Nationwide Denny’s Nurse-In: February 22
Perhaps one of the most nerve racking feats for a new mom is the first time you nurse in public. I tried to avoid doing it, and got away with quick exits to my car, or nursing rooms that some wonderful buildings provide for almost three months, but eventually there was a time where my son was hungry, no, make that HUNGRYFEEDMENOW, with nowhere to go, so deep breath, deploy blanket, shirt up, nurse. I survived.
What I was worrying about most, and I know that it’s something breastfeeding women should not have to care about, is what did other people think? Was someone going to say something, or ask me to stop, or to leave?
Breastfeeding in public is legal everywhere in the USA. If you and your baby are legally allowed to be somewhere, you have the right to nurse your baby there. That means stores, restaurants, public places, at work, at a park, the market, the library, the mall. This law supersedes laws about indecent exposure, meaning that it’s ok to show breast or nipple when breastfeeding a baby.
This month, a breastfeeding mother was asked to cover herself up at a Denny’s restaurant in North Carolina after other customers complained. The manager told a local newspaper that “In this particular case, this guest was exposed in a manner that was causing discomfort toward other guests to the point of them complaining to management and leaving the restaurant.”
Generally, us nursing moms don’t want or mean to flash anyone. Nursing babies have zero concept of indecent exposure and just want to get fed, or decide to be awkward about getting fed, which is responsible for the majority of nip slips. And then there’s all the babies who don’t want to eat with a blanket over their heads.
The mother is seeking an apology from Denny’s. So far, none has been forthcoming, so nursing mothers are planning a nationwide nurse-in at Denny’s restaurants on Sunday 22nd February at 1 p.m. If you want to join in, just show up at your local Denny’s, and nurse. There’s a Yahoo group to organize meetings with other mothers, or invite your mom friends to go with you.
This isn’t the first nursing incident to garner national attention. In 2007, a woman was asked to cover her baby with a blanket after another customer complained in an Applebee’s restaurant. Almost 2,000 nursing moms joined in a national nurse-in after Applebees refused to apologize, instead offering to carry blankets in their restaurants so nursing moms could cover up.
And the most unintentional ironic breastfeeding dispute? In 2006, A women who sat down in Victoria’s Secret to nurse her baby was told to move to a restroom. Why? “because the sight of her breasts might offend a customer”.
I tried to nurse as discretely as possible, I never really felt comfortable doing it. I was relived that I was never hassled over it. I have friends who whip a boob out and start nursing their babies without a care as to who might be looking, and I admire their attitude.
After all, breasts are to feed babies, and really it’s ridiculous to take offense to it. The common theme in all these incidents isn’t bad attitudes at the businesses where they took place, rather complaints from other customers which caused managers to take a misguided action. It’s hard for a manager or employer who may not know the rules, and I expect the managers thought that asking the mother to cover up her baby was a reasonable request.
So I don’t know how much good a nurse-in at Denny’s will do. Unless it changes a few attitudes amongst the general public, and helps stop people complaining about nursing mothers.
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Melissa H says...
I agree with you that I don’t know how much good the planned nurse-ins will do any where. But I have such an issue with the ignorance of some people in this world. A breast is a sexual object only if your mind makes it such. My own daughter never liked a blanket over her head… and from about five months forward would take care of that issue herself in a real hurry. I am not saying that we nursing mothers should take our tops and bras off and give the finger to decency… but nursing a baby discreetly is a far cry from public indecency and I for one don’t feel that as a nursing mother i should be confined to my home, and the idea of going into a public restroom is offensive on so many levels. I just wish that more people would educate themselves on what a truly beautiful thing a nursing mother baby pair are.
Tiffany says...
I have a 18 month old and i had breastfed him up until he was 8 months old. There were several public places that i would breastfeed in and i was never told to cover up and i never saw someone starring at me in disbelief……maybe it was because i had enough common sense to cover up. Crystal needs to grow up and leave Dennys alone. This has been a disgrace to all the breastfeeding moms that know when to cover up. This should not even be a topic or an issue for Dennys to be facing. My prayers will be w/ Dennys and those affected by the ridiculous nurse in this sunday.