Erin Peña is "furious and upset" by the way she was treated at University Medical Center in Texas and I'm furious and upset for her. Erin Peña was waiting to see Dr. Emily Fernandez with her 4-month-old son who was there for a regular appointment that included vaccines. The baby got hungry and Peña started to breastfeed. There were other women in the waiting room breastfeeding as well, but Peña was the only one who didn't cover up. Well, apparently the site of Peña breastfeeding without covering herself up was so appalling that people complained. A staff member asked Peña to cover up or go breastfeed in a private room, but Peña knows that according to Texas law, "A mother is entitled to breast-feed her baby in any location in which the mother is authorized to be" so she said no and then things really got ridiculous.
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Peña ended up being escorted out of the building by security and her baby's appointment was cancelled. In her humiliation and fury, Peña posted the following on Facebook:
I'm so furious and upset. I just got thrown out of my ObGyn/Pediatrician's office for breastfeeding! The receptionist told me I couldn't breastfeed in the lobby and had to go to the bathroom or room in the back. I said I had the right to breastfeed anywhere. She said if I don't stop she will cancel my baby's appointment. His appointment was for his vaccines! I refused and she canceled it, so I went to find the doctor thinking she would be reasonable and she wasn't. She was condescending, kept calling me honey. I said, "No one in the lobby even cared." She rudely said, yeah they do they just don't say it to your face.
I said they were wrong and it was illegal what they were doing. She called security on me and I left with the officer.
There was more to the post, but you get the gist.
What happened to Peña is absurd, ridiculous and straight up against the law. People get over your horror of seeing a woman breastfeed in public without covering herself up like what she's doing is obscene. It's not obscene. She's nursing! GET OVER IT! If it bothers you so much, get off your prudish ass and walk it on over to some place where you can't see. Or close your damn eyes and chant something that takes your mind out of the gutter when seeing something that isn't in the least bit sexual or offensive.
UMC posted the following on Facebook before removing it because of comments it was getting, "UMC regretfully acknowledges this situation. We have contacted the patient this afternoon and apologized for what transpired. We will investigate fully as it is our intent to comply with all applicable laws."
This sucks for Peña; she was totally humiliated and now I'm sure she wants a new doctor for her baby even with the apology because UGHHHHHH!!!
Image via Thinkstock
