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.

Family friendly?? Hmmmm. . .

Amy here –
I was talking with our friend Beth this morning about our mission, and of course the inevitable came up: That darn lack of family-friendly facilities at the zoo. Yes, Sara and I have discussed this same issue during one of our meetings. We tackled the issue of what we should be presenting to the zoo directors when/if we meet with them. Ultimately we decided to focus on our main goal – a nursing room or space (or multiple spaces – parish the thought!).

HOWEVER, this brings up a great presentation platform for the Oregon Zoo to leap from. Creating a “Family-friendly Makeover” would provide the zoo with numerous opportunities to enable the public to enjoy their experience there on so many levels. In turn, the zoo benefits and the visitors are happy.

What sort of things could they possibly include in this kind of package you wonder? Well, we simply came up with the basics: More stepstools in the bathrooms (and clean them occasionally please!) for the munchkins to reach the sinks; lower sinks, soap dispensers and paper towel dispensers for the kids; kid-sized toilets; family restrooms; healthy snack options throughout the zoo; and above all, a Nursing room – for the love of Pete and all that is sacred!

Through my correspondence with the zoo, I have been informed that they “plan to include family restrooms in the future, when feasible.” My question, and maybe yours is, are there not two major construction projects going on at the zoo RIGHT NOW? (the primate exhibit makeover and the entire new Predators of the Serengeti exhibit) How is it not feasible at this time? Need we mention that the voters just recently approved a 65 million dollar bond for the zoo for maintenance, rehabilitation of some existing exhibits, and to help with their eco-friendly projects? Hmmmm. . . .

We want to know what you think . . . post your comments for the world to see – and thank you!