Ronald McDonald House in Houston Asks Woman to Stop Breastfeeding
Jessica Swimeley came to the RMH in Houston when one of her 17-month-old twins needed to have brain surgery to remove a tumor. The child, whom is still breastfed, was nursing while the family was in a communal dining area. A staff member asked Swimeley to stop and told her she was only allowed to breastfeed her child in her room, which is located three floors up. Traditionally, rooms at RMH prohibit eating and drinking of any kind.
This statement has caused many in the so-called "lactivist" community to take notice. According to Swimeley's sister, Melissa Mayo-Laakso, staff at RMH cited an "oral" guideline, which was established the RMH states an oral guideline concerning breastfeeding was established out of sensitivity for the house's "multicultural residents."
The author of the Reluctant Lactivist, a popular blog on breastfeeding issues, writes, ""I must say I'm amazed by Naomi Scott's (Executive Director of the RMH Houston) creativity. I don't think I've heard the 'respecting cultural differences' argument for discriminating against breastfeeding mothers and children before, but it sounds to me like a new twist on the same ol' same old: The psychological comfort of adults who fetishize breasts is more important than the physical and emotional comfort of a young child."
At the heart of the discussion is section of the Texas Health and Safety code that discusses breastfeeding, which states, "A mother is entitled to breast-feed her baby in any location in which the mother is authorized to be." When Mayo-Laakso showed this to RMH staff, they felt they were not in violation since they provided Swimeley an alternative nursing location.
The events, which have spurred much debate and discussion on message boards and blogs nationwide, are especially troubling because of the high-opinion most have on RMH's mission to support families in need. Previous limitations on a nursing mother's rights were easy to protest. For example, if you boycott Delta Airlines (which was last year incited protests from nursing mothers when a passenger was asked to cover up while feeding her child), it only hurts a multi-million dollar corporation. If you protest RMH, you risk taking sorely needed money from an organization dedicated to sick children.
After aggressive calling and letter-writing campaigns, the staff at RMH have agreed to allow Swimeley and her family to stay at the facility and continue to nurse her son as she feels appropriate. However, Swimeley needs to announce her intention to nurse before she does so, providing any potentially offending parties an opportunity to leave and otherwise she must be discreet. If they receive more than one complaint, they have reserved the right to reexamine this new nursing policy.
Mayo-Laakso wrote on popular parenting site Mothering.com, "The RMH wanted us to tell everybody that the RMH supports breastfeeding moms ... they were VERY adamant about it."
While most are relieved that Swimeley and her family can continue to stay at RMH while her son completes his treatment, many are not thrilled with the outcome, which they feel is not compliant with Texas law and do not feel the resolution was satisfactory.
The question will remain. How do we best support the rights of a nursing mother? And will we ever reach the point when a woman nursing her child is no longer the cause of headlines?
SOURCES:
Texas Health & Safety Code: http://tlo2.tlc.state.tx.us/statutes/docs/HS/content/htm/hs.002.00.000165.00.htm#165.002.00
Mothering.com: http://www.mothering.com/discussions/forumdisplay.php?f=25
Salon.com: http://www.salon.com/mwt/broadsheet/2007/04/17/rmh_breastfeed/index.html?source=rss
Published by Christina Marie
Putting my writing skills to good use for diaper money! Seriously, I'm mom to one amazing little boy and find all sorts of inspiration in him. I've been married for going on 8 years and still love my husb... View profile
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11 Comments
Post a CommentBreastfeeding is the most Natural thing in the world. True, that. If somebody,- anybody- doesn't like that, if they have a problem with it, too bad. Our modern American "society" is as sick, *SICK* as it is because we cater and pander to all the un-natural people who *MIGHT* be upset seeing a mother nursing her child. If you have a problem seeing a mother nursing her child, please don't try to make your problem my problem. It is the sick, sick, sick minds of people who can't tolerate things like a nursing Mother, who *REALLY* make our society sick. I say, "Nurse on, MOM!".
KRISTEN SYEWART DOES CRACK
This RMH in Houston also allows their families to smoke outside 10 feet from the playground. Our children should have the right to play on the playground when they stay there but must walk through the "smokers lounge" to get to it. I find it absolutely absurd that family members can smoke on the property. Over half the children who stay there are there for cancer treatment. Atleast move the smoking area to the other side of the building so the children don't have to walk through it when they step out the back door to play!! What is this place thinking!! Let's make sure the healthy parents get to smoke their cancer sticks while our children suffer!!
No one should deny their child nutrition and comfort or be forced to hide in their bedroom simply because some people might have bad feelings about it. Why are the emotions of this mother not important? Using the restroom is a public health hazard, BR; it's unsanitary to do it in public, making it incomparable to breastfeeding. That person doesn't have the RIGHT to not be offended; they do have the RIGHT to look away, and I respect that 100%!!! No one should be harrassed for breastfeeding when they have a sick child in her arms. She wasn't asked to use some discretion; she was asked to take her 3 children up 3 flights of stairs to her room everytime her child wanted to nurse. I guess no one cares about how painful/discomforiting that is for this nursing mama--who was actuallyy paying $15 a night to stay there. RMH is run by DONATIONS; that means my money and your money is paying for those things, not RMH.
I have breast feed all 3 of my children. I have stayed at multiple Ronald McDonald home's in the last 3 years with a daughter seeking treatment for cancer. I have and do serve in a volunteer capacity for a Ronald McDonald home in my community ( not one of the one's I have stayed in)
I would not breast feed my child in the public areas for many reasons.
Yes, cultural issues is a true consideration. Also, many mothers have children so sick that they can not breast feed at the current time. Breast feeding your own child in front of them would just make them more emotional.
If the woman wanted a place to breast feed,she had a private room. She could have asked for a temporary sign to be placed on another room.
Yes, she had rights but not at the expense of many others with rights in the home.
I am very in favor of breast feeding. This lady just wants media attention.
You know what? Using the restroom is natural too, but I'm not going to plop down and do it in front of a crowd. I don't feel RMH is in the wrong in this one. I know I wouldn't want my children seeing another woman's breast even if she is doing something natural. Maybe it is sad, but this is the culture that we live in, and if the sight of a woman breastfeeding makes someone uncomfortable, that person's rights should be respected too.
When is our society going to get over worrying about the most natural thing in the world!
Your headline is very misleading. RMH staff did NOT ask her to stop breastfeeding, they simply requested that she move to another comfortable, more private space because another resident with apparently lesser rights was disturbed. I fully support the right of women to breastfeed their children when and how they like, however I can also understand the other person's distress. Can't you imagine a situation where a parent is facing the possible death of their child and finds the sight of a mother and child in a breastfeeding posture painful? Can't we find a balance between legal rights and reasonable consideration for others feelings?
Lisa T: Just because RMH engages in charitable work for families doesn't give them a free pass to violate Texas law protecting breastfeeding moms. Good article.
Aren't there more important things to worry about than where or how you breastfeed when you have a sick child and you don't have the financial means to find a place to stay while your child is undergoing life-saving treatment. Perhaps, efforts should be placed on living every moment to the fullest and spending every minute with your child in the event the child does not live through this illness. I know from personal experience that the Ronald McDonald House does a LOT of good and this is nothing more than a drop-in-the-bucket inconvenience for ONE PERSON. Most people don't know that in addition to very low cost or free housing, the RMH provides free transportation, free food (some meals cooked and served to you), free long distance calling cards, free activities for children and adults, and free entertainment such as tickets to baseball games and Disney on Ice. To bash RMH over a small incident where a mom was made to feel uncomfortable and asked to use some discretion seems a lit