Posted with permission after I read on another board. Happened to a mom in a homeschool group with someone on TBWer, who shared it with us.. and I thought I'd share it here..
July 20, 2008
City of Jacksonville
Parks Department
220 E Bay Street
Jacksonville Florida 32202
Re: Harassed for breastfeeding at a city park
Dear Director:
I am a 31-year-old mother of three who lives, works and plays in
Jacksonville, Florida. I have chosen to breastfeed each of my
children as I believe that the health and emotional benefits far
outweigh any perceived inconvenience. My youngest child, S, is 5
months old. Family economics required that I return to work when she
was only 2 months old. Although it has been challenging to continue
to breastfeed while working full-time, it has been well worth every
effort. The wonderful people that I work with have been flexible and
understanding of my needs to express milk during the workday and to
take an extended lunch hour in order to nurse S midday. I have
accepted these challenges with open arms, unlike the unexpected
challenge that I encountered yesterday at a city park.
On Saturday, July 19th, I took my 3 children for an outing to the
Kids Kampus at Metropolitan Park. They were very excited to play in
the water area. We arrived early in order to avoid most of the
crowds. I had decided that my 2 older children would play in the
water while myself and S watched them from the benches in the roped
off area that was labeled "adult section." This "adult section" of
the water playground is separated from the water portion and
provides a cool, dry place to sit and supervise.
Initially, S was sitting in her stroller, content to watch the
children play. Eventually, she became restless and hungry. I
discreetly nursed her. I am a modest person and can say with
confidence that no-one saw any portion of my breast during this
process. I covered myself very thoroughly with a towel. While
nursing, I was approached by a young man who told me that S must
remain in the stroller at all times unless she was wearing a "Little
Swimmer" diaper. At this point, I was not willing to force S to quit
nursing until she was finished or to leave my other 2 children
unattended in order to nurse her elsewhere. Unwilling to argue with
the young man, and knowing that S would soon be finished, I simply
acknowledged the young man's request and told him that we would not
be getting in the water at all. As stated, S and I were not in
contact with the water at all. Both of us were thoroughly dressed,
not in swimwear, and sitting on a bench in the roped-off sitting
section. It would be ridiculous for me to go to the expense of
purchasing "Huggies Little Swimmers" diapers in order that I might
hold my infant while sitting on a bench at the park. I find it
somewhat amusing that the park employees seem to think that by
requiring infants to wear the Huggies Little Swimmers brand of
diapers they are somehow guaranteeing that no urine or feces will
escape into the water.
S finished nursing within minutes of the young man approaching me,
so I put her in her stroller as I had been asked. Although I
adamantly disliked and disagreed with the rule, I didn't feel at
that point that it was worth conflicting over. I was then approached
by another park employee, who I assumed was a manager, by the name
of Tom Wright. Mr. Wright began to inform me that I could not breast-
feed my daughter at this park due to the hazardous nature of breast
milk as a bodily fluid. He informed me that I could be potentially
exposing other children to disease while nursing my child. (As a
reminder, I was not in the water or in contact with the water. I was
sitting on a bench, covered with a towel while nursing, and not
within 10 feet of anyone else.) I felt very humiliated as Mr. Wright
also sought to educate me on the high rate of HIV transfer from a
mother to an infant. I was speechless. Obviously, I cannot pass a
disease onto other people who are around me by breastfeeding my
infant. If this was the case, I suppose that breastfeeding mothers
should be banned from all public areas at all times, whether in the
process of nursing or not, due to the possibility of this hazardous
substance leaking onto our shirts or some other ridiculous nonsense.
How can Mr. Wright guarantee that a child who is drinking a bottle
is not also drinking expressed breast milk in that bottle? In
regards to Mr. Wright's lecture regarding HIV transfer, I am not HIV
positive and certainly would not be breastfeeding if I was. His
information regarding HIV presence in breast-milk was irrelevant to
the situation and something he had no business discussing with me.
