Local Mothers Support Breast-feeding at Target Nurse-in

A group of local nursing mothers gathered in the cafe section of Target on Harbison Boulevard Wednesday morning as part of a nationwide "nurse-in" organized in support of a mother in Houston, TX, who said she was harassed by Target employees for breast-feeding in public.

Hilaire Watkins, of Orangeburg, held her 7-week-old son, Ian, while talking with other mothers from the Midlands and shared their thoughts about their right to breast-feed in public.

“It’s important to support other breast-feeding moms and give them encouragement,” Watkins said. "(We're showing) people that it’s normal to feed our babies when they’re hungry."

"We’re not being indecent. It’s our right to feed our child. We wouldn’t want to go feed our child in the bathroom. We can just feed them here and be discrete."

Watkins is among the more than 6,500 people who have joined the Facebook page, Target Nurse-in, that is rallying support for the demonstrations.

At 10 a.m., supporters -- both mothers and fathers -- held a nurse-in at Target locations across the country.

Watkins joined about five other familes from the Midlands -- babies and fathers in tow.

Watkins said it was upsetting to hear about a mother being harassed for feeding her child.

"I was upset that they were discouraging them that way because new mothers or even mothers that have been nursing for some time need that encouragement and not to be discouraged by others," Watkins said.

Susie Seigler, of Lexington, said companies shouldn't go against state and federal laws and discourage women to breast-feed in public.

"I just feel that the law pretty much protects us in all states so when companies discourage breast-feeding and go against the law and say that you’re not allowed to I think it just (makes) new moms ... they wouldn’t be more likely to breast-feed if they think they’re going to get looked down upon or kicked out of a store," said Seigler who held her 13-month-old son, Matthew. "Our society views breasts as so sexual that people get nervous about having to breast-feed in public because of it."

A manager with Target referred Patch to Target's corporate media relations team.

The manager did say, however, "women are free to breast-feed in any public place in the store" and that his store keeps a fitting room open for nursing mothers.

"We really provide them anywhere they need to go. That is the standing policy we have. They’re free to breast-feed."

What do you think about public breast-feeding? Tell us in the comment section.