Would You Eat in the Bathroom?
One of the greatest struggles for breastfeeding mothers is to have our voices heard and accommodations met in order to express milk and feed our children in public places. Women have lobbied and fought for years to establish lactation rooms in their places of employment and public facilities. Only recently have states begun to pass laws that help ensure that mothers have a private place to nurse their children.
On March 30, 2010, President Barack Obama signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that mandates an employer with more than 50 workers to provide a private room (not a restroom) in which their female employees and customers can express breast milk for their children as needed. Today there are more than 83 million mothers in the United States – roughly 61% of them work. As the socio-economic structure continues to change, more women are returning to work immediately after maternity leave. While some women are able to transition smoothly back into the workplace, others need assistance with juggling work and newly-minted motherhood.
The transition back to work is sometimes difficult and can be a bit challenging for nursing mothers who would like to continue to breastfeed. The lack of private spaces to pump at work makes this transition even more daunting; some mothers decide to stop breastfeeding their children all together. I was one of those mothers. With our first son, my only option at work was to pump in the public restroom. I slowly whined him then eventually stopped breastfeeding due to the inconvenience and lack of privacy. The painful reality of allowing breast milk to “dry up” when women are not ready to stop nursing can cause tremendous grief, depression, and disappointment for some mothers’ effort to provide the most important nutrients to their newborn. Also, breastfeeding during the first 12 months of an infant’s life can provide tremendous health benefits for the child, even long-term. A recent report from the CDC shared that breastfeeding helps to prevent childhood obesity.
After giving birth to our second son, a former colleague and I spoke up and assisted our employer in establishing a permanent lactation room on site. We provided a safe and designated place for mothers to pump and feed their children. This allowed a smoother transition for working mothers, and enabled them to continue to provide milk for their children after returning back to work. I was pleased to have the ability to nurse our second son for nearly 15 months.
Employers come up with many excuses about why they do not have private rooms designated for nursing mothers. These range from costs to space availability. Companies would benefit from establishing lactation rooms on site, because breastfeeding mothers will have support transitioning back to work, look favorable to customers, and can be a good recruitment tool for employees.
Unfortunately, these challenges are widespread. Living in Atlanta, I was shocked to find out that the world’s busiest airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (HJAIA), does not have designated lactation rooms for employees or customers. They ask mothers to feed their children in the restroom or to call in advance to arrange a private room to pump or breastfeed. There is no information or timeline posted on their website when or if lactation rooms will be established.
Breastfeeding in the bathroom is synonymous to having your child literally “eat” in the restroom. Let’s face it – eating in the bathroom is gross! You wouldn’t eat in the bathroom, so why would you expect your baby to eat there? Holding a child up or squatting on a public toilet to feed among unpleasant smells is inhumane. Oftentimes, in order for ones milk “to let down” mothers need a pleasant, clean, and sanitary environment to express milk. Breastfeeding mothers deserve safe, secure, and comfortable places to pump and nurse their children.
To address these issues and to provide a resource for those who would like to establish lactation rooms at the public places they frequent most, I have launched a Lactation Room support campaign, Table For Two. The campaign’s first initiative is to bring lactation rooms to HJAIA. It’s time to establish designated and convenient lactation rooms at Atlanta’s airport, as well as companies, and organizations across the country. Would you eat in the bathroom? Of course not, because eating in the restroom is gross. Ask officials at the world’s busiest airport to support their employees and customers.
To support this cause and for more information, please visit www.supporttablefortwo.org. You may also join the campaign on Twitter and Facebook.
Sojourner Marable Grimmett is an Atlanta-based author who is recognized for writing about the joys and challenges of being a “stay-at-work” mom and connects with moms, both new and experienced, who have the responsibility of raising a family and maintaining a full-time job. Sojourner has been featured in FitPregnancy, iVillage, Southwest Parenting Magazine, BlackCelebKids.com, MyAtlantaMoms.com, WhatToExpect.com, Fox News, and CNN. She is married to her college sweetheart, Roland and they have two young sons, Roland Jay and Joshua. Visit her blog sojournermarablegrimmett.blogspot.com follow her on twitter and like her on Facebook.
Article also featured on YourBlackWorld.com and MyAtlantaMoms.com.
