The Nurse-In Nobody Attended

We're still struggling with sanity here. Screaming baby, no sleep, and cranky toddler do not add up to a happy mommy. But I've been trying to get out more and it helps.

Today was a nurse-in at a local toy store. Apparently, the manager of this toy store harassed the friend of a local woman for breastfeeding in the store. The woman eventually bullied the nursing mom to finish in the back room. In the state of Connecticut, this is illegal (nevermind the fact that it's just plain wrong to interfere with a woman feeding her child). So a woman on a local Yahoo! Group half-heartedly organized a nurse-in today. I spread the word to my friends and 2 of them met me there...where nobody else was. We went off to get beverages to give people time in case they were running late. Sadly, nobody was there when we returned. So we set up on our own outside the store; 3 moms, 3 infants, 2 toddlers, and a few signs explaining the laws in our state. The braver of my friends spoke to a few passers-by and told them why we were there. Me: I was happy to be there but very nervous. I usually am very discrete when I nurse in public (NIP) and try not to make a big deal out of it. This was a big step for me!

In the end, another mama came out of the store about a half hour later and told us she had been nursing inside without any problems. A 5th mama joined us as we went inside to explain why we were there and inform the staff of the laws... upon which we learned that the manager in question is no longer employed there. The new manager and staff were, happily, supportive and understanding.

I have mixed feelings about the whole thing. On the one hand, I'm now wondering about the validity of the original poster's message on the Yahoo! Group. I don't know her personally and I certainly don't know the person who was harassed. It doesn't help that the "organizer" didn't show up, nor did she post why she wasn't there. On the other hand, we did get the word out to a few people and it's nice to hear that the shop won't be bullying nursing moms now (especially since they have the best learning toys in there!).

I'm not one to be loud and proud usually. But this is an important issue... and it's funny because my more vocal friend is so bitten by the bug that she wants to have a HUGE nurse-in at the Big E (Massachusetts does not currently have laws protecting the rights of nursing mothers and many have been harassed at the Big E for not nursing behind curtains at the "special" nursing area). I think it's a great idea... but then I wonder. I used to be bothered by women who would be so "in your face" about nursing. I never opposed it, just never saw the reason to be so vocal about it. Now I'm becoming one of those women, considering every NIP an opportunity to educate the public and make breastfeeding a common-place occurrence again. Perhaps by doing it often, it makes breastfeeding more "normal" instead of allowing others to view it as a sexual or taboo thing. And I have the wonderful opportunity to help with that, something I wasn't able to do with Maggie. It's like a chance to redeem myself.

Or maybe I'm just putting too much thought into it.