Friday, October 30, 2009

Bad signs tick me off, part 2

Here's another bad sign to add to my collection of Bad Signs That Tick Me Off . This is from a mother's room inside a nice shopping mall near my house. I like the dedicated space and am grateful for it, but can you guess why this bothers me?


The last image I would expect next to the word "nursing" is a baby bottle. Why not call it a Mother's Room like most locations? Why use a word for one way to feed a baby and a graphic image for the other?

How about this instead - the international symbol for breastfeeding:


The way the sign reads now, they might as well add some quotes:

All the doctors and studies tell us that "best is breast." It's hard enough for women to breastfeed when they have a lot of support. I worked very hard to exclusively breastfeed both of my children. But it feels like a slap in the face when you see pictures and ads for baby bottles and formula everywhere you turn. I don't think this room needs to ONLY show pictures of breastfeeding - but if the point is truly to support nursing Moms, then I'd prefer they show an appropriate picture that is relevant. The picture of a bottle is undermining and defeating to moms working hard to breastfeed.

Follow up: I called the mall management and spoke to them about my concerns - very respectfully. Then I followed up with an e-mail pointing them to this post. I hope they'll take my concern seriously and consider reprinting the sign with some either more inclusive such as "Mothers Room" or continue to use the word nursing with an appropriate symbol, such as the international breastfeeding symbol shown above.

Follow up #2: See the Mall's response here and help the cause by e-mailing them.

21 - click here to comment:

Elizabeth said...

I love the "quotes" comment at the end!! You have me laughing out loud this morning!

Rebecca said...

I agree with Elizabeth. My thoughts exactly.

At least the sign wasn't on a bathroom door. That bugs, too.

Melissa said...

WOW- that's hilarious and sad at the same time!

Love the quotes too. Too funny!

Fi said...

Ha! I think you should totally go down there with a marker pen........ ;)

Elita said...

Oh, gosh, what genius thought of this?

Mommy Melee said...

Oh wow. That's spectacularly lame.

elisa said...

it remind me of a post I wrote some time ago. in the Babycenter website there is an ad hoc community for "new Mums" and besides the title "And now what?" There is a picture of a couple bottle-feeding they newborn!
As if the bottle is the answer to the doubts newparents have! (smart advertisers!!!). I just cannot stand this subtle formula advertising...

Amber said...

That would irk me to no end, too. I hate the prevalence of bottle images in our culture, and putting one on a 'nursing' room is just too much.

Anti-Supermom said...

That is hilarious. Your 'beloved' quotes. Ha-ha
:)

Judy - MommyNewsBlog.com said...

This is hilarious! Thanks for sharing!!

Rachel said...

I do keep various pens and markers in my purse for just such sign corrections. :)

DeuceMom said...

I believe our local children's museum has "family comfort rooms" with a few quiet toys, a rocker and footstool.

Don't forget - dad takes the kids out too, even if mom breastfeeds. Or at least my dad and husband did!

Night Owl Mama said...

Don't u know it! I'm a nursing mama ad I think that is completely rediculous! what would I need with a private area if I am using a bottle.

Roxane B. Salonen said...

Wow. I would be interested to know who thought of this brilliant graphic. Male, female, parent? Good catch, Missy.

Hobo Mama said...

LOVE the quotes! I was totally on board with your last bad signs post about inappropriate quotes, but here they would make the sign make some sense.

kristine said...

Wow.

Monique - Resident Mommy said...

oopf!

that's a bad one.

Anonymous said...

The quotes are great! But wouldn't it be more appropriate around the bottle??

Yakini said...

lmao!!! omg, that is so funny, but also a shame. "Nursing" would be very appropriate, actually! LOL

Great blog. New follower! :-)

Holly Tried It said...

I love this post. Keep blogging about signs that bug you!

Annie @ PhD in Parenting said...

DeuceMom: My husband took our kids out all of the time. He never felt he needed a private room to feed them their bottles though (not that I did when breastfeeding either!).

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