Breastfeeding Mother Stunned by Note on Receipt

[BainsBane]

I love that the Pizza place is called Fong's.

A breastfeeding mother at a pizza restaurant got the surprise of her life when she received a free pizza and a kind note on her receipt from a waitress.

Jackie Johnson-Smith, 33, a stay-at-home mother from Ankeny, Iowa was celebrating her 33rd birthday on Sunday at Fong’s Pizza in Des Moines with her husband and their three kids, ages 4, 3, and 12 months, when her youngest started fussing. “I usually don’t go downtown for dinner because lots of places aren’t family-friendly but I had heard good things about Fong’s,” Johnson-Smith told Yahoo! Shine. “It was chaotic—I had one kid licking the honey container on the table, another standing on his chair, and my baby was fussing.”

So Johnson-Smith threw on a nursing cover and began discreetly breastfeeding her 12-month-old. “I usually don’t like to breastfeed in public because people can be judgmental,” she says. “The waitress kept walking by, and I was worried she didn’t want me nursing in the restaurant.” Eventually, worried that her baby would continue crying, Johnson-Smith left the restaurant and finished nursing in the car.

Shortly after, Johnson-Smith’s husband walked out with a huge smile on his face. “He handed me the dinner receipt and at first I was confused—why is he showing me how much my birthday dinner cost?” said Johnson-Smith. To her surprise, there was a handwritten note on the paper: ‘I bought one of your pizzas. Please thank your wife for breastfeeding!’

http://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/breastfeeding-note-from-pizza-waitress-pays-it-forward-164047499.html

[chelsea0011]

1. OMG...a good breastfeeding story. After reading the OP header, I was expecting the note to say

something else.

[BainsBane]

2. It's nice to read good news from time to time.

[rurallib]

8. Plus after that idiot Supreme Court ruling here in Iowa last week

we really expect the idiots to be out. (woman fired because dentist can't control his urges.)

Great story.

[sheshe2]

3. Thanks BainesBane for posting this...

[BainsBane]

4. You're welcome!

[KentuckyWoman]

5. Big K and R

Thanks so much for posting this.

In my lifetime we've gone from harshly judging Moms who might use formula on occasion to actually harassing women who breastfeed. Both extremes are awful but good heavens the speed at which we swing the pendulum can give a body whiplash!

[Orrex]

6. Awesome story!

K/R

[BainsBane]

7. New sig. line

Took me a few posts to catch on.

[Orrex]

39. :evilgrin:

You can skip the next part.

[cherokeeprogressive]

9. One kid licking the honey container, another standing in a chair, a third child "fussing"...

I take that to mean crying.

She's worried about "family-friendly", I'd say her family wasn't RESTAURANT friendly.

[BainsBane]

10. What?

You are the only person who does not see this as a good news story.

[cherokeeprogressive]

11. Nah. I'm just the only person brave (or stupid lol) enough to point out what was going on.

It's a good story. I was left wondering though what the father was or wasn't doing to help his wife with the kids while they were in a public place.

[BainsBane]

14. You obviously don't have kids

Neither do I, but I have some memory of being one. They were at a Pizza joint, not a fine dining establishment. People have a right to take their kids out to eat, and kids have a right to be kids.

[cherokeeprogressive]

15. Two kids here.

And we never hesitated to go a single place when they were young. I can't answer to whether they were well adjusted or we were good at keeping them occupied, but they were never ever a problem... be it in a place of "fine dining", or a pizza joint.

[BainsBane]

16. Hardly anyone takes their kids to a fine dining place

It's too expensive. Normal children do not behave like adults.

Edit: Come to think of it, I saw a whole family at La Belle Vie in Minneapolis when I was there. None of the kids were real small though. I remember thinking they must have been loaded. A meal there is well over $100 a person. Luckily, I wasn't paying.

[cherokeeprogressive]

18. We did. Never was a problem.

Ruth's Chris, Mortons, and The Chart House among others.

They weren't expected to act like adults. They acted like kids, albeit without licking honey containers, standing in chairs, or crying. Maybe it was because they were always the center of our attention.

Didn't mean to start an argument. I said it was a good story.

And with that, I bid you a fond adieu...

[BainsBane]

19. I wouldn't call that fine dining

Nice, but not fine dining. We don't agree on anything so I see, no reason we should start now. Have a good night.


