Joined Nov 2004
King Sheep
Forum Thread
Mom pushes Applebee's on breast-feeding
August 30, 2007 at
10:13 AM
Original article from Lexington Herald Leader [kentucky.com]
Mom pushes Applebee's on breast-feeding
WANTS CHANGE IN POLICY AFTER BEING TOLD TO COVER HERSELF
By Linda B. Blackford
[email protected]
Brooke Ryan nursed her 10-month-old son, Michael, at her home. She says her goal is to teach, not to be provocative. Photo by David Stephenson | Staff
David Stephenson | Staff
Brooke Ryan nursed her 10-month-old son, Michael, at her home. She says her goal is to teach, not to be provocative. Photo by David Stephenson | Staff
In June, Brooke Ryan walked into a Nicholasville Road Applebee's restaurant to celebrate an anniversary lunch with her children.
She walked out humiliated, in tears and without the lunch.
But the incident over breast-feeding her 7-month-old son at Applebee's has spurred the soft-spoken 34-year-old to start a public awareness campaign on the rights of breast-feeding women in Kentucky.
"On a small scale, I want Applebee's to change its policy," Ryan said. "On a large scale ... I want breast-feeding to be accepted."
The dispute with Applebee's began June 14. Ryan chose a booth in the back of the restaurant away from other customers. When her baby, Michael, got hungry, she began to nurse him discreetly, she said.
But a waitress came over and said that if she wanted to breast-feed, she had to cover the baby with a blanket. Ryan said it was so hot that she didn't have a blanket. The waitress then repeated her request. Ryan said she then asked to see the manager and handed him a copy of the 2006 Kentucky law that prohibits interference with a woman breast-feeding her baby in public.
The manager said he knew about the law but a customer had complained about indecent exposure, so she had to cover the baby with a blanket.
Ryan left as her food came, to nurse her baby in the car.
Her lawyer wrote a letter to Thomas & King, the company that operates Applebee's in Central Kentucky. They got no response. After a second letter, a Thomas & King lawyer said the restaurant chain would consider keeping blankets in the restaurant so that breast-feeding women could cover themselves.
"That's like telling Rosa Parks she still had to sit in the back of the bus, but we'll give her a blanket to make her more comfortable," Ryan said.
When contacted yesterday, Mike Scanlon, president of Thomas & King, said he didn't know about the incident. However, he called the Herald-Leader back to say that Applebee's had no policy against breast-feeding.
"It is perfectly legal to breast-feed in public and we support that," Scanlon said. "I'm not sure the manager said cover the baby's head, I think he said cover yourself modestly. This was by no means intended as interference, but a request to do it modestly, which I believe is an appropriate response."
Ryan says that as an experienced breast-feeder, she is extremely modest, and, in that instance, made sure that she was facing into the corner.
"Some women think it's fine to cover up with a blanket, but a woman shouldn't be forced to," said her husband, Michael Ryan.
Sen. Tom Buford, R-Nicholasville, who sponsored the breast-feeding protection bill, agrees.
"She was not treated right under the new law," he said. "There should have been no comment made to her at all; the restaurant overstepped its boundaries. There's no way they can explain their way out of this."
Thirty-nine states, including Kentucky, allow women to breast-feed in any public or private location.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breast-feeding for about the first six months and support for breast-feeding for the first year and beyond as long as mutually desired by mother and child. But according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 11 percent of mothers meet the six-month mark. Thirty percent breast-feed exclusively for the first three months. Kentucky's rates are 7.5 percent and 25 percent, respectively, according to a 2007 report.
Scanlon suggested that Ryan had an "agenda."
"I note with interest that she had a copy of the statute with her," he said. "I'm glad to let this become a matter that we can all learn from."
But if all Ryan wanted going into Applebee's was an anniversary lunch, she may indeed have an agenda now.
August is World Breast-feeding Awareness Month, and Ryan has organized two related public events:
• A "Nurse-In" at the children's play area at Fayette Mall from 1-3 p.m. Saturday. Ryan says the mall is not a target, but has a place for kids to play.
• From noon to 2 p.m. Sept. 8, she is holding a "Nurse Out" with posters and breast-feeding in front of the Applebee's on Nicholasville Road.
She's also asking for a public apology from Applebee's and training for its employees about the rights of breast-feeding mothers. Some day, she says, she would like to see the international breast-feeding symbol of a mother and child in every restaurant that supports the practice.
"I'm not trying to be provocative," she said. "I want to teach."
Read comments from Kentucky.com [prospero.com]
Read comments from Fark.com [fark.com]
Reach Linda Blackford at (859) 231-1359 or [email protected].
