Comments on: Applebee’s Cooking Up Breastfeeding Trouble

By: Chris

Chris — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 22:00:09 +0000

She should sue the pants off that company!!!!

By: becka

becka — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 16:23:06 +0000

I feel frustrated at the situation involving Brooke Ryan and Applebee’s Restaurants as noted in this article: http://www.kentuckyconnect.com/454/story/161993.html. Brooke was in the
Nicholasville Road Applebee’s in Kentuckty on June 14th, having lunch. She was told by a server to cover up while she was breastfeeding her baby, because customers complained that she was “indecently exposing” herself. It is especially upsetting that to hear via groups on the internet that Applebee’s is considering having “blankets on hand at all their restaurants” as a result of this incident and that Alex Bressette from Applebee’s Corporate office states that the manager’s request that Brooke cover-up with a blanket was “reasonable”.

Applebee’s is missing the point. There is nothing shameful, indecent, or obscene about breastfeeding a baby. In fact, Kentucky law explicitly states that breastfeeding is not indecent exposure. http://www.llli.org/Law/Bills20a.html)

It is understood some customers or employees of Applebee’s may not be comfortable seeing someone nurse in public. However, it is not the nursing mother that should be spoken to in situations like this. The complaining customers should be addressed and informed that the mother is not in violation of Kentucky law. You will find helpful information for handling customer complaints about nursing in public in the “For Businesses” section on ProMoM.org (http://www.promom.org/bf_info/for_businesses.html).

Please make an official written and public statement of corporate policy that breastfeeding is allowed in all locations. There should be no conditions to this statement and subjective terms such as “discreet” and “respectful” should not be used.

I personally find this issue important to advocate simply because nothing changes until people make it change. I declare that I will boycott Applebees restaurants in the future until such a time that this wrong has been righted.

By: lstill

lstill — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 16:37:28 +0000

Isn’t it funny that this is such a heated topic? I understand why it is, but it’s so strange that our natural method of child feeding should stir up so many strong emotions. I admit that I get embarassed when someone near me quickly flashes a breast to feed their baby, but I honestly feel like that’s my problem, not theirs. I’m not trying to attack the guys who feel differently and I hope no one else will either. It doesn’t do any good to pounce on anyone with a differing opinion who is brave enough to voice it and is open to discussion.
What is “discreet” and what isn’t is subjective. The law has to either allow it or ban it, and that state decided to allow it. Who are the rest of us to place limits (i.e. you must cover up) if the law does not?
It’s a fact that many many Americans are uncomfortable seeing someone breastfeed, and I applaud anyone brave enough to do it anyway, but it shouldn’t be only for the brave. It might encourage more moms to breastfeed (and create a healthier generation of children) if we all try to minimize the stigma and get over our own hang-ups.

By: Scott

Scott — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 17:28:32 +0000

Holy crap it’s been over a year and a half since I last commented on this, but seeing how i still get emails from it I have to mention to ashley two things.

1. Finding pregnancy sexy is one thing. Finding breastfeeding sexy is kind of strange to say the least.

2. If you’re going tell people to to use education in a comment, ensure your spelling and grammar is correct before hitting that submit button, otherwise it takes a lot away from your own “educated” opinion. I’ve made the same mistakes many times including my own comments on this post and if no one tells you about it, then you keep making the same mistakes.

By: Ashley

Ashley — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 23:25:46 +0000

I don’t think she should have been asked to cover up – it sounds like to me that the logical reason why people were complaining was because wives were getting jealous and didn’t like the possibility that their husband/boyfried might be having a sexual reaction to seeing another woman breadfeeding. After all – my husband thinks pregnancy and breastfeeding is sexy. I think that most men think the same. So should I run around telling other women not to get pregnant so that I won’t get jealous? No. Obiviously. So in conclusion – breastfeeding would only be offensive to certain people who think this is a sexual thing, which it clearly is not and neither is pregnancy. Be realistic people! As for children and teens being around it, they should have been taught that this is a natural thing and should be mature about. If a child asks a parent what that woman was doing – they would have naturally replied that, “that woman is breastfeeding.” If the child persists to ask why, they would reply “because her baby is hungry.” And any parent knows that when babies are hungry – they should be fed as soon as possible. And it can happen anytime (even if the feeding scedual was all planned out). I know that when I get hungry I like to eat as soon as I can. Regardless if the woman is “covered up” or not is irrelivant, the important thing that everyone is and was overlooking is that her baby got fed. So if your jealous, super religious, or have any other problem with seeing “most” of a womans breast you should either: not look, or poke your eyes out of your head. Because nudity is everywhere. And your going to see it more than once whether you like it or not. She was clearly within the law, and had the right to do what she was doing. Maybe the people who feel so open to voicing their outrage in public should be as open to seeing a woman breastfeeding in public. The differance is that breastfeeding is positivly constructive. As opposed to when someone is just complaining and being obiviously over oppinionated. They aren’t doing any good, infact they are purposly causing more problems – not only for themselves but for everyone around them (ie: the waitress serving them) too. Which is quite a contrast they are emitting when by complaining in the first place about it being a “problem” of theirs to see a woman breastfeeding and how it should be eliminated (so now instead of just one problem – they created two or more instead). So really, think about it. All people should think before they speak. Make an educated oppinion if your going to have one.

By: Raymond

Raymond — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 10:04:37 +0000

Simple solution. Ask the person that is breast-feeding to leave. Don’t tell them why you are asking them to leave and don’t hint or suggest that is due to their breast-feeding. Any store, business, or private property owner can refuse service to anyone and ask them to leave their property. If they refuse simply call the police and have them removed and cited for trespassing. That is what I would do if 100 women showed-up in my coffee-shop/restaurant to “protest”. They are trespassing as soon as I request for them to leave.

By: Dan

Dan — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 05:17:55 +0000

If there is anything perverse in feeding an infant at its mothers breast, it is in the minds of the idiots who object to the practice.

By: Mab

Mab — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 21:06:06 +0000

People have to rely on a law that says whipping out your boob in public is ok? Was there a time when people just had the sense to be decent?

By: New Breastfeeding Advocacy Group Formed

New Breastfeeding Advocacy Group Formed — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 10:53:21 +0000

[...] people behind the Applebee’s nurse-ins now bring you FirstRight, a national grassroots organization dedicated to addressing incidents of [...]

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