Lactation Station- Offensive? - Page 3

[Thursday Girl]

as long as they aren't telling me that's the only place to nurse I am fine with it. The fact that they are providing water (something a BF mom really needs and it's expensive at fairs) and the fact that it's air conditioned is HUGE! You are being rewarded for nursing. It's not like it's some dumpy corner of a bathroom. I would be offended by that. I guess the only way they could make it way cooler is if the outside was plastered with very large pictures of nursing babies.

[PGTlatte]

Originally Posted by Irishmommy

What about the dad there alone with a bottlefed baby? Should he also be welcome somewhere like that where there are nursing mothers that may be there specifically because it's for MOTHERS?

I thought about that too...but I'm not sure how to balance it with wanting to provide a more private place for nursing mothers who don't feel comfortable NIP, and would feel uncomfortable with a father being right there....maybe a separate, more private corner with a curtain or screen for those mothers who really want the privacy ?

It has always bugged me (and my DH) when there are diaper decks in women's bathrooms but not in men's. I don't care for it when men are excluded from special accommodations for babies/young kids.

[akind1]

I think it is awesome!

Our mall has a nursing room, but it is one chair and a lamp. I don't ever use it, I sit on the chairs outside the bathroom. Lots of traffic, but if I am with friends or DH, I am not stuck somewhere all by myself. I would rather have people to talk to. Also, the JCPenney's has a couple chairs outside the fitting rooms in front of a TV, I've nursed there as it is kind of private, even though there is nearly always a guy in the other chair, waiting on his wife/girlfriend/mother. doesn't bother me a bit. I think nursing rooms are nice to have. Not offensive at all! I haven't seen one I like better than just sitting out on comfy chair though.

I will keep my eyes peeled at this year's state fair and see if there are any accomodations. (I am in SC, so um. we'll see!)

[SilverFish]

Originally Posted by laundrycrisis

I thought about that too...but I'm not sure how to balance it with wanting to provide a more private place for nursing mothers who don't feel comfortable NIP, and would feel uncomfortable with a father being right there....maybe a separate, more private corner with a curtain or screen for those mothers who really want the privacy ?

It has always bugged me (and my DH) when there are diaper decks in women's bathrooms but not in men's. I don't care for it when men are excluded from special accommodations for babies/young kids.

Originally Posted by Irishmommy

What about the dad there alone with a bottlefed baby? Should he also be welcome somewhere like that where there are nursing mothers that may be there specifically because it's for MOTHERS?

i think a good way around that is just the way the baby room at my mall handles it... the room is open, with some couches at the front, then a sort of half partition and more couches, rocking chairs, sink and changing area. the signs on the wall as you walk in say "please be respectful of nursing mothers and babies" and the chairs tucked into the sides of the partition are the most private, so if a mom wanted it, she could easily sit there without being in view of anyone. i like the way they word it, since it doesn't ban anyone, but is clear on what the primary role of the room is. i've never seen a dad in there, but i highly doubt anyone would look askance at a dad in there feeding their baby. now, it DOES annoy me that while i was in there feeding my baby last time, about 2 or 3 women who obviously worked in the offices on that floor were in there using the microwave!

[Abismommy]

Sounds fabulous to me!! We're in FL so sometimes nursing outside is plain uncomfortable. Disney and Sea World have awesome nursing areas. As for Universal Studios they could use some work
My Lili cannot nurse if she gets too hot or uncomfortable.

[earthmommy2]

I'm a military wife, and on our base they have a "family fun day." I had no where to nurse my little one so I awkwardly squatted under a tree but it was hotter than you know where...I would have given my arm to have had a lactation station. I just called the office that runs the event, and gave them info on a place that brings out tents and such for moms!! Thanks for giving me the motivation!!

[ImaSophie]

I like them, when you are in a large hot crowd a LS is just an awesome little rest for momma and baby away from the crowd. When I was at the Tucson 4th ave st fair a couple years ago I was SUPER excited to see Mom's Breastaurant, she had a LS set up with a tent, free natural diapering supplies, nursing necklaces etc. Then a few months after that Mothering Magazine did an amazing article about MB and the woman that owns it, I was completely stoked to see it in the magazine.

http://www.momsbreastaurant.org/

Mothering is now one of her sponsors

[phathui5]

I think it's great, especially somewhere like the state fair, where it can be hot and there might not be somewhere nice to sit.

