Families First. It’s the first thing that jumped out at me on the website for Picerne housing at Ft Bragg. It’s even trademarked. This only adds to my confusion regarding an incident involving a breastfeeding mother in their offices today. The woman in question belongs to my birth club in the online forum BabyCenter. She posted the following in an open forum:
“While at Bragg Picerne Military Housing today, I was asked to leave the office and feed Zoey in the restroom. But it's all good cause there was a chair in there. Now, I had waited several hours to get all my paperwork. It was pouring rain, I had the little kids with me. We were in a private office at the end of a hall. I had Zoey in a sling, wearing a button down shirt, tank and had the sling end over my shoulder when I was asked to leave. Because they needed to maintain a "business atmosphere". I argued with the woman for a few minutes, but she refused to do my paperwork unless we left or I stopped nursing. I pull Zoey off, take her out of the sling and bounce her until our paperwork is done. Ironic thing was the WIC office was two doors down. So, you can breastfeed there, but not in the housing office.
“So happy my husband is fighting for our freedom in Afghansitan, but I can't even breastfeed my child on an Army base.”
After being informed and encouraged by several members, including myself, that her right to breastfeed is protected under federal law and that a complaint should be filed, she provided the following update:
“UPDATE! I called housing. 910-495-0878. Told them I needed to speak with the director to file a complaint. They said their main office is on Pope AFB and I needed to call there. 910-764-4500. I speak with Aleena Hardin who not only doesn't apologize, she actually asked me if I had cleavage showing. So, I got nowhere. Except I got the woman's name. NuQuisha Montglier. Don't know if I spelled it right.
“If anyone wants to help me contact places, I'm all for it. With two special needs kids and a business, I'm struggling to find time to deal with this, but I don't want to let it go. The channel 11 news has been contacted and I filed a formal complaint.”
I’m personally unsure which is worse: the offense itself or the laissez-faire attitude of Ms. Hardin. A mother’s right to breastfeed is protected under federal law. This law states: “a woman may breastfeed her child at any location in a Federal building or on Federal property, if the woman and her child are otherwise authorized to be present at the location.” Thanks to this law, it is immaterial if this woman was “showing cleavage” as she breastfed her child. It’s her right to breastfeed topless on federal property if she so chooses. The bill can be read in its entirety here:
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h106-2490
I would hope that this woman’s complaint is heard and she is issued a formal apology. Furthermore, I would hope that the personnel at the offending offices are made to undergo educational training in regards to the Right to Breastfeed Act, as it specifically applies to their workplace and no woman should be made to feed her child while crouching over a toilet when her right to breastfeed is so clearly protected. In the meantime, maybe they should rethink their trademarked motto.