Nurse-In is scheduled to be held at the state capitol in Des Moines today as part of a nationwide effort to bring a better awareness to public breastfeeding laws and end public breastfeeding discrimination.
State coordinator Amber Schwickerath of Charles City says those involved in the Nationwide Nurse-In want to make a statement.
“We are very passionate about breastfeeding. A lot of mothers get evil looks or asked to go to the bathroom and nurse, or cover up and go home or don’t do that here,” Schwickerath says, “when really, babies need to eat. And in the beginning, especially so often, we would never be able to leave the house if you baby is eating every two hours.”
She says they want to show that breastfeeding is a natural part of life. “Babies need to eat. And it’s not a big deal, we are not flaunting our breasts out everywhere. Some people sexualize it — but that’s not what we do,” Schwickerath says. Schwickerath says she has been lucky to have help when she made the choice to breast feed her son.
“Having a good support system is the best, my husband is very supportive. And it’s not easy to breastfeed. We had many complications,” she says. Schwickerath encourages women to seek out support from her organization and others.. “There’s many Facebook groups that you can join. Breastfeeding is hard and a little scary at first, but if you have any questions just reach out to one of us and we’d be happy to help you,” Schwickerath says.
The Nurse-In is today on the West Campus Terrace from 12:30 – 2 p.m. For more information, contact Amber Schwickerath at 641-425-2354.
Story by Chris Berg, KCHA, Charles City