urban legend? NJ woman arrested for nip

[ABand3]

This story is third hand now, but I wondered if anyone has heard the same thing. My cousin was nervous about NIP b/c of hearing a story about a woman arrested in NJ for nip. I don't know the detail of the story she heard, just that she thought twice about nip for fear of being arrested.

I checked the LLL website and they have a law protecting NIP since 1997. Have any of you heard of an incident before the law was passed, or maybe since, and the facts are messed up?

I want to reassure her that she can nip (I sent her the law from LLL), but really just don't believe that story could be true (at least not recently).

[alegna]

I've never heard that. I seriously doubt it's true.

-Angela

[MaryJaneLouise]

I just googled some key words on this, and found nothing. If it did happen, it didn't happen in the last few years. Sounds like a good old fashioned anti NIP urban legend to me too.

[HeatherHeather]

I remember there being a case there when I lived there years ago, but I think there has been legislation passed since then that protect nip in NJ. I wouldn't worry about nip in NJ.

[melamama]

I'm in NJ and I've been nursing almost everywhere for most of the last 7 years. I've never heard of anyone arrested in NJ for bfing.
Anywhere she's allowed to be, she's allowed to nurse there.

[Carma]

I also always NIP in NJ. I never even had a negative look or comment.
Don't worry.
Carma

[Janice in Canada]

somewhere in the recesses of my mind, I think I remember hearing something about a woman being arrested for NIP in her car, so there might be some truth to this story.

BUT - that would have been a long time ago (in the 90's for sure) and it may have been the case that initiated the push for the legislation that is currently in place.

So definately not something to worry about now.

Janice

[ABand3]

Originally Posted by Janice in Canada

somewhere in the recesses of my mind, I think I remember hearing something about a woman being arrested for NIP in her car, so there might be some truth to this story.

BUT - that would have been a long time ago (in the 90's for sure) and it may have been the case that initiated the push for the legislation that is currently in place.

So definately not something to worry about now.

Janice

That's what I was thinking. I have passed along the law to her already, but will emphasize that IF the story is true, it is at least 10+ years old, and times have changed, NIP in peace.

Thanks everyone.

[Crisstiana]

I didn't find any articles about an arrest in NJ when I googled "arrested breastfeeding", but I did find an article in Netscape/Associated Content (no idea what AC is) entitled, "Should public breastfeeding be tolerated?". The article is more moderate than the title, but I find the title scary and just jaw-droppingly awful. "Tolerated?" There's a place for comments.

[WNB]

Thanks for that link, Crisstiana. I made this comment:

I don't understand your argument that precluding a woman from breastfeeding is wrong, but dictating to her the locations in which she may do so is right. Either breastfeeding is a lewd act which should be regulated under obscenity laws to serve the common good, or it isn't. You can't have it both ways. Further, it should be glaringly obvious to you that far from being a lewd act that is harmful to society, the practice of breastfeeding serves the common good by vastly improving the health of infants and mothers. It is therefore in society's best interest to encourage breastfeeding of ALL children until they are ready to wean. Expecting families to navigate a complicated landscape of varying restrictions on when, where, and how they are allowed to nurture their infants does little more than impose artificial and unnecessary barriers to breastfeeding that, in the final analysis, harms society.

[Crisstiana]

Excellent comment. Good job, WNB!