Public breastfeeding remains a hotly contested issue.
Some people believe that a nursing mother should be allowed to feed her child whenever and wherever she wants. Others insist that the act should be kept private, either with the mother feeding her baby in a restroom or under some kind of blanket.
Opinions are divided, and there's no denying that it's a hot-button topic. In my opinion, I think it's silly to expect someone to inconvenience themselves in order to feed their hungry baby. When you're a mom, keeping your child happy and healthy is your priority, and nursing moms should be able to do whatever makes them and their baby most comfortable.
There are so many stories of nursing moms being shamed for breastfeeding in public. But one young mother named Kymmie Snyder experienced this in the most unexpected of places: a hospital.
Scroll through to read Kymmie's story!
Thumbnail Photos: Instagram / Kymmie Snyder // Instagram / Kylo Attila Brown
Kymmie, a 24-year-old mom, was feeding her 10-month-old son Kylo while waiting for her daughter's appointment at Candler Hospital in Savannah, Georgia.
In a post shared on the Facebook page Breastfeeding Mama Talk, Kymmie explained the unfortunate situation:
I have NEVER been so mad in my entire life. We are currently at Candler Hospital, in Savannah GA for a quick outpatient procedure for my daughter. While waiting for her to be called back, little man wanted to nurse so per usual this is how we looked.
My son has #CysticFibrosis which is a genetic disease that affects his body in so many different ways. His pancreatic and digestive system are not the same as a normal, healthy baby.
Resulting in him being hungry very often, due to the malabsorption of nutrients. So we nurse, and we nurse A LOT. There is NO skin showing, no nipple out, you honestly can't even tell that I am #Breastfeeding if you were to look straight on.
A woman who is EMPLOYED at Candler, walks right up to me and had the audacity to cover my child’s head with a towel! When I snatched it off she tried to tell me that I “had to cover his head” and myself if I wanted to remain in the hospital.
I asked her if she knew what she was doing was illegal? She then tries to tell me it is "hospital rules."
WHAT THE HELL KIND OF HOSPITAL HAS EVER HAD THAT RULE!? LOL. So, Mrs. WILLIAMS of Candler Hospital — I don’t know who you thought you were approaching this morning but I am certainly the wrong one!
Cover your own damn head if you have a problem with my son eating.
Kymmie also shared a version of the same story on the Instagram account that she runs to document her son's cystic fibrosis journey, written from the perspective of the baby:
Hey guys!! So, we haven’t updated in a while because things down South have been preetttyy loco, thanks to #HurricaneIrma We are under mandatory evacuation, but so far so good here in our neck of the woods. Last Thursday, mama & I got assaulted!
Can you believe some crazy lady really out a towel over my head because i was eating, just like I am here!? And it's even harder to believe she was a hospital employee!! I've never (and hope to never again) see Mama that mad! She protected me and our rights to #Breastfeed anywhere she is allowed to be.
But jeeze, #CandlerHospital in #SavannahGeorgia has another thing comin' if they think it's okay to employ someone who is so discouraging. What if she was a #FirstTimeMom & actually let this lady get away with telling her she couldn't #Nurse me there!? SMH. We are very upset, but Mommies always got your back Thanks, Ma! .
Feedback has been overwhelmingly supportive, with many commenters echoing Kymmie's point that she is very covered-up in her breastfeeding photo.
Several people also encouraged Kymmie to file a formal complaint with the hospital administration.
"Any type of healthcare setting should promote health and breastfeeding is healthy for mother and baby," one wrote. "This employee needs to be reprimanded and the hospital needs to ensure all their employees are aware of the legal rights of a mother to breastfeed her child. I'm a nurse and this makes me very sad."
Thankfully, the hospital in question actually issued a formal apology once they got wind of the controversy.
Scott Larson, the PR manager of Candler Hospital, told TODAY that the employee who told Kymmie to cover up was "a retiree who works only a few hours per week" and confirmed that they'd spoken to the employee about the issue to clarify their policy on breastfeeding.
The hospital also said they "want to sincerely apologize to Ms. Snyder for the insensitive incident that occurred," explaining that their "health system is unconditionally supportive of breastfeeding wherever and whenever a mother needs to feed her child." They also confirmed that they have no such policy requiring breastfeeding moms to cover up, as the employee claimed.
The employee "has been re-educated on our views regarding breastfeeding and we have used this as an opportunity to reiterate our strong support for breastfeeding mothers with our other coworkers. "
What do you think of Kymmie's story and the hospital's apology?
Let us know in the comments, and don't forget to SHARE this story on Facebook!
