I can't Nurse in the Nursery at the YMCA? Am I handling this right?

[tpintsch]

My family just signed up for a membership at our local YMCA. Last week when I went in the nursery to pick up my DD, I changed her diaper and sat down in a corner to nurse her before we left. I was told by an employee that I would need to go to the bathroom as I wasn't allowed to nurse my child in the nursery room. I informed her that according to PA state law I was in fact allowed to nurse my child any where in the building I was allowed to be. During my explanation she cut me off and said she didn't want to talk about it anymore with me. I finished nursing my child and left.

Then today I went into the nursery again to pick up my DD after I was done working out and she was very upset so I sat in the rocking chair and started to put her in the nursing position and before I even had undone my bra I was told again, by another employee that I was not permitted to nurse there. I asked her why she would say that, and she replied that sometimes dad's drop there children in that room. I informed her of the state laws protecting my rights and the rights of my child to be breastfed in public. I also informed her that I would be contacting the director about this issue. She told me she was just following the YMCA policy.

I'm not aware of any YMCA policy against breastfeeding in their facility (not that it would be legal anyway), but I just wanted to check with some of you who may have run up against this same issue. I'm pretty sure my rights are protected any way. My husband emailed the director today and sent him this email

"Jim,

We are new members, we enjoy the Y a lot and very much enjoy our Fitness club memberships.

My wife on two occasions was recently told by employees/volunteers that she could not breastfeed in the nursery. Please advise all of your staff that under laws signed by Governer Rendell in 2007 she can breastfeed anywhere she (and the infant) has a right to be.

Here is a link to a news story about it:

http://www.parentdish.com/2007/07/22...-law-backlash/
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07190/800449-100.stm "


After this, if I'm told not to breastfeed again, what should I do next? I'm not very trusting that this issue will be taking care of... and I'm kind of embarrassed now. I didn't really want to make enemies with the people that take care of my child, KWIM?

[CrunchyChristianMama]

I think the email is great. It's non-confrontational and will hopefully allow you to keep a good relationship with the care-givers while still taking care of the harassment issue.

If it continues I would bring it up in person with the director and bring a copy of you state's law on bfing with you.

[Authentipalooza]

Hey! I don't think that's a nationwide policy. I'm in South Dakota and have nursed my son in the YMCA nursery after/before working out many many times. If you get a reply apologizing I would print it off and take it with you in case they give you any trouble. If they continue to not allow it I truly hope that you will take advantage of the oportunity to raise awareness. You could contact la leche league for help. It is illegal and it's sad. I should think that people who care for children would want them to have the best care possible and that means nursing when and where they need it. Not in some dirty cramped bathroom stall... SERIOUSLY!!!

http://authentipalooza.blogspot.com/

[vbactivist]

well, on a whim, I googled "northeast pa YMCA" and called the first one that came up.

www.corningymca.org - [phone]

Deb there said, of course I could nurse wherever I wanted, "As long as I was discreet" and she suggested I use a blanket. And also that I nurse at a secluded section near the running track rather than the nursery, since there are less likely to be any kids in that section :eyeroll

I wonder if YMCA has an oficial poliocy from headquarters or whatever.

[vbactivist]

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[luv-my-boys]

hmmm...well just because someone else dosent want to see you nurse dosent mean legally they can stop you. there are lots of things at my local YMCA I'd rather not see, like the guy who wears shorts so tight you can see his, ahem, "parts"

I did a little research online to see if the YMCA had any national policy on breastfeeding. Which I havent seem to uncover, but I have seen quite a bit of controversy with the YMCA and other bf moms being asked to stop nursing or move to another area. It seems the "Y" does have a no food/drink policy in place in some of its nurseries/pools/facilities where some of the above mentioned problmes have arisen from a misunderstanding of the "no food" policy. I wonder if your particular problem comes from a misunderstanding of the "no food" policy as well?

[Ruthla]

The only question, really, is whether or not you have "the right to be in the nursury" for longer than it takes to drop her off and pick her up. Would a bottlefeeding mom be allowed to sit and feed the baby in-arms in the nursury, or would she be asked to feed the baby outside once she picked the baby up?

You have the legal right to breastfeed there if you're both allowed in the nursery. If they claim that only the baby is allowed in the nursury, and you're not, then they'd be within their rights. But that's the ONLY angle they have here- if they have no problem letting you change her diaper and such, then they can't tell you not to nurse.

[elanorh]

Over the years here on this forum, there have been several situations where moms have described this sort of response from their local Y -- with that particular Y saying that it was "Y policy." I don't recall which situation it was, but it seems like several years ago, someone unearthed a Y statement supportive of breastfeeding.

