It was a nice, typical sunny day at the public pool in Mora, Minnesota where many people and families gathered to enjoy cooling off from the sun. Among these people were Stephanie Buchanan and her sister-in-law and together they had their 6 children, including 2 who were still breastfeeding that day at the pool. They didn’t know that the day would end with the pool asking them to either cover up or leave.
Stephanie’s son Roman began to fuss, so she pulled down her strap and began to breastfeed him alongside her sister-in-law who was also feeding at the time.
They had never received negative feedback or had any trouble breastfeeding before so when Stephanie and her Sister-in-Law were approached by a woman nearby they was completely shocked. The mother asked her to cover up because her sons were swimming nearby. When Stephanie continued to feed her baby she was then approached by a member of the pool staff asking her to move to a more discreet location or to cover herself up. The 2 women were shocked by these requests.
When the 2 women refused to stop breastfeeding the pool called the local police who sent over an officer.
In the police report it said the women were well within their rights of Minnesota law:
After the officer came and spoke to them the women said they felt humiliated and decided to take their children home. Outraged by the incident Stephanie took to Facebook to share her experience and the story went viral. Stephanie also talked about pressing discrimination charges against both the city and the county. They argued that they support breastfeeding mothers but it made many other people uncomfortable and which is why they asked that the women to move to a more discreet location. The pool also was quoted saying they apologized if Stephanie and her sister-in-law were offended by how they were treated.
Because of the incredible response to her post, Stephanie arranged a Nurse-In at the pool for all interested breastfeeding mothers.
She wanted to show she was not the only mother who needed to feed her baby and that these moms would not be quiet about how they were treated. Dozens of women showed up to the demonstration and they all sat in front of the pool and publicly breastfed. These women all agree that it is something mother’s need to do and the world needs to cut them a break for something that is natural.
Stephanie is not the first to arrange a Nurse-In and it seems she most definitely will not be the last. She as a mom is standing up for her rights, which the law is clear she was within, and that no one can make her feel ashamed for caring for her children.
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