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Breastfeeding is a very natural thing. Saying that so is urinating having a bowel movement and even sex. But the majority of the world doesn’t do that in front of everyone. Ms. Everitt stated in her interview with wlos instances like that are why more women don’t breastfeed. WRONG! I have three children and I didn’t breastfeed with any of them. Because of women like her. I have been in public places and seen women just whip it out and start breastfeeding. And I am here to tell you I wasn’t thrilled about it. I have however seen women breastfeed in public and use a blanket to cover. That to me seems more logical. It seems to me that people just want the attention. She also stated that women who do breast feed feel they need to stay at home. From the beginning of time women have breastfeed and most of these women probably didn’t leave home. Times have changed and its not as easy to stay at home. So maybe that is why God give someone the knowledge to create a pump and even formula!!!
actually, the law protects her nursing anywhere, as indescretely as she wants, but it ONLY protects her from being CHARGED by the POLICE with ‘indecent exposure". it does not prevent her from being removed from a privately owned business because they dont like that shes being indiscrete. just as they can expel someone who lights up in a non smoking restaurant, or kicking a drunk out of a bar for being disruptive. the only reason they cant kick someone out is because of the reasons that are legally considered discriminatory, age, sex, race, religion, and disability (i think i got them all). you’d think it would be sex discrimination, but the supreme court begs to differ, so they are free to kick her out, for whatever reason they so choose, be it for nursing or for having blue eyes, or a McCain/Palin ’08! shirt on. it sucks, and its wrong on so many levels, but it is NOT illegal.
Much ado about nothing. Move on people. Nothing to see here.
Well said, Kristen.
Actually, James, that is not true. Moms have the legal right to breastfeed in any public or private place in the state of NC (and 39 other states). If she can be there, she can be there breastfeeding as discreetly she sees fit.
N.C. Gen. Stat. sec. 14-190.9 states:
"Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a woman may breast feed in any public or private location where she is otherwise authorized to be, irrespective of whether the nipple of the mother’s breast is uncovered during or incidental to the breast feeding."
It’s Denny’s property. If they want to make people wear suit-and-tie, they can. If they want to eliminate a smoking section, they can. If they don’t want to have people breast-feeding indiscretely, they can.
The original comment on the MDC thread was edited, but she said she had "considered" trying to stir up trouble in the past, not clear that she was looking for problems on this day. Only an inference can be made–not a fact.
Someone on a local forum for mothers "knew someone well who knew someone well" who was there at Denny’s and left because of the scene. This account described Crystal as sitting there with breasts totally exposed, nursing intermittently. But this is just hearsay.
It is really difficult to know what exactly happened, and as a nursing mother who was one of the stay at home house fraus criticized on this blog as looking to make myself feel important by attending the Applebees nurse-in a couple summers ago, I want to know the facts before I go out and wave a sign in support of something. The particulars and motivations of this situation remain elusive, but the reality is that even if she was sitting there with no attempt at discretion whatsoever, she was within her legal right. "Discretion" is subjective and frankly, not always under a mother’s control. The law protects the right for children to be nursed wherever and however. Little if any skin shows when I nurse my child (although it wasn’t so easy at the start) but as modest and discrete as I might be there’s bound to be many who are offended (if they actually notice, which most don’t). But NO nursing mother should feel pressured to hide or retreat to her car or a disgusting bathroom or stay confined to her house. THERE IS NOTHING SHAMEFUL ABOUT BREASTFEEDING.
The comments on ACT were largely hateful and ignorant. Babies and toddlers do not nurse merely for nutrition, but for comfort and security–emotional needs which are as intense and important as physical hunger. Either open your minds a little and learn some facts before rushing to judge people, or feel free to mind your own business and avert your gaze.
Regardless of her motives, it’s not OK for commenters to call people names. I can’t stand Topix. Get a life, people.
For what it’s worth, I went onto mothering.com and searched for a post from her suggesting she was going to do this and found nothing, only a post about what happened after the fact. I am happy that it happened to her and not a timid, self conscious first time mom who may not know that she has rights and could be bullied into not feeding her kid when she needed to. Going into a business looking for a fight is kind of silly but no one forced the staff to take the bait. No matter how she was feeding her son, it is almost certain that you would see more skin walking by a Victoria’s Secret store display. Her actions are protected by law and trying to get her to leave, calling the cops, etc. is harassment, plain and simple. Publicity stunt or not, maybe it will make businesses think twice about whether they want to risk a fight the next time they decide that feeding a baby is obscene.
And maybe WLOS put her up to it? It doesn’t really matter. The world would be a happier place if everyone would learn to look away, scroll down or walk on.