Sara's Recon Mission to the Zoo

Amy, you are very right! We do have a long way to go. I was most saddened by comments by women who had breastfed and were saying that women should "cover up and be discreet" when nursing. When I am nursing in public, I can assure you that my goal not to flash people, but to feed my child. In fact, I am so focused on my goal that I cannot be constantly attempting out-of-body experiences to ensure that I am not accidentally baring myself. Not to mention that many women not only have our nursing child to worry about, but we also have other children who are milling about during these public nursing sessions. So the concern for an accidental flashing is a distant third when ranking our worries while nursing.

As Amy mentioned, I was at the zoo doing some reconnaissance work today (and spending a lovely sunny day with my two daughters, of course). My goal during my visit was to take pictures of the first aid rooms and the one bathroom that we had been told was a "good space for nursing". Well, I got to one first aid room and what I will call the "nursing bathroom". I could not even locate the first aid room in the AfriCafe area! It did not help that I was dealing with a three year old who was wanting to run in the grass while I was searching. I have pictures of my trip that I will be adding as a slide show to show everyone what I discovered.

First, the "nursing bathroom". I will start by saying that, in my opinion, no mother should ever be forced to nurse in a public restroom. It totally defeats the idea of a nursing room. I am not sure why anyone would feel that a child would nurse any more effectively in a room where people are coming and going. This is exactly the same as being outside. And do not get me started on how unsanitary it would make me feel! Please view the photo of the bench in the bathroom. While it is a nice option for those who want to sit while waiting for a stall, it is definitely not a viable option for nursing.

After the bathroom adventure, I looked at the first aid room located at the entrance. It is in the membership office area. The room was pretty tight with a stroller, but large enough for all of us to fit. My main issue was that the door did not lock! Every time I heard someone walk by I was sure they were going to come in and need it for a medical emergency or to get an ace bandage or something. An additional concern is that it is just not a place where a toddler can hang out while I am nursing. My daughter wanted to explore all the drawers and cabinets.

So, that was my trip. I wanted to take more pictures, but it was very challenging while manipulating a stroller, a baby, and a three year old. I will definitely bring a buddy next time so I can capture more.