A group of Ohio mothers have come together to show their support for a woman who was asked to breastfeed in peace instead of by a pool.
Vanessa Dyckman was breastfeeding her baby last week at a public pool in New Albany, near Columbus, when a lifeguard approached her.
“The lifeguard said something like, ‘Excuse me, you’re not actually allowed to feed here. We’d rather you go to the toilet or something,'” she told KXII.
She went on said: ‘I can definitely say that I was still pretty modest while breastfeeding. We weren’t flashy or trying to cause a scene.
‘They whistled and their manager came to me and told me I wasn’t allowed to nurse in the pool at all.’
A group of Ohio mothers have come together to show their support for a woman who was asked to breastfeed in secret instead of at a pool
Shortly afterward, Dyckman and her friends gathered to protest the woman’s reprimand.
Video footage of the moment shows more than five women sitting on the edge of the pool, breastfeeding as they soak up the sun.
Of the show of force and support from friends, Dyckman said, “My breastfeeding career has been so successful in part because of this group of friends.”
Her friend and educator, Brittany Kovacs added: ‘I’m a breastfeeding educator, so I knew right away that it’s legal to breastfeed your baby in public, covered or uncovered, whatever the mother’s preference is.’
Vanessa Dyckman (pictured) was breastfeeding her baby at a public pool in New Albany, near the state capital of Columbus, last week when a lifeguard yelled at her
Shortly afterward, Dyckman and her friends gathered to protest the first’s reprimand
Video footage of the moment shows more than five women sitting on the edge of the pool and breastfeeding while enjoying the sun
Cierra Rider, another protester who is a friend of Dyckman’s, said, “It’s a big deal for mothers to breastfeed in public. Sometimes it’s a lot. The way people see it, sometimes it’s seen negatively.”
According to Article 3781 of the Ohio Revised Code, “a mother shall have the right to breastfeed her infant in any place of public accommodation where the mother is otherwise permitted to do so.”
Officials have since apologized for the misunderstanding and made it clear that the municipality supports and welcomes all breastfeeding mothers.
Authorities also said they would use the moment as a training opportunity to educate lifeguards about Ohio’s breastfeeding laws.