Children's Museum, Indianapolis

[Red Pajama]

It happened to me today. My youngest is not quite two, and nurses frequently. We were at the Children's museum in Indy today. We were visiting the special exhibit on King Tut, and she was fussy. I sat on a bench within the exhibit, and nursed her. She was almost done when one of the staff came up to me and told me that I was not allowed to nurse within the gallery, and that I could get a re-admittance so I could go and nurse elsewhere. I questioned her further, and she said it wasn't museum policy, rather it was the policy Egypt places on museums regarding the safety of the artifacts.

My irratation over the matter was more that I saw numerous people with sippy cups or bottles, and when I mentioned this to the woman, she stated that they were breaking policy, too, although I never saw her say anything to them.

My daughter ended up falling asleep on my husband's shoulder, and I spoke to someone and asked to see a manager after we finished the special tour. She found me, and I retold my tale, and asked that if they are going to have a policy that it be equally enforced for bottles/sippy cups/nursing mothers. Because as it was, I felt singled out. She mentioned that there are offices within the gallery that are made available to nursing mothers and said she was sorry that this wasn't offered to me.

The museum in general has never caused me any difficulty before, so I believe that this was a "special gallery event" isolated incident.

It seems like a crazy policy. Is anyone else familiar with such a ruling coming out of Egypt regarding their antiquities?

[annettemarie]

I don't understand. Was she afraid you would squirt a mummy?

I'm sorry this happened. I would feel singled out as well.

[St. Margaret]

It doesn't matter if that's the policy from Egypt-- you were not in Egypt, you were in Indianapolis. What's the state law? I would be offended that they clearly cared about nursing and not about eating/drinking around the exibit, as they only talked to you. Were there signs posted anywhere about not having food/drink out in the museum or in that part? It just sounds all very silly and inconsistent. I get the idea of protecting artifacts, but aren't they way out of the range of touch anyway? Like you on a bench were a threat... I'd probably send a letter, because it really sounds more like they were bothered by your nursing than anything. I'm sorry.

[mamazee]

That's too bad. We were talking about heading out there - dd #1 had a great time before #2 was born - but I don't know if I want to go if I'm going to have to deal with issues like that. I don't understand why Egypt would have rules that would cause them to need to talk to you about bf but not to the hundreds of people who bring drinks in there every day. I'm quite sure I even had a bottle of water on me last time I went.

[kcstar]

We've got a membership there. MOST of the museum is a "please touch" area. There is a lactation room, marked with the symbol, in the Playspace (under-5-year-old) section. We haven't been to the King Tut exhibit, but I have nursed my son all over the museum, covered and uncovered, and never had any comments.

The museum does have a sign requesting no food or drink in the exhibit areas, but DS has also used his sippy cup with no problems in the other sections.

[Red Pajama]

OP here. This is what's odd to me-- The museum itself is fairly breastfeeding friendly, and I've never had a bit of trouble there, and I'd say I've nursed most every where in the museum before. This policy of "you can't breastfeed in the gallery" is specefic to this particular Egyptian exhibit.

I don't understand the logic of the policy regarding nursing (or feeding a baby in any way) around the artifacts from egypt; I think it's flawed. However, it seems that it is the policy. Does the museum feel that they must toe the line in order to keep the exhibit? Shouldn't they have a "don't feed your baby anything" sign up considering they tell you it takes an hour and a half to get through it?

I'm preaching to the choir, I know. I ought to call them.

[kcstar]

Originally Posted by Red Pajama

I'm preaching to the choir, I know. I ought to call them.

Please let us know what you find out! I would like to check out that exhibit sometime.

[sapphire_chan]

That's the only place in the museum where they care. The items are on loan from Egypt and are thousands of years old, very sensitive. They don't let people bottle feed in there either--when I went a family was asked to put their toddler's bottle away.

That said, when I nursed Lina in her sling, keeping her head tucked close to my body, no one commented, so it's not like they're looking that carefully to make sure people are following the rules.

If they aren't stopping people with bottles/sippies/etc, that's new and you should definitely be writing because they're going to want to know that the exhibit staff are being lax.

[sapphire_chan]

Oh, and for those who have been thinking of it, if your kids are younger than 5, don't bother. Or come with another adult and take turns going through alone. If you have a particular interest in ancient Egypt.

Now, the "Take Me There: Egypt" exhibit, otoh, is awesomeness personified.

[Artichokie]

What does indiana state law say? I really don't think the museum policy (or Egyptian policy) is permitted to trump indiana state law, regardess of their concern for the artifacts.

[PatioGardener]

Please do let us know what they say when you talk to them. I am not impressed with that 'rule' - or the selective implementation - at all.

But I have to say Annettemarie made me giggle!

Originally Posted by annettemarie

I don't understand. Was she afraid you would squirt a mummy?

[GoestoShow]

.

Edited by GoestoShow - 12/3/10 at 11:13am

[Cornelia]

I believe the museum has gotten their instructions confused.

We saw the King Tut exhibit several years ago in Tampa, FL. There was a VERY strict no food, no drink and no flash photography rule in place. Any water bottle or sippy cup that was spotted either had to be stored in a bag, or was confiscated. I was thankful I had a stroller on me that day because I had to put all our water bottles in backpacks (after the backpacks were searched) and stash them under the stroller. Otherwise, I would have lost our good water bottles.

That said, my friend who accompanied us had a toddler. She was 1ish. At the time, my nursling was 3.5 and didn't NIP. But, my friend used my Ergo and nursed frequently throughout the exhibit without any incident.

Egypt is part of the world which still views breastfeeding as normal and expected. My suspicion is that Egypt Antiquities would no more be concerned about someone nursing in the exhibt than someone farting (not that the two compare).

The museum should have strongly enforced the no food or drink policy and left the nursing alone. And, I was supposed to travel to IN last month and checked that IN law does NOT allow for discrimination against breastfeeding mothers.

[SashaBear]

State law says a mother may nurse her baby/child? anywhere the mother is otherwise allowed to be. So no nursing in a men's locker room.