http://www.care2.com/greenliving/breastfeeding-mother-asked-to-cover-up.html
Breastfeeding Mother Asked to Cover Up
After Indiana-mother Maggie Naas ordered food for herself, she decided to breastfeed her 11-month old, Katie. But when she followed this instinct, the culture around her responded. The Olive Garden manager asked Naas to either cover up or feed her baby in the restroom.
“We had numerous guests complain about her modesty, Olive Garden General Manager Matthew Madden told KSDK, an NBC-affiliate in St. Louis. “There were children in the dining room. If the mother were more modest, this would have never been an issue.”
While I wasn’t in the restaurant, I imagine that the absence of a blanket was most of the reason that Nass’ breastfeeding seemed immodest. Why are feeding mothers expected to use a blanket and cover up? It seems like an unnecessary burden that only contributes to the taboo nature of breastfeeding. And why is breastfeeding such a terrible thing for children to see?
According to the news report, Nass didn’t have a blanket with her, and didn’t want to feed her child where people go to the bathroom, so she decided to leave.
“Culturally in the United States we do not accept breastfeeding as the norm, which we really need to, because it is the norm in feeding babies,” Lactation Consultant Cindy Razo told KSDK.
I agree with Razo. To me, this story highlights more than just a problem with one restaurant manager. It highlights a problem in mainstream U.S. society. The fact that there were numerous complaints about a woman naturally feeding her child shows how distant many of us have become from nature and the source of food. Naas was made to feel ashamed for following her natural maternal instinct, when instead, we should feed ashamed of our society for having such an aversion to seeing a completely natural event.
What do you think? Should restaurants and other public places mandate whether breastfeeding is acceptable, or decide what is modest breastfeeding? What would you have done in this situation? Share your comments.
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216 comments
add your comment »Breastfeeding is such a natural and healthy thing for your child. I can’t believe that here in the US women are made to feel guilty about doing something good for their children. I prefer to cover up in public, just because of my own beliefs about privacy and discreet-ness. But I think that more awareness should be made so that it does become more socially acceptable.
Vitamin C
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why is this inappropriate?
I think the manager should have spoke up for the mother , and told the other patrons who complained, this is a natural thing.nothing to be ashamed of . If those patrons decide to walk ,so be it.People need to teach their children as well , so they won't have this reaction to mothers who are doing nothing more than taking care of their child.
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why is this inappropriate?
I breastfed all my babies and remember stressing about feeding in public, always looking for a place where there were no other people around or running back to the car where I was semi protected from onlookers. It was so hard to know what was the right thing to do as I had mixed messages from everyone. I'm more used to feeding in public now because I've had to do it so often that it doesn't bother me anymore. I feed my 1 year old whenever and where ever she wants it. If others don't like they can get over it! Thank god for Australia and our laws that make it illegal for someone to ask you to stop feeding in a public place. Breastfeeding is a beautiful thing and those who find it offensive are a disgrace to the human race.
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why is this inappropriate?
As a man, I would like to comment again that not all of us are interested in just perky breasts, but rather some of us love women in all their womanhood. When I see a woman nursing, my first feeling is admiration, and my second emotion is envy for not being able to nurse a child and that as a child I was not nursed. As for etiquette, I hope that my comments are temperate and not ill conceived.
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why is this inappropriate?
Oh for the love of peace, they're boobs, not bombs! While it's clear that most of us live an a world where there is more to being a woman than lipstick and kitten heels, Annies comments have served as a painful reminder that misogyny is alive and well.
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why is this inappropriate?
ROTFL. Stick what? A pathetic attempt to justify an ignorant attitude? Since there is zero substance to anything you've said yet, there isn't really anything to stick now is there?
Obviously coming from an upper middle class background did nothing for your ability to grammar check, or to use proper punctuation and capitalization.
Really, why would we be happy about you no longer tracking this? You're providing all sorts of examples as to the stupidity of anti-NIPer's arguments.
It is an entirely separate issue, but if a woman's husband beats her, that is HIS dysfunction, not a result of her appearance, and the relationship was unhealthy from the start. Stop attempting to link NIPing to domestic abuse...it's really pathetic at this point.
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those of you who are pro public breastfeeding will be happy to know that i am deleting this topic from tracking.
ya'll will never learn to have civilized behaviour in society, so there is use to try to show you the errors of your ways.
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why is this inappropriate?
breastfeeding in public is most definitely NOT a civil rights issue. to place public breastfeeding in the same category as black people being allowed to sit anywhere on the bus that they want to, or for black people to vote takes away from those REAL ISSUES of civil rights.
by the way -- i was a pro bono legal advocate for battered women for 13 years and their number one complaint as to why the man beat them was due to appearance.
and the bottom line with regards to breastfeeding in public comes down to MANNERS! those of you have have consideration for everyone else were raised with NO MANNERS by your mothers. i come from an upper middle class background, and such slovenly behaviour is simply not tolerated.
so stick that where the sun doesn't shine, kathleen.
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I feel really badly for you, Annie. Your mother must not have taught you very well at all. And have you seen how pornstar a woman's breasts look when she is a nursing mom? Clearly not. Breasts are attractive because they feed babies. Not directly in our society anymore unfortunately, but that's the primal urge behind it.
This is a civil rights issue for women and a basic human rights issue for their babies. How many times did people say "oh, I don't care if two women hold hands, I just don't want to see it" or "a black person and a white person can be together, I just don't want to see it" and have that be acceptable? Someone had to say that it wasn't acceptable, it wasn't okay, and make a change. And mothers who breastfeed in public, either using a cover or not using a cover, are working to do that. Breastfeeding should be NORMAL.
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Wow Annie...what on earth kind of experience did you have to give you such a twisted view of men? Were you replaced by a "trophy wife?"
My husband doesn't give a rat's behind what ignorant people might say about me or him for the the fact I NIP. He loves to educate people on the benefits of breastfeeding, because he realizes it is their ignorance and social conditioning talking.
If a relationship is built on physical appearance it's doomed to fail...being "perky" won't matter one bit. And by the way, breastfeeding doesn't cause "saggy" breasts, pregnancy does. Do some research.
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