Breastfeeding in Panera
Featured Guest Blogger April 22nd, 2008
The other day I walked into Panera Bread (a sandwich shop) and, while waiting for a table to open up, I noticed that a woman was breastfeeding after her lunch. I wouldn’t say that it was obvious, but I also wouldn’t say that it was discreet. Despite the fact that I research breastfeeding for my job here at the Sloan Network, I must admit, I wasn’t used to seeing this ritual in public, and it did surprise me.
My reaction may speak to the fact that breastfeeding has not been seen as a common public act. However, recently, many states have enacted or are enacting legislation that allow for breastfeeding in public. Some states have even gone so far as to enact legislation mandating workplaces to accommodate employees who are breastfeeding. This can include offering a physical location at the workplace for pumping, supplying refrigeration for stored milk, and/or offering paid breaks to pump.
Organizations who advocate for a woman’s right to breastfeed, including La Leche League International, are saying ‘bravo!’ to such efforts. We still hear conversation from critics of these policies who believe that breastfeeding is indecent, but the legislation seems to be charging forward.
The Sloan Network will be releasing a policy brief which summarizes all of the 2007 state action related to breastfeeding in public and at work. Keep an eye out for this publication in the next two weeks.
I say bravo to such efforts, too. Breastfeeding is natural and normal, and it is not something that should be hidden from public view because some people have chosen to label breastfeeding in public indecent. A few people will call women wearing bikinis and tight fitting garments indecent, too, and I’ve seen more breast exposure on a public beach than is exposed behind the head of nursing baby.