Breastfeeding your child is not only a right but the most natural thing you can do for your child if you are able and choose to do so. However, we continue to see moms in public, merely trying to feed their children, being harassed or worse.

Ariana Elder from Athens, Atlanta said while waiting for her 4-year-old son to be seen at a hospital that SPECIALIZES IN MEDICINE FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN she was asked by a security guard to stop breastfeeding. The hospital has responded by calling the incident a “mistake.”

“Elders said she took both of her children — her 4-year-old son and her 4-month-old boy, Deklin, to the emergency room at Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children because he wasn’t feeling well. ‘We got there around 11:30 to get my 4-year-old seen,’ the mom said of their trip Sunday night. But it was when her little one started to fuss that their visit took a turn for the worse.

The mom said she started to nurse Delkin but was quickly told that she needed to breastfeed ‘in private.’ ‘He said that according to the Huntsville Hospital rules that they’ve had implemented for years, a breastfeeding mother had to be in a room,’ she continued, but according to the report, no such law exists. In fact, Alabama state law allows woman to breastfeed in ‘any location, public or private, where a mother is authorized to be present.'”2

Elders wants to make sure everyone knows that she doesn’t want the security guard fired, rather, she wants employers to train their employees. 

The hospital responded to the incident, stating,

“Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children allows breastfeeding in public. In Mrs. Elders’ situation a member of our staff made a mistake. We spoke with her earlier today and apologized. We want to assure her and our community that we are reviewing our training process to ensure our staff recognize, respect and uphold the rights of breastfeeding mothers.”1

Not normally embarrassed to nurse in public, “the confrontation in the waiting room nearly brought her to tears. To avoid further confrontation and deescalate the situation, she played along by leaving her son and husband. Elders was taken to a private room to continue nursing.“1

Elders wants other moms to know their rights and to feel confident enough to stand up for themselves; “It is legal to breastfeed wherever you want. Feed your child whether by breast or bottle. You know, don’t let anybody shame you for making your child healthy.”2

We hope he never does this again and that the hospital educates their people immediately.

Sadly, Elders isn’t the only momma this happened to recently…

Erin Elizabeth

SOURCE:

  1. WFSA 12, NBC
  2. Cafe Mom