The New York Times covered the Ronald McDonald House breastfeeding incident.
Personally, I’m still not comfortable with the outcome. McDonalds insists that they support breastfeeding, and that she can nurse wherever she is, as long as she is “sensitive” to other people.
In almost every case I can imagine, the benefit goes to the baby that needs to nurse, the burden of looking away, or leaving the room, goes to the grown-up people in the room. Lest I be accused of flashing my breasts at unsuspecting persons, I’ll share a personal anecdote.
We were eating out in New York- I was sitting across from a 16 year old boy, Archie, age six weeks, was in a sling and nursing throughout dinner. When I got up to use the restroom, the hostess approached me.
“Some patrons are uncomfortable with you breastfeeding in the dining area. We’d like to offer you a room for some privacy and comfort.”
“But then, I wouldn’t be visiting with my family and the wedding party, and my food is at the table, and I’m hungry. I’m fairly sure I have the legal right to nurse wherever I have the right to be.”
She was very nice, and clearly embarrassed to have even asked me, and assured me that the restaurant would support me whether I wanted a private cushy room, or wanted to nurse at the table.
When I returned to the table, I mentioned the conversation to everyone sitting with me. The 16-year-old gasped, “You were breastfeeding? I completely missed that.”
My point is, I was discreet enough that the boy sitting across from me didn’t notice, and he’s hormonally programmed to notice breasts, yet, I still wasn’t sensitive enough for the old codger sitting at the next table. If moms have to worry about offending someone, rather than feeding their babies, fewer people will nurse.
I enjoy being an activist about various issues, but I shouldn’t have to be one just to feed my children.
1 reply on “Update on McDonalds and Breastfeeding”
‘hormonally programmed’… I’ll have to remember that one…
Until I became a father, I would have mentioned it to the restaurant… not knowing all that feeding a child, when/where least of all how,
Now, I’d get up in the face of the mgr of the restaurant..
I think it’s just a matter of which side of the fence you’ve experienced and seen, and you’ll always have the people happy to sit ON the fence and throw stones at both sides..
Keep up the good work, you help me focus and remember we’re all in it together after some really REALLY tough days.. I like the bloodthirsty savages one too… makes me think Stevie might actually be 1/2 human (he IS the bloodthirsty savage most of the time)