Treated shockingly for NIP in New Zealand

[Ziggysmama]

Hi ladies,
I know most of your are in the states but i thought you would be interested anyway.
A friend of mine was recently treated appallingly by a major mall in our nations biggest city. The mall is called Sylvia Park.

My friend was breastfeeding her gorgeous 3 month old in the Atrium at Sylvia Park when she was approached by a security guard and told she MUST remove herself to the family room.


Her husband was present and they both refused stating her baby was hungry and she would feed her right there thank-you-very-much!

At this time another security guard was called who also insisted on her removing herself to the family room and started being nasty saying that they would be kicked out of the mall if she didn't go to the family room. They also refused him.

Then head of security was called who also started harassing my friend and being patronizing and saying things about "maternal urges" etc.

I'm not sure what happened after this but they definatley weren't happy and when they got home they contacted management.

Management were initially apologetic but backed up the statement that nursing mothers MUST nurse in the family room.

THIS IS RIDICULOUS.
How in this time and age can a mum trying to feed her baby be treated so badly??

My friend contacted our local LLL leader and we have laid a Human Rights Violation complaint.

I was wondering if anyone had the time if they could shoot off a quick email to management at Sylvia Park expressing your disgust and unhappiness with this policy....

Please PM me for contact details.

At present there is NO law protecting breastfeeding in public in New Zealand. I wonder how we could rectify this?? I believe a few years ago there was a petition that was turned into a bill but it got blocked when it went to parliament. I am currently contacting the woman you started the petition a few years ago.

I have posted about this on some local boards and the women there are all ready to contact media and stage a nurse-in.
I want to talk to the friend this happened to before I go any further ahead with any media contact etc but if anyone has a link or can give me some tips about how to stage a nurse-in it would be much appreciated.

Nurse-ins are rare in NZ, we don't normally have a problem with this, so if one goes ahead it would defiatly make an impact.

[Turkish Kate]

Oh wow, and here I thought you Kiwis were on the top of the breastfeeding pyramid. If I were anywhere near you, I'd be up for a nurse-in, but it's a long hike for me. I'm pretty sure that there are some Aussie/NZ mums around the board, try posting in FYT with a pointer in this direction and see if you get some more traffic. Good luck.

[yamilee21]

Originally Posted by Turkish Kate

Oh wow, and here I thought you Kiwis were on the top of the breastfeeding pyramid. ...

I always thought the same thing; how very disappointing to learn otherwise!

[mzfern]

Oh, how sad to hear Your friend was just doing the best thing possible for her sweet babe! And what on earth are "maternal urges" ??

[aaronsmom]

"Maternal urges" ?! : They make is sound like it's some sort of taboo or something sexual by using the phrase "maternal urges". WTF?!

[Meiri]

Oh the horror, following that maternal urge to keep your baby alive.
What a bunch of UA violations whose own mothers apparently did not do enough following of "maternal urges."

[Ziggysmama]

He he he

Thanks for all the replies ladies.

I understand those in other countries can't help.

I have posted this on some local like0minded mothering boards and we have a WHOLE lot of women wanting to do a nurse-in.

The woman this happened to is wanting to find out how they are going to defend themselves against the complaint they laid with the Human Rights Commission.

Althought NIP is not pretected under the law in NZ there is a bill currently waiting to get some attention in parliament.

When it was written last year a lot of mothers commented that we probably didn't need it as things like that hardly ever happen in NZ.

But this recent incident is a good example of WHY yes we do need protection under the law

[nyxx]

Originally Posted by Ziggysmama

Management were initially apologetic but backed up the statement that nursing mothers MUST nurse in the family room.

she should ask the management if there is a written rule/regulation/provision (don't know the right english word for this) that it is officially forbidden to nurse at the mall. before starting a nurse-in she should search for evidence that this statement is correct.

would a bottlefeeding mother has to go to the family room, too, when she wants to feed her baby?
if it is allowed to go to the mall with a baby and bottlefeed outside the family room it should also be allowed to go there and nurse the baby. if feeding a baby is a "maternal urge" there should be no difference whether you bottlefeed or breastfeed.

[nyxx]

i found some links:
http://www.hrc.co.nz/report/chapters.../issues04.html
http://www.hrc.co.nz/home/hrc/newsan...breastfeed.php
http://www.babyfriendly.org.nz/page.php?20

any news about the nurse-in?

[Demeter9]

Security Guards for NURSING.

They send out people from an employment pool that has given us a huge list of serial rapists, and murders to intimidate nursing women.

Yep. Security Guards, who probably gawk at more boob on the teenage girls in the mall.

Security Guards to go after women holding BABIES.

Nursing Mommies and Babies are akin to shoplifters, boosters, drunks, aggressive men, parking lot rage.

I think that Security Guards and Mall Management are just cowards, that they don't want to do their REAL job, and hire people who get off on being secret bullies, so to look like they might be doing something they go after WOMEN FEEDING BABIES.

Certainly the worst villians, and the greatest criminals they shall EVER face on their job.

[sapphire_chan]

(Totally silly response because there are already useful responses and this will bump the thread up a bit.)

A country that invented Zorb has a problem with NIP?

Clearly, NIP isn't extreme enough.

Maybe if the babies bungeed down to mom's breast from above somehow it'd be okay?

[Ziggysmama]

Originally Posted by sapphire_chan

(Totally silly response because there are already useful responses and this will bump the thread up a bit.)

A country that invented Zorb has a problem with NIP?

Clearly, NIP isn't extreme enough.

Maybe if the babies bungeed down to mom's breast from above somehow it'd be okay?

LOL!!! OMG!! sapphire_chan, You make a really silly, hilarious, but absolutley valid point! Howw bout this ....

"Come to New Zealand the Adventure Nursing Capital of the World!!"

I honestly don't think the majority of NZer have a problem with NIP. I have NEVER been hassled and if anyone did hassle me they would not be looked on in a good light by the majority of people i know

I think i was just this one stupid mall and their stupid policy. They have recieved a tonne of angry letters and are kicking themselves.

I also just found out the other day that the woman and her husband who this happened to are LAYWERS. So the mall is definatly gonna have some explaining to do to the human rights commission...

[*Jade*]

Wow, that is shocking!! And here I was all proud of NZ and it's pro-breastfeeding policies, I can't believe there's no law!!

[Smokering]

Eugh, that's pathetic. I'm not a fan of many of NZ's policies, but I did think we had a pretty good handle on breastfeeding... for pete's sake! If I lived closer to Sylvia Park, or had a car, I'd be very happy to trundle Rowan over and give her a nice drink of milk.