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Nursing While At Faire

Started by FortuneRose, August 04, 2008, 10:41:20 AM

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Do you find it offensive/inappropriate for someone to nurse while at faire?

Yes-always offensive
No-Never offensive
Only if uncovered
OTHER

FortuneRose

Quote from: blue66669 on September 22, 2008, 12:06:39 PM
Ok, PD, you and me can do this together!!!!

Mothers pay a 20.00 per day fee, get a wristband, and that would cover them for the entire day of feeding. We can make a back room, with big comfy chairs and a hidden AC and fans up in the ceiling behind a lattice. We could put a small window unit in and cover it with a grate and put it into a box near the ceiling or something like that. Cover the walls in fabric and the floors in rugs. Nice soft pastel colors, and lots of pillows. Nursing mothers only, fathers of course would be welcome as well. Other children would need different supervision, but of course, if there were nowhere else for them to go, we would not turn them away. We'd have to have a separate area where the kids could play ren games, like bean bags or something silly like that...


OMG...... can you smell the smoke coming out of my ears?????

There is something very similar to this that has been established, however not seen at a renaissance festival (other outdoor events, yes)...  but they do not charge.

I can, personally, say that as a nursing mother, even with the lure of airconditioning, I would not in a million years pay $20.00 to nurse my son for 15-20 minutes a few times in the day I would spend at the festival.  Thats the same amount as my ticket to get in.  I'd rather take the stamp the gates offer when you leave to be readmitted and go to my car if I wanted air conditioning that much.

Donations, maybe....  a charge that high...  crazy.   
LLVW

Blue66669

Ok, so maybe I was being greedy there at first....

10 bucks for weekend access????

(my kid ate and ate and ate, so paying 20 bucks for a cool place to feed them throughout both days wouldn't have bothered me so much)

Would a thrown in garb readjuster sweeten the deal?
Blaidd Drwg

PurpleDragon

Sorry Blue,

I'm inclined to agree with FortuneRose on this.  Charging a fee for that would be somewhat rude.  However leaving a donation bucket or box/bin for the mothers to utilize would be more pleasing to them, and could possibly generate more capital than actually charging a fee. 

There is another possibility if you really wanted to charge for services, you could get a contract with the faire to sell water and juice and such things non-alcoholic for the mothers and toddlers that are often tagging along with mommy and little brother/sister. Then of course you would be subject to the food handling laws of the state whereas if it were just an "open" venue where the ladies could find some privacy to feed their children without having to leave the faire would not be subject to such laws.
Karl "Dragon" Wolff
The Pirates Cove

Bin Ich SCHLECHT? Ja BIN Ich.

Blue66669

You guys are no fun....

Ah well, back to the drawing board!
Blaidd Drwg

PurpleDragon

Quote from: blue66669 on September 24, 2008, 03:17:06 PM
You guys are no fun....

Ah well, back to the drawing board!

That my dear is a GROSS misrepresentation and I resent that ;)  I'm LOADS of fun. ~giggles~ 

Besides, I'm sure we could come up with a good idea, then the only problem becomes implementation ;)
Karl "Dragon" Wolff
The Pirates Cove

Bin Ich SCHLECHT? Ja BIN Ich.

Bugsy

ooo, I'm kind of a 'lactavist activist'  ;D

It's how babies eat.  And babies should be able to eat whenever they're hungry.  There is an artificial substitute (bottle), but no one should be forced to use a substitute when it comes to feeding an infant.

Covering up.  No, they shouldn't have to if they don't want to.  It would be awesome if a breastfeeding baby was a normal thing to see, but it will never get that way if everyone covers up.  I would never ask someone to put a glove on their hand while they eat their turkey leg.  and as someone said, at the faire, there is way more boobage walking around than a nursing baby.

and if anyone complains, just tell them "if you don't like it, put a blanket over your head, or wait in the bathroom until I'm done."
Elvish dragonfly
Castleteer
Bugs'n M'Crack Clan O'Maille
sister of Lady Pegos

FortuneRose

Quote from: Bugsey on September 26, 2008, 03:11:02 PM
ooo, I'm kind of a 'lactavist activist'  ;D

It's how babies eat.  And babies should be able to eat whenever they're hungry.  There is an artificial substitute (bottle), but no one should be forced to use a substitute when it comes to feeding an infant.

Covering up.  No, they shouldn't have to if they don't want to.  It would be awesome if a breastfeeding baby was a normal thing to see, but it will never get that way if everyone covers up.  I would never ask someone to put a glove on their hand while they eat their turkey leg.  and as someone said, at the faire, there is way more boobage walking around than a nursing baby.

and if anyone complains, just tell them "if you don't like it, put a blanket over your head, or wait in the bathroom until I'm done."

I, too, find that I am a lactavist activist......  I never cared if a woman nursed her child in public (covered or uncovered) and never really had much to say on the matter, but now that I am a nursing mother I am all "Where is the nearest nursing sit in... I'll be there!"   lol!

