A breastfeeding mom in Georgia is furious at chain restaurant Applebee's after she says a manager told her that she could either stop feeding her 20-month-old son or she could go into the bathroom to do so. The altercation became ugly and both sides called the police.
In fact, Dawn Holland was in the right. Georgia has laws which allow mothers to nurse anywhere, so the officer who responded to the call didn't even file an incident report. Good on him. But bad, bad, bad on the manager. Seriously, what is the problem with a nursing mom needing to feed her child? And why on Earth do people still think breastfeeding in the bathroom is normal?
One of the first rules of living in the animal kingdom is don't poop where you eat. Duh.
These stories just get more and more ridiculous. It's just a BOOB, people. Look away if it bothers you so much.
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A restaurant like Applebee's that bills itself as good for families ought to be better acquainted with the state breastfeeding laws. If a breast is really so offensive, then maybe the law would be different. Diners who don't want to see a baby eating could ask to be moved. Or THEY could take their meal in the bathroom? How about that?
Oh wait. No one would even consider asking an adult to eat in the restroom. So why should a baby?
I have been a nursing mom and I can say that sitting on a toilet in a lonely public restroom was depressing. Sitting at my table, under a nursing cover, holding my baby, and talking to my husband was a much more pleasant experience for everyone. Sure, I had a cover. But not all moms can use one. And that's OK, too.
Babies need to eat. And boobs are where they get their food. The next time you find yourself in a chain restaurant thinking about ways to hurt new mothers or offended by the suggestion that we are, indeed, mammals who suckle our young, I have an idea. Take your chicken quesadillas and go to the bathroom. Shut the stall door.
Now you can't see anyone!
Have you ever fed your baby in the bathroom?
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Comments 57
I believe that breastfeeding modestly (not having your tata just hang out, lets cover it with a stylish printed blanket ladies!) is fine and I totally support public breastfeeding! But the child was is almost 2, this isnt a newborn or even an infant. This is a toddler! Surely she could have pumped out the breastmilk and given it to him in a sippy cup. I am NOT against breastfeeding and realize its normal to breastfeed a child up past the age of 3. I just find this all fairly crazy on all sides I guess. The restuarant was wrong to ask her to go into the bathroom and to call the cops on her, yes but the child could have been given milk in another way such as a cup.
What was the actual NEED to breast feed him? He couldnt have eaten actual food????????? I mean 20 months really? He had to be BF at that VERY moment. Whatever. I am sooooo sick and fricking tired of hearing these BF stories.
I am a mother of 2 little ones and I never got to breastfeed. however. I don't mind nor care if a mother is breastfeeding in a public place as long as she is being respectful and discreet about it. So there has to be more to the story, cause if she was just whipping it out for all the world to see then yeah I would have been someone to say something to her, if she was being discreet about it then whatever more power to you. Tho at that age I am sorry but she should think about putting her milk in a sippy cup for him. As for going into the bathroom F that I would never feed my child in a bathroom that is just disgusting and needless to say unsanitary.
I don't care what the law is, it wasn't intended to be used as an excuse for people to be rude or inconsiderate. Sure, BABIES need to eat often and it's just damn inconvenient if you can't nurse in public. That is the reason for laws allowing you to do so But, I'm sorry, if your TODDLER can't make it through a meal in a restaurant without your boob in his mouth then something is seriously wrong.
I want to know what happened all together. I want to know how it got ugly. Because she is portraying herself as innocent and she didnt do a thing wrong.
Breastfeeding is great for babies but when a child is a toodler and no longer needs food on demand, I don't see why a mother has to breastfeed while out having a meal in a restaurant. Why didn't the kid just eat food?
Okay first of all mothers of children any age that are still breastfeeding should be allowed to do so with out any adverse action from anyone. Just because her child was almost 2 does not mean she should go to the bathroom to feed that child. It doesn't matter the law states that she can feed her child so she should be allowed to feed that child without the COPS getting involved. I personally will no longer be eating at Applebee's this is just wrong. I do also think that there need to be laws to protect the moms from people that are stupid like this.