A local bounce place for kids has a firm policy that they do not allow mothers to breastfeed their babies in the bounce area and ask them to only breastfeed in the party room out of sight.
A mother who wanted to nurse asked to nurse and was told this policy. A few of us went one night and all of us have nursing babies and couldn't leave the bounce area because we had older children to watch not to mention we are well aware that Maryland law states we do not have to cover up or go somewhere else to nurse in any public or private location.
We had 8 mothers, 3 dads and 16 children meet for a playdate at the Bounce Around. We sat on the benches in the bounce area watching our older children play and nursing our babies when needed. One of us was approached by Amy (the co-owner) and told she needed to leave the bounce area to breastfeed and must do so only in the party room. We asked why and she told us because it was corporate policy. We informed her about the Maryland law protecting a woman's right to breastfeed her baby any place a mother and child is allowed to be without limitation. She claimed she knew but it was corporate policy. She also said there have been complaints. And we asked her if there were any complaints tonight and she said yes. We asked who? (knowing that all that were present were breastfeeding mommies and families she didn't know we were all together) and she said I cannot reveal their identity. She then said she "didn't want other children to see it" as if breastfeeding was a lewd act when it is certainly not and is protected and exempted from the indecency exposure act of the Maryland code.
So we ended the exchange by saying that if she wanted us to breastfeed in another location then the police would have to tell us to do so because her corporate policy is in direct violation of Maryland law. She said OK and went to call the police. We continued to wait in the bounce area and she came back a few minutes later and told us that since she couldn't get a hold of the owner (Tom, her husband) that she wasn't going to call the police. We all continued to breastfeed in the bounce area and the lobby and none of us at anytime went to the closed off area the party room where we were told we had to go breastfeed.
When leaving we asked for the corporate address to write to and she gave us a PO Box in Hanover, MD. We asked for the owners name, and she said Tom no last name. We did some searching and found that this couple owns the business, they live a few miles away in a condo and this Hanover address is simply their business mailing address there is no corporate. We also found many disturbing stories from other patrons in the recent past that have used the Bounce Around for parties. Apparently these owners have been involved in other altercations with patrons and the police have been called to the Bounce Around more than once! You can read these complaints online on this site! We also found that their last name is Shepeta and that the owner carries a gun on these premesis.
These owners not only do not cater well to the clientele they serve and violate Maryland law when it comes to breastfeeding but they also are confrontational, controlling and unfriendly to patrons. These owners are bad news!!
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