I was surprised by this recent report from a mother who visited an IKEA in Brooklyn, NY. While nursing her six-month old child in the store, the woman–who was fully covered–was asked rudely by the staff to move to the restroom instead. Shamed, she obeyed. Mother and daughter waited for a stall, but eventually gave up and left the store. (For the record, to force a breastfeeding mother into the restroom is illegal in New York.)
I thought IKEA was a fairly family-friendly store. They have great monitored play areas for kids that allow parents a child-free shopping experience (and really, what’s better than that?!). The offended staff member also involved the security guards, so we know it’s not a renegade employee with the naked-mommy-boob heebie-jeebies. But, this incident smacks of a bygone era. Are some people still so freaked out by the thought of breastfeeding (remember, she was covered) that they can’t tolerate someone quietly nursing nearby?
I never experienced any kind of discrimination while nursing my daughters in public. But, I’m curious what other Rational Moms think about this incident, or if they have experienced any breastfeeding discrimination themselves. Discuss….