Ronald McDonald House in Houston Asks Woman to Stop Breastfeeding

Houston - This week, a mother, staying at a Ronald McDonald House, reportedly was asked to stop nursing her child and told to continue to do so could lead to her expulsion from the facility. The incident has create deep divisions within the breastfeeding community as many mothers feel torn between defending the rights of the mother and supporting the good that RMH provides to families in need.

Jessica Swimeley came to the RMH in Houston when one of her 17-month-old twins needed to have brain surgery to remove a tumor. The child, whom is still breastfed, was nursing while the family was in a communal dining area. A staff member asked Swimeley to stop and told her she was only allowed to breastfeed her child in her room, which is located three floors up. Traditionally, rooms at RMH prohibit eating and drinking of any kind.

This statement has caused many in the so-called "lactivist" community to take notice. According to Swimeley's sister, Melissa Mayo-Laakso, staff at RMH cited an "oral" guideline, which was established the RMH states an oral guideline concerning breastfeeding was established out of sensitivity for the house's "multicultural residents."

The author of the Reluctant Lactivist, a popular blog on breastfeeding issues, writes, ""I must say I'm amazed by Naomi Scott's (Executive Director of the RMH Houston) creativity. I don't think I've heard the 'respecting cultural differences' argument for discriminating against breastfeeding mothers and children before, but it sounds to me like a new twist on the same ol' same old: The psychological comfort of adults who fetishize breasts is more important than the physical and emotional comfort of a young child."

At the heart of the discussion is section of the Texas Health and Safety code that discusses breastfeeding, which states, "A mother is entitled to breast-feed her baby in any location in which the mother is authorized to be." When Mayo-Laakso showed this to RMH staff, they felt they were not in violation since they provided Swimeley an alternative nursing location.