Houston’s Ronald McDonald House Policy on Breastfeeding in Public
Jessica Swimeley and her family have been staying at the Ronald McDonald House (RMH) in Houston, Texas, after one of her 17-month-old twins underwent brain surgery to remove a tumor. Jessica breastfeeds the twins and has found that breast milk is all her son will drink after the surgery. Naturally breast milk and nursing offer the ultimate comfort, pain relief and nutrition. Breast milk even has promising anti-cancer properties. One would think RMH of all places would be supportive of breastfeeding. Imagine Jessica’s surprise, then, when a RMH employee asked her to stop breastfeeding in the RMH common room where the family gathers to eat. Jessica was told that she could only nurse in their private room three floors upstairs.
Even when RMH administrators were reminded of the Texas law protecting breastfeeding in public, they refused to change their unwritten policy restricting breastfeeding to private rooms. They cited a need to respect all of the multicultural residents staying at RMH. I’m not sure what that means, given that mothers around the world breastfeed their children and Americans seem to be among the most prudish about breastfeeding in public.
Jessica felt threatened with being asked to leave (and having to find other accommodations) if she continued to breastfeed in the common area. That fear is very real as unfortunately the law in Texas has a loophole that makes it appear that mothers can be asked under the criminal trespass law to leave a private location. Can you imagine having the stress of caring for a critically ill child be compounded with having to deal with such harassment?
This story highlights the importance of proposed legislation in Texas that would close that loophole. The legislation currently remains pending in committee. If you’re from Texas, please consider writing to your local representatives about this story and your support for the current bill.
The Reluctant Lactivist has been following the story closely with updates here and here. The latest word is that after a face-to-face meeting, the family has been allowed to breastfeed in the communal area as long as Jessica first informs others in the room that she is going to breastfeed, and that the breastfeeding is done discreetly (whatever that means) and that not too many people complain. For goodness sake, what an unsatisfactory and wishy-washy resolution. It’s an okay outcome for the family for now, but it certainly doesn’t bring about the type of change that clearly is necessary. As such, the family has asked that lactivists continue to contact RMH administrators to encourage them to change their unwritten policy. The Reluctant Lactivist states:
“Please, now, write to Naomi Scott, Ronald McDonald House Houston Executive Director and insist that she call for an immediate change in policy, welcoming breastfeeding in all public areas of RMH Houston and make plans to educate all RMH employees about the importance of providing breastfeeding friendly accommodations. Please send copies of your letters to Susie Richard, RMH Houston Director of Operations and to Arlene Whatley, Hollcombe House Director of Operations. If you can, please fax a copy of your letter to Ronald McDonald House Charities headquarters, 630.623.7488, or call 630.623.7048 to register your concern about this situation in Houston. Let them know that families across North America are appalled by what’s happening to this family and demand immediate resolution.”
Tags: activism, breastfeeding, cancer, Jessica-Swimeley, lactation, news, nursing in public, Ronald-McDonald-HouseRelated Stories
POSTED IN: activism, breastfeeding, cancer, nursing in public
5 opinions for Houston’s Ronald McDonald House Policy on Breastfeeding in Public
chris, San Francisco/USA
Apr 19, 2007 at 1:12 am
My suggestion is to remind the complainer that breastfeeding in public is protected by law, and that if he is annoyed by it, he can get up and move to another room. You are harassing the wrong person.
Greg Powers
Apr 19, 2007 at 5:25 am
I couldn’t agree more with Chris from San Fran. RM House should be left alone, as should the mother. As the husband of a long-time La Leche League leader, I know that while positive breastfeeding information is effectively disseminated to mothers, the same information is not so effectively disseminated to the wider public. It’s not because LLL doesn’t try–but it’s a volunteer organization with limited budgets, and the message just doesn’t filter into our information-glutted culture. If a man can’t stand to see a woman’s breast, then he has attitudes that need to be addressed; if he complains about a breastfeeding mother, he needs to be removed from the situation to protect himself, not punish the mother. This incident (and believe me, there are many like it) should lead to a barrage of replies to men’s chat lines, men’s magazines, Super Bowl ads, public service announcements during golf tournament broadcasts, at gun shows, etc. Men should learn to get over it or get out. (Of course, it’s not always men who complain about mothers breastfeeding in public….)
Angela
Apr 19, 2007 at 6:03 am
I didn’t realize that the father of another child had complained (not that it changes my view on anything). I agree with you both — the focus should be on any complainers!
The story was covered by the New York Times today:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/19/us/19nurse.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Jennifer Pelligrene
Dec 3, 2007 at 10:53 am
Jessica congratulations for doing to best thing you could ever do for your children. Breastfeeding is the one thing that you can do for them, especially for the little boy with cancer. My daughter is 11 months old and has cancer. I also breastfeed and I feel like this is what I can do for her. I cannot make her cancer go away but I can do this for her. Society is so excepting of nudity in every other sense of the word but when you are doing something that women have been doing for hundreds of years everyone is suddenly so demoralized from it. Give me a break…..Texas is not the only state that has issues like this. PA also has some of the same issues. Even if it becomes a law and there are no loop holes you are still going to have places and people that are got going to approve. All those people out there are not your concern your sons are so do not pay them any mind. Good luck with your son. I hope everything turns out ok for you. We will put you on our prayer list. It is a very hard road just keep going you will get to the end. Love Jen Pelligrene
A Toddler with Leukemia
Apr 22, 2008 at 4:12 pm
[…] if a nursing toddler were denied the comfort of breastfeeding during treatment? Remember the controversy over the Ronald McDonald House policy on breastfeeding in public? Tags: breastfeeding, cancer, health, lactation, leukemia, wellnessShare This Related […]
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