Thursday, March 31, 2011

Right to Breastfeed Act... maybe someone should tell the Govies...

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.

11 comments:

  1. I really hope that someone can organize a formal event to provide awareness... bare minimum a letter-writing campaign to the senator/congressman... He/she needs to step in and make sure this does not happen on gov't property...

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  2. I shared your blog on my facebook fan page I hope you dont mind, but I think that my fans and blog readers would love to read.

    Megan
    www.thegreatletdown.com

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  3. Oh yeah, would they kick out a woman who came in wearing a low cut shirt, showing cleavage?? Probably not.

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  4. Wow! I can't believe it! That is ridiculous...we've heard a lot of bad things about Ft. Bragg and this just adds to it! I almost feel like we ducked a bullet when my husbands duty station got changed from there to Ft. Lewis! I've had some weird (and even a couple disapproving) looks given to me when I've BF'd in public but no one has ever asked me to stop or do it someplace more private.
    I have to agree with Hannah, you see women dressed in low cut, skin tight shirts and miniature mini-skirts but they're never asked to leave! That just infuriates me!!!

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  5. Ridiculous! Congrats on your new blog! Just became a follower. Visiting from Mommy Masters. PLease follow back at www.mommymasters.blogspot.com and www.facebook.com/mommymasters. Thanks!

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  6. As a guy whose wife breastfed, what happened was F-up to say the least. Sometimes I am just appalled at what goes on in the services...although this perpetrator is a gov't civilian..they are Dept of the Army...IE Army. Hope this mom keeps forcing the issue and hope that the Army does not give her husband any issues over this...

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  7. Thanks everyone for your feedback and support! The mother in question is following up with both a formal complaint process and has contacted local news outlets. Maybe if we can shed some more light on these types of incidents, we can help more women assert their right without fear of judgement. It's just incredible to me that our society embraces a hedonistic view of breasts, but when it comes to using them as biology intended, society is suddenly so puritanical.
    Again, many thanks and I will keep you all updated.

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  8. I believe that this wasn't fair for her, but I believe in accuracy. Yes, it is just a different Act that was legislated into law, and the end result that women can breastfeed in publc is still federally legal, I just want to point out that H.R. 1848 Right to Breastfeed Act was dead in the 106th Congress. The following link shows what happened. http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h106-1848

    With that being said, in H.R. 2490 Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act, which was passed in 2000, it has one paragraph. One section, actually. Sec. 647. There are 646 sections before it. http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h106-2490

    Now, this does not make it ok that this occured. But, as a writer, and somebody that wants to put information out I thought that you would want to have the right information.

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  9. Thanks for the correction, Robert, and I apologize for the inaccuracy. More information on breastfeeding rights and advocacy can be found here:

    http://www.ncsl.org/default.aspx?tabid=14389

    http://www.breastfeeding.com/advocacy/advocacy_bfinpublic.html

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  10. I think what bothers me most about these offices is how they treat spouses in general when the Soldier is not around. This is not the first time and probably will not be the last time that someone addresses a spouse like this. I highly doubt that something like this would have happened had her husband been there, because they are afraid of the Soldier taking it to their chain of command, causing the COC to get involved. What she needs to do is fill out an ICE comment and submit it with the housing lady's name. And she needs to keep filling them out until someone calls her and contacts her.

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  11. This aired last night:

    http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=8048784

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