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Not one of these links says anything like the underlined. No "blocking of the jeans shelves" is mentioned in any of these links.
The blocking the jeans shelves is an assumption in this thread. It's not known if she was blocking anything.
True, the "blocking shelves" is not mentioned, and is an assumption. She does say she was sitting on the floor in a "remote" location in the clothing section, but I don't really consider clothing "remote" in any Target I've ever seen. It's just impossible to know who is really right or wrong in this situation, and while I do support breastfeeding moms, this isn't a situation I feel too sympathetic about.
Also, since there were no witnesses (since, as the mother stated, no one was around where she parked herself on the floor), then it's just her story that the other employees were abusive to her. Unless she videotaped it, including sound, it's her word against what she claims is 8 employees.
The fact that she chose to sit on the floor, is proof enough to me: she was told politely to get her ass off the floor and find a more appropriate place to feed her child.
I also saw some photos of this nurse-in, and I really REALLY wish I was shopping there today. I would've called security and complained to the manager that a bunch of whackos were sitting in front of all the racks I wanted to shop in front of, with toddlers who were -not- breastfeeding but instead were joining the whackos, and that I, an actual paying customer, was being prevented from selecting anything because of those whackos.
The photographs show women and toddlers just sitting there on the floor in front of sales racks and shelves and displays, some of whom were breastfeeding and some who were not.
I think maybe next time I see someone in Target who looks about to breastfeed, I'll stand right in front of her and sit on the floor, and watch silently. And if she moves, I'll stand back up and follow her, and sit on the floor when she stops, and watch, silently.
Because clearly, that is the message this nurse-in is sending: that women who breastfeed like drawing attention to themselves, and enjoy blocking traffic, and enjoy interrupting and preventing retail stores from selling retail items.
I've breastfed my first child and am pumping for my second and I was never keen on the nursing in public thing. As natural as it is, breasts are breasts and in our society it does make many people uncomfortable. My solution for baby hunger is to pump a bottle of milk to have at hand at all times, or if that can't be done, feed the baby in the privacy of my car.
This entire thread is filled with links, including quotes of the mother stating point blank that she was NOT asked to leave the store, and was told she COULD breastfeed in the dressing room, and that she simply was not allowed to breastfeed THERE. With there, being on the floor, blocking the jeans shelves.
If I am in a restaurant, nursing at my table, they may not require that I go to the restroom (or anywhere else) to nurse. If I am authorized to sit at my table, I am authorized to nurse there. They can't require me to go to another part of the store just because I'm nursing. While I understand your point that she was possibly blocking other customers, the question is really, would she have been asked to move if she was sitting in that spot for any other reason? If she was sitting in that spot feeding her baby a bottle, if she was sitting in that spot just to rest, whatever. If the issue is with her sitting in that spot, then that is fine, because it means that she is not otherwise authorized to sit in that spot. If the issue is with her nursing in that spot, then that is not okay. Nowhere has Target said that their issue with her was that she was sitting on the floor though. That is an assumption coming from this thread.
Target has been in this situation before, and in the past, corporate responded appropriately by saying that nursing was welcome in their stores, either in dressing rooms or in public areas of the store. That's all they had to say this time.
If I am in a restaurant, nursing at my table, they may not require that I go to the restroom (or anywhere else) to nurse. If I am authorized to sit at my table, I am authorized to nurse there. They can't require me to go to another part of the store just because I'm nursing. While I understand your point that she was possibly blocking other customers, the question is really, would she have been asked to move if she was sitting in that spot for any other reason? If she was sitting in that spot feeding her baby a bottle, if she was sitting in that spot just to rest, whatever. If the issue is with her sitting in that spot, then that is fine, because it means that she is not otherwise authorized to sit in that spot. If the issue is with her nursing in that spot, then that is not okay. Nowhere has Target said that their issue with her was that she was sitting on the floor though. That is an assumption coming from this thread.
Target has been in this situation before, and in the past, corporate responded appropriately by saying that nursing was welcome in their stores, either in dressing rooms or in public areas of the store. That's all they had to say this time.
THAT story is something to be upset about. But even that doesnt call for a "nurse in".
If I am in a restaurant, nursing at my table, they may not require that I go to the restroom (or anywhere else) to nurse. If I am authorized to sit at my table, I am authorized to nurse there. They can't require me to go to another part of the store just because I'm nursing. While I understand your point that she was possibly blocking other customers, the question is really, would she have been asked to move if she was sitting in that spot for any other reason? If she was sitting in that spot feeding her baby a bottle, if she was sitting in that spot just to rest, whatever. If the issue is with her sitting in that spot, then that is fine, because it means that she is not otherwise authorized to sit in that spot. If the issue is with her nursing in that spot, then that is not okay. Nowhere has Target said that their issue with her was that she was sitting on the floor though. That is an assumption coming from this thread.
Target has been in this situation before, and in the past, corporate responded appropriately by saying that nursing was welcome in their stores, either in dressing rooms or in public areas of the store. That's all they had to say this time.
The bolded is what I have been trying to point out. We don't know for sre why they asked her to move. Could the customer have taken their request the wrong way and made an assumption on her side that they were asking her to move because she was nursing? It is a possibility. We have heard her side. Was she having a bad day where she was going to take anything said to her in the wrong way? Were her hormones making her more susceptible to misinterpreting the situation? Was she going through a tough stage of nursing and took this as just another obstacle to her nursing? We don't know.
*disclaimer: I am not saying that the below is what happened. This is entirely hypothetical.
Read this one phrase: "Ma'am. We have a dressing room that you can use to nurse in."
If you are having a good day, you may hear it as "Ma'am. We have a dressing room that you can use to nurse in." and be thankful that they are providing a space for you to nurse in comfort and out of the way of the other shoppers.
If you are having a bad day, you may hear it as "Hey lady. You can't breastfeed here. You need to move." and be mad that they are saying that you can't breastfeed in their store even though the law says you can.
My point is that we are hearing only her side and we don't know if this woman was having a good or bad day. We also don't know if she is normally a very rational person or someone who is always taking things the wrong way. We just don't know.
The bolded is what I have been trying to point out. We don't know for sre why they asked her to move. Could the customer have taken their request the wrong way and made an assumption on her side that they were asking her to move because she was nursing? It is a possibility. We have heard her side. Was she having a bad day where she was going to take anything said to her in the wrong way? Were her hormones making her more susceptible to misinterpreting the situation? Was she going through a tough stage of nursing and took this as just another obstacle to her nursing? We don't know.
*disclaimer: I am not saying that the below is what happened. This is entirely hypothetical.
Read this one phrase: "Ma'am. We have a dressing room that you can use to nurse in."
If you are having a good day, you may hear it as "Ma'am. We have a dressing room that you can use to nurse in." and be thankful that they are providing a space for you to nurse in comfort and out of the way of the other shoppers.
If you are having a bad day, you may hear it as "Hey lady. You can't breastfeed here. You need to move." and be mad that they are saying that you can't breastfeed in their store even though the law says you can.
My point is that we are hearing only her side and we don't know if this woman was having a good or bad day. We also don't know if she is normally a very rational person or someone who is always taking things the wrong way. We just don't know.
BINGO
And - even more, if the woman was totally wrong, and completely misinterpreted the situation, or even worse - intentionally lied and misled the media and the public and even Target Corp. HQ in an attempt at getting her 15 minutes of fame...
AND
If Target were to make this information public..
THEN
Imagine the hue and cry and the lawsuit for defamation of character and the media circus THAT nightmare would cause.
THEREFORE
It is in Target's best interest - AND the best interest of the woman in question, that Target doesn't get into the details of the situation to the public.
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