As far as the tent or area at faire for  nursing mothers...  I honestly believe you will do best if a donation bucket is there, rather than a forced charge....   
LLVW

PurpleDragon

Quote from: FortuneRose on September 30, 2008, 12:11:42 PM
I, too, find that I am a lactavist activist......  I never cared if a woman nursed her child in public (covered or uncovered) and never really had much to say on the matter, but now that I am a nursing mother I am all "Where is the nearest nursing sit in... I'll be there!"   lol!

As far as the tent or area at faire for  nursing mothers...  I honestly believe you will do best if a donation bucket is there, rather than a forced charge....   

Can a man be a lactavist activist?  If so, then put me on the list.  I firmly believe that one of the major problems in this society is that people are too bloody "prissy" for thier own good.  Women cannot breast feed their children because it is "lude", children cannot play dodge ball because they might get hurt, everyone gets a trophy just for participating.

By allowing a mother to breast feed her child, there is more of a bond developed there and that child is less likely to become one of the many sad statistics out there of teenage pregnancies, or drug addicts because there is more chance that communication is there, and maybe just maybe that child will be brought up in a disciplined home instead of being allowed to walk all over the parents.
Karl "Dragon" Wolff
The Pirates Cove

Bin Ich SCHLECHT? Ja BIN Ich.

Blue66669

Well, I suppose I'm a lactavist activist- and I made sure that nobody ever got close enough to me to have a problem with the fact that I was breastfeeding. Most of my friends knew that I had a deadly aim with that stuff!!! Well, one night I was at a nightclub, in the bathroom, hand expressing into a cup from the bar. A guy walked into the bathroom (it was that kind of club) and started screaming, "EWWWW, that's so NASTY!" So, I shot him in the face with a steady stream of breastmilk and told him if he didn't like it, GET OUT OF THE LADIES RESTROOM!!!
Blaidd Drwg

PurpleDragon

Quote from: blue66669 on October 01, 2008, 11:07:12 AM
Well, I suppose I'm a lactavist activist- and I made sure that nobody ever got close enough to me to have a problem with the fact that I was breastfeeding. Most of my friends knew that I had a deadly aim with that stuff!!! Well, one night I was at a nightclub, in the bathroom, hand expressing into a cup from the bar. A guy walked into the bathroom (it was that kind of club) and started screaming, "EWWWW, that's so NASTY!" So, I shot him in the face with a steady stream of breastmilk and told him if he didn't like it, GET OUT OF THE LADIES RESTROOM!!!

I knew I liked you for a reason ;)  You're EVIL!!!! ;)
Karl "Dragon" Wolff
The Pirates Cove

Bin Ich SCHLECHT? Ja BIN Ich.

Bugsy

It's October!!!  breast cancer awareness month!

so, I thought I'd share.  seems like a good thread to put it in!

Elvish dragonfly
Castleteer
Bugs'n M'Crack Clan O'Maille
sister of Lady Pegos

ADraeger

I can't help but respond because my husband and I were discussing this topic yesterday.  Breastfeeding is beautiful.  Mother should be able to breastfeed her child however, whenever, wherever she chooses.  I agree with most of you on here.    I've always been shy about my skin in public, and I imagine when I have a little one to feed, I'll either have to deal with the blanket or go out to the car (both of which are a pain according to my newly blessed sister-in-law),so..I love the idea of a breastfeeding tent!  I agree again though... either donations or freely provided by the RenFaire (after all, I've paid at least $17.00 a ticket at every RenFair I've been to.. surely that can warrant a nice little tent).

Catherine DArtois

I remember nursing mine.  One day I had actually gone to an out-of-the way corner to nurse and an older gentleman (around 80 maybe) gently patted me on the shoulder, smiled, and said "now there's a good mama."  It felt nice to hear.  When I think about it though, fewer people actually noticed I was nursing when I did NOT remove ourselves from life's action and go into a corner.  I nursed Chip the Magik Dragon while sitting on a stone wall at TRF and NOT A SOUL could tell.  I just slipped my chemise down from one side (LOVE the elastic) -- which his head a period baby bonnet completely obscured and even pushed up to look almost exactly symmetrical to the other side.  As several others have put it -- my "girls" were more covered than so many others walking by!  I think the whole deal is this: the chain mail gets guys drooling and they all WISH they could get one and ... well... the fact that the little guy has one just drives them nuts!
Campfire Chili Mistress
Clan McLotofus

FortuneRose

well, our season here is officially over as of last weekend.  I went a few different times and each time I did nurse my son.  I just found a nice shaded tree to sit under.  No problems at all.  I won't have to bother with this next season...  but who knows for future festivals...  down the road I may have wee-one number two. 
LLVW

Alice the Cook

I was blessed.  I worked in an encampment setting and my son was about 2 months old when he enjoyed his first fair.  I would nurse in the open of the encampment, but kept my son and breast modestly covered. 

I remember there was a male patron that would come by each day and began watching me nurse my son.  I asked one of my male friends to tell him to shove off and his oogling was a bit much.  It was good that my friend asked him to go away as if my husband caught him, I'd probably be writing a different story.

Alice the Cook
What's Cooking?
Alice the Cook