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Asked to Breastfeed in Fitting Rooms at Target...  

post #1 of 21
11/26/08 at 11:21pm
Thread Starter 
This morning I was at Target with my DH, 2.5 year old daughter and 11 month old son. We were in the shoe department and I sat down on the floor and began to nurse my baby. I was completely covered as I was wearing my jacket and had discreetly lifted my top to nurse. A female worker passed by and then came back and asked me to go into the fitting room "to do that". I was pretty taken aback, got up and walked towards the food court (b/c there was no way I was going into the fitting room to nurse like I was ashamed of what I was doing)... she repeatedly called to me trying to point out the fitting rooms, so I turned around and I said, "I am NOT going to go into the fitting room to nurse my baby" and continued to walk away.

What is the next step? I just looked up the bfing laws in my state and I can do it anywhere I want (though I could be charged with indecent exposure). I plan on writing a letter to the Target store I was in. Should I write to the whole company? Any tips?
post #2 of 21
11/26/08 at 11:28pm
Sorry this happenedd to you! I'd first contact the manager, then go higher up if they blow you off.
post #3 of 21
11/26/08 at 11:31pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MamaBirdEmma View Post
This morning I was at Target with my DH, 2.5 year old daughter and 11 month old son. We were in the shoe department and I sat down on the floor and began to nurse my baby. I was completely covered as I was wearing my jacket and had discreetly lifted my top to nurse. A female worker passed by and then came back and asked me to go into the fitting room "to do that". I was pretty taken aback, got up and walked towards the food court (b/c there was no way I was going into the fitting room to nurse like I was ashamed of what I was doing)... she repeatedly called to me trying to point out the fitting rooms, so I turned around and I said, "I am NOT going to go into the fitting room to nurse my baby" and continued to walk away.

What is the next step? I just looked up the bfing laws in my state and I can do it anywhere I want (though I could be charged with indecent exposure). I plan on writing a letter to the Target store I was in. Should I write to the whole company? Any tips?
I hear a lactivist rumble coming on. I'd definitely get in touch with the manager of the store. Quote the laws, offer to fax him a copy and describe the employee who did it (better if you get her name).

Sorry you went through that, totally uncalled for.
post #4 of 21
11/26/08 at 11:32pm
Absolutely write to the store. And write to corporate.

Outrageous!
post #5 of 21
11/26/08 at 11:36pm
I'm sorry that happened to you! Is there any chance that perhaps she simply thought you'd be more comfortable not sitting on the floor? Did you tell her you didn't need to move and were doing okay right where you were?
post #6 of 21
11/27/08 at 12:36am
This has happened before. Target has a policy encouraging mothers to breastfeed wherever they want while in their stores.

http://thelactivist.blogspot.com/200...tement-on.html
post #7 of 21
11/27/08 at 12:45am
oo she's going to get in trouble... target no likey the bfing discrimination.


i would call and write
post #8 of 21
11/27/08 at 5:11am
Quote:
Originally Posted by feminist~mama View Post
I'm sorry that happened to you! Is there any chance that perhaps she simply thought you'd be more comfortable not sitting on the floor? Did you tell her you didn't need to move and were doing okay right where you were?
That's a thought I had, also. Perhaps she was concerned someone might trip over you, too.

I'm sorry this happened!
post #9 of 21
11/27/08 at 5:59am
Quote:
Originally Posted by feminist~mama View Post
I'm sorry that happened to you! Is there any chance that perhaps she simply thought you'd be more comfortable not sitting on the floor? Did you tell her you didn't need to move and were doing okay right where you were?
That's what I was thinking at first, but the OP said that the woman "repeatedly called to me trying to point out the fitting rooms". That makes me think she was more trying to get the OP to *go in the fitting rooms* rather than be comfortable. I don't know... I think I'd contact the manager of the store.
post #10 of 21
11/27/08 at 7:18pm
I would most definitely be contacting Target and letting them know their mistake. Let us know how it turns out!
post #11 of 21
11/27/08 at 7:25pm
I bet you will receive a satisfactory response from Target if you complain to them. They do seem to have a BF-positive policy. But there are always individuals who have their own points of view, or perhaps this Target location didn't train her on that policy well enough.

In general, I've heard a lot of positive stories about NIP at Target, and my experiences match that. That's not to discount your experience, but just saying that you'll probably get a good response if you complain.
post #12 of 21
11/27/08 at 8:46pm
Thread Starter 
Okay, so I called the Target store I was in last night and talked to the manager. I explained what happened and said that I just wanted to make sure that their employees were educated about the law in our state and Target's own positive view on BFing in public. She asked whether their employee was rude and I said that she wasn't. The manager gave me the number for customer service and asked me to talk to them, which I will tomorrow.

