In a world where breastfeeding in public is legal, it’s baffling that some still don’t get the memo. When will businesses educate their employees about the rights of nursing mothers? It’s downright frustrating that women continue to face harassment for simply feeding their babies—especially from those who are supposed to be serving the public.
Take the case of Jenna Miller and her husband, who took their two little ones to a mall in Virginia for a visit with the Easter Bunny. When their infant grew hungry, Jenna did what any loving mom would do—she began to breastfeed right there on a bench. To her surprise, a security guard approached her with the request to relocate to a nursing room.
Faced with this unexpected interruption, Jenna decided to live-stream her experience to raise awareness. “My baby was crying because she was hungry, so I’m discreetly feeding her,” Jenna shared. “But then, security tells me I need to find a nursing room, which is occupied! I reminded them that in Virginia, breastfeeding moms can nurse wherever they are legally allowed to be, and they insisted I couldn’t do it on this bench.”
After their lovely outing with the Easter Bunny, Jenna and her family went to guest services to report the incident. “The staff were super apologetic and kind. They even offered us train tickets for a ride (my toddler loves trains!),” Jenna explained. “I hold no grudges against the mall—I plan to continue shopping and nursing there. And honestly, I have no hard feelings toward the security guard; she thought she was just doing her job.”
Let’s face it: breastfeeding moms already juggle enough. The stress of being publicly reprimanded can be overwhelming for a woman already anxious about nursing in public. Thankfully, Jenna was knowledgeable about her rights and felt empowered to stand her ground. But not every mom has that level of confidence, and such incidents can deter them from breastfeeding openly.
In this case, the mall recognized its mistake and committed to improving its staff training on the rights of breastfeeding mothers. This is precisely the kind of response we need more of. As it stands, 49 states protect public breastfeeding (looking at you, Idaho!). Yet, if women are still being confronted by employees, businesses clearly have work to do. A little education can go a long way.
“I’m frustrated that someone thought nursing women couldn’t feed their babies in public,” Jenna expressed. “It’s about time we see better training and awareness regarding the rights of nursing mothers.”
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In summary, it’s crucial for businesses to educate their staff about the legal rights surrounding public breastfeeding. Incidents like Jenna’s can be avoided with better training, ensuring that nursing mothers feel comfortable and supported in public spaces.