GWB Library Tells Nursing Mom of 5 Week Old to Use Bathroom Stall

It’s World Breastfeeding Awareness Month, and unfortunately, it seems that many still need to be made aware.  A sweet, Texas mother to a 5 week old baby was recently visiting GWB Library in Texas when three guards told her that the museum policy is for breastfeeding mothers to nurse in the bathroom.

This understandably, upset mom wrote me an e-mail letting me know about her mistreatment.  Not only is breastfeeding in a bathroom appalling, but she was told this even after she informed the security officials about Texas state law that explicitly states:

RIGHT TO BREAST-FEED. A mother is entitled to breast-feed her baby in any location in which the mother is authorized to be.

 The mother, Vanessa, was simply trying to feed her 5-week-old baby.  Vanessa explained to me that the treatment started as soon as she walked into the library. She was told at check-in that only water for baby bottles were allowed in the library and when she explained she needed a personal bottle because she was nursing she was told…

“would need to speak with a security officer if I wanted to breastfeed as it was not allowed in the lobby”

Once she was ready to nurse she asked a female guard where to nurse and was told to use the female restrooms.  It was at this time that the mother explained Texas state law to which the female guard called over a male guard and Vanessa heard them say “the situation we had discussed”.  The male guard repeated to her that she

“could use the restroom to nurse or exit the museum to nurse in my car. ..explained that I would need to show my day pass sticker to be allowed re-entry and would need to go back through security.”

Vanessa explains that she was embarrassed and made felt like she was being shamed for trying to feed her baby. She has tweeted both the library and Jenna Bush Hager, G.W. Bush’s daughter who is also a mother.

As of this post, Vanessa has both e-mailed and tweeted GWB Library with no response back from them. Nor have they made any type of public statement.