'Breastfeeding at Target: Moms Stage National Demonstration' (video)

Breastfeeding at Target: Moms Stage National Demonstration




A nursing mother’s upsetting experience at her local Target last month has led to “nurse-in” demonstrations at Target stores nationwide.

Mothers from across the country have posted pictures of themselves nursing at Target stores — from Maryland to Minnesota — to a Facebook page used to organize the event. (A Target spokeswoman has confirmed that nursing mothers showed up at Target stores today but said the chain was still gathering information on the scale of the demonstrations.)

“I never knew that sitting in a Target and doing what’s normal — which is feeding my baby — would result in all of this one day but I’m glad it did, ” Michelle Hickman, the woman who inspired the event, told ABCNews.com.



Last month at a Webster, Texas Target store, Hickman began nursing her fussy, hungry infant son in the store’s women’s clothing section. Hickman, 35, said that eight Target employees eventually surrounded her and two asked her to move to a fitting room to finish nursing. The other employees, she said, rolled their eyes at her and gave her dirty looks.

Hickman said she tried explaining that Texas law allowed her to breastfeed in public, but the employees wouldn’t listen. Hickman said she later called Target’s corporate offices but was disatisfied with their response. She said the retailer has yet to apologize to her directly.

In a statement to ABCNews.com, Target said that it supports the use of fitting rooms for breastfeeding — even if other customers are waiting to use the rooms — but also that “(g)uests who choose to breastfeed in public areas of the store are welcome to do so without being made to feel uncomfortable.”

“We continually educate our team members in stores across the country on store policies to ensure all guests have a great experience. Target has been in touch with the store to ensure all team members are aware of our breastfeeding policy. Target is proud to support all mothers who breastfeed year-round, including today,” the retailer said.

Hickman, who is calling for a national law to protect women’s rights to breastfeed in public, said the nationwide demonstration was organized by fellow moms with whom she shared her experience. Her story was also publicized by the pro-breastfeeding group, Best for Babes, which later contacted Target about the incident. (The response the group said it received from Target is posted here.)

Hickman participated at a nurse-in this morning at the same Target store where the November incident took place. She was joined by an estimated 50 other mothers.

“It felt great, it’s nice to see us all just coming together,” said Kelly Roth, 29, of Lake City, Texas, one of the organizers. “We shouldn’t have to sit at home or in a bathroom to (nurse.) Babies shouldn’t have to wait.”

A nurse-in took place at Whole Foods supermarket stores last summer after a Utah mother complained of how employees treated her while she was nursing. Whole Foods later issued an apology and praised the nurse-in.

wants2laugh wrote:i think breast feeding in public is disgusting. Do it in a restroom or fitting room. But don't pop your ninnie out where kids are around. I completely do not understand the thinking of these women---and my sister is one of them.

we had a thread here about whether nude art was acceptable for children---so my question is how is nude art harmful or unacceptable for children, but a live woman exposing herself NOT?

Its natural, yes. But in our society where it is necessary to be covered, the rule norm should not be pushed aside because a woman does not want to pump. What is the difference between that and a man pulling out his penis in a park and urinating??? Men get arrested for that---but that is natural! So a kid seeing a man's penis is a crime, but seeing a woman's breast is a natural part of life---

wants2laugh wrote:i think breast feeding in public is disgusting. Do it in a restroom or fitting room. But don't pop your ninnie out where kids are around. I completely do not understand the thinking of these women---and my sister is one of them.

we had a thread here about whether nude art was acceptable for children---so my question is how is nude art harmful or unacceptable for children, but a live woman exposing herself NOT?

Its natural, yes. But in our society where it is necessary to be covered, the rule norm should not be pushed aside because a woman does not want to pump. What is the difference between that and a man pulling out his penis in a park and urinating??? Men get arrested for that---but that is natural! So a kid seeing a man's penis is a crime, but seeing a woman's breast is a natural part of life---

OMG!!

Am I going to be the lone pariah here again?

I can't believe all the negative, parochial responses from women on this board.

I think eating dead cows is disgusting, so everyone should take their hamburger into a restroom and eat it.

Now I grew up in one of the most sex-negative puritanical ages of our nation, yet I got over it with all the other counter-culture ppl of my generation. But, before my gen, in my parent's time, breast feeding was common. (Gerber put an end to that - why give your baby the best food it needs for free when you can pay money for a substitute).

Here is an example of the attitude on breast feeding in 1936


Sounds like Texas has a similar law to that in Florida which says you CANNOT harass a mother breastfeeding her baby - no matter what your backward beliefs might be or no matter what some local anti-nudity law might say.

Sheese. We used to see earth mothers breastfeeding back in the '60s and '70s. Of course it was like all the other defiances we did, and there was enuf of us supporters to push eventual protective laws for this natural act.

I always found it a shame that we needed a law to protect a mother from feeding her child without having to fight the prudes among us - but apparently that is what needs to be done. I am going to go for a federal law. Apparently it is not just the backward bible-belt southern states that need to come into the 21st Century.

