Regular readers know I have three sons — ages 7, 3 and almost 11 months. My wife tried to breast-feed each one, but the oldest was raised almost entirely on formula. Son 2 took pumped breast milk from a bottle for nearly nine months before switching to formula. The baby is still feeding naturally. So while I, despite my wife's sincere wishes, am not able to lactate personally, I find myself sympathetic to those who do. To a point.
Michelle Hickman, a mother in Texas, made national news last week when she went public with a November incident in which she claims employees at the Target store in Webster, Texas, harassed her because she was nursing her baby in the store. News of her incident spread like wildfire online —and if you are married to a breast-feeding woman who is active on mothering websites, you know exactly how this works — and last week there were protests in support of Hickman at roughly 250 Target stores nationwide.
Here's how ABC News blogger Alice Gomstyn broke down the situation:
"Hickman began nursing her fussy, hungry infant son in the store's women's clothing section. Hickman, 35, said that eight Target employees eventually surrounded her and two asked her to move to a fitting room to finish nursing. The other employees, she said, rolled their eyes at her and gave her dirty looks.
"Hickman said she tried explaining that Texas law allowed her to breast-feed in public, but the employees wouldn't listen. Hickman said she later called Target's corporate offices but was dissatisfied with their response. She said the retailer has yet to apologize to her directly.
"In a statement to ABCNews.com, Target said that it supports the use of fitting rooms for breast-feeding — even if other customers are waiting to use the rooms — but also that 'guests who choose to breastfeed in public areas of the store are welcome to do so without being made to feel uncomfortable.' "
My wife has nursed, among other places, at church, in countless restaurants, at Brookfield Zoo and on the Metra Union Pacfic North line between Waukegan and Ravenswood. Thankfully, we've never experienced even one sideways glance, at least to my knowledge. However, we also have the common sense Hickman seems to lack.
Speaking to television news crews, Hickman said "It was a breast-feeding issue, they had a problem with me nursing in public," then acknowledged she sat on the floor in the women's clothing section to nurse.
This is where I start to come to the defense of Target employees.
Continue reading "In defense of Target — sort of."
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