UBC/Vancouver Sun newspaper say nursing moms must use bathroom

[bubbaray]

Check out the second sentence of this article on new bathrooms at the University of British Columbia, which was the front page article in today's Vancouver Sun (one of Canada's largest newspaper's):

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=808356c0-f96b-4dc5-91db-728893947d14&k=95896

This is the first article I read with my morning tea today. I nearly spat it out. Why single out nursing moms? Are bottle-fed babies made to feed in icky, germ-infested bathrooms??

I'm so freakin' steamed its not funny. :(

Melissa

DD#1: 04/2004

DD#2: 01/2007

[schums]

Maybe they are going to add a seperate sitting area for moms to nurse. Lots of department stores around us have done that -- you go into the restroom and turn right for the toilets and left for a nice quiet clean sitting area.

Plus, I didn't see anywhere in the article that said nursing moms MUST use the bathroom. The second line says "It will benefit nursing moms in need of a private space to care for their babies ..." Sounds to me like they are taking into account women, who for whatever reason, do not want or feel comfortable nursing in public.

Anyways, I'm hoping that's what the article meant. :-)

Sarah
Mom to Alex (3/2002) and Catherine (8/2003)

[buddyleebaby]

I think they could have just said "It will benefit moms in need of a private place to care for their babies."
Specifying nursing mothers does, to me, read as a subtle statement that nursing is best done in the bathroom.

And truthfully, if a mother is uncomfortable nursing in public, I am not sure why they feel she would be anymore comfortable nursing in a restroom open to both genders.

ETA: I hope you are right on the lounge thing!

[schums]

Actually, the article said that they were redoing lots of single stall bathrooms. I guess I assumed that they would still be single user restrooms, but might be retrofitted with a lounge-type area. If not, or it was meant in a "don't nurse in public" way, then boo on them.

I do agree that they should have stated it the way you did.

Sarah
Mom to Alex (3/2002) and Catherine (8/2003)

[cvanbrunt]

Maybe they updated the story by the time I got to it because the article didn't mention breastfeeding and only mentioned mothers in one sentence. The rest of the article was about ritual washing before prayers.

[bubbaray]

Hmmm, well hopefully they put in lounge areas OUTSIDE of the restroom/foot bath area.

What is becoming common here is separate large (typically handicapped) bathrooms, with a toilet, sink, change table and "nursing" chair all in one room -- they call them family rooms. Sometimes, they have a kid-sized toilet too. They are so icky, it just makes my skin crawl thinking about it. I don't even change my babies in those rooms, let alone nurse them there.

DH and I both had the same reaction to the article -- they are building large, single toilet rooms. The only "lounges" I've seen are in the US (ie., Nordstroms).

I'm wondering what the tribe over on mothering.com would think.... About 3 years ago, Sears Canada told a nursing mom to use their bathroom (fitted as above, with a chair in the handicapped washroom). It made the national news, there was a huge nurse-in at a local mall. Sears Canada changed their policy and now have nursing rooms in their stores (in my local store, it is in the children's clothing area, completely far away from any bathrooms. It has a glider, change table, diaper pail and sink for handwashing.)


Melissa

DD#1: 04/2004

DD#2: 01/2007

[maestramommy]

Actually it doesn't say a nursing mom MUST use the bathrooms, just that it's available to them. I know some moms are very uncomfy with NIP, so at least this is an option for them.

[nov04]

I would be steamed too if moms were forced to bf in a bathroom. But that's not what this article says. I think we as moms must stay vigiliant though, protect the rights of our kids.