2009 is coming to an end and all over the web we're sure you're coming across tons of "best of/worst of 2009" posts. We've come across a few very interesting ones lately, including the Worst Breastfeeding Incidents of 2009 list from
Blisstree. We were pretty surprised by some of the incidents from the past year...
- Target store calls cops on breastfeeding mother. Earlier this month the mother of a four-week-old baby felt forced to leave the Target store in Harper Woods, Michigan after she disputed the security guards’ claim that breastfeeding in the store was illegal.
- Denny’s Restaurant harasses nursing mother. After Crystal Everitt was asked to cover up while breastfeeding at an Asheville, North Carolina, Denny’s restaurant, the regional management issued an unsatisfactory response. Local breastfeeding supporters went ahead with a nurse-in at the restaurant.
- Acosta Tacos fires woman for breastfeeding at work. The owner of Acosta Tacos in Los Angeles, California was ordered to pay Marina Chavez $21,645.00 in lost wages plus $20,000.00 for emotional damages after the owner fired Chavez for breastfeeding her baby on her breaks. In this groundbreaking case, the California Fair Employment and Housing Commission found that breastfeeding is intrinsic to the female sex and thus breastfeeding discrimination is sex discrimination under the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). The owner was also ordered to pay a $5,000 fine, establish a written policy on sex discrimination, and post a notice regarding the company’s FEHA violation.
To see the rest of the worst breastfeeding incidents from 2009 please go
here.
Are you surprised that in 2009 breastfeeding in public still causes offense? What breastfeeding incidents have you recently heard of?
Comments (253)
Sorry, but I don't believe women should breast feed their kids in public. It's a private matter, it should stay private.
How is it a private matter? It is feeding a baby which is the most natural thing in the world! It's more natural than you eating in front of people...maybe you should stay home when you want to eat since it's so private.
And yes, I cover up. I don't want anyone seeing my breasts anymore than anyone else does, but if my baby is hungry, I am going to feed her regardless of where we are!
@imperfect_still@xanga - How is feeding your child a "private" matter? Should we ban toddlers from Denny's? Or how about bottle fed infants? I am amazed that in this day and age of very real dangers and worries people still get worked up about a mother breastfeeding her child in public. It's a boob and a baby, get over it.
Though, I really don't care what other mothers do... I would not breast feed in public. I don't care how natural it is. My first son was bottle fed, and up until he was starting to munch on table food I fed him before we left the house. I had 3 hours to do what I needed to do (I always brought a spare just in case there was an emergency). Why? Because I didn't want to deal with fussy, burping, being spit up on in public, and most of all I wanted my child to be full before I ate.
I understand breast feeding where ever you are in an emergency, and I feel that no one should be able to stop you...but I see so many mom's say "I like breast feeding because its convenient to me, and I can do it wherever I want". I'm sorry, when you become a mom you give up conveniences.
Regardless of how comfortable with it you are, not everyone is comfortable with you doing it. Where I do feel it is a woman's right, have some common courtesy in mixed company seriously. Urinated and defecating are 100% natural, but you wouldn't do that in a booth at Denny's.
I'd like to start off by saying that I would LOVE to give a standing ovation, to those mothers who participated in the "nurse-ins". Good for them!!
I'm also a little surprised that people are still so uppity about breastfeeding in public. However, I know that as long as ignorance and immaturity continues, there will always be the attitudes that breastfeeding is a "private" thing. I think it's a shame that more people are so stubborn about educating themselvs about breastfeeding. The most appaling one I read, was the Acosta Tocos firing a woman for breastfeeding her child on her breaks. All I can say is, WOW.
Also, I knew somewhere along the line, someone would have to mention "urinating and defecating" and how both of those are also 100% natural. I just have to say, though I'm surprised this isn't more obvious, that those two acts are both UNSANITARY, hence why you go to a TOILET to do them. Breastfeeding is a child eating a meal, not doing some unsanitary act. sheesh. Eduacation, people! Seriously.
And lastly, if you are THAT uncomfortable, with a woman simply feeding her child in public, you can either A. Retreat to the nearest, disgusting public bathroom, or B. Place a blanket over your head and eat your meal and see how you like it. Or, you can just SUCK IT UP, educate yourself, mind your own business, or shut up and stop complaining about it.
The attitude against is boggles the mind. *sigh* Thankfully, I have not had any negative experience or heard any other wild stories outside of this post.
I could care less if they want to breastfeed in public, but they should cover it up. There's no call for them to hang their boobs out in public, whether or not they're breastfeeding. Kudos to Acosta Tacos and to Dennys and shame on a court system that would order repayment for that. If she's at work, what the heck is her child doing there anyway? Honestly, emotional damages? What kind of crap is that? Just for the record, my wife breastfed all 6 of my children.
