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Does TN need a nurse-in?  

post #1 of 27
6/24/08 at 1:13am
Thread Starter 
So, I've already posted this at the La Leche League forum, but thought it would be of interest here as well:

Ironically, while I was nursing my DD to sleep this evening, this story came on the local news:

http://www.fox17.com/newsroom/top_st...vid_2019.shtml

Essentially, a woman in the lobby of the Rutherford County courtroom was threatened with arrest and/or DCS removing her child by a male deputy since she refused to cover up or move to what was basically a janitor's closet (neither of which is necessary under TN state law)!

Since I am a new momma, I have never considered myself a "lactivist," but this incident has inspired me to become one! When even the law enforcement is breaking the state's laws, there is definitely something wrong!

BTW, this is the exact wording of the TN law re: breastfeeding in public:

Tenn. Code Ann. § 68-58-101 et seq. (2006) permits a mother to breastfeed an infant 12 months or younger in any location, public or private, that the mother is authorized to be, and prohibits local governments from criminalizing or restricting breastfeeding. Specifies that the act of breastfeeding shall not be considered public indecency as defined by § 39-13-511; or nudity, obscene, or sexual conduct as defined in § 39-17-901. (H.B. 3582)


Does anyone out there know how to organize a nurse-in in a sheriff's office?
post #2 of 27
6/24/08 at 3:04am
Your link didn't work for me. This one should:
http://www.fox17.com/newsroom/top_st...vid_2019.shtml
post #3 of 27
6/24/08 at 10:48am
12 months or younger? What, do you have to carry a birth certificate w/ you? I had no idea that some laws had age restrictions, especially since 1 yr is the MIN. for aap and 2 is the MIN. for WHO. So you are not even giving your child hte min. but you can't do it in public. That is really sad
post #4 of 27
6/24/08 at 10:58am
I wondered if this would be here yet. This happened in my town. Here's a link to our local newspaper's coverage of the story.

http://www.dnj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/art...NTPAGECAROUSEL

I have been in that very hall waiting for traffic court, and I personally would not breastfeed a baby there. It's nasty and there are lines of inmates walking by in orange jumpsuits and shackles. I think the officer was looking out for the mama, but that doesn't change the fact that he had no right to do what he did.

The mama really showed her butt if you ask me.

However, the comments at the end of the article are infuriating!!!
post #5 of 27
6/24/08 at 11:12am
Why are people so ignorant??? I don't understand. So many women breastfeed why is it still such a big deal! If I was close to TN I would totally go for a NI! Contact first right or something! I recently had an incident like this @ the mall (it's posted on here) and we contacted first right, the sc breast feeding coalition (obviously you would go TN), all the people I could think of. I also encouraged people to e-mail the GM of the mall where it happened to me! Trust me you can make a difference!
post #6 of 27
6/24/08 at 11:25am
All the courthouses I have ever been in prohibit food or drinks. Sometimes infants can be exceptions to this rule, depending on the place. I guess the question falls down to if food/drinks were allowed in this particular courthouse.

I suppose if they threatened her to cover up, then the whole situation is far out of hand and they have no right to do that, based on basic human rights, and in regards to TN law, as stated. It's really infuriating when this happens!
post #7 of 27
6/24/08 at 11:58am
Thread Starter 
Thanks, Rapunzelgirl, for posting the article from the local paper...while it may be true that the place she was feeding her baby was less than ideal (and some of us would have opted not to nurse there), my feeling was that the issue had more to do with them demanding that she move or cover up. I think the important thing is that a mama should be able to nurse wherever she feels it's necessary, and in this case, the law is that a woman can NIP anywhere she is "authorized to be."

Evermore82 makes a good point about the food and drink-- I don't know what the policy is at that particular courthouse, but it also didn't seem like the deputy was objecting to the "food" as much as the breast being exposed. (I'm pretty sure if she was eating a sandwich in the hallway, no one would have complained to the police about it, and they certainly wouldn't have asked her to eat her sandwich in another office). I wonder if they could use that argument in hindsight to say that she wasn't authorized to be there.

Regardless, threatening to call DCS on a mom for breastfeeding seems waaaay over the line. It will interesting to see where this story goes.
post #8 of 27
6/24/08 at 2:10pm
Quote:
The Sheriff's Department acknowledges in the statement that breastfeeding is legal in Tennessee, but if there are complaints, they ask women to cover up or move to a private area.
-From the Fox article.

This bothers me. Why don't they just inform the complainers that the mom has the legal right to feed her child and leave the mom alone? Seems like such a simple solution. Why is the mom, who is doing nothing wrong, asked to change her behavior.

What if the minority person sitting down the hall from me is making me uncomfortable. Will the cops ask them to move? Of course not, because that person is doing nothing wrong and has the right to be there. My request that they move is inappropriate, just like the request that a nursing mother move or cover up is inappropriate.

