Not only did Westfield Mall officials in Trumbull welcome about nine nursing moms to their food court Tuesday — they gave them goodie bags stuffed with snacks, coloring books and mall discounts.
It was a lesson in how to turn a potentially disastrous public relations moment into — well, a marketing opportunity.
Shelton mommy blogger Danielle Elwood organized Tuesday’s breastfeeding “nurse-in” after she said a friend was asked by a mall security guard to “cover up” while nursing her baby last week.
The Valley Indy was the first to report the story after readers publicized it on our Facebook wall.
Elwood arranged the nurse-in through Facebook in an effort to raise awareness about breastfeeding laws in Connecticut, which say no one can tell a nursing mom to cover up.
Those same laws also state that moms who breastfeed much be given the time — and a comfortable location — to express milk (pump) while on the job.
Elwood’s mission was accomplished — every major television station in Connecticut covered Tuesday’s nurse-in.
The mall, meanwhile, allowed reporters and camera people into the property without hassle.
Brian Gaus, the senior general manager of the mall, read from a prepared statement stressing that Westfield is family-friendly. He even took camera crews on a tour to show off comfy looking private locales where moms can nurse, if they so choose.
“We’ve created a range of amenities and conveniences designed to enhance the shopping experience for moms,” Gaus said.
Gaus wouldn’t give details on the alleged security guard’s “cover up” command.
Instead, he stuck to the script and reiterated Westfield’s policy: “We do not interfere with moms,” he said.
The mall stopped short of issuing an apology — that may have been because the woman who was asked to cover up requested that her name be kept private.
“We had one phone call and the phone call was just explaining their policy … that security guards are told not to approach breastfeeding mothers,” Elwood said while holding her month-old daughter, Addison.
Minutes after the officially scheduled protest start time of 12:30 p.m., Westfield officials appeared with goodie bags containing Goldfish crackers, a Westfield Guide to Family Shopping, a coloring book, an issue of Connecticut Parent magazine, a Winnie the Pooh storybook — and a mall discount coupon.
Rhonda Trust, Policy and Advocacy chair of the Connecticut Breastfeeding Coalition, used the protest as a way to explain the importance of breastfeeding — and the law.
She said that “a woman wearing a low-cut shirt is showing more cleavage than a woman actually nursing a child.”
“We need to reintroduce [breastfeeding] as a normal way to feed a child,” she said.
Breastfeeding is the most healthy way to feed a newborn.
In 2010, for the first time ever, the IRS allowed breast pump parts — which can run several hundred dollars — to be deducted from tax returns.
