Breastfeeding Friendly: policy must support public breastfeeding *and* private spaces

SheKnows parenting columnist Monica Beyer interviewed me a while back on this Vermont airport "Mamava" lactation station - a private space for women to pump and breastfeed.

Vermont Airport mamava station

Breastfeeding mother Lee-Ann Grenier
relaxes in comfort at a pop-up breastfeeding
tent on the Taste of Edmonton grounds.

Private spaces are important to many breastfeeding women, especially in a place like an airport where moms may be without their child and needing to express milk.

Along with private spaces, it is critical that we have good policies in place with training for staff and signage, so all women know they are welcome to breastfeed in public spaces and do not have to fear of being told to cover or move.

McDougall United Church's breastfeeding friendly policy
supports women and children to breastfeed anytime
anywhere. Breastfeeding mothers will not be asked to cover
or move. Mothers who wish to breastfeed in a private space
can use the downstairs nursery, which offers a comfortable space
for parents to care for children while listening to the sermon,
or any of the dozens of concerts hosted each year in the
downtown church.

Breastfeeding women and their children are protected by law in most places, but we know from well-publicized incidents in shopping malls, stores and airports that women routinely are harassed for breastfeeding in public. (See BACE's list of Incidents involving harassment for breastfeeding in public in Alberta, 2010-2013.)

We're lucky here in Edmonton - our city has taken a real leadership position on this issue.

We've long been known for adopting a progressive and welcoming policy supporting women and children to breastfeed at the swimming pool - often one of the most frequent places where breastfeeding women are harassed and told to cover or move. (See "Making a splash, Edmonton celebrates 10th anniversary of freedom to breastfeed in the pool!")

Breastfeeding in church has also been a hot-button issue in some areas, but here in Edmonton just a few weeks ago our century-old downtown church, McDougall United, became the first church in our city to adopt a formal Breastfeeding Friendly policy.

During the last civic election a majority of council candidates who responded to a BACE survey, including our new Mayor Don Iveson, indicated support for a formal Breastfeeding Friendly policy for our city. (See BACE's news release, Edmonton's city facilities may soon become breastfeeding friendly.

Monica's article, Do private breastfeeding areas discourage public nursing? is now out - check it out!

What do you think? Will private spaces encourage or discourage more public breastfeeding?

Edited to add: I had the pleasure of live-tweeting and blogging at Breastfeeding and Feminism International Conference in 2014 where I heard Amanda Barnes Cook address the tensions around breastfeeding in the public and private space. Read more here: Need for Privacy Shouldn't Derail Push to Claim Public Space