EDIT: Added Polling Goodness!
Mom pushes Applebee's on breast-feeding
WANTS CHANGE IN POLICY AFTER BEING TOLD TO COVER HERSELF
By Linda B. Blackford
[email protected]
Brooke Ryan nursed her 10-month-old son, Michael, at her home. She says her goal is to teach, not to be provocative. Photo by David Stephenson | Staff
David Stephenson | Staff
Brooke Ryan nursed her 10-month-old son, Michael, at her home. She says her goal is to teach, not to be provocative. Photo by David Stephenson | Staff
In June, Brooke Ryan walked into a Nicholasville Road Applebee's restaurant to celebrate an anniversary lunch with her children.
She walked out humiliated, in tears and without the lunch.
But the incident over breast-feeding her 7-month-old son at Applebee's has spurred the soft-spoken 34-year-old to start a public awareness campaign on the rights of breast-feeding women in Kentucky.
"On a small scale, I want Applebee's to change its policy," Ryan said. "On a large scale ... I want breast-feeding to be accepted."
The dispute with Applebee's began June 14. Ryan chose a booth in the back of the restaurant away from other customers. When her baby, Michael, got hungry, she began to nurse him discreetly, she said.
But a waitress came over and said that if she wanted to breast-feed, she had to cover the baby with a blanket. Ryan said it was so hot that she didn't have a blanket. The waitress then repeated her request. Ryan said she then asked to see the manager and handed him a copy of the 2006 Kentucky law that prohibits interference with a woman breast-feeding her baby in public.
The manager said he knew about the law but a customer had complained about indecent exposure, so she had to cover the baby with a blanket.
Ryan left as her food came, to nurse her baby in the car.
Her lawyer wrote a letter to Thomas & King, the company that operates Applebee's in Central Kentucky. They got no response. After a second letter, a Thomas & King lawyer said the restaurant chain would consider keeping blankets in the restaurant so that breast-feeding women could cover themselves.
"That's like telling Rosa Parks she still had to sit in the back of the bus, but we'll give her a blanket to make her more comfortable," Ryan said.
When contacted yesterday, Mike Scanlon, president of Thomas & King, said he didn't know about the incident. However, he called the Herald-Leader back to say that Applebee's had no policy against breast-feeding.
"It is perfectly legal to breast-feed in public and we support that," Scanlon said. "I'm not sure the manager said cover the baby's head, I think he said cover yourself modestly. This was by no means intended as interference, but a request to do it modestly, which I believe is an appropriate response."
Ryan says that as an experienced breast-feeder, she is extremely modest, and, in that instance, made sure that she was facing into the corner.
"Some women think it's fine to cover up with a blanket, but a woman shouldn't be forced to," said her husband, Michael Ryan.
Sen. Tom Buford, R-Nicholasville, who sponsored the breast-feeding protection bill, agrees.
"She was not treated right under the new law," he said. "There should have been no comment made to her at all; the restaurant overstepped its boundaries. There's no way they can explain their way out of this."
Thirty-nine states, including Kentucky, allow women to breast-feed in any public or private location.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breast-feeding for about the first six months and support for breast-feeding for the first year and beyond as long as mutually desired by mother and child. But according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 11 percent of mothers meet the six-month mark. Thirty percent breast-feed exclusively for the first three months. Kentucky's rates are 7.5 percent and 25 percent, respectively, according to a 2007 report.
Scanlon suggested that Ryan had an "agenda."
"I note with interest that she had a copy of the statute with her," he said. "I'm glad to let this become a matter that we can all learn from."
But if all Ryan wanted going into Applebee's was an anniversary lunch, she may indeed have an agenda now.
August is World Breast-feeding Awareness Month, and Ryan has organized two related public events:
• A "Nurse-In" at the children's play area at Fayette Mall from 1-3 p.m. Saturday. Ryan says the mall is not a target, but has a place for kids to play.
• From noon to 2 p.m. Sept. 8, she is holding a "Nurse Out" with posters and breast-feeding in front of the Applebee's on Nicholasville Road.
She's also asking for a public apology from Applebee's and training for its employees about the rights of breast-feeding mothers. Some day, she says, she would like to see the international breast-feeding symbol of a mother and child in every restaurant that supports the practice.
"I'm not trying to be provocative," she said. "I want to teach."
Read comments from Kentucky.com [prospero.com]
Read comments from Fark.com [fark.com]
Reach Linda Blackford at (859) 231-1359 or [email protected].
EDIT: Added Polling Goodness!
