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Keauna Lenton

21 April 2016

English 102

Dr. Wynne

Breastfeeding Anti-Harassment Law

There have been many news stories about mothers who have been harassed for breast

feeding their children in public. Currently there is a law in the United States that exempts

breastfeeding mothers from nudity or public indecency laws. This law is called the

Breastfeeding Anti-Discrimination Act which was passed June 24th of 2014. Even though there

is a law that excludes breastfeeding mothers from receiving a ticket or fine for breastfeeding

their child in public; there is no law that protects these mothers from being harassed for

breastfeeding in public.

In June of 2016 a mother named Jessie Maher (pictured below) took a trip to a local

Target with her four-week-old daughter, Zinnia. Zinnia became restless in the stores caf area

because she was hungry. Jessie quickly plopped [herself] down and

started feeding her right away. While Jessie was feeding her daughter in

public, a man came up to her and yelled, cant you do that somewhere

else? Thats fucking disgustingYou are nasty. Jessie did not stop

feeding her infant Zinnia due to the comments of the man.

The mans tone and comments did not stop; instead he proceeded to get louder, angrier

and more disrespectful. The man called Jessie a whore and continuously repeated that she was

disgusting. During this altercation, Target shoppers and staff members began to intervene by
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shielding Jessie from the man and telling him to leave her alone. In an interview given by

Today.com Jessie expressed her feelings of fear and confusion. She is a mother who was only

trying to calm and nourish her child through the natural process of breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding is a normal and healthy way for mothers to feed their infants.

Breastfeeding involves a mothers breast gland producing milk that contains proteins, sugar

enzymes and nutrients. These nutrients are given to the mothers infant through a process of the

infant latching onto the mothers nipple and the mother releasing her milk. The American

Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologist

recommend breast feeding, due to the fact that the nutrients from the breast milk, stimulates

growth in the infant and helps fight off bacteria and viruses.

Breastfeeding has an array of benefits for the infant, however, there are benefits for the

breastfeeding mother as well. While the mother is breastfeeding a hormone called oxytocin is

released. Oxytocin helps the mothers uterus return to normal size, reduced uterine bleeding after

birth and helps with pregnancy weight loss. Breastfeeding also lowers the mothers risk of breast

and ovarian cancer. Along with these health benefits breastfeeding has financial benefits for

mothers. When mothers breast feed, they do not have to measure and buy baby formula, warm

bottles or sterilize nipples. The breastfeeding mother not needing plastic substitutes for nutrients

she holds, allows for a bond between the mother and the infant.

Breastfeeding allows for an emotional bond between a mother and her infant. The

closeness the breastfeeding mother has with her baby by holding the infant in their arms while

giving them nutrients from her body offers an emotional bond that is essential for the

development of the infant. These psychological benefits from the physical closeness involves

emotional development and stability that will help the infant mentally develop properly.
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The process of breastfeeding in public is not disgusting and it does make the

breastfeeding mother a whore. However, men are constantly harassing women in public for

breastfeeding their child. Therefore, the Breastfeeding Anti-Harassment Law should be made.

This Law should be implemented because of harassment against breastfeeding women in public.

This law will protect breastfeeding women from public ridicule and harassment. The harassment

occurs when the mother is subject to unwelcomed and offensive treatment based upon her

preference to feed her child in public. Those who violate the womans right to breastfeed in

public through any type of discrimination and sexual harassment will be subject to a fine and or

jail sentence from one to two years.

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Works Cited

"Breastfeeding Overview." WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2017.

"Breastfeeding." World Health Organization. World Health Organization, n.d. Web. 21 Apr.

2017.

"Common Penalties Associated With Gender Discrimination." Www.employmentlawfirms.com.

Web. 21 Apr. 2017.

Peters, Terri. "Watch Strangers Stand up for Mom Bullied for Breastfeeding at Target."

TODAY.com. TODAY Contributor, 16 June 2016. Web. 21 Apr. 2017.

"Http://breastfeedinglaw.com." Breastfeeding Law. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2017.