No matter how many stories we write reminding people that every state has a law allowing nursing moms to breastfeed in public, some manager at a store will still screw things up and ask a mother to leave the store or cover up. The latest incident involves a Walmart in Oklahoma, where several woman recently staged a nurse-in to drive their point home.
Tulsa’s FOX23.com reports that the demonstration arose following a recent incident in which a mother was told by a manager that she couldn’t breastfeed her child openly in the store; that a customer had complained and she’d need to cover up.
“I was kind of shocked like, do what? I didn’t know what I was doing wrong,” the mom tells FOX23. “I was like ‘Oh no, I’m protected by Oklahoma law that it’s OK to breastfeed in public.'”
And she’s absolutely correct, as Okla. Stat. tit. 63, § 1-234 classifies breastfeeding a “basic act of nurturing to which every baby has a right,” and declares that “a mother may breast-feed her baby in any location where the mother is otherwise authorized to be.”
So earlier this week, several moms — some nursing, some just there to show support — gathered inside the Glenpool, OK, Walmart as a demonstration of solidarity and to hopefully make store management aware of both state law and company policy.
“If you’re a manager it should be something you’re taught. I mean you should know it’s the law,” said one mom.
Walmart confirmed that its policy is to always welcome nursing moms and says it is investigating what happened in this instance.
Once again, we point you this handy list of each state’s laws regarding breastfeeding rights, as compiled by the National Conference of State Legislatures.
by Chris Morran via Consumerist
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