What it is about breastfeeding that remains so controversial? Not a week goes by without some incident making the headlines in North America. The latest: a woman was ordered off a public bus in Michigan for nursing her newborn in a sling.
Detroit mom, Afrykayn Moon, was shocked when the (female) bus driver confronted her:
‘What is that you’re holding that way? I know that’s not a baby…’ she said to Moon, leaning over for a better look.
‘Yes,’ Moon replied, taken aback. ‘That is my son. I am feeding my son.’
‘You’re going to have to cover that up!’ said the driver, known only as Darcell. ‘You’re going to have to cover THAT up!’
As the mom continued to nurse and explained that it was her legal right to do so, the argument escalated, with the driver eventually asking Moon to leave the bus. Officers were called when the driver refused to move the bus. What is possibly even more disturbing about this story than the harassment itself is that none of the other passengers rushed to this mom's defence.
For her part, Moon stood her ground and is now speaking out against the harassment she suffered. Darcell the Driver has reportedly been "taken off service" for the time being, while the "SMART" bus line issued a statement and apology stating that breastfeeding if of course legal on Michigan buses.
I'd like to think this sort of thing is only happening south of the border, but I'm not so sure. Have you suffered any hassle for breastfeeding in public, be it overt as in Moon's case, or a more subtle kind of harassment?
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