Mothers stage 'nurse-ins' at Target stores after breastfeeding incident

[accadacca]

Oh geeeeez... :roll:

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SOUTH JORDAN, Utah—
Nursing mothers are taking a stand against a major retailer after one Texas mother said she was humiliated by Target employees for breastfeeding her baby inside the store.

Moms from around the country are staging a "nurse-in" at Target stores, including a protest here in Utah at the Target in South Jordan. Another one is scheduled for a Layton Super Target.

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These mothers say they hope to spark discussion about breastfeeding in public.

"It is OK to nurse in public, it is normal," said Diana Baker, a breastfeeding mother. "We just want to get together with Target nationwide and say that Target as well as the nursing mothers are OK with this."

Baker openly nursed her child at the South Jordan Target as part of a nationwide movement.

Groups targeted their demonstration at the big box retailer because of the incident involving a Houston-area mother. Michelle Hickman claims she was harassed and humiliated by store employees after breastfeeding her 5-month-old son in a women's clothing section at a Target store in Webster, TX.

"As a family-oriented retailer, Target has a long standing policy to allow breast feeding at any place in the store," said store manager Kevin Nelson. The local Target manager says he was made aware of the nurse-in and supports it as a good way to educate their employees about the policy.

"I think it brings awareness to breast feeding and the benefits of it. And it gives us a chance to teach our team members the proper way to handle situations," Nelson said.

Nursing advocates applaud mothers for exercising their right. Christy Porucznik, a spokesperson for La Leche League of Utah, says the more discussion created about breastfeeding, the better.

"The biggest thing I tend to worry about is women who may be hiding inside, not going out, not interacting, maybe not fulfilling some of their family's needs because they're afraid of what might happen."

Many states, including Utah, have laws that specifically allow breastfeeding in public.

Wednesday's nurse-in is similar to one that took place last summer after a Utah mother complained about how she was treated while nursing in a Whole Foods store.

Source: http://www.fox13now.com/news/kstu-nursein-mothers-stage-nursein-after-tx-woman-claims-being-harassed-by-target-employees-20111228,0,5034641.story

[Deathcricket]

It's too bad the chicks who stage a "Nurse in" aren't really the kinda chick's whose tittays you wanna see. Otherwise I could get behind this movement. :puke:

[Sombeech]

pics or it didn't happen

[Cirrus2000]

Seriously, guys? General thread, a topic that is a serious issue, and it takes two posts to devolve to this? OP rolls his eyes. Second post leers about how the hot chicks won't flash their tits in public. (News flash - it's not about entertaining the guys that might be around.) Third post cracks funny about wanting pics. Bunch of misogynistic, 4chan style bullshit. These people are talking about feeding babies in public. Not putting on a "tittay" show.

I guess that if there were more females on the board, or perhaps more females that mattered to the bullshit-posters, perhaps a less juvenile approach would be taken. Yeah, right...

[Felicia]

Well said Kev - thank you!

[BruteForce]

Seriously, guys? General thread, a topic that is a serious issue, and it takes two posts to devolve to this? OP rolls his eyes. Second post leers about how the hot chicks won't flash their tits in public. (News flash - it's not about entertaining the guys that might be around.) Third post cracks funny about wanting pics. Bunch of misogynistic, 4chan style bullshit. These people are talking about feeding babies in public. Not putting on a "tittay" show.


Agreed. I just don't understand why some find breastfeeding in public such a big deal. It's because of the general "sexual" tone that my wife was so embarrassed by the breastfeeding thing and would lock herself away for the duration.

[Sombeech]

I stand by my comment.



But seriously, when I see breast feeding in public, it then becomes MY RESPONSIBILITY to turn around or look the other way so I'm not a sexual predator. It's not that we don't like to see boobs in public, that's not what it is. It's that we all need to take action all of a sudden out of fear for being called a gawker or pervert by the breast feeding mother if we don't do an about face and do the "casual whistling tune" as we walk away.

Are these mothers OK if we walk up to them during, and mention how cute their baby is? Seriously... that's the question I want answered right there. Or do they in all reality want some privacy? That would require US, the innocent bystanders to act - not them.

It's just a little uncomfortable for the majority to say the least. Let's not spin it and say "___________ wants babies to starve to death" now. Breast feeding CAN be a beautiful thing, but not always a serene work of art. And when in public, that loving pure one on one bonding time between mother and child is a wee bit hard to keep sacred.

[accadacca]

I was going to say, "only in Utah" when I posted this, but the "incident" happened in Texas. I just think its absurd that this is actually an issue. Who cares if they do it in public...

[REDFOX]

Give me a break. These women can't come up with other ways of contributing to society. If someone wanted the same kind of attention, they could start a protest against having doors on bathrooms. Afterall isn't it natural for people to use the facilities ? Why must we hide behind closed doors ?