@RainDropPixie@xanga - But that's just it, breastfeeding is convenient! So why should I have to give up that convenience?
I know if Im going to be out long enough to be past my child's feeding time then ill just pack a bottle or two. No big deal for me. I would rather give my child a bottle then deal with covering myself up and some of the stress that could come with trying to feed a fussy baby. My baby wouldnt open her eyes for awhile so even if I tried to feed her in public, other people might get more of a show than they want.lol. It may be natural but I'll just go with the one or two bottle feedings. Im already carrying a diaper bag, lol its just easier for both of us.
@lightnindan@xanga - She was feeding her baby on her breaks. That's not a big deal and firing her over it was uncalled for, and quite frankly, moronic!
@lightnindan@xanga - I imagine her child was in daycare on the premises of where she worked. It doesn't give those kinds of details in the article, but I can't see how this would be an issue. And hey, if I was working full time and had a nanny bring my child to me at work while I was on break, I could accomplish that as well.
And wow - you're actually in support of restaurants that discriminate against women? Wow. That's beyond low.
@imperfect_still@xanga - K, then if you have kids, you shouldn't be allowed to feed them at all in public. Eating is such a PRIVATE matter, you know.
@RainDropPixie@xanga - That's great that you had a three hour time frame to get errands done. Most breastfed kids don't get full enough to go a full three hours. Breastmilk is more nutritious, but it doesn't falsely fill a baby's belly like formula does.
@Brilliant_Innocence@xanga - Thank you! I agree completely!
Wow, some of you need to CHILL OUT! While it is natural, it is PRIVATE, and when doing it in public a mother should NEVER EXPOSE herself, she is feeding her baby, not showing her goods to everyone. I don't believe that a woman should have to hide to do it, but many have no regard for what and how much of their breast they let others see, and yes while 100% natural, if I had young children I wouldn't want them to see ANY of her breast while she nurses, that isn't appropriate for a child to see. If you see a woman nursing, everything covered, then little ones aren't going to even notice it, but when they see flesh they do, I have been with kids under 6 when this has happened many times. And if you think using the excuse "the baby grabbed the blanket" or "my baby doesn't like it's head covered" makes flashing others okay, then you are 100% wrong, granted you can't do anything when/if the baby suddenly grabs the blanket, but IF you know they tend to do it, why can't you be ready or hold on to a bit. And if your baby doesn't like her head covered like my friends new baby, then you DO need to go somewhere a bit more private to nurse and I am not saying the bathroom or anything, just a less populated area so you can stay as covered as possible. I have seen woman pull their breast out THEN get the kid ready to feed, WTF? That's so wrong.
And the one who got fired, some companies say NO KIDS AT WORK out of SAFETY, so they may have been within their rights to fire her, is it right, no. She should have stepped out of ALL employee areas/unsafe areas for NON EMPLOYEES if she needed to do and talk to bosses about it as they can't deny her that. But lots of places aren't safe for kids, where my dad worked, at a steel factory would be a prime example of that.
And before anyone jumps my ass for what I have said, don't assume you know anything about me based on that picture, I am a female!
@prettyboy78@xanga - From what I remember from reading the story when it happend (it's been a while) the lady was nursing her baby in her own car, which I don't think violates any safety thing. I have nursed my babies many times in my own car.
Breastfeed you kids, if you must, but try to keep it as covered as possible.
@Morningstarrising@xanga - Discrimination? Really? Asking a woman to cover her boobs in public is discrimination? Well, technically I suppose that is true, but then again so is banning the man in the overcoat who is flashing his stuff in the parking lot. I believe the word we are looking for is discretion.
The problem I have is when people still make an issue out of breastfeeding in public when you can't even see anything. Most women I know are so good at it, you'd never even know their baby was nursing even when not covered. I live in a VERY hippy area of Atlanta and you see women BF'ing all over the place, and I have yet to see one bit of flesh. I've seen women approached and chastised for BF'ing, though, even when they are off in a corner of a cafe where no one else is sitting and you couldn't see anything unless you hovered over her. That really makes me mad.
You see more exposed flesh on pre-teen and teenage girls in a shopping mall than you do on most BF'ing mothers, but I suppose somehow that's just okay...
I was always mindful of those around me, but if my son needed to eat, he would eat. That's all there was to it.
@RainDropPixie@xanga - I think you contradicted yourself in your theory. You get tired of hearing BF'ing mothers say 'it's convenient', yet you feed your kids before leaving the house (when it's convenient for you...) "Because I didn't want to deal with fussy, burping, being spit up on in public, and most of all I wanted my child to be full before I ate."
