Crossing the Line

We always hear the stories of a breastfeeding mother being asked to leave a place because she is breastfeeding. We express our outrage at the fact that a woman is treated with such disrespect simply because she is trying to feed her baby.

You would think that mothers who breastfeed understand what it is like to hear these stories and get angry. You would think that they would understand how important it is to be able to feed your baby in whatever way you choose.

Therefore I was extremely disappointed when I read about a mom who was recently asked to leave a cafe for breastfeeding mothers because she formula fed her son. According to the article, she had gone there after being invited for coffee by some friends that do breastfeed their children. The staff expressed their opinions that bottle feeding was not appropriate and asked her not to come back.

Everyone who knows me is aware of how I feel about formula. They all know my biases against moms who formula feed without a single thought of consideration of at least attempting to breastfeed. But, I have never made a single comment to anyone I see formula feeding, ever, while out in public. For this cafe to harass this woman in much the same way as breastfeeding mothers are sometimes harasses shows their ignorance, hypocrisy, and foolishness.

I definitely see this as a step back in the world of lactivists.

Crossing the Line