Community Wiki
Last Edited by JayVee7777
September 11, 2007
at
09:38 PM
MOST.BIASED.POLL.EVAH
hmmm, she prolly needed 2 or 3 blankets
http://media.heraldlea
hmmm, she prolly needed 2 or 3 blankets
http://media.heraldlea
525 Comments
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only the people who where there really know how discrete she really was. all they asked was for her to cover up, not stop.
I agree that mothers should have have the right to enjoy their time in a restaurant. But if she's knowingly doing something that will make other guests uncomfortable, she needs to respect the rights of those guests as well. It's extremely selfish to do otherwise. I applaud Applebee's for asking that woman to cover up.
I know many mothers who breastfed their babies in public..they were like the person who posted her picture above (I'm sorry..I can't remember who it was)...the baby was comfortable, the mom was comfortable and there really wasn't much to see. For the most part..those women weren't bothered..the baby got to eat, she got to eat and everyone was happy.
Then there are those that have to make it an in your face crusade..where they go out and almost dare anyone to say something against them. That's what bugs me.
Also, I've seen a lot of breastfeeding in public. I've never seen more than a quick flash of skin if a kid makes a move to look around mid-feed. Moms aren't doing it to show off their breasts in a restaurant.
As I've mentioned before, I would not want my wife (who is currently breastfeeding) to whip out her breast in public in front of strangers, family, or friends. She's still a lady and I would want her to show some class. Why is it that society and etiquette dictates that going bare breasted is a no-no. BUT, when you add the breastfeeding aspect, then it's okay to bare all? It's still showing your breasts in public.
As I've mentioned before, I would not want my wife (who is currently breastfeeding) to whip out her breast in public in front of strangers, family, or friends. She's still a lady and I would want her to show some class. Why is it that society and etiquette dictates that going bare breasted is a no-no. BUT, when you add the breastfeeding aspect, then it's okay to bare all? It's still showing your breasts in public.
I'm sort of curious though...how come a lot of the guys are going
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Similarly, it's like saying.....when you got to go, you got to go! Hence, you can urinate anywhere.
And, once again, NO ONE IS SAYING THAT YOU CAN'T BREASTFEED IN PUBLIC! Just cover up if you're in a public place and ppl are complaining.
DUH....cuz maybe it's that she's bare breasted! If going bare breasted is so natural for you pro-feeding in public-ladies, then PLEASE feel free to do it more often for every circumstance!
I'm sort of curious though...how come a lot of the guys are going
Note, there's a difference between prohibiting something and just requesting someone to be discreet about it. For example, before there were smoking regulations, ppl could light up and smoke whenever they pleased. It was their right. However, as a courtesy, most would not just light up anywhere.
Women who breast feed in public = trailer trash. It's very simple. You know when your baby is going to need to eat, so schedule your life around that.
Ignorance about this sort of issue shows that you are either very young, very uninformed, or just looking to instigate.
This story is in our local paper today. No picture though.
I do have trouble believing that she had NOTHING to cover herself with. In a pinch, unfold a napkin and drape over yourself. I wonder if some activist group isn't behind her doing this?
And from the story, I am not sure that someone in the restaurant actually complained at that time. From how I read it, they had complaints in the past when a mother nursed her baby in the restaurant, and that's why they now ask mothers to cover up.
But I agree with the other mothers here. I wouldn't say that I was ever an 'experienced' breastfeeder. I only had to nurse in public a handful of times. I never wanted to call attention to myself and I never had anyone complain that I was indecent or was asked to cover myself.
And hubby says no to sharing pics of the act.
See how quickly your wife can pump some breast milk after nursing your newborn. See how long it will take her to stockpile enough so that she can run a few errands and be gone for a few hours. Breastfeeding isn't like turning on a spigot. It takes DAYS to build up a stockpile of breastmilk. There's a reason a nursing mother will call that stuff gold.
Some mothers don't add other foods to their babies' diets as early as you did. I know many who strictly nursed their babies and didn't add in any other foods until 9 months or even a year. And if a baby wants to nurse, they aren't going to be happy with a substitute.
:
However, I don't see how this applies to our topic since the woman in the article had a 7 month old baby! So obviously, she could produce sufficient amount of milk and pump. If she can't afford a pump, there are hand pumps that work pretty good for only around $20. Also, the hospitals rent out the electric pumps for around $10 per week!
As stated, there are ALWAYS options. However, some ppl may not want to burden themselves and would rather burden other ppl with their problems....THAT'S THE AMERICAN WAY.....THEN SUE!
By the way, my wife has only started pumping in the past one and a half weeks. She was not "well-endowed" in the breast department. However, we now have a freezer full of breast milk that can last us probably several weeks to a month!
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