That's mighty convenient for you, not your baby, isn't it? As someone else pointed out, BF babies can't be sustained as long as formula-fed babies. And most can't be force-fed at the mother's convenience.
I guess only some people give up conveniences when they become a mother.
@alaskamommy@xanga - This is the first I am hearing of it, but yeah then that is just stupid! She didn't violate any safety rules of either her company or her child. She never put anyone in any danger. And what lots of people fail to realize is that while many babies can and do switch easily between nipple and bottle, some babies have difficulty or simply won't do it. So once a woman returns to work she has to still feed her baby while there, she just has to make arrangements about it.
@lightnindan@xanga - Yes, discrimination. It is not illegal to breastfeed without a cover. It's not.... look it up. It IS illegal for a man to expose himself in public. Breastfeeding does NOT fall under public indecency laws. Every woman has a right to breastfeed her child, whether it makes you feel weird or not.
@prettyboy78@xanga - Actually, it's more inappropriate for young children to see a mother feeding her child with a bottle, but sometimes that's the only choice. I have YET to see a woman "flash" anyone when feeding her baby. Like @DirtyAndShaken@xanga - says, most women I know have breastfed in front of me, and I have never seen one bit of their breast. Maybe there are women out there who are all like, "look at my boobs! Look at my boobs", but I've never met one.
Ok she was feeding her baby outside in the car on her breaks and it was stupid to fire her for that. That's not how it was presented in the post. That said, employers should be allowed to fire at will employees for whatever reason, no matter how moronic, considering they own the business. The business is there to make money, not as a public service, and if they don't want to hire or keep employees for whatever reason, they should be able to let them go. I bet next time they're smarter about how they let their employees go. A simple, we don't need you any longer after they had let her work for a couple of days, would have saved them a lot of heartache.
@Morningstarrising@xanga - Actually, it's more inappropriate for young children to see a mother feeding her child with a bottleExplain this to me please, because it make NO SENSE! And while I have only personally known ONE who was that stupid to expose herself anywhere, I have seen it plenty of times at sporting events and concerts.
Also, any flashing of genitals (by a man or woman, including her BREASTS) is public indecency, just because she is GETTING ready to feed her child or just finished doesn't make it okay. She would get into just as much trouble for it as I would for just flashing, only difference, MOST people would cut her some slack cause of the baby, but she is still doing PUBLIC INDECENCY!
@prettyboy78@xanga - Breastfeeding a baby is not subject to public indecency laws. I guarantee you that a woman would not be arrested while she's trying to get a baby on her breast. And how freaking long would it take for a woman to unbutton her shirt to get a boob out? Sorry, it took me all of 15 seconds max. And hey, sometimes my babies got distracted and popped off the boob for a second or two. Still not public indecency if it was an accident. Kinda like losing your top for a second at the swimming pool. Gonna arrest every 14 year old that happens to? No. Come on - common sense would be GREAT.
And the comment that it's more offensive to see a mom feed a baby with a bottle is in reference to the fact that breasts are MEANT to feed babies. Not for men's sexual pleasure. Kids SHOULD see breastfeeding as natural, not something shameful to be hidden.
@Morningstarrising@xanga - Breasts may not be there for men's pleasure but as some woman can't or choose not to breast feed there is no way it is inappropriate for a child to not see others breastfeed.
And no, if it's an accident then no, she did nothing wrong, but I have seen at ballgames where woman (it has happened twice at two different ball parks) lift there shirt expose their breast, then ready the baby, leaving themselves exposed for a minute or more. The second time I saw this, she did it both before and after feeding, and usher told her that she had to STOP exposing herself like that, not that she couldn't feed her child but that she couldn't leave herself exposed for several minutes at a time while fussing with a child. How hard is it to pull the shirt down or leave the cover there?
None of my friends ever had that kind of trouble, because like you they could do it quickly! I am talking about idiots or whatever you want to call them who either can't do it or want that attention and use the baby as a cover to show them to everyone. I have even seen one woman, flash both getting ready to feed her baby. It was only for about 20 seconds, but still. And it was while I worked in a grocery store as a cashier, she did it at the register while paying. What was the need in that?
I think it is polite for breastfeeding women to be discreet but other than that I don't think public breastfeeding should be viewed as disgusting and certainly not as a crime!
@Morningstarrising@xanga - No you're right. It is not illegal. It is indiscreet, though and discrimination against people who are not exercising discretion or good common sense is not necessarily a bad thing. Also to argue that breasts are not sexual is once again simply intellectual dishonesty. I'm trying to figure out why it is so difficult and offensive to these women to just put a towel or blanket over it. The baby certainly doesn't mind.