My letter to the Williamsburg Peeps
To Whom it May Concern:
Williamsburg is one of my favorite places to visit and I visited once again last week. It was delightful, as always, and especially beautiful with the Christmas decor.
While waiting in line to get into the shoemaker's building, I overheard a young mother come up to the person who was monitoring the guests entering the shoemaker's place as she asked about a place to "feed" her baby. She of course meant to "breastfeed" her baby. The staff member did not know of any place specifically to do this. We were standing across from the church, and I spoke up and mentioned that one of the pews might make for an easy place to sit out of the cold to nurse her baby. (I am a nurse and am employed as a lactation consultant in Fredericksburg.)
At my mention of nursing in the church, the staff member's voice rose and she appeared to be a bit put off at the idea. She expressed concern about the fact that "there are tour groups that go through there!" I explained that in Virginia, it is in fact legal to breastfeed a baby ANYWHERE and is simply feeding a baby.
I'm not sure where the mother ended up going, but if there are separate "breastfeeding areas or stations" within the historical area, it is not obviously not widely known by visitors or staff. On my last trip to Williamsburg, I had noticed a mother nursing her older baby with her husband providing a bit of privacy by holding a large scarf in front of them. No one nearby fainted or appeared horrified.
Although it is legal to breastfeed in public, not all women are comfortable without some privacy that is NOT a bathroom. Are there areas where a mother could breastfeed in privacy within the historical area that are not known by visitors or staff members? If not, can this be addressed and noted on the maps handed out?
Thank you for any consideration in supporting breastfeeding mothers who are visitors to the beauty that is Williamsburg.
Williamsburg is one of my favorite places to visit and I visited once again last week. It was delightful, as always, and especially beautiful with the Christmas decor.
While waiting in line to get into the shoemaker's building, I overheard a young mother come up to the person who was monitoring the guests entering the shoemaker's place as she asked about a place to "feed" her baby. She of course meant to "breastfeed" her baby. The staff member did not know of any place specifically to do this. We were standing across from the church, and I spoke up and mentioned that one of the pews might make for an easy place to sit out of the cold to nurse her baby. (I am a nurse and am employed as a lactation consultant in Fredericksburg.)
At my mention of nursing in the church, the staff member's voice rose and she appeared to be a bit put off at the idea. She expressed concern about the fact that "there are tour groups that go through there!" I explained that in Virginia, it is in fact legal to breastfeed a baby ANYWHERE and is simply feeding a baby.
I'm not sure where the mother ended up going, but if there are separate "breastfeeding areas or stations" within the historical area, it is not obviously not widely known by visitors or staff. On my last trip to Williamsburg, I had noticed a mother nursing her older baby with her husband providing a bit of privacy by holding a large scarf in front of them. No one nearby fainted or appeared horrified.
Although it is legal to breastfeed in public, not all women are comfortable without some privacy that is NOT a bathroom. Are there areas where a mother could breastfeed in privacy within the historical area that are not known by visitors or staff members? If not, can this be addressed and noted on the maps handed out?
Thank you for any consideration in supporting breastfeeding mothers who are visitors to the beauty that is Williamsburg.