"with as much discretion as possible..."

[muppet729]

I live on the IL/MO border and I noticed this in the MO breastfeeding laws. Just wondering if anyone knows of any times (in MO or other states) where this wording has been challenged. It seems to me that "discretion" is a rather vague word that definitely means different things to different people. With a 2yo and a 6mo nursing, I definitely find myself less discrete than some people would probably like.

[MaryJaneLouise]

I don't know, but I have a particular rant about the word "discreet". It is totally offensive, implying that breastfeeding is something dirty, and should be only done in secret, on the sly.

[muppet729]

Originally Posted by MaryJaneLouise

I don't know, but I have a particular rant about the word "discreet". It is totally offensive, implying that breastfeeding is something dirty, and should be only done in secret, on the sly.

Good point- and I think that using a word like that makes those people who feel that way feel more "justified". Like, if the law says it should be done "discreetly" then maybe that means in your own home or something like that...

I mention it because I wonder what my rights would be if someone approached me in MO about it. IL has great wording as far as I can tell and even expressly mentions that it doesn't matter if your nipple is showing or not.

[mamabadger]

The wording is definitely a problem. Doing anything "with as much discretion as possible" would mean doing it in a room alone with the door locked and the window shades drawn. Even a vague phrase like "with reasonable discretion" would be much better. As it is, any woman NIP could be accused of falling short of "as much discretion as possible."

[sapphire_chan]

Wouldn't as much discretion as possible mean that you could only nurse alone in your own home with the curtains drawn?
Mamabadger got there first.

I think you should print up a little card with IL law and take off the stuff that indicates it's from IL but leave in the #$Section 4.1.34 sort of info and just claim it's the MO law if anyone gets snippy. It's not like anyone but lactivists and the people who drafted the law have any idea what they are.

[Robbins0614]

I definitely agree that the law needs changed, but for what it's worth I live in MO and have never had anyone approach me or had any issues with NIP. I've always thought if I did I would just leave out the with discretion clause when telling someone what the law was-like sapphire_chan said no one (or very few individuals) would know otherwise.

[muppet729]

I haven't been approached in MO either, but I was rudely confronted in IL once (ironically after I had appeared on TV to say that I had never had a problem with it when the Gov signed the law... go figure). I agree that the discretion thing probably can be omitted because it is still a matter of interpretation. Ihaven't researched other states to see if any of them have similar wording that people have had problems with.