There were several infants in the water, wearing "Little Swimmers"
and playing with their parents. I doubt Mr. Wright has the time or
ability to micromanage the possibility of one of these infants
spitting up in the water or urinating. As a parent, I am aware of
the fact that other children are in the water with my child and may
be doing any number of things and yet I still choose to allow my
children to play in the water. There is an inherit risk in all
activities. The fact that I was breastfeeding on a bench posed no
threat at all.
If this would have been the end of the matter, I probably would not
be writing this letter. Mr. Wright was apparently not satisfied that
I understood the severity of the situation. Later that morning,
while my children and I were at the bike riding portion of the park,
I was once again approached by Mr. Wright. I was not breastfeeding
at the time. He brought to me an internet print-out regarding the
high rate of HIV transfer between mothers and infants. He attempted
to engage in a discussion regarding the hazardous nature of breast-
milk and strongly urged me to read the article. I stopped him in mid-
sentence and stated that I did not wish to discuss it with him and I
also let him know that he had thoroughly embarrassed me. I do not
understand what point he was trying to make. As stated, I do not
have HIV. Even if I did, it still would be none of his business. I
was highly annoyed that he had sought me out in a different area of
the park in order to further harass me.
In conclusion, I felt harassed and embarrassed by Mr. Wright. He was
overstepping his duties as a park employee in his attempts to
educate me on a subject on which I am already thoroughly educated.
As a tax paying citizen, I have the right to enjoy the parks our
city has to offer. The city should take steps to ensure that their
employees are properly informed regarding breastfeeding and the
Florida law. The Florida law protects my right as a mother to
breastfeed my infant anywhere. Increasing breastfeeding rates is an
international, national and state health priority and should not be
hindered by city employees like Mr. Wright who seek to discourage
it.
CC: Councilman Daniel Davis
117 West Duval St., Suite 425
Jacksonville, FL 32202
July 20, 2008
City of Jacksonville
Parks Department
220 E Bay Street
Jacksonville Florida 32202
Re: Harassed for breastfeeding at a city park
Dear Director:
I am a 31-year-old mother of three who lives, works and plays in
Jacksonville, Florida. I have chosen to breastfeed each of my
children as I believe that the health and emotional benefits far
outweigh any perceived inconvenience. My youngest child, S, is 5
months old. Family economics required that I return to work when she
was only 2 months old. Although it has been challenging to continue
to breastfeed while working full-time, it has been well worth every
effort. The wonderful people that I work with have been flexible and
understanding of my needs to express milk during the workday and to
take an extended lunch hour in order to nurse S midday. I have
accepted these challenges with open arms, unlike the unexpected
challenge that I encountered yesterday at a city park.
On Saturday, July 19th, I took my 3 children for an outing to the
Kids Kampus at Metropolitan Park. They were very excited to play in
the water area. We arrived early in order to avoid most of the
crowds. I had decided that my 2 older children would play in the
water while myself and S watched them from the benches in the roped
off area that was labeled "adult section." This "adult section" of
the water playground is separated from the water portion and
provides a cool, dry place to sit and supervise.
Initially, S was sitting in her stroller, content to watch the
children play. Eventually, she became restless and hungry. I
discreetly nursed her. I am a modest person and can say with
confidence that no-one saw any portion of my breast during this
process. I covered myself very thoroughly with a towel. While
nursing, I was approached by a young man who told me that S must
remain in the stroller at all times unless she was wearing a "Little
Swimmer" diaper. At this point, I was not willing to force S to quit
nursing until she was finished or to leave my other 2 children
unattended in order to nurse her elsewhere. Unwilling to argue with
the young man, and knowing that S would soon be finished, I simply
acknowledged the young man's request and told him that we would not
be getting in the water at all. As stated, S and I were not in
contact with the water at all. Both of us were thoroughly dressed,
not in swimwear, and sitting on a bench in the roped-off sitting
section. It would be ridiculous for me to go to the expense of
purchasing "Huggies Little Swimmers" diapers in order that I might
hold my infant while sitting on a bench at the park. I find it
somewhat amusing that the park employees seem to think that by
requiring infants to wear the Huggies Little Swimmers brand of
diapers they are somehow guaranteeing that no urine or feces will
escape into the water.
