Comments on: Nursing Mother Called "Immoral" At Vancouver Museum

By: dee tank

dee tank — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 02:08:05 +0000

Nursing mothers should use something to cover up. I am a woman and I find it disgusting that women want to be exhibitionist and nurse in public but the least they can do is cover up.

By: sarah

sarah — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 00:32:44 +0000

Thanks for posting your story. I was told I could not breastfeed in two different museums this month. The law in both states (CO and AZ) where this occurred is that mothers can breastfeed in ANY private or public location. I don’t know what it is about museums but they are the only places I have had trouble with breastfeeding. I’ve got good supply fortunately but it is well nigh impossible for me to hit an exhibit with a stream of milk from one of the benches. I am discreet but do not use a cover because when my fussy baby needs food, taking several minutes to find and arrange it just leads to a lot of staring! It is an eye opener to me that people are offended by breastfeeding. Depending on your perspective, breasts are God-given or evolved expressly for this purpose!

By: lauren

lauren — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 07:58:01 +0000

i am proud of the mom in the story. silence was the best she could do in the moment. glad she didn’t say anything negative as i feel i would have. moms, we should all practice what we’d do/say in this very situation! i am in CT and i get some funny stares!!! there are ways of nursing cover-less, as i’m sure this mom was doing, without much exposure at all. i’ll admit that the latch is hard to do without showing nips, so sometimes i throw a bib over the top of my chest till DS latches. no need to hang em both out, lol. i see how that would be inappropriate at a family area, but i don’t think that the mom was drawing attention to herself, rather, she was nursing modestly – especially if no patrons made any fuss – after all, they have children in the area, so my guess is they think anything of it. that teenager didn’t want to ruin his idea of boobs. i think the breasts should be seen performing their function regularly so the public gets used to seeing women’s bodies for what they really are rather than a fashion accessory.

By: Jamie Ervin

Jamie Ervin — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 05:31:19 +0000

I always covered up quite well with my own clothing and seldom used a blanket or other cover because the kiddos pulled them off and left me exposed… so I became very adept at covering with my own clothing and not showing skin… this was accomplished usually by wearing a t-shirt or tank under a zip up hoodie or cardigan sweater… then I could zip or button the bottom of the top layer and lift the under layer. No exposer. I never… in 5 years of breastfeeding in very public locations experienced any harassment, though I did receive plenty of looks ranging from disgust to simple curiosity. I think the decision to cover is important, though you don’t need to drape… we don’t visit the mall or restaurant and expect nudity (like we might at some beaches, where we will at least encounter skimpy swim wear)… so I can understand people being a little offended by full exposure breastfeeding… not at all because of the breastfeeding, because it is natural, good and right… but because BAM… there’s a boob or two showing, which catches most of us off guard. I’ve always felt that the best way to promote breastfeeding is to do it well and discretely. There is no reason I needed to show my breasts off to the whole world, but at the same time, I wasn’t worried about a tiny bit of skin becoming exposed if a baby popped off.

Being banished, asked to leave, reprimanded, etc… is absolutely inappropriate even if the mother does have a lot of skin exposure. Breastfeeding is no different than animals feeding their young which we’ve all seen (not to mention other animal behaviors on exhibit) on a visit to the zoo or farm.

By: Wenona Napolitano

Wenona Napolitano — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 19:51:17 +0000

I am so sick of women being embarrassed and humiliated because they are nursing their babies. You know people are stupid. I even argue with my husband over this, he is one of those guys with issue thinking women need to cover up or have a “room” to feed the babies in.

Sure I covered up because I am just like that but to be banished to a “room” while feeding why? Why should nursing mothers be sent off to special room instead of ebing with everyone else.

By: Binary Blonde

Binary Blonde — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 03:24:50 +0000

Well, I am glad they changed their policy, but really, that volunteer should have to write or call in an apology to the mom. How horrible.. to be told that feeding your child is morally wrong. OMG.

Also, about covering up? I HAVE to, or else my 10 month old is so distracted by whatever is going on that he is off and on, off and on.. or worse craning his neck, taking me with him! Ouch! He really good with a cover or at home, but mix in a new and exciting place and all sorts of people and he’s just so not focused on the task, even if he’s hungry. So, yeah, the cover really comes in handy in public, busy places, for me, at least.

By: Crimson Wife

Crimson Wife — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 20:01:10 +0000

If I choose to wear a 1 piece bathing suit with a sarong for modesty at the beach or swimming pool, nobody would question me. But if I use a nursing cover for modesty, that’s a problem?

I fully support a woman’s right to nurse in public without using a cover if that’s what she wants. But for myself, I personally feel more comfortable using one. I just don’t care to show that much skin to strangers regardless of the reason why. It’s not that I think there’s something “dirty” about nursing, I just want to keep my body private.

By: Sharon

Sharon — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:39:52 +0000

M O R A L L Y W R O N G?!? It is the science center’s obligation to uphold morality (whose???)? That boy should have been fired and a public apology made. How DARE they allow that behavior and gloss it over with a free membership extension.

By: hillary

hillary — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:37:15 +0000

Yikes!

Although, every time I hear one of these stories there is part of me that thinks this is good press. Women are well educated of their rights and we are well connected via all this spang-dangled new technology and I think the more we hear these stories (even though they are upsetting) the more the public can hear the truth about how normal bfing is. Thanks for keeping us in the know Cate.

By: Rachel

Rachel — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 05:04:57 +0000

When reading about her experience, I could so easily imagine her distress over the situation. A baby just needed to eat and a toddler needed to play. How many times have I been in the exact situation!

Great question about covering up! I’m still sorting out how I feel about it. What’s nature and what’s nurture/society, etc.?

Meanwhile, my second child is almost 17 months and I’ve fed both children in many situations with varying degrees of covering/not covering. Sometimes a blanket over her removes the distractions so she can focus on breastfeeding. Sometimes she pops off to grin and someone may see a nipple *horrors!* (sarcastic)