Moms, Babies Raise Awareness at “Nurse-In”

Rosalind Guder and son raise awareness.

Story and photo by
Clara Sturak
Associate editor

   The 50-or-so mothers sitting at the Santa Monica Place food court on Wednesday, July 17 showed more than support for their cause, they showed a little skin.
   But the event was strictly G-rated, as 50-or-so babies and toddlers enjoyed lunch at a “nurse-in” organized by the California Women’s Law Center and the Breastfeeding Taskforce of Greater Los Angeles.
   The demonstration was held at Santa Monica Place because the mall was the scene of a case of alleged harassment earlier this year. Abbe Dotson, a nursing mother, claimed that she was harassed by a security guard at the mall as she breastfed her child while walking through the food court. “It was extremely upsetting,” Dotson said, “I was approached by the security guard and made to feel like I had done something terribly wrong because my baby needed to be fed.”
   According to Nancy Solomon, senior staff attorney for the California Women’s Law Center, this was far from an isolated incident. “We organized this nurse-in today because nursing mothers continue to be harassed for breastfeeding in public in violation of California law,” adding, “It is illegal in California to harass a mother nursing in public by asking her to ‘cover-up’ or to leave any public location where she and her child are allowed to be present. Mothers should be able to breastfeed without fear of being discriminated against or embarrassed.”
   One common complaint of nursing mothers is that they are often asked to breastfeed their child in the bathroom of a public place. Said Aurie Vachoska, mother of a young daughter, “How would you like to take your lunch into the restroom?”
   Women’s Law Center attorneys have heard everything — from women being told to entirely cover their babies and themselves with a blanket while nursing, to being told to stop breastfeeding on the grounds of a public pool because the breast milk might “contaminate” the water.
   Although it’s hard to enforce, California Civil Code 43.3 specifically allows women to nurse in public. Organizers handed out a bright orange informational flyer with the text of the law, and the statement, “If the manager of a restaurant tells you there is a health code against breastfeeding in a restaurant and asks you to stop or a store clerk asks you to breastfeed in the bathroom … he or she is breaking the law.”
   As her young son happily nursed, Rosalind Guder explained her decision to attend the event. “I was surprised when I heard that someone was harassed here. I wanted to remind people that the law supports breastfeeding in California.” Guder felt the harassment of nursing mothers was particularly upsetting because, she said, “there are so many benefits of breastfeeding, not only to the child, but to the mother.” Guder’s son expressed his support by donning his “Got Breast Milk?” onesie.
   Sitting across the table from Guder was Aleida Fajado, who had just finished her weekly shopping at the nearby farmers’ market when she came upon the demonstration. Of the sea of nursing moms and babies Fajado said with grandmotherly pride, “I think it’s beautiful, you know.” Laughingly, she told the story of her young brother, who, when he’d come upon his mother feeding her infant child, would ask, “Mom, give me a drink.” Her mother would comply. “It’s so much easier, and much more healthy. If you’re a mother, Why not [breastfeed]?” she asked.
   Although the press conference was delayed several times as organizers waited for television cameras to arrive, the young participants in the demonstration remained serene and happy. “Because they’re well-fed,” remarked one mother, a hand lovingly resting on her nursing daughter’s head.
   Also in attendance was a group of nurses from St. John’s Health Center, who came to discuss both the health benefits of and the barriers to breastfeeding. Elaine Robertson, a lactation consultant at the hospital, told the Mirror, “There are so many benefits to both the child and the mother, but new mothers are very vulnerable, and there is a lot of pressure [from family and co-workers] that it doesn’t matter if you breastfeed or not. We are here to empower mothers.”
   The health benefits of breastfeeding have been well-documented, and include boosting babies’ immune systems, leading to lower rates of infant meningitis, diabetes, allergies and respiratory illnesses. Mothers who breastfeed can experience lower rates of post-partum anemia, and a reduced risk of breast and other cancers. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that mothers continue breastfeeding their infants for at least 12 months.
   Santa Monica resident and breastfeeding mom, Nina Fresco, lent another perspective to the issue, saying, “Breastfeeding is so complicated and difficult anyway, people need to support each other in groups.”
   In acknowledgement of that fact, the Breastfeeding Taskforce left copies of its “Breastfeeding Resource Directory” at every table. In it mothers can find lactation consultants, breastfeeding support groups and places to rent or buy breast pumps.
   After almost 40 minutes, Solomon addressed the crowd, to thank them for their support, and to announce that Macerich Company, owners of the Santa Monica Place and 18 other malls in California, had agreed to “educate all of their employees about the rights of mothers to breastfeed their children.” Macerich sent a formal apology to Dotson, and also agreed to post notices in the employee areas of all of its malls describing the legal rights of nursing mothers in California.