I think it's an individual Y's decision not a national 'policy' per se. I know at our Y, I've sat next to mothers whose kids were in swim lessons, who were nursing their babies while watching the kids.

I like your approach with the Y staff - hopefully that will get them on the right track. Perhaps, if they do agree and let it go from this point, you might want to suggest that they post the International Breastfeeding Symbol, and educate their staff members about PA state law as well.

[zensven42]

Please report your incident to Firstright.org. They keep a database of such incidents and can assist you. They have logged complaints from a number of YMCA facilities at this time and have made many calls. Please help thanks!

And I have nursed my son next to the pool and in the lobby of our Y

[Honey693]

It's not YMCA policy. I used to work at one in IN and we had a few mom's nurse there.

[MamaJenese]

It is not a nation wide policy at all. I have worked at or been a member at YMCA's in three different states in the northeast and have either seen nursing mothers or been one in the daycare, I would bring it up with the executive director. In so many ways discouraging a nursing mother goes against their mission statement of "Building strong kids, strong families, and strong communties".

[RoseDuperre]

I wonder if we go to the same Y? Are you in Northeast as in the town called Northeast that's right outside of Erie?

[tpintsch]

I'm going to have to submit something through firstright. We haven't heard back other than the director said he was forwarding the info to his family services manager and then they would "discuss" it. I'm wondering at this point if they are stalling me.

RoseDuperre - I live near Wilkesbarre PA.

[proudmomof4]

As a non-native speaker, something strikes me as odd here:

"I was told by an employee that I would need to go to the bathroom as I wasn't allowed to nurse my child in the nursery room."

If you can't nurse in the nursery, where could you?

[annettemarie]

Originally Posted by tpintsch

I'm going to have to submit something through firstright. We haven't heard back other than the director said he was forwarding the info to his family services manager and then they would "discuss" it. I'm wondering at this point if they are stalling me.

RoseDuperre - I live near Wilkesbarre PA.

You're kind of sort of in my neck of the woods (I'm in Williamsport). You might consider looking to see where your congressperson/representative stood on the recentish breastfeeding legislation, and give them a call. I'm sorry this is happening to you.

[Pirogi]

Originally Posted by tpintsch

Here is a link to a news story about it:

http://www.parentdish.com/2007/07/22...-law-backlash/
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07190/800449-100.stm "

Totally completely , but did anyone else choke on their coffee when they saw the super-sexy vixen mommy nursing in the above story? I mean, yeah, moms are sexual beings too, but really? Fishnets?

ETA: OP, sorry you are dealing with this. I know it is difficult when you are disagreeing with a child's caregiver. You are right here, stay polite and firm! (Firm ... no pun intended )

[TheGirls]

I worked at a Y here for 8 months after my DD was born. I nursed her while working the welcome desk, while working in Childwatch, and while attending swimming class with her (in the pool area, in the changing room, and in the lobby area). No one ever questioned my right to do so. I got a few compliments from little old ladies, actually. My boss was quite pro BF and went to some lengths to assure that I knew I was welcome to bring DD wherever I went and to nurse her as needed. Once DD was fussing (hungry) at a meeting and I was putting off nursing her because I was a bit nervous about the close quarters. She was like "why don't you feed that baby? She's starving!" So I did. It was fine.

So I don't think it's universal Y policy. Also, at least here, a mom who wanted to nurse or bottlefeed their child at pickup time would be welcome to do so. Some moms who showed up at snack time would sit down with the children and eat their own snack,lol.

[nudhistbudhist]

If it's legal in your state to breastfeed anywhere you have the right to be, then any policy the Y has in place against breastfeeding or only breastfeeding "discreetly" would be illegal. Someone once told me in a Canadian Tire store that my baby had to wear a diaper because it was "store policy." I explained my child was potty trained already and they said the "policy" was to protect my child from child molestors....????? I just laughed at her and walked away. When I later contacted Canadian Tire about their policy on infants and child molestors, they didn't know what I was talking about :P

If it's legal in your state to nurse, I would just stay where you are and laugh if they try to tell you anything about policy. You probably know the law better than they do!

[annettemarie]

Well, the problem is the PA law is so vague and wishy washy, it's basically ineffectual in granting mothers and babies any sort of protection.

[readytobedone]

can i just say it is horribly ironic that you can't NURSE in a NURSERY?

i don't know what you should do, but i hope you work it out. that's beyond ridiculous.