Comments on: The rights of a nursing mother

By: Guinevere Meadow

Guinevere Meadow — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 03:40:39 +0000

Hi, I clicked over here from someone’s blogroll. I found your blog title intriguing! Anyway, after reading this it seems to ME that since the class is blatantly advertised as an “adults-only” class, then there was no discrimination here. The playground at McDonalds has a height requirement- are they discriminating against short children because they aren’t allowed in the playplace? Now, if this class was NOT advertised as an adults-only class, then yes I would say she was being discriminated against. However, it seems the situation was handled well by the staff- she was approached about it, offered her money back, and was apparantly not harassed about it. (Of course, I haven’t read any of the news reports about it, just reading what you have here!) She KNEW she was going into an adults-only place, and she chose to broke the rules.
Just my opinion.

By: Guinevere Meadow

Guinevere Meadow — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 03:40:39 +0000

By: twinmomplusone

twinmomplusone — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 01:43:46 +0000

another late commentor but really, pump and leave baby home OR wait a few more months before taking the course
my 2 cents

By: twinmomplusone

twinmomplusone — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 01:43:46 +0000

another late commentor but really, pump and leave baby home OR wait a few more months before taking the course
my 2 cents

By: Jen

Jen — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 20:15:06 +0000

I imagine it is a safety/liability thing. It’s too bad when things like this are spun another way. Making lots of places mother-friendly is a definite must if we really value children the way we say we do but I’d be working on getting pumping rooms and daycares in all places of work before I started to campaign for infant-friendly rock-climbing classes.

By: Jen

Jen — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 20:15:06 +0000

By: nancy

nancy — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 17:55:41 +0000

I am late. But my first thought was “OMG all the dust and stuff!” cause I have done pottery in a studio before, is there even room for a baby?
Totally agree with (can’t remember who and too lazy to go back and look) can you not pump and leave a bottle? or even one bottle of formula with the father or sitter?
Anyway, terrific comments and like you said, most polite.

By: nancy

nancy — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 17:55:41 +0000

By: DaniGirl

DaniGirl — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 17:37:01 +0000

First, can I tell you all how much I love you for taking what could be a divisive topic and offering such varied, smart and above all POLITE comments on the subject? I’m so proud of y’all!
And how interesting that it’s our token male participant (Fryman) who so perfectly expressed what I was trying to say in my post. *hat tip*

By: DaniGirl

DaniGirl — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 17:37:01 +0000

By: owlhaven.

owlhaven. — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 09:59:14 +0000

I nursed my oldest in college classes for 3 months. She was born just 3 months before I completed my nursing degree. I sat in the back and kept her quiet. No one had a lick of trouble with it.
I did leave her sometimes– I had to be away from her two 7 hour days per week, to complete my in-hospital practice. But frankly, I was not about to leave her home a minute longer than I had to.
Maybe the pottery mom was a working mom who had to be away from her baby some already. (not that it matters, really. I think she was totally within her rights to bring the baby.)
Here from bub and pie
Mary, mom to many

By: owlhaven.

owlhaven. — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 09:59:14 +0000

By: kris

kris — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 09:44:36 +0000

Okay, I guess I am mean, but if I were paying for that class, I wouldn’t want to have the baby there. When I was in grad school, one of the students used to bring her infant to class. He was generally pretty quiet, but when he did make noise, it was really distracting. Even when she took him outside to cry, it was after the class had been interrupted as he started his crying jag and she hurried out. I think that people in an “adults only” class can reasonably expect that there won’t be any children there.

By: kris

kris — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 09:44:36 +0000

By: Marla

Marla — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 09:14:14 +0000

Having now read the article and the subsequent comments, I agree with the majority – it isn’t a breastfeeding issue…unless it is. I know she just wanted three hours of sanity a week, since she has other young kids…but, I’ll say it again. I’d want to know if, in the past five months, even with her husband’s difficult schedule, she’s ever spent three hours away from her nursing baby. But, since I can’t know, I can’t say anything more.

By: Marla

Marla — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 09:14:14 +0000

By: JoJo

JoJo — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 08:30:37 +0000

Wow. The comments are almost as good as the post (don’t worry hon, almost) .
I think if ti’s a safety issue then it ends there. Safety first.
However, I fought tooth and nail to breastfeed Amelia. I had a very low supply and I pumped after every.single. feed for 6 months. I took Fenugreek and Blessed thistle. I took Domperidone and I used a Lact-Aid instead of a bottle so I could hopefully raise my prolactin levels enough to supply all the milk she needed. If someone would have suggested to me that I leave my baby at home they would still be removing my foot from their ass.
The city cannot plaster their campaign for “Breast is Best” all ovet the damn city if they are not willing to do everything in their power to support it. So I don;t think it’s a question of her “right” to nurse. I think it’s a question of do they support that right? What are they doing to protect that right?

By: JoJo

JoJo — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 08:30:37 +0000

By: mamaloo, the doula

mamaloo, the doula — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 07:42:51 +0000

I’d like to add a couple of things ( or maybe, add one thing and clarify another).
First, the clarification: I think that if you have to purchase a membership, the place isn’t wholly public. I was talking about public spaces.
Second, the addition: I used to work in art studios. I’ve even been present in the room for bronze pours. I’ve been around a lot of different chemicals, pigments, powders and anything that could constitute a potential respitory or physical hazard. Unless the studio where the woman was working was freakishly small, there really isn’t going to be much risk of baby being in harm’s way if s/he’s off to the side hanging out quietly in a seat.
Third, and you just knew I had to get an extra point in: small babies usually get admittance to places children and teens can’t, by virtue of their being, mostly, immobile. Such as pubs. It is certainly a grand tradition around here to have an infant (and even a well behaved small child now that there is no smoking in Ontario pubs and restaurants) along for a relaxing afternoon pint (the genteel kind, not the “we’re ignoring baby and getting drunk kind”). I would assume that the woman thought this was a similar situation.

By: mamaloo, the doula

mamaloo, the doula — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 07:42:51 +0000