Women should cover up when breastfeeding because young children may not know what that is.
That is what the regional manager for a Denny's resturaunt said in response to a story where a mom was asked to either cover up or leave a Missouri Denny's resturaunt.
SMH
A 24-year-old mother said she is considering doing something about the way she said she was treated while trying to nurse her baby at a Missouri restaurant.
Tiffany Morgan said she went to the Denny's in Sedalia Wednesday to have lunch with her family. She said when she tried to breastfeed her 6-month-old daughter, the manager told her to stop, even though there had been no complaints.
"They told me I either had to cover up or stop," Morgan said. "I said, 'Well, I don't have a cover with me, and I'm not going to stop feeding her."
She said her husband and 2 ½ year old son were also having lunch with her. They decided to walk out of the restaurant.
"I cried when we got outside," Morgan said. "I was embarrassed. I felt like I had been attacked."
She said it was especially troubling because when she entered the restaurant, she told employees what she planned to do.
"I mentioned to the waitress when we walked in that I was going to be feeding her. She asked if I needed a high chair. I said, 'No. I breastfeed and I'll be feeding her breast milk," and she said, 'Oh. OK,'" Morgan said.
She said she also pulled out a card that referred to Missouri's breastfeeding statute that allows a mother to breastfeed with as much discretion as possible in any public or private location.
"I wasn't being indecent," she said. "I wasn't trying to flash anybody, by no means. I was just trying to give my daughter what she needed."
Morgan said she might even return to the Denny's restaurant with other moms for a protest, calling it a nurse-in.
"It's a way for breastfeeding moms to stand up and say, 'You know, we have rights too,'" Morgan said. "Basically, you get a bunch of breastfeeding moms together and you go there and you nurse."
Morgan said she has spoken to a lawyer and is weighing her options. She said it's not just an issue for her, but one that affects the lives of many families.
A Denny's regional manager issued a response late Thursday. It said, 'We have women breastfeeding in our restaurants most every day, including the Sedalia restaurant. Our policy is that we would hope women could be as discreet as possible because we are family restaurant and often have young kids who may not understand what breastfeeding is. We want to try to accommodate everyone."
Do you really think Denny's keeps blankets on hand for women who want to whip out their boobs?
"Here ma'am, we don't have any blankets, but I found a dish towel. Thanks!"
Quoting mama-smurf:
Well, she wasn't covered up in a public setting. Some parents don't want their kids to see it. So, I kinda agree with the dennys guy BUT he should have given her a blanket or something.
Quoting Ireallydontcare:
Quoting mama-smurf:
Well, she wasn't covered up in a public setting. Some parents don't want their kids to see it. So, I kinda agree with the dennys guy BUT he should have given her a blanket or something.My concern is MY child and his right to eat. Some people don't want their children to see what???? A baby eating? Yeah how disgusting.
When we are told to hide or cover, we are telling the breastfeeding mom and the world that breastfeeding is wrong. It is not. If close-minded parents don't want to see it, that is their problem. It isn't mine.
Quoting MakinBabies:Do you really think Denny's keeps blankets on hand for women who want to whip out their boobs?
"Here ma'am, we don't have any blankets, but I found a dish towel. Thanks!"
Quoting mama-smurf:
Well, she wasn't covered up in a public setting. Some parents don't want their kids to see it. So, I kinda agree with the dennys guy BUT he should have given her a blanket or something.
If we avoided touchy subjects all through history, blacks would still be slaves and women would still be uneducated chattel.
Change doesn't happen with comfort. It happens by people stepping OUT of the comfort zone. Not everyone CAN do that, I get that.
Quoting mama-smurf:
I understand that but its a touchy subject. Just avoid it altogether
Quoting justone_jen:
I'm in Missouri, Kansas City more specifically, and I've never had an issue.
I think it's pretty cowardly that regional management is projecting their ignorance on children who visit the restaurant. This isn't about children, it's about ignorance of their staff. I made a post recently about being uncomfortable breastfeeding around children because I didn't want a parent to be upset with me for explaining it to their curious child, but that argument, that young kids may not understand breastfeeding, is no reason to prohibit nursing in public. Can you imagine explaining how young mammals eat to your child? The horrors!
Quoting Greenstone920:What?! You mean we should... EDUCATE ourchildren?! The nerve!!! We must shield them from all the evil of the world, and that includes the minimal exposure of a woman's breast when she's feeding her child the way we were made to! For shame!!
</sarcasm>
Quoting robibuni:
But if he were to see and ask, wouldn't a mom/dad just say "Some mommies use bottles to feed a baby and some mommies use their breasts to feed a baby". Most times a kid would say "Oh, okay" and move on.
Quoting mama-smurf:
Yeah, I meant like for the moms that aren't discreet and just pop it out. I had to turn my son around so he wouldn't see and had to complain.
Quoting robibuni:
But I never use a cover in public and you don't see anything so for me, there's nothing to be bothered by, and I think a lot of moms are like that. No one is running around with their boobs hanging out.
When I NIP, it just looks like I'm cuddling DD.
Quoting mama-smurf:
Well, she wasn't covered up in a public setting. Some parents don't want their kids to see it. So, I kinda agree with the dennys guy BUT he should have given her a blanket or something.
Quoting Clh1989:
We rarely go to Denny's but when we have my toddler gets pancakes. The way he eats pancakes is much more offensive then my baby nursing!
Quoting Greenstone920:
Getting scared/excited... and I borrowed a breast pump!
- mypbandj
on Jul. 16, 2012 at 11:50 AM