K. Kheir Photography
13 Comments to “Would You Eat in the Bathroom?”
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I don’t blame you! Thanks for commenting on my post!
I really wish our society would get over the gross, icky, sexual factor of breastfeeding. It is neither gross, icky, or sexual. People show cleavage and butt cracks on a daily basis but when a mom wants to feed her child in public (the way God intended it to be), it’s inappropriate. I breastfeed in public All the Time. No one usually notices. I don’t cover my babies with a blanket, nursing wrap, or some other contraption that makes them hot because they do not like those covers. I use my shirt to cover my breast. I’m discreet. I’ve never fed in a public restroom. Those things creep me out. So, why would I feed my child in there. I was just at a child’s birthday party at Legoland in Dallas, TX. I asked where the family room or nursing room was located and I was kindly shown the unisex restroom. I opened the door and it was a tiny restroom with new chair and a bathroom smell. I turned right around and nursed where everyone else was EATING.
Sherron – Thank you for commenting on my post. Let me take a second to share my story about why this campaign is dear to my heart. We believe that mothers have the right to breastfeed their children wherever they please.
This specific campaign started because my girlfriend mentioned to me that the Atlanta airport does not have designated lactation rooms for employees or customers. Therefore, she was going to stop nursing (because she works at the airport.) I was saddened to hear this, and wanted to help her and other breastfeeding mothers who frequent the airport or work there.
As breastfeeding mothers we need to be mindful that everyone does want to nurse or pump in public. What’s most important is that we are all breastfeeding our children. I hope you join the campaign.
I breastfed my daughter for the first 19 months of her life and I breastfed her ANYWHERE & EVERYWHERE so i do not understand why this is an issue.
There are baby blankets and other things which a mother can use to cover up herself and her baby during breastfeeding. I lived in NY & SC during this time. Breastfeeding in public is a non-issue for me.
No business should be required to provide a “lactation room” for breastfeeding mothers. I never exposed my breast in public because I respect the fact that other people should not be forced to see my breast just because I choose to breastfeed my baby. That didn’t stop me from breastfeeding her. Using a pump to express milk can also be done under the covering of a baby blanket or something else while in public. Been there, done that.
I just used a cover-up or a baby blanket to cover myself & my baby during breastfeeding. It is a simple, comfortable solution which enables moms to breastfeed anywhere, everywhere at any time.
Unfortunately, we live in a society that thinks that breast are sexual objects. We have women who feel that breastfeeding is disgusting or too much of a committment, yet, our grown partners are allowed to suckle during itimacy. This can all change with support from families, Congress, and businesses as a whole. There are establishments such as Nordstrom who have a lounge type area adjacent to the restroom, which I don’t mind using. The bathroom ,however, is not a santitary place and I wouldn’t want my baby eating there. I am an advocate for long-term breastfeeding and I will not retreat any where to nurse. Truth is you rarely notice when a woman is nursing because there is not much to see. Much love to all of the Mamas who stand up and fight for our babies right to be nourished the way nature intended
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We were at the aquarium (Long Beach, CA) & I recall a separate room to feed & change the baby but it was attached to the restroom. I think they should have a room like this in every public location where families frequent.
Although, for a place that gets a nice size crowd, they needed a little more space because mommies were coming in back to back to change or feed. But something was better than nothing.
Changing stations (just wondering): I wonder how often places have their changing stations checked for safety? It may be done but I’m not sure. The reason I ask is because we went out to eat & the changing station had a slight tilt. I had to support it with my leg & never took my hands off my son. So that’s just something for moms to think about before they place their babies down.
Realist – Great comments! Thank you!
I’m a mother and I’ve never thought, until this article, how odd it is to breastfeed in the bathroom. The pictures really put this message into perspective.
I can’t get with all the germs that live in bathrooms let alone a public bathrooms! I’m not even a mother yet and I would have no parts of that!
LOL – Misunderstood – That’s what I like to hear!
Thank you Evelina. Please visit our FB page for more photos! I appreciate your support!
Pictures are wonderful..love them.
Breastfeed in bathroom..sure, as long as it doesn’t smell.
Actually eat in the bathroom..yuck!
Thanks Shirley! Be sure to LIKE our Facebook page! http://www.facebook.com/SupportTableForTwo