A mom is speaking out and others are now defending her after she says a manager of a Chick-fil-A in Columbia County, Georgia asked her to cover up while she was breastfeeding her child.
On January 21, Samantha McIntosh took to Facebook to explain the situation she found herself in. She began her post by saying, “let me start by saying I am in no way, shape, or form a “breast is best” mom! I am a HUGE believer in FED IS BEST!”
She also clarified that she does “not tolerate mom-shaming in any form or fashion because honestly, your mom decisions are your own!” With that said, McIntosh revealed that she does breastfeed her 7-month-old daughter. She wrote:
“I’ve never put a ton of pressure on it. I’ve never made a huge deal about it but I feel as though I have a right to feed my baby however I want just as ANY OTHER MOTHER has that right (as long as it’s not harmful in any way *duh*)!”
McIntosh then continued, adding that she was shocked while eating at a local Chick-fil-A when she was approached by the restaurant’s manager and told that she needed to cover herself up while breastfeeding her daughter.
“Imagine my shock and surprise when I am sitting at Chick-fil-A yesterday with my 9-year-old niece and my daughter (breastfeeding) and the manager walks up out of nowhere and tries to hand me her jacket saying someone had complained and would prefer if I cover up because of the other children in the restaurant. Please keep in mind that I am wearing a nursing tank top under a large long sleeve shirt.”
The breastfeeding mom said her shirt was pulled up and was resting on her daughter’s cheek while her tank top was pulled down just enough so that she could latch. She clarified that she had “absolutely no skin showing,” adding that they were sitting in a booth that was located in the back of the Chick-fil-A.
“I’ve never been super confident in breastfeeding. I’m a pretty modest person. And now with half the restaurant watching this scene unfold, including my young niece, I have a decision to make. So I quickly unlatch and tell the manager I will finish feeding her later, but as I sit there in this family-friendly restaurant I start to simmer. I’ll admit it. I got angry. Mostly because my niece started asking questions about why I couldn’t feed my daughter. Why would someone ask me to cover-up? Why would a baby eating in any way offend someone to the point where it takes a manager approaching me about the situation?! So I got mad.”
McIntosh wrote that others in the store got mad for her as well. However, when other customers began asking questions in defense of her, the manager came back to say “that they have every right to ask me to cover up when I’m nursing my child and that I should just leave it at that.”
The mom admitted she had planned on just ignoring the situation altogether until the manager returned that second time. “I wasn’t even causing a problem and she had now not only embarrassed me once by telling me in front of half the restaurant that I needed to cover up to nurse but CAME BACK AND EMBARRASSED ME AGAIN by telling me to let it go in front of half the restaurant!!”
Moms Demonstrate Silent Nurse-In at Georgia Chick-fil-A
That’s when she packed up her things and left. After McIntosh’s story started garnering attention, other moms and their nursing babies banded together. According to WJBF, a large group of breastfeeding women met at the Chick-fil-A in question and organized a silent nurse-in in support of McIntosh.
Ashley Raskin, who attended the nurse-in, said in support of all breastfeeding mothers, “They pride themselves on their Christian beliefs and their family values. Clearly some people disagree with publicly breastfeeding. With the way society is today, it’s ridiculous because you see people with summer clothes, which is fine, but I can’t sit here and discreetly breastfeed without making someone uncomfortable.”
As WJBF reports, in the state of Georgia, mothers have the “right to breastfeed in any location, public or private.” Jason Adams, Owner-Operator of Chick-fil-A Mullins Crossing issued this public apology:
“I am truly sorry for the experience Ms. McIntosh had in our restaurant yesterday. I have reached out to her to personally apologize. My goal is to provide a warm and welcoming environment for all of our guests.”
McIntosh hopes her story will educate others on how to handle future situations like hers.
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