Destination Maternity Celebrates Breastfeeding Month
Destination Maternity, The World' s Largest Maternity Store, will be hosting a 'Tea for Two' on Saturday, August 23rd from 10:30am to 5:00pm at all of their stores in the United States. This is part of their celebration of Breastfeeding Month.
Here is what you can look forward to seeing:
Nursing moms and moms-to-be are invited to enjoy cookies and a warm cup of Organic Mothers Milk® tea - a special blend of anise, fennel and caraway to promote healthy lactation. After indulging, moms will be able to enter a raffle for a chance to win the ultimate nursing kit -a gift basket of must-haves including a breast pump, nursing bra, nipple cream and more. A package valued at over $400! In addition, nursing specialists will be available throughout the day for demonstrations and advice. Free breastfeeding classes and tutorials will be held and "Nature's Way A Video Guide to Breastfeeding" will be streaming on the plasma flat-screens as well. Call for class times.
With gas prices soaring, Motherhood® Moms say they have yet another reason to breastfeed - saving money. In the spirit of World Breastfeeding Week, August 1-7, Motherhood® Maternity surveyed its customers to hear from Motherhood Moms their reasons for breastfeeding, feelings on nursing in public, pumping at work and, most importantly, advice for other moms. With over 10,000 respondents, the results were compelling. While the vast majority (94.5%) agree that the baby' s health is the "most important" reason to breastfeed, over a third (34.7%) of Motherhood Moms said that saving money was a "pretty important" factor in their decision. Just about half (47.6%) of Motherhood Moms also pump at work to keep costs down. (Source: motherhood.com).
Comments
Hello,
Cool blog. I just thought you’d like to know that I am about to file a discrimination complaint against a Motherhood Maternity employee (Assistant Manager of an outlet store in Connecticut) who told me that I could not breastfeed in the public space of the store. I informed her that there is a law protecting my right to breastfeed in public and explained that the store - as it caters to the public - is indeed public space. She said that she did (!). I asked why, then, she chose to ignore the law and tell me to stop - since her action was, well, illegal. She said that she was concerned for other customers (right then the only people in the store were: the other employee, my two friends and me - oh, and my 18-month-old nursing child). She said she did not want anyone to be offended (well, except, evidently for me and my friends), and that she was particularly concerned about children perhaps seeing me and my baby doing…that.
I wrote to Motherhood Maternity and called. I sent letters. I spoke with three upper level managers. I requested an apology from the employee and evidence of mandatory training for all Motherhood Maternity employees re the support of legal public breastfeeding.
They have totally blown me off.
I told them, furthermore, that if they did not fulfill my requests I would turn in the employee to the state. Connecticut law says that someone breaking that law can be fined up to $100 and/or put in jail for up to 30 days.
I have an appointment in September to give a formal statement to the Connecticut office of human rights and discrimination issues.
I don’t understand how they can, on the one hand, host workshops to support breastfeeding and, on the other hand, be so cavalier about an employee who sought to shame me, to make me feel that I was doing something lewd and disgusting. One very upper level manager suggested that I should not worry because of the workshops. I explained that the fact that they have a sign that SAYS they welcome breastfeeding and that they host workshops on breastfeeding make it worse. It does not get them off the hook, but instead suggests they should hold themselves to a higher standard.
Anyhow, I am writing an article about all this that I hope to publish somewhere - and, while doing research, came upon your blog. I felt compelled to comment.
Boob Warrior in Connecticut