Georgia water park changes breastfeeding policy after online backlash

After Tiffany Francis was barred from nursing her son in a lazy river at Rigby’s Water World earlier this month, she took to Facebook to share her experience at the water park. The post unexpectedly went viral, and led to the park updating its policy.

Francis — a season ticket holder at the park — had breastfed her son in the lazy river many times, according to Insider, so she was “shocked” when a lifeguard told her to stop.

“I have never in my years of being a breastfeeding mother had one single negative comment made to me about breastfeeding while out in public... I’ve had supportive comments from random people, but today was a different day,” she wrote in her July 14 post.

“A lifeguard was sitting up in a little chair and said, ‘Ma’am, you can’t do that,’” Francis recalled. “I looked around and was like, ‘Is he joking?’”

Francis was then approached by two lifeguards. She tried to stay calm, asking them if there was a “separate area” for her to breastfeed, and trying to confirm if there was an actual rule “stating she couldn’t breastfeed in the lazy river.” She later spoke with a general manager who told her “she was barred from breastfeeding as a courtesy for others.”

But that runs contrary to Georgia law.

According to Georgia’s Breastfeeding Coalition, current Georgia law states that “Breastfeeding is an important and basic act of nurture which should be encouraged in the interests of maternal and child health. A mother may breastfeed her baby in any location where the mother and baby are otherwise authorized to be.”

After Francis’ post went viral, a Rigby’s Water World employee reached out, writing in her comments, “I know that breastfeeding is allowed in the park, and I can understand the safety issues that come in hand with feeding in moving water. As for the courtesy of other guests, I agree that a mom should be able to breastfeed at any time; however, an exposed breast in a water feature without a covering could be seen as indecent (we wouldn’t let another guest do the same).”

Rigby’s has since updated its policy to allow for breastfeeding in the water park, stating “We have shaded seating, family rooms, and have an admin building that can be used for just that,” according to People.