(regarding a nurse-in at Great Northern Mall that I probably should have
mentioned on the blog before but I've been a bit out of it - more on that in
another post)
Well, none of the media showed up - though of course that's not why we were
there - but there were 11 nursing mamas present plus supportive spouses and
siblings and grandmas. We actually managed to be mostly on time (!) and
left the play area around 4:10 I think, moseying to Aeropostale (we're
mamas, we don't march, we mosey LOL). We spent a bit of time shopping in
Aeropostale (I actually bought a shirt - which I plan to crop to be a
nursing shirt - and some socks, both adorned with monkeys in honor of my
little nursing monkey). A few mamas nursed in their slings or sat on the
floor to nurse while there. The store employees were entirely polite, the
offending manager was NOT there. When I made my purchases I gave clerk a
few of the business cards I'd printed out (which say on one side "My child
has the right to eat here" and the text with law reference of the
breastfeeding law on the other side... editing out the words "her baby"
;) ). After that we moseyed to the food court and up to the mall management
office. On the walk there one of the Annas (G I think?) was nursing her
baby openly and some teens commented on it loudly to each other (not to
her), but other than that, I don't think there were any real comments made
(I could be wrong - share your story if you heard something I didn't). They
weren't open so we slid the envelope with our petition under the door and I
included at least one of the same cards I gave the clerk I think. Then
everyone disbursed for a bit and most of us wound up back in the play area
later, and then there was non-nursing drama caused by my son and husband,
which I'll post about later in a separate email so this one can be forwarded
on to others who may not be on one of these email lists and wanted to know
how things went.
I forgot to put any contact information in the envelope with the petition,
but I highly recommend as a next step that as many of you as are willing
call the management office this week. The phone number is 440-734-6300
according to their website, and their email address is
greatnorthern@westfield.com - the petition had over 70 signatures from the
website on it, and then those of the folks there added on at the end. I
wasn't sure about the legality of asking STRANGERS to sign the petition
(that may have counted as soliciting without permission on private property,
even if it was directed TO the OWNERS of the private property, and I didn't
feel like risking it).
Ahmie
