Dang. Some people really have a lot of nerve, and they aren't the least bit afraid to use it. Mom Ashley Hollings was breastfeeding her daughter at a work and income office last week, when a female employee threw a blanket over the baby's head to cover her up.
Ashley pulled the blanket off her baby, and then get this one -- the employee tossed it back over her head again!
Apparently she was mad because there were men in the office, and she didn't think Ashley should be openly breastfeeding her child. She wound up going back to her desk -- but Ashley says she "watched her out of the corner of her eye" after that.
OMG. What is wrong with people?!? Personally, I do believe that there are certain situations where moms should be a little more discreet about breastfeeding -- but whether or not they choose to use a coverup is their decision and no one else's. I certainly wouldn't walk up and tell someone to use one, let alone throw a blanket over their kid myself!
I mean, who does something like that?!? What on earth made this woman think she had the right to pick up a blanket and cover up a breastfeeding mom like she had some sort of authority over her? And making the incident even worse is the fact that she and Ashley are complete strangers -- not that her actions would be any more excusable if they did know each other.
I just cannot even imagine walking up to another mother and trying to humiliate her like that. This woman was totally out of line, which is why I don't blame Ashley one bit for complaining to the manager of the office. (Who wouldn't?)
I'm actually kind of surprised that she didn't freak out and give this woman a good scolding right there in the middle of the place. Then again, she was probably so shocked at how rude she was that she really wasn't sure how to react -- plus she was trying to focus on the task at hand of getting her child fed.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion as to when, where, and how babies should be breastfed. But having an opinion on it and physicallyforcing your beliefs on another mom are two completely different things.
This employee should be ashamed of herself. Period.
Has anything like this ever happened to you while breastfeeding?
Image via Daquella manera/Flickr