You’ll Have to Leave Them in a Locker…

An Ann Arbor, MI woman was asked not to breastfeed in the pool area of the YMCA where she is a member, because no food and drinks are allowed. It’s interesting that the Y chose the food and drink policy to restrict breastfeeding, since lactating mothers are carrying food with them at all times (they haven’t been banned from the pool area, only prevented from feeding their children there). YMCA officials also reported that breastfeeding was distracting to the lifeguards. I suppose it’s too much to ask for the lifeguards to be professional and do their jobs, and wonder if breastfeeding is any more distracting to your average lifeguard than, say, swimsuits that look like this. Ann Arbor mothers are holding a nurse-in tomorrow to protest the policies. There is already a lengthy discussion of the YMCA’s action over at Pandagon, and several letters to the editor from the Ann Arbor News with the local response.

Technorati Tags: ann arbor; breastfeeding; ymca
MeSH Tags: Breast Feeding