Recently a mother in Tennessee tried to breastfeed her daughter in a Dillard’s department store. Whittney Hope knew her increasingly fussy baby was hungry, she searched for an ideal spot and asked a store employee if it was okay for her to nurse her baby. The employee nodded and Whittney proceeded to feed her baby daughter. A minute into feeding the same exact employee returned to ask her to take her breastfeeding to the restroom. She recalls the events:
“When I found a place I asked if it was okay for her to eat here. The employee at customer service nodded. I then began to nurse my child. I didn’t use a cover up (I did that in the pic to prove the irony) I discreetly pulled my shirt down and her head covered me up. The same lady then told me I could not “do that” here. She told me I would need to go to the restroom. I was completely shocked as I have never had anyone comment on me breastfeeding in the whole 18 months I have been nursing. Yet alone, another woman, possibly a mother herself. I repeated her to make sure I understood. Annoyed, she began to tell me the directions to the restroom again.. (Down the hall, take the elevator, then around the corner) I’m sure my hungry child would understand that we have to take a journey to somewhere more secluded where she can eat.. NOT. I immediately went and asked for the manager so I could file a formal complaint (which I did online) As we were leaving the store I passed by this advertisement for bras. I mean seriously the lady’s face is not even in this. Why is it acceptable for a giant picture of BOOBS to be on the wall but I can not feed my child?”
It’s baffling that breastfeeding in public is still an issue for moms. What is even more ridiculous is that Whittney in particular was given grief when Tennessee actually supports breastfeeding in public. Dillard’s has since responded saying:
“Dillard’s strives to create a pleasing and comfortable shopping experience for all our guests at all times. Accordingly, we respect the right of mothers to nurse their children wherever they feel comfortable in doing so.”
Riiiight. Why is our society okay with having huge pictures of cleavage and boobs strung up in stores like Victoria’s Secret in the name of capitalism but is so squeamish about seeing women provide nourishment to their baby’s in public? It is such a double standard, like “we’re okay with boobs in public when there is sexiness surrounding it, but it’s not cool to whip out your boob in public if you are trying to feed your kid because that’s not sexy…” It is unfortunate that there is still such negativity surrounding breastfeeding in public, when a mother needs to feed her child, she should be able to feed her child without any added stress or frustrations caused by other people’s judgements and/or ridiculous views.