RedBedroom wrote:...But I do take issue with these types of sit-ins. Like it or not, that is loitering. They wouldn't let a string of homeless people warm up inside Target why should non-shopping moms get to do it just because they are proving a point?

Am I going to be the lone pariah here again?

I can't believe all the negative, parochial responses from women on this board.

I think eating dead cows is disgusting, so everyone should take their hamburger into a restroom and eat it.

Now I grew up in one of the most sex-negative puritanical ages of our nation, yet I got over it with all the other counter-culture ppl of my generation. But, before my gen, in my parent's time, breast feeding was common. (Gerber put an end to that - why give your baby the best food it needs for free when you can pay money for a substitute).

Here is an example of the attitude on breast feeding in 1936

wants2laugh wrote:well... IMO some of these women just go overboard. My sister used to belong to a group of nursing women and they called themselves "The Mommy Milktrucks". They encouraged to nurse children way into the toddler stage! At four years old, my niece was still breastfeeding and would get out of bed, walk to her parents room and in the middle of the night would undress my sister's shirt and start sucking. I thought she was crazy until she showed me proof that "being weaned" was actually a requirement to start kindergarten. REALLY? 5 yrs old and still sucking?

Shale wrote:

I think the point is, Target is doing damage control by placating them and trying to prove that they have educated their staff to abide by the Texas law. IDK what that law is but it was mentioned in the story.

"Hickman said she tried explaining that Texas law allowed her to breastfeed in public, but the employees wouldn’t listen. Hickman said she later called Target’s corporate offices but was dissatisfied with their response. She said the retailer has yet to apologize to her directly.

In a statement to ABCNews.com, Target said that it supports the use of fitting rooms for breastfeeding — even if other customers are waiting to use the rooms — but also that “(g)uests who choose to breastfeed in public areas of the store are welcome to do so without being made to feel uncomfortable."

In Florida the law is very specific that you do not harass a nursing mother. And, when OPINIONATED semi-officials of a commercial business violate the law and the public sentiment (Which apparently is different than the sentiment on this forum board) you will be targeted for reprisal. Whenever one of these things happen, corporate starts crawfishing out of it as fast as they can. I think it happened here at a Burger King - and the reprisal was a threatened lawsuit.

RedBedroom wrote: I happen to be someone who will not support a sit-in unless it is in a publicly common area. All those idiot Scott Walker protesters in Madison, WI sleeping in the capitol for weeks made me ill. The city facilities, including the capitol, were made to accommodate protesters because it was P.C., but homeless spent the night in the streets. That is bull to me.

wants2laugh wrote:...For the comfort of others, we in society limit ourselves. For the comfort/health of non-smokers, there are no public bars/restaurants that allow it.

wants2laugh wrote:...We watch what we say to be politically correct so as not to offend...

wants2laugh wrote:...So what if i am being prudish on this topic---im offended by it. And there is a law who encourages people to offend me.

Bluesmama wrote: But there is something significant about the time periods you're referring to. There were breast pumps prior to your time but I don't think they were commonly used for whatever reason.

Bluesmama wrote: And this photo makes me think it was a poor migrant depression mom, possibly on the road going West, with no other options. She's sitting alongside the road ~ who cares? All she wanted was to reach their destination.

Bluesmama wrote:Then the movie industry of the 50's made breasts very popular and changed women's appeal forever. In the US breasts are sexual tools before becoming milk suppliers. They are sexual tools in people's eyes before they're even touched! So, yes, that alone changes the climate of public breast-feeding here. I have observed people, usually men, glue their eyes to nursing moms hoping for peeks. I don't see it changing anytime soon.

That notwithstanding, one person's opinion of a sexualized body part does not make it right to discriminate against showing that part. It is like everyone must wear shoes because pervs like me enjoy looking at pretty feet.

This begs another question. Just why are women's breasts forced to be hidden by law in most places? Actually, those laws are unconstitutional - it has been established women and men have equal rights. They challenged the law in New York and now it is legal for women to go top free any place a man can. The law is being challenged here in Florida but has not gone anywhere like it did in Rochester NY. Even tho nudists support this Topfree Equal Rights, it is not a nudist issue but one of equality.

wants2laugh wrote:i think breast feeding in public is disgusting. Do it in a restroom or fitting room. But don't pop your ninnie out where kids are around. I completely do not understand the thinking of these women---and my sister is one of them.

we had a thread here about whether nude art was acceptable for children---so my question is how is nude art harmful or unacceptable for children, but a live woman exposing herself NOT?

Its natural, yes. But in our society where it is necessary to be covered, the rule norm should not be pushed aside because a woman does not want to pump. What is the difference between that and a man pulling out his penis in a park and urinating??? Men get arrested for that---but that is natural! So a kid seeing a man's penis is a crime, but seeing a woman's breast is a natural part of life---

wants2laugh wrote:the kid in that picture is too old to be breastfeeding anyway... look at him looking right at the camera!