Most of you probably know that relative to most places in the U.S., the good people of Vermont are pretty open to breastfeeding (even in public!!)  We even have the laws to prove it—Vermont is just one of eight states that has laws protecting nursing in public (with a provision for enforcement).  What this means is that any woman who has experienced a violation of her right to breastfeed can file a charge of discrimination with the human rights commission, and can summarily seek compensatory/punitive damages including payment of legal fees.  Despite these laws, in 2006, a woman on board a Freedom Airlines/Delta Airlines flight preparing to depart from Burlington, Vermont was asked to de-plane after she refused to stop breastfeeding her daughter on the plane.  This woman, Emily Gillette of New Mexico, has since filed a complaint with the Vermont Human Relations Commission.  I’d like to think of this case as a rare exception within an otherwise civil community where breastfeeding is normally not just tolerated, but embraced.  Certainly, there exists the possibility that the airline crew were unaware of Vermont state laws that protect the right to breastfeed in public.  Horrifyingly, there are still several states that have absolutely NO LAWS in place to protect the right to nurse in public.  These states include Massachusetts (yes, this one was a surprise to me, too), Pennsylvania (no surprise there), Nebraska, North Dakota, and Idaho.  Federal laws do exist to protect the right to breastfeed, however, these laws lack an enforcement provision, making it essentially useless in those states that do not otherwise provide protection for breastfeeding mothers.  

 

So where does the coffee come in?  One of the cooler things to crop up in Burlington, Vermont within the past few years is a coffee shop started by two women who wanted to create a breastfeeding-friendly environment in which moms could come grab a cup of joe and chat with their friends.  Viva Espresso opened in 2006 in Burlington’s Old North End and has been enormously successful.  They have even been featured in Food and Wine magazine during their short tenure as a local, socially-conscious, purveyor of caffeine, art, baked goods, and community.  Viva is awesome in concept, and does not disappoint in the tangibles—The coffee is phenomenal!  We’re looking forward to many walks up the street for a cup of coffee with the little one in tow….