Breastfeeding Mother Was Shamed In Dentist’s Office Because Hunger Is, Like, So Inconvenient

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Another day, another public humiliation for a breastfeeding mother! An Alabama mom, Taylor Buzbee, was having a bit of a dental emergency and couldn’t secure childcare for her infant son, so she brought him with her to the dentist’s office after being assured by office employees that it was okay to do so. And, as infants are wont to do, the little bugger got hungry. So what did mom do? SHE FED HIM. Because babies don’t care if you’re at home, at the dentist, in a field of flowers, or at the goddamn circus – when they’re hungry, they’re not waiting for it to be a more convenient time. Says mom:

“He started getting a little fussy. I don’t nurse in public, and I never have because I hear these stories about people being shamed… I don’t do well with being confronted, so I usually find another room to go to.”

Since there were no other room options here, Buzbee nursed her baby. She says the hygienists didn’t seem to mind. It wasn’t until the actual dentist came into the room that it became a problem. The dentist entered the room with another employee, who told her that breastfeeding her baby wasn’t allowed in the office. As the dentist checked her teeth, her baby was forcibly removed from Buzbee’s arms and placed into his stroller by the rando employee, who claimed her child was “in the way.” Look, I get that having a mom nursing her baby while a dentist is trying to work on mom’s mouth isn’t an ideal scenario for the dentist. It’s probably not much fun for the mom, either! But you gotta do what you gotta do when you have no other options. I just can’t believe this woman was shamed so badly for feeding her baby. Are there Aspen Dental rules that explicitly state such acts are banned? Probably not. They’re lucky they’re not getting fined. The director of communications for the company agrees:

“I called Ms. Buzbee this evening and personally apologized to her for her experience — no nursing mother should ever be made to feel uncomfortable while feeding her child.  We at Aspen Dental Management, Inc., and the Aspen Dental practices we support take this matter very seriously. We are reviewing what happened today and will take appropriate steps to ensure every patient who visits an Aspen Dental practice feels comfortable during their visit.”

Well let’s effing hope so, huh? For her part, Buzbee says she’s never been more humiliated in her life, and I believe her. Several groups are currently pushing proposals to protect the rights of nursing mothers in Alabama, citing that if a mother is discreet, it shouldn’t be of any concern to anyone else.

…as if going to the dentist wasn’t already a miserable experience, amiright? 

(Shutterstock)

“He started getting a little fussy,” she said. “I don’t nurse in public, and I never have because I hear these stories about people being shamed… I don’t do well with being confronted, so I usually find another room to go to.”

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