Katie Couric dives into public breastfeeding debate: Were these two mom OK to nurse in public?
Katie Couric talked about breastfeeding in public on her show this week. She interviewed Douglasville mom Dawn Holland on being asked to leave a local Applebee’s after refusing to breastfeed in the bathroom. She also talked with American University professor Adrienne Pine on her decision to breastfeed her child in front of her class.
The show sent over excerpts from the interviews so I wanted to share those with you and get your opinions.
“Douglasville, GA mom Dawn Holland on being asked to leave a local Applebee’s after refusing to breastfeed in the bathroom:
KC: Dawn, let me start with you. I know you were at an Applebee’s in Georgia. You were in a booth with your mom and your 11-year-old son, right? And you started nursing your son. Tell me what happened.
DH: We hadn’t been sitting very long at all. In fact we were still looking at menus and drink orders had just been taken. And a manager came up to me and told me I was being inappropriate and I needed to excuse myself to the restroom.
KC: And this was a female manager, which I think is kind of germane and interesting. What did you say to her?
DH: I told her that a restroom was not an appropriate place to breastfeed a child, or to feed any child anything– that there were laws protecting me and I wasn’t going to go to the bathroom and nurse my child.
KC: You had breastfeed in public before, I guess for 20 months you had been breastfeeding your son. Had you gotten any negative feedback before?
DH: No, I never had anything. I’ve had some people take some double takes every once in a while, but never approach me in this manner.
KC: Now your husband is deployed in Afghanistan.
DH: Yes he is.
KC: What did he say when you told him about what had happened to you?
DH: He was shocked to hear that had happened to me, and just very concerned that the stress it was going to put on our family and what it was bringing him. And you know, I worry about him too, what he’s not focused on his job over there, now he’s worried about his family back home.
KC: I know that after she told you to go into the bathroom, you actually just left and continued feeding your baby in the parking lot, is that right?
DH: I told her to go research the law to see that I did have rights.
KC: Good for you!
DH: I maintained my ground.”“American University professor Adrienne Pine on her decision to breastfeed her child in front of her class:
KC: Did you think about kind of taking a break and maybe nursing her in private, or saying to the TA, “I need 10 minutes” or, “Kids can you read this passage and I’ll be right back?”
AP: You know I did think about it at the moment and it was a tough decision. But at the moment what I felt like was this was the least disruptive thing I could possibly do, because to leave class for 10 minutes would leave students hanging would’ve been very disruptive. And frankly I’ve been breastfeeding for a year, which is how old my baby is, and I’ve never had any problems. And so I figured this would calm her right down and I would be able to go on lecturing, and that’s what I did. Of course I warned them beforehand.
KC: And you covered yourself up, right?
AP: Yeah.
KC: What’s interesting is the name of your class. Tell us the name of your class that you teach.
AP: The class is “Sex, Gender and Culture.” It’s a class in feminist anthropology.
KC: How appropriate right?”
So what do you think of these two cases?
Georgia is a right-to-nurse state. You have the right to nurse your baby anywhere. I nursed all three of mine in restaurants, in stores, in church. I went to the bathroom the first time I nursed Rose at a restaurant and it was a horrible experience. A mom has to practice to get comfortable doing it in public. You can absolutely do it discreetly and no one should care.
I am really torn on the university professor. I am sure that she was thinking I can just pop the baby on and the baby will be soothed and happy, and I can continue teaching. But even with a cover on I am not sure that I would be comfortable nursing while lecturing with 20 students looking directly at me. Now if she was in a dark room narrating slides from the back I would be comfortable doing that. But I am trying to picture myself at the front of my classroom nursing while talking to my students and I don’t think I could do it. I think I would have given them a quick break and said grab a Coke and I will be right back. It’s a little different since you are the center of attention as the teacher. Maybe if they were having a discussion and you weren’t the main one talking just sort of facilitating. I could see that.
So what do you think? Are these two cases different? Is it the same principle? Does the location change what is appropriate?
