Adrienne Pine, an American University professor, didn't have anyone to watch her sick infant daughter on August 28 and did not want to cancel the first day of her class, Sex, Gender, and Culture. So she didn't have a choice but to bring her baby to school with her.
Her baby was behaving pretty well during the first half of the 75-minute lecture. She was just crawling on the floor and was occasionally rocked by Pine's teaching assistant. But just like all little ones do, her baby eventually grew restless and started crying. Pine didn't stop the lecture to go take her baby out in the hall for a few minutes. She instead started breastfeeding her baby in front of her entire class. Could you imagine the looks on their faces?
Pine didn't think breastfeeding her baby in class was inappropriate, so she was obviously shocked when she found out some of her students complained the next day.
"I feel like it was really unprofessional of her," Jeff Williams, a senior student of hers, said. "I feel like she should have at least stepped out of the room."
Sophomore Sarah Mireles thought it was inappropriate for Pines to bring her baby to class in the first place. "It's very distracting to a lot of the students," she said.
Pine didn't realize breastfeeding her baby in class would have caused such a stir and wishes the incident wasn't considered newsworthy. "I had no intention of making a political statement or shocking students," she said.
The bottom line is, Pine shouldn't have breastfed her baby in class. It's a natural process, of course, but it isn't appropriate to do that in front of students. It just makes everyone feel uncomfortable. She should have went to the bathroom to breastfeed her baby and allowed her teaching assistant to take over the class while she was gone.
(Photo: American University)
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Comments: 23
It seems to me that the baby crawling around on the floor was probably a worse distraction than while she was breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is not a big deal, not for me.
It's one thing to breastfeed in a public place. Hey, it's public. The classroom is her place of employment. Most people don't take their kids to work, period - except in absolute emergencies. This was not one. One missed class would have been no big deal. If the baby was that sick, he should have been taken to the doctor.
It doesn't matter how she did it, the fact is she did~if I was paying $50 grand to send my kid there...
I had to lug my infant son with me to college for almost a year! Of course the only reason it was allowed was because it was Early Childhood Education-he was their portable lab rat-ha! Back then, walkers were still allowed and he would zoom around the classroom, scamming treats and snacks from everyone. When he wanted to actually eat-eat, he would come back to me. It was crazy and wonderful at the same time.
People need to get over 'being uncomfortable' seeing nursing moms. No biggie to see thongs, etc. but a mom nursing? NOOOO!!!
they make clothing and other things so that it can be done in a way that shows nothing to anyone...
Although, I do agree that taking your baby to work is unprofessional and she should have figured something else out...yet I also admire her dedication...
Callisto I wasn't working but I nursed in public quite often usually with no one the wiser...
Ain't that the truth?! I've had people walk up (usually older women), see chubby little feet and just grab for the blanket to take a peek...surprise! Very, very rarely did anyone know what I was doing.
lol.