If there's a new mom in your life at the moment, chances are she's excited to breastfeed her newborn, or plans to breastfeed her soon-to-be newborn. It's an exciting time for her; this is when she'll be physically and emotionally bonding with her child right after giving birth.
But even nowadays, it's astounding to see and know that there are still some people who are bothered by such a natural act. Mothers who want to feed their children don't hesitate to do so, even if it's in public. And many strangers feels like it's their right to tell them to stop, or to even threaten them, the way one cop reportedly threatened a breastfeeding mother in a Piggly-Wiggly store.
Savannah Shukla was shopping in the store when she was confronted by the officer who threatened to arrest her because she was breastfeeding her 1-month-old. But Shukla fired back, stating that there is a law in Georgia that allows mothers to breastfeed in public, wherever they are.
The moment was caught in a single photo by a paralegal who was standing behind the mother. Shukla later took to Facebook to describe the incident, and her story is going viral.
Now scroll down to read her scathing words…
"Tonight while in Piggly Wiggly with my sister and both my children (the oldest 20mos and the youngest 1month old today) while nursing a Deputy approached me right when I was about to leave and informed that I needed to cover up because someone might find it 'offensive.'"
"I repeated the law back to him stating that Georgia state law says I can breastfeed however most comfortable wherever I want as long as I'm authorized to be there.
He then grows flustered and says "No ma'am that's not the case." And I said
"No I know what the law says" for him to say:"
'"You just THINK you know what the law says and if your nipple becomes exposed I really don't want to have to arrest you or you be arrested for being offensive. This isn't like the first amendment where you can say something offensive."'
"I then repeated what the GA state law says and told him if someone finds this offensive something is wrong with them.
For him to tell me once again that I just "think" I know the law.
He also pointed out how he could "already see my areola" and that if someone saw my nipple (even if I were trying to cover up) that he would have to arrest me and that he "really didn't want to arrest me". For him to see my areola he would've had to have been staring VERY hard."
"I finally got mad enough and walked away telling him I know my right to have a good night. And went to the car and boohooed and I'm still boohooing about it.
I'd like to thank April the Paralegal for defending me, taking this picture and getting his name for me."
"I'm so upset about it and I understand why this type of harassment can cause moms to stop.
I WILL be reporting this to whoever his higher ups are tomorrow morning because if he did it to me he will do it to someone else. And who knows who else he's done it too."
Please SHARE if you believe that new moms should have every right to breastfeed anywhere – and not feel ashamed for it!