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66 comments Add your comment
FCM
September 28th, 2012
10:14 pm
@ magic cat…good point!
Another good point….a small baby, say 3 – 4 months that is in a b’jorn type deal so you don’t notice is not such a big issue (at least to me)….I have la leche leaguers in my family that fed the kid when it was old enough to say “flip it out I am hungry” WAY PAST TO LONG to have weaned when they can say that. (I know Sarah threw a big party when she weaned Issac at 3 years….I have begun to wonder if that is what the 13 yo Ishmel was really teasing his brother about and the real reason Sarah kicked him out).
Here is another one for discussion: If your child is big enough to walk around, take the paci out of it’s mouth, tell you something, then pop the paci back in WAY PAST TOO LONG for that paci to be history!!! It is not cute. It is a lazy parent.
SEE
September 29th, 2012
7:46 am
@FCM – Here’s a little history for you. In the time of Abraham, children were weaned around 3 years old. It was the way things were done back then, so I doubt Ishmel would have thought it strange. Talk about inserting 20th century ideas. I’m sure Ishmel’s mom just whipped out the bottle and strained peas when he turned one.
SEE
September 29th, 2012
8:03 am
Your 11 year old son shouldn’t see you breastfeed? Obviously a woman who doesn’t have children. My son was 13 when I had my last baby, and since I didn’t stay locked up in my room for the 24 hour a day feeding fest that goes on during a newborn’s life, my 13 year old saw boob as I breastfed. My 9 year old son would ask questions (Was I breastfed? For how long? Why does the baby eat all the time? Can we get another TV to put in mom’s room so I can play the Wii? etc. etc.) My husband told him how long *his* baby sister breastfed. That’s right…my husband watched his mother breastfeeding his baby sister and lived to tell about it. I can’t believe how much ignorance is displayed in these comments.
Ann
September 29th, 2012
2:30 pm
@ magic cat – So, an 11 year old boy shouldn’t witness breastfeeding, as if it is shameful or too embarassing or sexual? No wonder we have so many young men that don’t know how to be fathers and don’t know how to respect women’s bodies with views like that. What a way to create a “messed up” view of women and mothers!
QweenB
September 29th, 2012
5:26 pm
If your child is old enough to walk up to you and unbutton your shirt and begin to breastfeed while standing next to you … it’s time to STOP … if he/she is an infant then breastfeed in private or express your milk before going to a restaurant I DO NOT want to see you breast feeding while I’m trying to eat … then it’s like you have no regard for your fellow diners and nobody wants you to subject them to your boob while they’re eating. Might not be a popular opinion but at the end of the day keep yourself covered while breast feeding and no one can say a word!
iRun
September 29th, 2012
6:28 pm
The idea that nursing a 20 month old is wrong reminds me of the period of time when nursing AT ALL was considered taboo, back in the 50s through the 70s. Back then, according to my mom, only poor women breastfed. Middle class and well off moms used formula. And MY mom, who was a nurse, decided to nurse all 5 of her kids. And she had to deal with attitudes about it.
In my line of work I travel to Africa and Asia. Folks there breastfeed children UP TO 4 years. It’s economical. And, importantly, it doesn’t cause any harm at all. In fact, it further cements the familial bond.
So, a 20 month old breastfeeding is NOT weird. Now, I couldn’t do that because I have a job where I can’t bring a baby. When my son was born (he’s in middle school now) I breastfed him exclusively for 9 months and then combined cereal and breastfeeding through his first year. The only reason I stopped was because HE didn’t want to nurse any longer. By that time I was only nursing in the morning and before bed. And I did it in public whenever my child was hungry. Of course I threw a blanket or shawl over everything. I can promise you no one saw anything other than a woman with a blanket thrown over a baby, which, of course, everyone KNEW it meant nursing. Whatevs.
So, the Applebee’s mom, I have no problem with.
Now, the professor. My husband is a professor. His university has a strict no-kids-in-the-classroom rule. So, that kind of thing would not happen, not even in a Gender Studies class.
