Are you kidding me...?!

I had quite the encounter with one of these a few days ago...

So here's the story...I was at the mall getting my computer fixed (dead uncharging battery) and had 2 hours to wait until it was finished. So Nolan and I ventured around the Las Vegas "Fashion Show" mall. It got to be around lunch time and I decided to head to the food court. I found myself a nice wrap to enjoy and my sweet Nolan hung in his stroller the whole time being so patient while mom ate her lunch. After all of his patience though, it was his time for lunch. Seeing as how I am breastfeeding I went to find a more appropriate place. There were about 30 people total in a food court made for a few hundred so it wasn't too hard to find a comfortable, quiet, and somewhat secluded place. I sat down, put the stroller in front of us, and began to feed Nolan. Now, I am not one to expose myself while breastfeeding. I try to be modest and covered and am usually, if not always, quite successful. Well...this is where the mall cop comes in.

He strolls past me and quietly asks:

"Excuse me ma'am, are you feeding your baby?"

To which I reply:

"Yes I am."

Mall cop:

"Oh you can't do that here."

Me:

"Are you kidding me? I can't feed my baby?"

Mall cop:

"I'm sorry no. It's a mall policy."

I continue to say..."Are you kidding me? I can't feed my baby?"

Mall cop continues to say..."Sorry but no. If you it was a bottle it'd be different."

My response eventually became a combination of...

"Breastmilk is the best possible thing I can be giving him and you are saying I'm not allowed to right here?"

"I am not exposed."

"I am being completely modest."

"You have got to be kidding me."

"This is ridiculous."

"I seriously can't FEED MY BABY!"

"Well, I'm not leaving."

He quickly caught on to the fact that I was quite unhappy with his request and was not interested in complying. After getting an earful from me, he walked away with any resolve in the issue. I was so fired up! I couldn't believe that had just happened. I mean being someone that breastfeeds their baby in the public I have imagined having such an encounter, but when it actually happened I became much more angry and worked up then I ever knew I would.

After our encounter, I called my dad who is an attorney to make sure I was in clear as far as any crazy laws that might actually say you can't breastfeed your baby in the public...he confirmed that I was in the clear. So I proceeded to the mall security headquarters. There, I told the manager what had happened and asked if it really was a "mall policy" and his response...

"Of course not. Even if you were exposed we wouldn't ask you to STOP feeding your baby."

I was very relieved to hear this because if his response had been anything like my first mall cop encounter I was ready to have a breastfeeding "sit-in" with all breastfeeding mothers of Las Vegas (yeah...who knew I had this in me!)

So, the manager called the food court posted mall cop down to have a chat and my baby and I carried on with our afternoon.

Moral of the story...if you don't like mothers breatsfeeding in the public...go somewhere else :)! (especially if its me you are bothered with...apparently I can be feisty!)