Breastfeeding Moms Protest Aventura Mall
AVENTURA (CBSMiami) - Breastfeeding moms could be seen in Aventura Mall showing support for nursing in public on Thursday.
"The miracle of being able to give your child life and feed them with your body I think is something pretty amazing," said Jasmine Terrany.
About a hundred moms were on a maternal mission at the mall to protest.
They were upset after Kristie Quinones was reportedly told to cover-up while feeding her 13-month-old daughter Chloe in a play area of the mall.
"Advised me I could not stay unless I was covered up by a blanket and of course I was really uncomfortable," said Quinones of the encounter between her and mall employees.
Quinones said she was humiliated when multiple employees told her that it is mall policy. She said security was even called out when she told them it was her right to nurse in public.
"Just made me feel awful because I was nourishing my daughter, I wasn't harming anyone and he just kept reiterating the policy on such an argumentative way," said Quinones.
Mall management said the incident was a result of a miscommunication and that management supports mothers who breastfeed.
"Unfortunately, it was completely mishandled in our part," a mall representative said. "Aventura Mall supports breast feeding anytime, anywhere inside the center. It's the same policy we've had for many years," said Anabel Llopis with Aventura Mall.
Quinones said she doesn't believe it was a misunderstanding.
"I was told by the employees they even have meeting that they were told that other customers at the mall that complained."
It is a woman's right to be able to breast feed their babies in public. These women say they want to educate and empower fellow mommies to feel free to breast feed without feeling ashamed.
"To increase awareness of what is normal, said Noreen Ismail. "This is the way nature intended it, so people shouldn't be looking at us in any weird way."
"It's important that we understand we're all humans and they're just bodies and this is the miracle of life so why not share it," said Terrany.
Ismail added anyone who has a problem with breastfeeding, should stop staring.
"They're just ignorant I feel sorry for them. It's their right to turn away why are they looking then?" Ismail said.
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