[blueeyes]

Well said Kev - thank you!

X2

[Cirrus2000]

I stand by my comment.

Uh huh. And should I imagine the Beavis laugh, or the Butthead laugh after it?


But seriously, when I see breast feeding in public, it then becomes MY RESPONSIBILITY to turn around or look the other way so I'm not a sexual predator. It's not that we don't like to see boobs in public, that's not what it is. It's that we all need to take action all of a sudden out of fear for being called a gawker or pervert by the breast feeding mother if we don't do an about face and do the "casual whistling tune" as we walk away.

If you see a mother breastfeeding in public it is not your responsibility to do anything. Don't turn around, don't whistle, and don't gawk or leer.


Are these mothers OK if we walk up to them during, and mention how cute their baby is? Seriously... that's the question I want answered right there.


Well, I've never breastfed in public, but I'm going to guess "not really". If a mother is breastfeeding in public, how do you know the baby is cute? What exactly would be your point in going up to a breastfeeding mother and baby, and telling her how cute the baby is? Would you want to do that, for any other reason than hoping to get a flash of boob? If I see two people having an intimate, intense conversation in a public place (yeah, it happens), they are probably not the people I am going to go up to and mention how much I like her shoes.

I walked past a woman breastfeeding at the airport (where I work) yesterday. It's probably why I couldn't refrain from commenting in this thread. I couldn't really see the baby, and didn't feel inclined to tell her how cute it was. I looked the woman in the face and smiled. Guess what - she smiled back. And I kept walking. It wasn't difficult. It wasn't awkward. I didn't feel that I had to spin around and walk away, whistling casually.


It's just a little uncomfortable for the majority to say the least. Let's not spin it and say "___________ wants babies to starve to death" now. Breast feeding CAN be a beautiful thing, but not always a serene work of art. And when in public, that loving pure one on one bonding time between mother and child is a wee bit hard to keep sacred.

Maybe uncomfortable for those who think of the human body as dirty, shameful, sinful, etc. The majority? I'm not sure. And "sacred"? If someone wants their bonding time while breastfeeding to be sacred, I doubt they would even consider doing so in public. For those who do, don't make such a big deal about it.


I was going to say, "only in Utah" when I posted this, but the "incident" happened in Texas. I just think its absurd that this is actually an issue. Who cares if they do it in public...

Now that I can get behind. If that was your point with the "geeez" and eyeroll - that they were directed at people who have a problem with breastfeeding in public - then I apologize for assuming it was directed at the protesters.


Give me a break. These women can't come up with other ways of contributing to society. If someone wanted the same kind of attention, they could start a protest against having doors on bathrooms. Afterall isn't it natural for people to use the facilities ? Why must we hide behind closed doors ?

You can't see a difference? And how do you know what else "these women" have contributed to society? You think this is just for attention?

[bigred72]

The absurd thing is the 'sit in'. Having worked for Target in recent years, they are okay with public breast feeding. Unfortunately one of their employees is an idiot.

[blueeyes]

If you read the article on KSL it wasn't just one employee.


It was at that point that two female employees approached her and asked her to move, saying the employees had been trained to redirect mothers to the fitting rooms, according to Hickman. and


Hickman said when she reported the incident, which allegedly grew to include multiple employees "who were all watching and making a spectacle of (her) nursing," a Target human relations representative told her "she and Target were aware of our legal rights as nursing mothers, but that Target has different policies because they are a family-friendly public place." http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=1009&sid=18658767&title=targets-nationwide-see-mothers-nurse-in-protest

I believe it is ridiculous to make a mother move into a bathroom or dressing room just so she can feed her child. If a mother feels confident enough to breastfeed in public so be it! Sit-in's are for public awareness just like any other protest.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SM7Hvjqny4&feature=relmfu

[accadacca]

After living in London for a few years and seeing this all the time on the trains and various other public places. It really isn't a big deal to
me. Many in the UK don't cover up at all either.

Of course the culture here in Utah is much more conservative. For me reading that they even had to do an awareness stunt seems silly, but that's the reality of the culture.

[KapitanSparrow]

I don't know what the uproar is all about. Boobs are overrated anyway. For I myself am an ass man. :afro:

[double moo]

Target allows sucking ass?

[Deathcricket]

Seriously, guys?

50215

[REDFOX]

Most of us have heard the simple phrase, " There is a time and a place for everything. " Not just speaking for myself, but I believe that many of us push the seen and unseen bondaries. How else would we make the news ?

[Sombeech]

Maybe uncomfortable for those who think of the human body as dirty, shameful, sinful, etc.
Ok now it's about me thinking the human body is shameful.

Lolz

Impenetrable argument.

But I'm going to assume you really don't believe that just because something is beautiful that it has a place in every situation.

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[Mtnseeker1]

OH my --- when nature is no longer nature then what?