A Georgia mother says a day at a water park ended with her feeling embarrassed and discriminated against after she was told she could not breastfeed her baby in the Lazy River.
Tiffany Francis shared the experience on Facebook, explaining that she was visiting Rigby’s Water World with her 11 month old child when staff members approached her about nursing in the water.
She said she often nurses her baby to sleep using gentle motion, and the Lazy River worked well for that. She explained: “He likes motion to sleep, he sleeps well in the car or swing, so he will also sleep in the Lazy River.”
Things changed when a lifeguard and another employee told her breastfeeding was not allowed in the water. They said it could lead to breastmilk getting into the pool.
Francis said she asked to see the rule but could not find anything posted that banned breastfeeding. After speaking with a manager, she was told it fell under the park’s rule about no food or drinks in the water.
That explanation did not sit right with her. She said: “Imagine all the bodily fluids being excreted into the water, but they’re worried about breastmilk when the baby was latched, my breast was out of the water, and the milk was only going into [my] baby’s mouth.”
She said it felt like the real concern was making other guests uncomfortable. That made the situation feel even worse to her. Francis said she ended up leaving the park in tears after being told she could not feed her child.
She wrote: “I left crying because I was told I couldn’t feed my child. It is against the law to tell a mother they can’t breastfeed their child – but sure, let’s worry about offending people by feeding a child.”
She continued: “Somehow I made people uncomfortable by doing the most natural thing I could do for my child, while just trying to let him nap. Mind you, this was also at a waterpark where most people are wearing very little clothing but my son and I were offensive.”
She also said she wanted other mothers to know about her experience. “I’m just so upset and appalled and wanted to give a heads up to all the other moms out there that this is how breastfeeding moms are treated at Rigby’s Water World.”
Francis said she asked for a refund but was denied, so she chose to leave the park altogether. Her post quickly gained attention online and sparked debate.
Georgia law allows mothers to breastfeed in any place where they are allowed to be with their child. That detail added to the reaction once her story spread.
After the incident went public, the owner of Rigby’s Water World and the general manager contacted Francis to apologize. She said the apology did not feel genuine and seemed more like a response to online backlash.
She also shared that the apology included the phrase, “while it’s not the best practice, feeding is now allowed anywhere,” which did little to ease how she felt about the situation.
