It seems like every time I check Facebook, another mom is being bullied for breastfeeding her child in public. I hope that the more attention we pay to stories like these, the fewer cases of breastfeeding harassment there will be to report in the future — because surely people will figure out that they're completely ridiculous for bugging a nursing mom.
Nursing in public is perfectly fine and totally legal. Here are some of the biggest nursing in public gaffes of 2014.
Victoria's Secret reminded us what boobs are really for
Photo credit: Orange-Melody/iStock/360/Getty Images
This story is so ridiculously ironic, it isn't even funny. When Ashley Clawson's baby wanted to nurse after she spent around $150 at Victoria's Secret, staff at the iconic lingerie store told her she could take her baby out to the alley to nurse him.
Delta really pushed those airline blankets — twice
Delta flyiers must cover-up
Delta caused a huge problem when a staffer told a mom that she couldn't nurse her baby on her upcoming flight unless she covered him up beforehand, which is not awesome at all. The backlash was huge, which led to the airline doing some massive backpedaling. Unfortunately it wasn't enough to prevent another social media disaster when mom Casey Yu was told to cover up on another Delta flight. Do you think they've learned now?
Mother told to cover-up on Delta
Somebody called a nursing mom a tramp on Facebook
A British mom was photographed nursing her little one while they were out shopping, and the photo was uploaded to a Facebook page without her permission, ridiculing her for breastfeeding in public.
Photo credit: Emily Slough
People went bananas on Twitter over a breastfeeding graduate
Don't think breastfeeding belongs at a college graduation? Try telling that to a mama and her hungry baby. A shocking amount of anger rained down upon this mom who was doing nothing more than feeding her little one.
Breastfeeding graduate
A homeless shelter threatened to boot a nursing mom
Photo credit: Hawaii News Now
Karen Penley was told to cover up or move out of the homeless shelter where she and her baby were seeking temporary refuge. Employees have since been educated on how not to be awful to breastfeeding moms.
The principal sent a note home about breastfeeding scandalizing kids
Photo credit: Kourtney Barney
The principal at Mount Logan Middle School in Utah sent Andrea Scannell the worst passive aggressive note of all — telling her to cover up while nursing or find somewhere else to feed her baby. Think of the children!
Michaels craft store put baby in the corner
Jessa Marie
In a time when craft stores really didn't need more bad press, Michaels allegedly told a nursing mom to feed her baby in the corner. A few customers stood up for the mom, but it only takes one bad egg to smear the reputation of a an entire corporation — and that's exactly what happened.
A gallant barista rescued a nursing mom from a judgy onlooker
PHD in Parenting
It's not all bad news, though — sometimes there is a huge breastfeeding in public win. A male teenage barista made a mom's day when he defended her against a customer's complaint. This is an excellent example of what you should do if you see someone harassing a nursing mother. The story was so fabulous that it went viral. We all love a happy nursing-in-public story.
Stand strong, mamas — it's World Breastfeeding Week as well as National Breastfeeding Month. You can and should nurse your kids wherever you need to nurse them.
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