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Moms Organize 'Great Nurse-In' At U.S. Capitol

By: Nilanjana Gupta // August 4, 2012
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  Rachel Papantonakis with her 9-month old son, Ian. Papantonakis organized the "Great Nurse-In" being held at the Capitol this weekend.  
Nilanjana Gupta
  Rachel Papantonakis with her 9-month old son, Ian. Papantonakis organized the "Great Nurse-In" being held at the Capitol this weekend.  

It isn't always easy for women in D.C. to breastfeed in public, even though it's legal. Now one D.C. mom is pushing for federal protection of breastfeeding everywhere with an unusual demonstration on Capitol Hill. 

Starting at 9 a.m. Saturday, moms will gather and nurse their babies en masse at the U.S. Capitol. 

Rachel Papantonakis of Northeast D.C., the organizer of the event, hasn't been criticized her for nursing her 9-month old son in public, but she knows it happens, she says.

"Recently there have been a number of news stories where women have been harassed for breastfeeding their children in public places and it bothered me," Papantonakis says.

In response, she organized the "Great Nurse-In" with the hope of raising support for a federal mandate protecting breastfeeding. The event features performances, activities and speeches by breastfeeding supporters. 

"The goal is to normalize breast feeding with a specific focus on public breastfeeding for today's society and also for future generations of parents," Papantonakis says. 

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