Friday, May 2, 2008

Don't Mess with my Lactivist Self


I have a pretty big outspoken mouth. I also graduated from Law School . I am a Certified Lactation Counselor. I have been nursing my children for 6 years this coming June having Tamdem nursed for at least 19 months.




Having said all that what would happen if I had been told that I had to stop nursing my child?Keep in mind I am in Minnesota where the Law specifically addresses nursing mothers and the right to nurse their child anywhere public or private where she and her child are allowed to be.








Minn. Stat. § 617.23
Indecent Exposure; Penalties(d) It is not a violation of the indecent exposure statute for a woman to breast feed.
Minn. Stat. § 145.9051998 Minn. ALS 407; 1998 Minn. Chapter Law 407; 1997 Minn. S.F. No. 3346
145.905 Location for Breast-FeedingA mother may breast?feed in any location, public or private, where the mother and child are otherwise authorized to be, irrespective of whether the nipple of the mother's breast is uncovered during or incidental to the breast-feeding.





Isn't the YMCA supposed to be family friendly??








This young male life guard had no idea who he was dealing with. He walks towards me and my nursling and out of his mouth comes the (for the lac of a better term) profanities. I answered between my teeth that what he was doing was against the Law . So he said he would call the manager after I told him that it was my right and I was protected by said Law.




Them comes this other male manager and a girl from the reception and they get close to me and my nursing 27 month old Gigi and starts:




"We are feeling uncomfortable..."




As I stopped him on his tracks with "discrimination" and "front page of the local newspaper" ( I have people!).




So after I was done with them they put their little tails between their legs and said they would check into bringing the information to their staff.




A few minutes later the girl comes back and apologizes profusely and says she talked with another manager who said they have the Law posted and that they are indeed a "Breastfeeding Friendly" institution.




I gracefully accepted the apologies and asked them to do a better job training their personnel.




They never saw the train coming......




8 comments:

Lace said...

MDC mom here:

GOOD FOR YOU!!!! That is awesome that you got an apology. I'm glad you told them off!

Celeste said...

Awesome!!! They didn't know who they were dealing with! HA!

Unknown said...

Brava!

Velcromom said...

That is great, I bet they don't neglect that part of the training from now on. Hm, my son is in lifeguard training right now, I think I will talk with him about this issue so he can share & make sure no one at his job makes a fool of themselves!

Schuyler said...

Alex you ROCK!!! Well done you!

zamozo said...

Way to go! I so wish someone had confronted me way back when so I could've set them straight... The most public place I ever openly breastfed? In front of the main entrance of the Mall of American in Mpls -- 1994 - my three year old!

Go get 'em tigress!

Anonymous said...

yippee! I just breastfed my almost 3 year old at the San
Diego Wild Animal Park - I like to keep pictures of all the places I have done so :)

Tandeming Mama to Julia (almost 3) and Julian (5.5)

Karen

Schuyler said...

There is an article in the Telegraph today that got me thinking of you. Apparently you can't breastfeed in public here. How wrong is that?!! Good thing I didn't know the law when we moved here;>.