I bet you think this song is about you, don't you, don't you, don't you

[primroseburrows]

Apparently Starbucks employees in Maryland are asking breastfeeding women to cover up or go in the restroom. And the women are fighting back!!

Here's emmagrant01's take on things: What she said.

I hate Starbucks so much.


Oh, and wtf? Why are my hands all dried out even when I've been using gloves to clean all day? Hmph.

Comments

[alfirin-kirinki.livejournal.com]

It has obviously bothered enough people for Starbucks to view it as a problem.

.a.

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

Apparently it was an isolated incident, according to Starbucks.

[alfirin-kirinki.livejournal.com]

In that case the action is a little extreme, but that doesn't change the fact that some people just do not like it.

I don't ever plan to have children - never have done - so I won't be faced with this dilemma, but if I was a mother, I'd prefer to feed my child out of sight.

.a.

[ceilidh]

I tried the out of sight thing, and I gave it up after about two days. It gets really old having to sit by yourself everywhere you go for up to an hour at a time every few hours. Why bother going anywhere or doing anything? It's something that babies and moms are designed to do, and as long as they aren't wandering around topless, there's no reason to be 'grossed out'.

[alfirin-kirinki.livejournal.com]

It's not about seeing nipples, even - I'm bisexual, I like boobies generally - but from a very small age seeing my mother's equally large breast shoved in my sibling's face (in her case with silvery stretch marks and a horribly blue vein) made me hide.

So did Thomas the Tank Engine after Gordon was derailed, but that's another matter...

I can't help not liking it - I honestly can't - and it's not even the seeing, it's the knowing it's happening and the sucky noises and... I'm sorry - I don't mean to offend any of you mums, but it honestly makes me uncomfortable. I'm not going to go out of my way to make the mother uncomfortable in return, but perhaps instead of just banning these things larger establishments at least, should provide facilities where mums with young babies can be comfortable...

Maybe, once they ban smoking (please, please let them ban smoking so I can breathe!) all the old non-smoking sections can be made Mum and Baby sections! ;)

.a.

[alfirin-kirinki.livejournal.com]

Well, I suppose it would benefit the mother in that she would be safe in the knowledge that there wasn't a single thing anyone could say to her for it...

I don't think we have any laws on breastfeeding over here - it's not something I usually have to think about...

I don't honestly think we really should have actual sections in places but it might make life a bit easier... Hey - maybe we could even have special buses that you can only go on if you're nursing, and shops that only serve nursing mums*...




*I'm kidding, honestly.

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

As of 2003 there was a bill on the books in Scotland. It only would support mom's rights if they were nursing babies under the age of two, but it's a start. I wonder if anything ever happened with it.

There's nothing in England that I've found in my tiny amount of Googling.

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

Maybe, once they ban smoking (please, please let them ban smoking so I can breathe!) all the old non-smoking sections can be made Mum and Baby sections! ;)

Maybe they should have their own water fountains and bathrooms, too. After all, they already have to sit at the back of the plane, why not continue the parallel?

I do agree about teh smoking, though.

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

but if I was a mother, I'd prefer to feed my child out of sight.

You're probably not alone at all in this opinion, and it'd be your right to do that. It's also the right (enforceable by at least Maryland law--I don't know what other states'/countries' laws are) of a woman to breastfeed her infant without harassment from the Authorities, whoever they may be. The deal with Starbucks is essentially that they broke the law.

This is an interesting message board on the subject.

[alfirin-kirinki.livejournal.com]

I've got to be perfectly honest - I won't read it. I've had enough of the debate on here already, without going somewhere else to be flamed! ;)

I do understand your point - I know it must be an inconvenience to have to move and things, and perhaps there should be moves made to compromise, seeing as so many places seem to restrict it - but none of the arguments on here could change the fact that it makes me, and some others uncomfortable.

Starbucks have over-reacted if it was just one person, but if a lot of complaints had been received about the matter they are obliged to try to come up with a solution - just perhaps not one that is so extreme.

.a.

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

*hugs*

I'm not flaming you, honest. I do like a good debate, though. :)