Breastfeeding Mom Kicked Out of Store That Caters to Kids

on July 18, 2011 at 11:20 AM

breastfeeding baby Every time a breastfeeding mom is kicked out of a public establishment, the same thing goes through my head: really, America? You can't just get over yourselves long enough for a baby to get a full tummy? But this time, it's different. The news that a breastfeeding mom was sent to the fitting room at the American Girl store in tears because she wanted to feed her baby has me truly flabbergasted.

If the tweet from @XepticalAtheist, who says his wife was "kicked out of the seating area for breastfeeding" at the New York City flagship store, is true, this may be the most depressing story of them all. The American Girl store is, after all, a place whose primary purpose is to entertain families. And not just any kind of family. Families of little girls. Little girls who will hopefully grow up one day to become breastfeeders themselves. According to the store's motto:

American Girl stores celebrate girls’ interests with engaging products and experiences designed just for them ... American Girl stores have been praised as leading models for experiential retail and provide a special place for girls to make lasting memories with their families and friends.

If a mom can't feel comfortable and safe at a place like that, I have to ask: where CAN she just be a mom? We have a hard enough time trying to convince Americans out on the streets, riding buses, at restaurants, etc. that breastfeeding isn't just a right, it's a necessity. The places we go specifically as moms, not just as citizens, should be ahead of the ballgame.

Not just because they should have a heightened awareness of the breastfeeding laws, considering their audience, but because they should WANT to spread that message themselves. A mom who walks into an American Girl store is there because she's going to blow a whole bunch of money on a doll that represents something special to her daughter. She's looking for an experience that matches. But if a store doesn't value "big girls," what is it really saying to little girls?

Do you expect stores that are catering to families to be ahead of the game regarding nursing in public?

Image via Danquella manera/Flickr

About the author Jeanne Sager

writes articles for The Stir by day, slays closet monsters and bounds through bedtime stories with her elementary schooler by night. Diet Pepsi courses through her veins. The Phineas and Ferb soundtrack reverberates through her brain.

Filed Under: breastfeeding

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Comments (39)

dirtiekittie

on Jul 18, 2011 at 11:25 AM

if the story is true, it's a shame. but what exactly happened? there's no details, so it's hard to really have an opinion about this situation. however, i think that the rest of the world needs to catch up. as long as she wasn't facing out to the entire public with her breast exposed, i don't see the problem.

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KBW2

You're right- America needs to get over it. Breasts are for feeding babies, not selling beer. That's why we have breasts- to feed babies. I bet no one would have said a word if she had been bottle feeding.
Moms have to feed babies- regardless of it's "container" - breast or bottle.

JennyG0929

on Jul 18, 2011 at 11:26 AM

Agree, not a whole lot of information...

Melissa042807

on Jul 18, 2011 at 11:29 AM

I'm surprised with all the hoopla in the media about these kinds of situations that big stores like American Girl are not being more sensitive and educating their employees about their local public breastfeeding laws.

L1558

I'm sick of the whole "debate"...there shouldn't be one. Moms have to feed their kids, period. It's so messed up that the idea of a guy paying to go to a strip joint and see boobs is less frowned upon than a mom discreety (or even not-so-discreetly) trying to feed her fussy baby. Leave moms alone-- they have enough to handle without people's opinions when trying to soothe their kid.

RanaAurora

on Jul 18, 2011 at 11:59 AM

Sigh. Seriously, I am so, so, so sick of this. So annoying that the moms who are actually doing something healthy and non-abusive are even more attacked than the women who are screaming at or beating their kids in public.

PonyChaser

on Jul 18, 2011 at 12:20 PM

I could not find a single story about this beyond this guy's Tweet. When I googled it, the only thing I found were trackbacks to THIS story. So what IS the full story? Was she sitting there, quietly, breastfeeding her child? Or was she being obnoxious about it? Because as much as "lactivists" want to deny it, some mothers use it as a way to attract attention. They flop their boob out there, make an issue of it, and refuse to be discreet and modest about it.

And before I'm flamed for being a hater, there is NO REASON why you can't be discreet about it. Especially when you're in public. Some people are uncomfortable with nudity. Some have religious beliefs that promote modesty and remianing covered in public. It's a fact that you must be TOLERANT of. So when people are obnoxious about breastfeeding - something that should be second nature, and not a reason to get your panties in a wad over - they do harm to the entire movement.

So, was this woman in the way of others? Was she leaving her breasts exposed for longer than necessary? Was there a special place in the fitting room where she might have been more comfortable? (when I was bf'ing, our Babies R' Us had a breastfeeding/changing room. Comfy glider chairs, tv, roomy and quiet for breastfeeding. It was a haven and I thanked them every time I used it.)

Without further information, I find it hard to get all riled up about this story. Plenty of people Tweet things just to get attention and blow them out of proportion.

Lynette

on Jul 18, 2011 at 12:43 PM

I DO expect a children's type store to be ahead of the game. This is sad that this happened at American Girl. I hope this mom gets an apology.

JAFE

on Jul 18, 2011 at 12:52 PM

I agree with Pony on this. First there's no "reliable" information and second, it's a highly personal thing and if they gave her a really nice quiet and clean place to bf, what's really wrong with that? For some people this just isn't second nature. What ever happened to being a little bit discreet? When we fed our babies, we always went to a nice quiet room. Even if we were bottle feeding. Most kids ate better in a nice quiet environment. Are you seriously telling me that baby had to eat right at that minute? In a waiting room? Why wouldn't this mother have fed her baby before she went into a public store? Just because it was a doll store means nothing other than it was full of kids who maybe aren't used to seeing stuff like this.

Some people, older ones mostly or very young ones are uncomfortable with this and we must remember, we should consider everyone around us and just because we can do something doesn't mean we should. I find people who shove stuff like this down my throat to be very obnoxious. I also find a lot of people like to cause problems and then cry foul.

RhondaVeggie

on Jul 18, 2011 at 1:21 PM

You can't base this on one tweet. For all we know an employee saw her nursing and said "By the way miss, we have a nursing room over by the fitting rooms if you're interested.". I know I wouldn't object to that. I never had any issue with nursing in public but if it came to the choice between perching on a plastic chair in a cafe or a comfy sofa or rocking chair in a nursing room I'd pick the nursing room. On the other hand, she could have been sitting there with her boob just hanging out, taking five minutes to even get the baby latched on. All well and good at home and it certainly happens to all of us from time to time whether we're just starting out or our babies have hit that stage where the world is more interesting than the boob but there are ways to deal with it that don't involve extended public nudity like wearing a nursing tank that can quickly cover things up or voluntarily going to a quiet area when you know your kid is in that stage.