My eyes teared up reading the accounts a service member had defending his babies rights to breastfeed not just at a post thrift shop where he and his wife volunteered but also at Boy Scouts of America, where they both gave of their time to support the organization they cared for, till they realized the organization didn’t want Mom around breastfeeding her babies any place, even under a blanket in public. The Dad stood up for her then as he had before in the military but in the end, the family was forced out. More here:
Dad Stands Up to Boy Scouts of America to Defend Breastfeeding Wife and Baby
That family is very brave, the father risked so much when he was in the military to defend his child’s basic right to simply eat when it needed to and his wife’s right to feed baby where ever they happen to be at the time. It sounds like he paid dearly for it too. Our society is so broken and twisted from what the boy scouts treat boys to how grown men react to breasts when they would hardly bat an eye lash at a firing gun.
One of the things that strikes me as wrong (there are many here of course) is that the mother covered up with blankets when she nursed. That is not a legal requirement and heck, many can’t nurse that way as baby will refuse to eat. I know my babies did. I wonder what the leaders of boy scouts would do if they ever had to actually research and explain to the the troops about breastfeeding?
One thing I know for sure, our son will never be a boy scout, they don’t have high enough morals for our family.
My father and brother were both in the scouts. I would go on camp outs with them, and have really been around the scouts my entire life. But their group was pretty awesome, and we never had any issues like this; I remember one mom was breastfeeding at a dinner thing we had, the same family ate a paleo diet before it was “in”. I don’t recall ANYONE saying anything about these things. I remember bringing it to my father at one point, and he actually replied with something along the lines of how he wished more families in the scouts were like them.
I think it’s all about the pack you’re in. Maybe my family just lucked out.
I’m definitely a breastfeeding advocate, and I think a woman should be able to breastfeed wherever she needs to, however – I think there are groups and locations of people who are extremely uncomfortable with any degree of public nudity, and it would be a bit mean to not be sensitive to that (and cover up as much as possible) – whether you agree or not. Maybe this particular group had just had some bad experiences where breastfeeding mothers weren’t sensitive to the group either? Sometimes stupid rules are made because of stupid people…
I am sure not all boy scout troops are like the one that poor family had to deal with. Sadly as a whole though I really just do not trust boy scouts to defend a babies right to eat and a mothers right to nurse.
Samantha, I have to respectfully disagree with you. Even if a group came across a less than modest breastfeeding mother acting as they have, in many states breaking the law that says a mother can breastfeed with no cover any place she is legally allowed to be, is kind of like blaming the victim. I have encountered sensitive people and in the end I have to logically think that are they more important than my baby, is their sensitivity more important than my rights to be some place doing some thing that chances are I need to do? I have little respect for those who are sensitive to breastfeeding but not smart enough to simply not look or to seek therapy for their issue. Breastfeeding is normal and natural and I think it is time our society remembers that. But then I was the women who would leave church services with a baby at the breast and NO COVER, and would sing in choir while nursing as well, also no cover. I sat at a church committee meeting once nursing and noticed a nice older man I was friends with trying hard not to watch. I smiled and spun my chair so he would not have to try so hard. I later stopped him in the hall and said I was sorry if I ever flash him and he said it was not my fault and that it is a bit like watching a train wreck and he just does not want to offend me by being so focused on it but that it was his issue and not mine. That man is brilliant! It was his issue and he didn’t try to make it my babies issue. I had a meeting to be a part of because I had work in the church to do, same as he did. His issues thankfully didn’t get in the way of that. We all have issues, we need to deal with them not make take rights away from others because of our issues.
I remember being a little girl and finding nursing mothers absolutely fascinating (I was never breastfed), like looking into a special world. And that’s all it is. I think the world needs more mothers to show affection to their babies in public in all ways, kisses and snuggles included, because any sort of “PDA” seems to embarrass the general population far too much.
Yes, the boys in scouts may look, just as they might stare at a large chest hidden behind a shirt, they’re just breasts people!
Now that I’m a nursing mother myself, I am amazed at how closeted some of my friends are regarding their breastfeeding, when we should all be so proud that our bodies are doing this.