted on this topic? as always, tami_hughes, great job on the posting of this blog.

Hey, businesses are not PUBLIC PROPERTY. They have the right to refuse service to anyone they want to really. A bouncer at a club can not let you in based on how you are dressed, look, etc. If a business wants to say 'no breast feeding' for whatever the reason, its their right, just like 'no food' or 'no pets'. I hope that when I go to a nice restaurant and someone else brings a disruptive child (or child that is too young), that they are asked to leave to maintain the right experience. Maybe a mother shouldnt be taking her baby to WalMart, or all places. I wouldnt... I wouldnt consider that a safe place to breast feed, bathroom or in an aisle. If it said it on the front door, so be it, thats their policy. Like I said in the other thread: what if it wasnt feeding, but needing to change a diaper (another 'need')? What, we have established that it wouldnt be in the bathroom already... and not in an aisle thank you! Its a parents responsibility to take care of their child's needs, and that doesnt mean at anyone else's expense, or anywhere they want. A mother might have the right to feed her child anytime, but that doesnt mean anywhere, or anyhow. Maybe you shouldnt take your baby some places, right?Now, I wouldnt think WalMart to be so 'classy' as to refuse a mother to breast feed, but what it really comes down to is customer service. If that employee has been cordial, considerate, accomidating, etc... I bet nothing would have happened. Thats the source of the complaint, not the policy. Also keep in mind that some people like to make a bigger stink about things

db...that last statement isn't true. I bartended many years and would refuse service to anyone that came in in gang colors or with an attitude that caused disruption of my service. That is a threat to the business and if a dress code is posted, then they have the right to refuse service if that code is broken.

I breastfed my two youngest and wouldn't do it in public because I knew some people might be offended. I would pump and carry along a bottle if needed or go to my vehicle. Personally, I didn't want to be the center of attention or the talk of the store. These things can be timed. Just because a baby cries doesn't mean it is hungry. Maybe it just wants to be held. To me, you feed them before you go in and that way you avoid this confrontation.
I understand it's natural, but why cause a problem.

OK, I am only going to say this once again for the sake of HAHN, yes, they are a private comapany and have the right to have their rules, BUT the corporate offices insisted that it was their policy to allow nursing moms to nurse. And for when this comes up later, according to her, she was well covered and even put the cart in front of her so that even if people knew what she was doing under the blanket, they couldn't see it. SHE WAS NOT LETTING IT ALL HANG OUT!
I would think that if you were indecently exposed, that is one thing, but while a baby is nursing, you are not only covered by the baby, but even if you aren't using a blanket, most clothes are designed to show pretty much nothing. So, she did nothing wrong and as long as she was covered, nobody had the right to tell her to stop, especially in a store where the policy was to allow that.

I'm with jgravelle on this one. If a woman does not want to be concerned with exposing her breasts in public, then who am I to complain about it. I don't mind her doing that in public as long as she don't mind me looking at her doing it in public. Blanket or not, I feel it is a beautiful sight.

Now, if you think about what I said with an open mind that should be a deterent for nursing mothers to take it to a more private location. I mean really, we men already have the stereotype of being pigs, right? We might as well use that stereotype for the benefit of all involved participants.

Oh, and jjg, while I haven't been blessed with the minivan size, I do know that a baby blanket is enough to cover because the baby covers alot, and if you are using nursing clothes or a nursing bra, they don't expose much anyway. Only what you and the baby need to be successful. Even if she wasn't, pulling up your shirt will cover the top, the baby will cover the middle and side, so you don't really need to have a mammoth sized blanket for mammoth sized boobs anyway. Plus, even people who start out small can end up with bowling balls while nursing. The milk does fill in and it is like filling a balloon with water. Of course it is going to get bigger. There is no excuse for that employee because if it was a matter of the mom not being covered,she could have quietly asked the mom to cover up. The corporate offices said that they do allow moms to nurse in the store, so policy has nothing to do with it. The employee had no right to tell her it isn't allowed. She had the right to tell her that she is too exposed, IF she was. That is it.

MrsTracy, please understand, if I were shopping there I wouldn't have even noticed her. Wal-Mart's tend to be busy. If I had noticed I wouldn't have cared. It's her life and her choice. Anyone who would stare at a woman breastfeeding needs a psychological evaluation.

It sure does,Happy.
There are way too many perverts and gawkers out there. Why make it a sideshow event? That's the way they look at it.
The cashier was obviously offended.
I doubt they went over that in the rulebook when she started working there. Although, I'm sure many stores will now.

bassplayer92, I think most men would probably agree with your take on the situation. The ones who seem to have such a problem with it have "issues".

Even a male friend that I respected as a father and a husband I caught taking a second glance at me because he thought I was maybe breastfeeding. Being a father he probably assumed because of the way I was holding my son with the blanket covering him that I was nursing, still he continued to glance over, hoping to see something! Men will be men, nothing wrong with that.

Kat,

I would have noticed, but only because I miss those days. I would not however have stared and if I was one of those offended people, I probably would have just looked away. I think she did get a raw deal, and while legally she has no basis to sue, if I were her, when the manager offered to pay for her groceries that night, I would have also asked what happened to the employee who publicly embarrassed her. But that is just me. I don't think that much embarrassment is worth only a cartload of groceries. I would want to know if that employee was still employed or if she was at least being written up or something. I think the employee should be made to apologize and in public since she made this woman's nursing a public issue in the store.