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OGDEN, Utah (AP) -- A Wyoming woman says she was ordered to leave a store in Newgate Mall because she was breast-feeding her baby.
Dana Martin of Evanston, a labor and delivery nurse who routinely stresses the importance of breast-feeding to new mothers, said the incident happened last month at The Quilted Bear.
She said she was told someone had complained to the cashier, even though she and the baby were covered by a blanket, she said.
"My family was so embarrassed that we just let security take us out," Martin said. "I promote and teach breast-feeding every day. What if some of my patients knew or saw me (being asked to leave)?"
Brent Sirstines, manager of The Quilted Bear, said, "Some women customers complained that a lady was in a booth with her breast exposed nursing a baby. An employee said she'd ask the (nursing) lady to cover up or go to bathroom."
He said the woman got upset at the employee.
Sirstines added that his wife has nursed five children and the owner of the store has nursed 10, often in public, but never exposing their breasts.
He said The Quilted Bear has no written policy on breast-feeding and the employee acted because of the customer complaints.
Daniyel Gordon, general manager of Newgate Mall, said the mall is friendly toward breast-feeding mothers, allowing them to nurse their children at will.
Utah law says women may breast-feed in any public place, regardless of exposure.
(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