Fine dining, aka food porn from Le Bernadin

[cherokeeprogressive]

20. You want food porn? I'll give you some food porn. (I'd like to add that I like you and your posts)

So disagreeing with you isn't the end of the world and I would hope you feel the same... (and I wouldn't even call what you posted food LOL. Looks more like dessert to me.)

[BainsBane]

21. Only the last one was dessert.

If I had my druthers and wasn't paying (that last part being crucial), I'd pick a restaurant run by one of the country's top chefs like Eric Ripert. Not that I object to that meal above. I'd be very happy with just the lobster.

[awoke_in_2003]

26. Unlike the post you responded to...

that actually looks like food.

[BainsBane]

29. Insult my food porn?!!!!

[awoke_in_2003]

31. Uh, oh- it's on...

sorry, though- guess I am a bit low brow when it comes to food

[BainsBane]

32. I like high and low brow when it comes to food

as long as it's prepared well, but if I'm going to dream I'm shooting for the stars.

[Arcanetrance]

38. Don't feel bad I spent a ton of money doing culinary school and learning all this stuff

My favorite thing to do still is pizza

[BainsBane]

40. Are you a chef?

You're hiding your assets.

[Arcanetrance]

42. I am a chef and I'm very good at what I do but I still miss tossing pizzas

Maybe because it was the first thing I ever learned to do cooking wise

[BainsBane]

43. You know, I just don't like pizza that much

I'm not sure why. What sort of food do you cook now?

[Arcanetrance]

44. More upscale Italian cuisine but I do have training in multiple cuisines

Italian is my comfort zone its what I grew up eating in my house. Currently tho I'm not working I'm recovering from a ruptured Achilles

[BainsBane]

45. That must be painful

Are you telling me that if I offered to take you out to dinner anywhere on my dime, you'd choose a pizza parlor?

[Arcanetrance]

46. Of course not if it was on your dime I'd go wherever you wanted

[BainsBane]

47. No, the idea is you get to pick. Your choice.

[Arcanetrance]

48. Probably Mediterranean or Thai than

[BainsBane]

50. That would be good

though it's not easy to find good Thai food.

[Arcanetrance]

51. Thai food is amazing usually get the red curry with chicken

On a side note I have a brother in Minnesota I hope to be visiting in December he wants me to try this Juicy Lucy burger when I come

[BainsBane]

52. At the Nook or Matt's?

Both are good, but I prefer the Nook.

[Arcanetrance]

53. No clue have to ask him he says Minnesota is beautiful in the winter

[BainsBane]

55. He's clearly a disturbed individual

It's freezing. Yes, it's pretty after a new snowfall but it quickly turns to grey sludge and dirty snow--if you're in the city, that is.

The Juicy Lucy was invented here.

[Arcanetrance]

56. He lives outside the city a place called big lake I think

[BainsBane]

58. Oh, that's another story

It probably is beautiful. He may be trying to punk you though by getting you here in the winter.

I think Big Lake is in Michelle Bachmann's district.

[Arcanetrance]

59. I'd have to ask him if it is. I've always been a winter person I hate when it's hot out

[BainsBane]

54. The best Thai I've had here is at Kungthrep Thai on Nicollet

True Thai is popular but not good, IMO.

[cherokeeprogressive]

30. Mouth-watering food. I loves me some Ruth's Chris.

Funny thing... it's usually the bar tab that kills my wallet there rather than the food LOL.

[pangaia]

67. :>)))))))))))))))

You won that one.. if just for the humor..I mean, serious, humor.. I mean.. I can't explain it but you know what I mean..


For me-- sushi (Think that lobster but as lobster sashimi.. ummm.....)
And REAL Chinese cuisine.. in China..

Carry on...

[telclaven]

73. I have to ask

What is that first picture?

I seriously have no idea what it's supposed to be, how to eat it, or even if I'd want to eat it.

[BainsBane]

75. It looks like it may be a fish mousse of some kind

Here is the original article, but it doesn't appear to describe the dish picture.
http://grandforksgourmet.areavoices.com/2012/03/12/hagerty-to-dine-at-le-bernardin-in-nyc/

This is the restaurant's full menu. It has 3 Michelin stars, which means it's ranked among the best restaurants of the world.

http://le-bernardin.com/

[Chemisse]

27. Ages 4, 3 and 12 months

I would say their difficult behavior was somewhat inevitable. Pizza takes a looooong time to cook when you have 3 toddlers to entertain.

Perhaps you just lucked out with a couple of 'easy' children.

