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Nursing moms hold a "nurse-in" after a Pennsylvania mall security guard orders a young mother to cover up or leave the area.
It’s happened again. The scene is a suburban Philadelphia shopping mall on a cold winter day. A young mother is out shopping with her husband and two young children. Her youngest, a six month old, is hungry. The family stops at a bench, where the mother positions a baby stroller in front of herself and begins to nurse discreetly. What occurs next is almost unbelievable. A security guard, apparently acting upon the complaints of another patron, approaches Leigh Bellini while she is nursing and asks her to cover up with a blanket. Mrs. Bellini does not have a blanket, and refuses to allow the guard to find or buy one for her. During the ensuing conversation with Bellini and her husband Tony, several unbelievable things happen: The security guard threatens to call the police and have the family banned from the mall. Another security officer, this one female, attempts to get the family to “cooperate”. She again tried to push a blanket on them, despite the fact that they have clearly stated that they do not wish to use a used or unlaundered blanket. A suggestion is made that Mrs. Bellini use the restroom. When Mr. Bellini protests that his son shouldn’t have to eat his dinner on a toilet, the suggestion is made that Mrs. Bellini stand while breastfeeding. Yes, you read that correctly. It is also suggested that she go outside in the 30 degree weather and feed her son in the car. Of course by this point, everyone in the area is watching the confrontation. The security guards have succeeded in drawing attention to an initially inconspicuous situation. Another threat to call the police is made, but the Bellinis stand their ground. Finally, the guards give up and walked away, threatening to call the police if another complaint is received. The Bellinis return all of their purchases and inform management that they will no longer shop at this mall, At home, Leigh Bellini checks the mall’s website and finds no written regulations prohibiting breast-feeding. As a result of this incident, Leigh Bellini and almost fifty other moms hold a “Nurse-In” at the same mall this past Saturday. The women and their families congregate in the mall’s center court to show their support of Bellini and the right of all women to breastfeed their children in a safe, warm, clean environment. Can you imagine being denied this most basic of rights? This isn’t the first time such a story has made the news. Last November, a New Mexico woman was kicked off a Delta plane for refusing to cover up with a blanket while breastfeeding. Following the incident, a nurse-in was held in front of a Delta ticket counter. Last summer, a comment by Barbara Walters on “The View” brought 200 “lactivists” and their infants to ABC headquarters to breastfeed in protest and support. The sad thing is, Pennsylvania, where this occurred, is one of several states in our country that do not have laws protecting the rights of nursing mothers to breastfeed in public. Hopefully, the media attention this story is getting will help to change that. Its hard to believe that these types of incidents are still happening, especially in a culture where revealing clothing and excessive skin are the norm. No one seems to mind that. How anyone could be “offended” by a nursing child boggles the mind. But as long as these ignorant attitudes persist, there will be women who refuse to be bullied, who refuse to stay home or hide in bathrooms simply because they have chosen what they believe to be the healthiest option for their children. Thank God for them. You may also be interested in Learning Through Play Activities or Raising a Reader.
The copyright of the article Breastfeeding in Public in Breastfeeding is owned by Susan Carney. Permission to republish Breastfeeding in Public in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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