Most universities are like that. BUT, if her university did not have such a rule then I can’t say it’s intrinsically wrong what she did. I imagine it was very distracting to the students and more than a handful probably learned nothing that day. So, it was probably poor teaching strategy. Unless public breastfeeding was her lesson.
All I know is people get really Victorian about the whole thing. And THEY need to build a bridge and get the f*** over it.
Jessica w
September 29th, 2012
10:49 pm
I support the professor 100% when I studied abroad in 2005 it was common for professors to have nursing babies with them. It was an initial shock since its not common here but never a distraction. Now that I’m a nursing mom to a 9 month old who refuses bottles I wish I could nurse her in class.
Interesting info to all the conservatives out here. When we think what culture in the us was the most conservative we tend to thin of the puritans. Puritans encouraged nursing and openly nursed in church and public. Ministers preached it was a mothers duty to god.
Trixie
September 30th, 2012
10:46 am
I don’t see any thing wrong breast feeding as long as they are covered. Many parents are uncomfortable with small children asking questions and many adults are uncomfortable. But it appears that compromise is out of the question these days.I think we should all remember that not every one agrees, so cover up and breast feed away. I my self feel any baby over 12 months shouldn’t need to be breast feed in public. Today we are more concerned about having our way and not to caring about others. SAD
Tired
September 30th, 2012
11:55 am
Jessica, I’m not clear why you’re confusing “conservative” and “polite.” I’m not at all conservative, but I want to eat my dinner and go to class without seeing anyone’s usually-covered body parts.
melanie chavarria
September 30th, 2012
12:10 pm
I live in salinas california. I have a 7mo old baby boy when i went back to work in june i told my employer that i was a breastfeeding mom and would be pumping at work. My employer seemed ok with it. Well a little bit over a month goes by and im called to the office and being questioned about how long im takeing and how often i breastfeed my son when im home and where. All of these are questions that i feel are harassment. I then told my employer that i get 20 to 40 minutes to pump also i need at least 5 minutes to clean up after. She then argued with me about it at that point i told her that i will bring in the a print out of the california breastfeeding laws. I called my local wic office and got a number for a lady that i can file a harassment claim against mh employer. When i went back to my employer with the ca bf laws ahe was shocked to find out that there are laws to protect breastfeeding and pumping mothers.. I dont know what it is now with breastfeeding beings this thing that is a natural way of feexing our babies to a thing that we need to do in private. Breastfeeding is nothing to be ashamed of or hide
Dum-Bass
September 30th, 2012
1:05 pm
Katie Couric has no business delving into anything which she knows nothing about, and that would be EVERYTHING!
Penny
September 30th, 2012
6:14 pm
Enter your comments here
Penny
September 30th, 2012
6:15 pm
It’s really a class thing. Nothing WRONG with it, but it does make many people uncomfortable. I didn’t do it but, then again, I am more private than that. I’d rather stay home with my baby (away from germs too)!!
SEE
September 30th, 2012
6:42 pm
@ Tired – I know you’re not conservative…that is why you get all bent out of shape over a woman breastfeeding. Now, if she had her boobs hanging out in a bikini top, I’m sure that would be fine with you.
Tired
October 1st, 2012
5:36 pm
No, it’s not, and what an assumption to make. Good grief.
Nadia74
October 2nd, 2012
9:00 pm
Late to this post…
I cannot believe the comments here. If you don’t want to see someone nurse, don’t look. Simple. It doesn’t matter if the babe is past your “acceptable” age or if it is done discreetly. Discreet is subjective. As for the professor, I don’t really care. I don’t see that she did anything wrong, but then again, I understand that babies need to nurse, and I don’t see a problem with doing it wherever you are comfortable.
People were debating on FB about the whole breastfeeding in public thing…this was on a friend’s page….I looked up the pics of the women most opposed to it…imagine my surprise when these women were showing ample boobage in practically every picture of themselves. Everyone needs to get over themselves, and quit worrying about things that don’t even affect them.