Sounds like maybe the mom didn't handle the situation all that gracefully and that's too bad, but the cops created the situation by making an inappropriate and unwarranted demand that she cover up or move. Of course I don't know how graceful I'd be if someone threated to arrest me and take my child.
post #9 of 27
6/24/08 at 2:19pm
If I were to e-mail someone who do you think it should be? The Mayor, the police chief, someone in the courthouse? I just want to point out how wrong it is to ask someone to stop or hide legally protected behavior because others complained.

ETA: I found the County Commission online. I e-mailed all 21 of them.
post #10 of 27
6/24/08 at 7:49pm
Quote:
Monthly meetings are held in at a Murfreesboro church.Attendees are encouraged to be comfortable while nursing but discreet.

"A lot of mothers are embarrassed about it," she explained.
really? LLL encourages mamas to be discreet?

The last time I was in the Nashville area, there was a teenaged girl nursing her newborn under a gigantic blanket in the restaurant we ate in. It was August, and she looked so flustered and uncomfortable. I am so glad I smiled at her and told her what a great thing she was doing.
post #11 of 27
6/25/08 at 12:16am
Quote:
really? LLL encourages mamas to be discreet?
At any LLL meetings I have attended, we were encouraged to be discreet. In fact, the very first meeting I attended I felt very uncomfortable nursing my premature baby at the meeting because I was using a nipple shield at the time, my baby still was learning to suck, I looked like I was wrestling topless with a baby every time I tried to nurse her and I was nowhere near discreet. I didn't attend another meeting until I could nurse her without the nipple shield and I could cover up.
post #12 of 27
6/25/08 at 12:25am
LLL does not have an official stance on discreet or not discreet... They say nurse how is comfortable for you.
post #13 of 27
6/25/08 at 1:54am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ziggysmama View Post
LLL does not have an official stance on discreet or not discreet... They say nurse how is comfortable for you.


I have never been to a LLL meeting where being discreet was ever mentioned (other than reassuring new moms that you can be quite easily without a blanket over your head.) I was really bothered by the implication that even LLL thinks you need to be discreet message the article had.
post #14 of 27
6/25/08 at 3:57pm
Does anybody know who we should direct our disapproval of the TN law to? I want to see this law get changed. The '12 months or younger' is totally insane.

Where does one begin?
post #15 of 27
6/25/08 at 4:35pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by theboysmama View Post
12 months or younger? What, do you have to carry a birth certificate w/ you? I had no idea that some laws had age restrictions, especially since 1 yr is the MIN. for aap and 2 is the MIN. for WHO. So you are not even giving your child hte min. but you can't do it in public. That is really sad
It is horrid that the law has the limitation, but it is a step in the right direction!! It was a huge move that TN got the law. It is easier to change a law than get one passed.


Quote:
Originally Posted by healthnutmama View Post
Does anybody know who we should direct our disapproval of the TN law to? I want to see this law get changed. The '12 months or younger' is totally insane.

Where does one begin?
I swear we had a list started a while back with all those involved so you could email, but with the search features limited I can't find it right now...I will keep looking.

FOUND IT! Here it is... TN Law
post #16 of 27
6/25/08 at 4:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by adtake View Post
It is horrid that the law has the limitation, but it is a step in the right direction!! It was a huge move that TN got the law. It is easier to change a law than get one passed.




I swear we had a list started a while back with all those involved so you could email, but with the search features limited I can't find it right now...I will keep looking.

FOUND IT! Here it is... TN Law
Thanks! Off to write some letters...
post #17 of 27
6/25/08 at 6:59pm
I just have a question. Was the mama i an area where inmates could see her?
post #18 of 27
6/26/08 at 5:50pm
The last time I was in TN I was happy to see nursing in Public twice. Once an older little girl, I think older than 1.
I also nursed my toddler in public several times with no adverse response.
I can't get the links to load. Can anyone quickly tell me what happened?
post #19 of 27
6/27/08 at 5:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by rapunzelgirl View Post
The mama really showed her butt if you ask me.
How so? Doesn't "showed her butt" mean "acted inappropriately?" What did she do that was inappropriate, let alone illegal to warrant being threatened with arrest and separation from her nursling?

If anyone showed anyone's butt, I'd have to say it was the courthouse deputy, who never should have interfered with a mother breastfeeding her baby in full accordance with Tennessee state law.
post #20 of 27
6/27/08 at 5:35pm
I NIP all the time but I can't say everyone looks at ease with it. Mostly I get a lot of lingered gazes. I haven't nursed in a public building yet but I actually plan on printing out the TN law to have it handy just in case anyone harrasses me. So far so good tho.
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