Posted on 04/30/2005 5:56:16 AM PDT by tuffydoodle
Nursing mom gets unwelcome reception
FW mall says security firm made a mistake
10:37 PM CDT on Friday, April 29, 2005
By KARIN KELLY / WFAA-TV
For many mothers, breastfeeding is the most natural thing in the world.
But it turned into an embarassing situation that angered a North Texas woman this week after she said a mall security guard harassed her.
Adrian Sparks was shopping at Hulen Mall Thursday, and decided to discreetly nurse her eight-month-old baby under a blanket in the food court.
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Karin Kelly reports "The security guard came over and asked me to stop, and either go to the restroom or to leave," Sparks said.
The guard told Sparks a food court customer had complained, even though Sparks was covered with a blanket.
"I told him it was perfectly legal for me to nurse my child," Sparks said. "And that they sell clothes more revealing that what I was doing right here."
Of course, it is legal - but soon another manager approached.
"He said, 'well those rules don't apply because we're a private facility,'" she recalled.
Friends who breastfeed have rushed in for support.
"The human race wouldn't exist without breast milk," said nursing mom Rachel Tarbutton.
Some are members of La Leche League, an organization that supports mother's milk for health and bonding benefits..
"To know that she is getting everything she needs from me, from my body, is (important)," Sparks said.
Mall officials said the incident was not normal procedure, and that t heir new security company made a mistake.
"That is not a Hulen Mall policy," said manager Kevin Davies. " We support what she was doing, we support moms and all of our customers, and feel badly this occurred."
That's not all that reassuring for Sparks, though.
"I don't think I'll ever be able to shop there again, because I was just so upset about it," she said.
"Tuffydoodle, anyone (not speaking about Alia) who thinks they can say with impunity that anyone who doesn't stay home and nurse on a schedule is a bad mother deserves more than just being called a few bad names"
I read that garbage, it's just ignorance, I guess.
I've always loved listening to people with no children who think they know more than someone who has raised several. Wouldn't that be like a garbage collector telling a neurosurgeon how to do brain surgery?
Oh, isn't that sweet? Here's a little jpeg I picked out especially for you to show my appreciation for your stance on this topic. You do like chocolate, don't you?
And you will stop me how?
I've seen both discreet and indiscreet examples of nursing in public. Discreet nursing mothers have never bothered me. However - indiscreet nursing mothers have. It's not just the IDEA - it's been the actual example.
While I can't say I neccesarily agree with the way Alia has expressed her concerns - I certainly can see her points. There is and has been a very rabid movement to "encourage" breastfeeding. Like many other things the left has taken something that is perfectly normal - and twisted it to "make their point". While it may be "unfortunate" that our society views breasts as "sexual objects" it is still a fact that it DOES.. and there is a time and a place for them to be seen. If that makes me a prude - so be it..
Believe me I understand that babies "get hungry" .. I also understand that there may be instances that a mom gets caught out in public and would need to nurse. However - I do think that as a mother she should take the time to minimize these instances. Planning eliminates a lot of it. Don't take a baby who's just waken up from a nap and expect them not to be hungry.... Really when you think about it - Mom's who want to go about their OWN schedules and not take time to think about their babies schedules are the ones who are being kind of selfish.
What a bizarre statement.
There is nothing moral or immoral about putting a baby on a schedule. There is certainly something immoral about killing a baby.
Try another analogy.
Life is about going out and doing... we're gonna see a lot of things we like and a lot of things we don't like. Most of the time we have 350 other directions we can look. I'm not gonna tell a mom she shouldn't spend all dang day out doing things, and nursing and changing diapers as needed. Just because it needs doing, not because it's a point that needs to be made.
I think offense at the mere chance of an accidental glimpse of a nipple is just much ado about nothing. I've gotten accidental views of nipples in my life just being at the beach around people swimming in bikinis. The accidental wardrobe malfunction or brief bit of boob you might see nursing isn't what cheapens and perverts us or our children.
I can instantly discern that you're childless.
You equate breast feeding with urination!?!? Ahhhh! The worlds gone mad! :)
Actually I'd have loved to have more kids - unfortunately I couldn't.
Over the years there are a couple lessons I learned - the biggest was that I was much to "busy" to stop and enjoy my kids growing up. I truly wish I'd have quit work to stay home when they were younger. I've done that now - but that was only about 18 months ago - so I didn't have the time with my "babies".
I didn't say all life had to stop and just revolve around the baby - but I do know that planning can be done, and frankly slowing down and pacing things can change ones whole perspective on life.
I really believe a lot of the aggrevation young mother's feel about breastfeeding comes more from the stress of being expected to "do it all" .. right along with breastfeeding. I guess the point I was trying to make was maybe "doing it all" should encompass focusing more on the baby the first year of life - even if it means giving up little league/gymnastics/horseback riding lessons/swim team/etc etc etc for the older ones - and full time work for mom. And sometimes it's not even paid work outside the home - but volunteer work .. or too many responsibilities at church. Those first years are so precious that sometimes with all the outside running around the kids get lost in the shuffle.
"You equate breast feeding with urination!?!?"
Keep reading through the entire thread, it gets even more bizarre than that.
Is it your usual practice to compare apples to bulldozers?
I don't think neglecting the other children in the family is the answer, either. I have 5 kids, 4 have an outside activity. When number 5 was born, the other 4 were involved in sports or music and I couldn't tell them that they had to give it up so I could stay home and nurse the baby. Wouldn't that breed resentment?
Oh, my God, nursing a five-year-old? Please, PLEASE tell me you're joking.
That is SO not right.
I think so, actually. By definition, a very discreet mother will not draw my notice.
Now, that woman you mentioned earlier, feeding the five-year-old . . . even Stevie Wonder would notice THAT.
I would love to answer you, but I have been informed that never having breast-fed, I'm not allowed to express an opinion on this thread.
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