Thanks for your input ladies!
post #13 of 21
11/27/08 at 9:18pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MamaBirdEmma View Post
Okay, so I called the Target store I was in last night and talked to the manager. I explained what happened and said that I just wanted to make sure that their employees were educated about the law in our state and Target's own positive view on BFing in public. She asked whether their employee was rude and I said that she wasn't. The manager gave me the number for customer service and asked me to talk to them, which I will tomorrow.

Thanks for your input ladies!
I'm glad you followed up so quickly. I'm not sure I like the manager's asking if the employee was rude. That's not really the point, is it? She shouldn't have said anything to you!

Keep us posted when you speak to customer service!
post #14 of 21
11/27/08 at 10:56pm
Could you please report this to www.firstright.org? They played a major role in Target becoming bf-friendly in the first place.
post #15 of 21
11/28/08 at 2:00am
I think you should have given her the benefit of the doubt. There's a decent chance she just thought you'd be more comfortable in the fitting room because you wouldn't have to sit on the floor. Then, when you abruptly left, she mistakenly thought you were headed (in the wrong direction) to the fitting room so she was trying to direct you correctly. You were the one there and I know I could be missing something, but you could have just politely said "No thanks, I'm comfortable here" -- she might have just said "Oh, okay then!" and left it at that.
post #16 of 21
11/28/08 at 5:06am
first off, it does sound like the employee was rude, and I apologize for that. But . . . I work for Target, and being a breastfeeding mom and breastfeeding advocate myself, I am satisfied that Target is a very pro-BFing company. Nursing on the floor in the aisle is a safety hazard. I'm not sure that was this team member's first concern, so again, I apologize for that, but sitting down in the aisle - or anything blocking the aisle, for that matter - is a safety concern.

The store team leader definitely needs to ensure that this employee makes this point better and does not come across as trying to get you to cover up!!!
post #17 of 21
11/28/08 at 5:22am
Quote:
Originally Posted by LilacMama View Post
I think you should have given her the benefit of the doubt. There's a decent chance she just thought you'd be more comfortable in the fitting room because you wouldn't have to sit on the floor. Then, when you abruptly left, she mistakenly thought you were headed (in the wrong direction) to the fitting room so she was trying to direct you correctly. You were the one there and I know I could be missing something, but you could have just politely said "No thanks, I'm comfortable here" -- she might have just said "Oh, okay then!" and left it at that.
This is what I thought too. This has happened to me at various places before and I have never felt it was a negative thing - just people truly concerned with my comfort. *knocking on wood*

Caitlin
post #18 of 21
11/28/08 at 2:32pm
I don't think this woman was trying to make her comfortable, or be polite. If she were concerned for OP's comfort, she would have said something along those lines. "Are you comfortable here? I may be able to bring you a chair" you know? Shuffling her off to the dressing rooms, and following her to make sure she got there (heaven forbid she forgoes the dressing room and tries to nurse somewhere else instead! Egads!) Besides, anyone who disrupts a woman while nursing to ask her to move anywhere else, does not have her comfort in mind.
post #19 of 21
11/28/08 at 2:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by LilacMama View Post
I think you should have given her the benefit of the doubt. There's a decent chance she just thought you'd be more comfortable in the fitting room because you wouldn't have to sit on the floor. Then, when you abruptly left, she mistakenly thought you were headed (in the wrong direction) to the fitting room so she was trying to direct you correctly. You were the one there and I know I could be missing something, but you could have just politely said "No thanks, I'm comfortable here" -- she might have just said "Oh, okay then!" and left it at that.
I agree.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ramama View Post
I don't think this woman was trying to make her comfortable, or be polite. If she were concerned for OP's comfort, she would have said something along those lines. "Are you comfortable here? I may be able to bring you a chair" you know? Shuffling her off to the dressing rooms, and following her to make sure she got there (heaven forbid she forgoes the dressing room and tries to nurse somewhere else instead! Egads!) Besides, anyone who disrupts a woman while nursing to ask her to move anywhere else, does not have her comfort in mind.
The OP said she wasn't rude. And I have found that a lot of people refer to nursing as "doing that" simply because they are not sure what else to call it. It's not always a sign of rudeness.
post #20 of 21
11/28/08 at 5:47pm
Thread Starter 
The the sales associate wasn't rude, I don't think that she had my comfort or safety in mind when she asked me to move to the fitting rooms. If she did, she could have said something like:

"Oh, I'm sorry you are sitting on the floor! Would you like to go to the fitting room where there are seats?"

or

"I hate to mention this, but it would be great if you could move to the fitting rooms or the food court where there are seats so that no one gets hurt and falls on you."

Though she wasn't rude, it was obvious that she didn't like what I was doing and wanted to get me out of there.
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