Neighborhoodtimes: Nursing mothers have rights, too (St. Petersburg Times)

usually don't run afoul of authority figures much these days, but recently I got myself into some hot water at North Shore Pool.

Here's how it went down: "I'm sorry, ma'am, but you can't do that here."

I was nursing my 6-month-old baby to sleep while I chatted with my friends and watched my older children swim. I thought it might help to let her know that Florida Law protects mothers' rights to nurse in public.

It didn't. She said that I could nurse, just not right there, at the pool edge. She suggested the women's locker rooms. Her supervisor suggested the sunbathing deck. He said the pool was supposed to be a "family-friendly environment."

The thing is, there is no segregation for breast-feeding moms. The right to nurse in public does not include exceptions (like pools or restaurants) or limitations (like only in restrooms or under a blanket).

Some moms carry a copy of the Florida law around with them in case they get hassled. Now I do, too.


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