[OkiMom]

I think they are great, better than women thinking they either have to 1) stay home, 2) pump and give a bottle or 3) give the baby formula. I know women who won't in any situation nurse in public and dont' want to nurse in the bathroom (don't blame them! I wouldn't) so they either don't go out, go out for only short periods of time or use a bottle when they go out and don't pump (because they have no where to pump). I think the rooms are great as long as you don't HAVE to use them unless you want to.

As for Dads, personally I like how Disneyland/Disneyworld does it. They have a nursing room with rocking chairs set up thats private. It basically has a sign that says "for nursing mothers and their children" on that room. Then they have a seperate room with couches, high chairs, tables, a tv for older children etc for fathers/older children or if you just want to give your child some food. In Disneyland the changing area is also seperate (and I love it has a faucet that you can rinse off cloth diapers in, I had no clue what it was for with my first so I asked the lady she told me). It also has little pottys for if you have a potty training toddler that isn't comfortable in the big potty. I have also nursed just about anywhere you can think of in the parks including waiting in line for rides, during parades, during flag lowering ceremony, at restruants.. I could go on.

Trust me there are times that I have WISHED for a nursing room when my girls were at that age where everything was distracting them and it was hot/crowded/hard to find someplace to sit down. When both went through that age nursing in the carrier didn't work because they would get distracted by the carrier.. It was a fun age..

As for nursing covers in the nursing rooms. I used them with my first. I had a LOT of trouble breastfeeding and basically almost had to remove half my shirt so I could get my baby properally attached. Even in a room full of women I didn't feel comfortable doing that. I think I stopped around 2 months when nursing got easier and a friend of mine at church told me not to worry about fussing with the cover she had the same equipment I did (she also introduced me to carriers! I miss her!).

[momofmine]

Originally Posted by scottishmommy

I don't find nursing stations offensive per se, but I think it's weird that our society thinks we need a special place to nurse. I feel like nursing moms should neither be pampered nor hindered. They should just *be*. But is nice to be pampered.....

Maybe in an ideal world, but I work with many moms who simply won't breastfeed at all in public. So they give the baby a bottle when they go out, which of course is a slippery slope. Over time, milk supply decreases, baby starts getting more and more bottles, even when not out in public, and eventually, mom stops breastfeeding. So, that is one reason why I think tents or places like this can be a wonderful help. Plus, sometimes it's just hot and muggy and nice to have a comfortable place to sit down and nurse your baby. It can also be a tool for getting more information out to people about the benefits of breastfeeding. I think that at outdoor events especially, they are great.

[Adaline'sMama]

Originally Posted by momofmine 

Maybe in an ideal world, but I work with many moms who simply won't breastfeed at all in public. So they give the baby a bottle when they go out, which of course is a slippery slope. Over time, milk supply decreases, baby starts getting more and more bottles, even when not out in public, and eventually, mom stops breastfeeding. So, that is one reason why I think tents or places like this can be a wonderful help. Plus, sometimes it's just hot and muggy and nice to have a comfortable place to sit down and nurse your baby. It can also be a tool for getting more information out to people about the benefits of breastfeeding. I think that at outdoor events especially, they are great.

 

I totally agree with this. At one of the stations I visited, they handed out cards with your legal right to breastfeed listed, and "I eat at Mom's" stickers. The stickers were round and I stuck it in the bottom of the cupholder on her stroller. Ive since had at least 10 people ask me about it. I think there are probably a lot of mothers who fall down the slippery slope of bottle feeding because they dont want to nip. I wish there were more places that made moms feel comfortable.

Its funny, this thread has gone on for so long that I now wish there were lactation stations everywhere, because my baby is at the age where she gets SO distracted.

[Ldavis24]

we had one at Fryeburg Fair and I loved it. Heated (it was cold here) and with nice comfy rockers and a changing station. It was a quiet place to nurse and totally beat the outdoors on a frigid day. I don't find it offensive at all, at least they are thinking of nursing moms you know?