[Logical]

57. LOL, Wow, what a arrogant comment. n-t

[cherokeeprogressive]

60. You can think it's arrogant OR a load of crap, it doesn't matter to me.

There was no need to edit that, you're free to think whatever you want.

Here's another arrogant load o' crap for you, since you seem to be interested: My oldest was born while I was at sea in the Navy. I didn't see her until she was two months old. She was already sleeping through the night every night. The Ped who delivered her was an old guy in Janesville, WI. He told my Wife no matter what, feed her every three hours even if you have to wake her up to do it. Give her the boob or the bottle even if she doesn't want it. After 6 weeks stop waking her up at night. Worked like a fucking charm.

I didn't even know she was teething until I heard a tick-ticking noise when she put her mouth on the edge of the glass table. No tears, no fever, no nothing. She walked at 9 months. Her sister is 6 years younger and the biggest difference was that she hit those milestones later.

I give my Wife (now Ex-Wife) all the credit.

The oldest starts testosterone therapy next month in preparation for gender reassignment surgery. I guess she'll someday be the boy I always wanted.

[Ruby the Liberal]

17. Thanks for being first. nt

[usGovOwesUs3Trillion]

22. I recommend you stay home more often

that way you won't be so offended by life.

[cherokeeprogressive]

23. I missed the part where I said I was offended. (I SO hate when that happens!)

[usGovOwesUs3Trillion]

25. thats how it comes off

might want to edit it if you didn't intend to give that impression.

[Javaman]

71. Sad. nt

[AAO]

12. Any rational society would encourage and make allowances for breastfeeding.

I salute this person for doing that for her, but it's still sad that this is not the norm in many places in this sometimes great country.

[Lordquinton]

65. Most states have laws about it

Here is Iowa's:
135.30A Breast-feeding in public places.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, a woman may breast-feed the woman’s own child in any public place where the woman’s presence is otherwise authorized.

Reading it carefully there is plenty of wiggle room in that, but for the most part it's protected in public.

[AAO]

74. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary

That should only apply to Federal law. The state has the right to make these laws, but they are still subject to Federal laws.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a woman may breastfeed her child at any location in a Federal building or on Federal property, if the woman and her child are otherwise authorized to be present at the location.

[SalviaBlue]

13. That is really nice! Breastfeeding mothers should get support and encouragement.

Thanks for posting!

[Liberal_in_LA]

24. cool story

[anomiep]

28. Much better than the story I was expecting to read

Based on the title.

[CrispyQ]

33. This story made me smile!

[bigwillq]

34. I will never go to Fong's.

Kid-friendly is not the place for me!

[BainsBane]

35. Another poster here feels the same way.

[bigwillq]

36. We're BFFs!

[BainsBane]

37. Love should never be denied.

[Tree-Hugger]

41. Fabulous story! nt

[dsc]

49. that was so sweet

[snooper2]

61. I said no olives

lol

[BainsBane]

62. Is that an Olive Garden reference?

[blackspade]

63. That is so nice.

A truly uplifting story in a daily sea of shitty news.

[SunSeeker]

64. K & R

[eridani]

66. At least it wasn't in the Olive Garden n/t

[Victor_c3]

68. I live in a very progressive area about 1 hour north of NYC

Breastfeeding mothers aren't that uncommon to see here. I have two children (aged 2 and 4) and I frequently see breastfeeding mom's at the places I bring my kids to. Some women are so comfortable that they don't even use one of those discreet covers. Great for them. The more people see this in our society, the less people will gawk and comment. We're mammals and drinking milk is what our babies do.

The only reason breasts have any sort of a sexual connotation is because we as a male dominated society decided that they should. There is nothing lewd, repulsive, or sexual about breasts or seeing a breastfeeding mother.

[mstinamotorcity2]

69. my mom told me that

cows nurse calves and people nurse babies. My children were bottle fed. Couldn't breastfeed. On meds with first two children and the physician didn't want meds going through breastmilk.

[bullwinkle428]

72. I've eaten at Fong's twice - fantastic pizza ("Crab Rangoon pizza") and wonderful

service, but atmosphere-wise, it's pretty cramped, noisy and chaotic any time around the prime dining hours. In other words, no one is going to be the least bit bothered by a family with young kids that aren't exactly sitting there with hands folded and mouths shut! I can guarantee that this family was not causing any kind of disturbance to any of the other diners.

K&R.

[BainsBane]

78. What is crab rangoon pizza like?

Does it have those filled won tons on top?

[Eleanors38]

79. A refreshingly positive post! Thanks.