S finished nursing within minutes of the young man approaching me,
so I put her in her stroller as I had been asked. Although I
adamantly disliked and disagreed with the rule, I didn't feel at
that point that it was worth conflicting over. I was then approached
by another park employee, who I assumed was a manager, by the name
of Tom Wright. Mr. Wright began to inform me that I could not breast-
feed my daughter at this park due to the hazardous nature of breast
milk as a bodily fluid. He informed me that I could be potentially
exposing other children to disease while nursing my child. (As a
reminder, I was not in the water or in contact with the water. I was
sitting on a bench, covered with a towel while nursing, and not
within 10 feet of anyone else.) I felt very humiliated as Mr. Wright
also sought to educate me on the high rate of HIV transfer from a
mother to an infant. I was speechless. Obviously, I cannot pass a
disease onto other people who are around me by breastfeeding my
infant. If this was the case, I suppose that breastfeeding mothers
should be banned from all public areas at all times, whether in the
process of nursing or not, due to the possibility of this hazardous
substance leaking onto our shirts or some other ridiculous nonsense.
How can Mr. Wright guarantee that a child who is drinking a bottle
is not also drinking expressed breast milk in that bottle? In
regards to Mr. Wright's lecture regarding HIV transfer, I am not HIV
positive and certainly would not be breastfeeding if I was. His
information regarding HIV presence in breast-milk was irrelevant to
the situation and something he had no business discussing with me.
There were several infants in the water, wearing "Little Swimmers"
and playing with their parents. I doubt Mr. Wright has the time or
ability to micromanage the possibility of one of these infants
spitting up in the water or urinating. As a parent, I am aware of
the fact that other children are in the water with my child and may
be doing any number of things and yet I still choose to allow my
children to play in the water. There is an inherit risk in all
activities. The fact that I was breastfeeding on a bench posed no
threat at all.
If this would have been the end of the matter, I probably would not
be writing this letter. Mr. Wright was apparently not satisfied that
I understood the severity of the situation. Later that morning,
while my children and I were at the bike riding portion of the park,
I was once again approached by Mr. Wright. I was not breastfeeding
at the time. He brought to me an internet print-out regarding the
high rate of HIV transfer between mothers and infants. He attempted
to engage in a discussion regarding the hazardous nature of breast-
milk and strongly urged me to read the article. I stopped him in mid-
sentence and stated that I did not wish to discuss it with him and I
also let him know that he had thoroughly embarrassed me. I do not
understand what point he was trying to make. As stated, I do not
have HIV. Even if I did, it still would be none of his business. I
was highly annoyed that he had sought me out in a different area of
the park in order to further harass me.
In conclusion, I felt harassed and embarrassed by Mr. Wright. He was
overstepping his duties as a park employee in his attempts to
educate me on a subject on which I am already thoroughly educated.
As a tax paying citizen, I have the right to enjoy the parks our
city has to offer. The city should take steps to ensure that their
employees are properly informed regarding breastfeeding and the
Florida law. The Florida law protects my right as a mother to
breastfeed my infant anywhere. Increasing breastfeeding rates is an
international, national and state health priority and should not be
hindered by city employees like Mr. Wright who seek to discourage
it.
CC: Councilman Daniel Davis
117 West Duval St., Suite 425
Jacksonville, FL 32202
Wow. That is shocking. He clearly needs to be educated about breastfeeding...and on appropriate social behavior. Tracking down a stranger and implying they have HIV so they shouldn't breastfeed is just crazy.
