Breastfeeding truck coming to a city near you?

**meow** · July 6th, 2011, 01:30 PM

Ahh, Americans and BFing is funny! I don't hide away in the ice cream truck to eat my ice cream, so why does my baby need a truck to hide on to feed?? I think this is even supposed to be PRO-breastfeeding

What would you do if you saw an ice cream truck with a giant boob--nipple and all--on its roof?
You'd probably do a double-take. Then, tell your kids to stay away because they can't buy ice cream from it. It's not an ice cream truck, after all. It's The Milk Truck, an on-call mobile breastfeeding vehicle that performance artist and mom Jill Miller would like to turn into a reality.
Miller--a faculty member at the School of Art at Pittsburgh's Carnegie Mellon University--is looking to raise $10,000 in funding through pledge site Kickstarter. If the breastfeeding crusader succeeds, nursing moms in the Pittsburgh area (and eventually beyond, Miller hopes) will never have to worry about finding a private spot to pump or nurse again.
"There's a reason for making The Milk Truck," Miller writes on her Web site. "To create a mobile breastfeeding unit that allows mothers to feed their babies in places where they have been discouraged: restaurants, shopping malls, public spaces, etc. Babies should be able to eat anywhere. And everywhere."
Miller plans to spend the money she raises on Kickstarter to purchase the truck, give it a "boob job" (as in, that giant boob on the truck's roof), renovate the interior and exterior, hire moms to staff the truck, and fuel it up.
The Milk Truck will be on call for part of every day, and moms will be able to follow its route online. They can also reveal their own location via Twitter, Facebook, or The Milk Truck's Web site to summon the breastfeeding vehicle. In addition to providing on-call services, the truck will visit public events such as art openings, concerts, fairs, and sporting events to provide a nursing space.
The truck will run in Pittsburgh throughout the Andy Warhol Museum's 2011 Pittsburgh Biennial from September 26 through December 10.

Read more: Breastfeeding truck coming to a city near you? | Crave - CNET

**Glass half full** · July 6th, 2011, 01:42 PM

"To create a mobile breastfeeding unit that allows mothers to feed their babies in places where they have been discouraged: restaurants, shopping malls, public spaces, etc. Babies should be able to eat anywhere. And everywhere."

Babies can already be fed in these places! Just because some people may not like it doesnt mean its "not allowed". This would just stop breast feeding in public from becoming more socially acceptable. Trust America

**Beach Mama** · July 6th, 2011, 01:53 PM

Ummmmm kind of defeats the purpose of stating that " Babies should be able to eat anywhere and everywhere" and can you imagine bub getting hungry while you are out, so you log onto Twitter to find out where the bus is?!

Great to raise the profile that feeding is normal but a bit ridiculous IMO. Having said that much that comes from US culture is a bit OTT so no surprises really.

***Ash*** · July 6th, 2011, 03:52 PM

I would be all for it if it was a support service- for example, a free, mobile lactation consultant support service.
Otherwise it seems unnecessary IMO. A waste of resources and petrol really.

**Just Me** · July 6th, 2011, 04:32 PM

Yep because when my baby is hungry he waits patiently for me to find the truck (or the truck to find me) and feed him.

Her funding would be so much better spent making 'This business supports breastfeeding mothers' sign to hang in restaurants, malls and other public spaces to let mums know that they won't be discriminated against for feeding in that place (in Australia it is discrimination but it doesn't stop the comments) and to spend her time educating business owners and the general public about breastfeeding.

If she really feels that passionately about it, there are far more sensible, cheaper and more inclusive ways to support and encourage breastfeeding. I think she just wants to stick a giant boob to a truck.