Yesterday we traveled to Ottumwa for the funeral. We met the rest of the family at the funeral home first, in order to say a few prayers, view the body and follow the hearse to the Church. It was a two hour drive from our home to the funeral home and I knew the baby would be hungry once we got there.
I saw a few open "office" type rooms at the funeral home. I approached a woman who worked there and asked her if there would be an open office where I could nurse the baby. I was being polite. Rather than just helping myself to the open office, I thought I would ask.
I was very disappointed at her response. "There is a bench in the ladies room. You can nurse in there."
I gave her a shocked look. I said, "No thanks. I won't eat in a bathroom and I don't expect my child to either."
She rolled her eyes at me and went into her office. Conveniently enough, there was a bench right outside of her office. And that's where I chose to nurse. Granted, it was a busy hallway (the bathrooms were across the hall from her office) and there was a lot of family walking around, but I had enough foresight to wear my nursing tank under my black suit.
You couldn't see anything "inappropriate" but the moment she walked out of her office was classic. She turned, saw me nursing and talking to family...gave me a stern grimace and continued on her way.
As my husband said, "She seems to show more compassion to the dead rather than the living."
Know your state's law. In Iowa, I am protected to nurse my child where ever I am allowed to be. I could have nursed him in the main hall, if I wanted to. Don't feel pushed into a bathroom. Nursing your children shouldn't be a thing of shame. You wouldn't eat in the bathroom--you shouldn't expect your child to either.
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