Posted on 08/10/2005 10:03:55 AM PDT by Tumbleweed_Connection
Women in favor of public breastfeeding are demanding the right the nurse their infants in the stands at sports arenas, but say they feel pressured to leave their pricey seats and feed their babies in bathrooms or first aid stations.
``They've paid for their seat, they have the right to be in that seat, so they have the right to breastfeed their baby there – that's our understanding of the law,'' said Lezlie Densmore of La Leche League in Massachusetts.
None of the area's three major sports venues have written policies on breastfeeding, creating confusion among mothers over what is allowed.
# At Gillette Stadium, a spokesman said women can nurse anywhere. But a security official told a Herald reporter inquiring about the policy that mothers must breastfeed in designated areas.
# At Fenway, both a fan service representative and a security official said if a fan finds a nursing mother ``offensive'' it is up to park security to decide whether the mother must go to a more discreet area.
# At TD Banknorth Garden, public nursing is handled on a ``case-by-case basis,'' said spokeswoman Courtney McIlhenny.
Dorchester mother Patty Daidone-Hardy said she was told by Gillette Stadium officials on Monday that she could nurse her 3-month-old son in a restroom or other area away from the stands.
She said feeding her baby in a bathroom would be ``unsanitary.''
``Breast milk is my son's only source of nutrition,'' she said. ``I felt like I was committing a crime because I had to nurse my son.''
Gillette spokesman Stacey James said women can breastfeed anywhere in the stadium, including the stands. James said he didn't know why a security officer would tell a caller ``we have family restrooms'' for nursing. ...
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bostonherald.com ...
Now wide recievers will have an excuse when their coach asked them why they lost track of the ball.
any mother who would take a 3 month infant to Fenwyt or the Garden is, IMHO, an UNFIT mother..
Stay home and feed your babies. Do you really think it's good to drag babies all over the place, especially a sporting event with all the drunks? Put their needs first. I would never take an infant to a game - yuck!
Oh, not this shi'ite again. If she's decently dressed, nobody's going to notice. (And if somebody's staring around the bleachers looking for bo*bs, maybe professional sports isn't all it's cracked up to be!)
Exactly, I think they should stay home ...
My wife breastfed both our girls. Strangely, nobody ever came up to her and lifted the blanket to see what was going on underneath it. Luckily for them.
Classy chicks, these.
I guess men should be allowed to urinate in the stands to make it even.
You know................even people on the right side of things can embarrass the hell out of you! This is just so disgusting! Maybe I"m just outta touch. But, when I was a nursing Mother, I would never have taken my precious baby to a loud, dirty, people filled, germ infested sports arena.
If the baby is going to interfere with your lifestyle, then maybe you should give the baby up for adoption to a family who regards children as more important than season tickets to the Patriots.
Absolutely right.
And since I've paid for my seat, I've got the right to urinate right here too!
After all, the stadium sold me the beer. Why should I have to miss part of the game because of the stadium's actions?
Shades of the hilarious cheerleader scene from The Replacements.
It's a breast and a baby that's feeding from it, big deal. If it bothers you, don't stare. I really don't enjoy watching people pick their nose, or honk a snot ball out, so I make a point not to stare at it if I notice it happening.
I, personally, would be hesistant to take a baby of nursing age to a sporting event, but that's just my individual opinion.
After enough beer....
I agree. Certainly not putting the baby's needs first.
Most new mothers with an ounce of common sense wouldn't either...
Typical "me, me, me" first, never mind about the kid's health at that age.
Stay home for Pete's sake.
There are already enough boobs in the bleachers, as it is.
"I've got nipples, Focker, can you milk me?" (Meet the Parents 1)
From what you wrote, your wife used a blanket to cover up herself and the nursing baby.
What you and others might not be aware of is this IN-YOUR-FACE form of nursing, that refuses to use a blanket, whips out a boob, sticks it in baby's mouth and sits there for all the world to see.
I am so sick of going to stores, movie theatres, restaurants, and yes, to CHURCH, and seeing Mother's nursing their babies without benefit of any sort of covering, and looking around with this defiant look, "What? Wanna say something about what I'm doing?"
Whatever happened to privacy, and a sense of decency?
These arrogant, brazen displays have brought this outcry on themselves. The public is tired of seeing Mother's with babies hanging off of them everywhere. What? Is it some badge of courage, for a woman to nurse in public and then DARE someone to say something?
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