These days, breastfeeding is a bit of a tricky thing. While there certainly is a lot of pressure for moms to go the natural route, we frequently hear stories of women being shamed out of publicly breastfeeding their little ones. Talk about a double-edged sword!

Iowa mother, Elizabeth Herzog knows about this particular conundrum all too well. The mom to 5-month-old Georgia breastfeeds whenever her little one sees fit. It’s not about making a statement; the mom’s reason for doing so is pure and simple—she needs to provide nourishment for her daughter.

You see, her baby was born two months early, which means that Elizabeth is very lucky to have Georgia here with her today. Though all seems to be alright with the adorable infant, she is still not where she needs to be in terms of weight; she weighs in at only 10 pounds and the average for her age is 14.

Because of this, the first-time mom encourages her infant to feed whenever she feels like it. Sounds perfectly reasonable to us!

So, when Elizabeth and Georgia were enjoying their meals at a local Red Robin, the new mom was astonished to find a manager approaching, asking her to “cover up.”

In an interview with news station WQAD, Elizabeth explains how the employee’s words affected her and her daughter. “It [breastfeeding] doesn’t seem like that big of a task, but especially for her [Georgia], I worry,” says the mother.

Now, it’s important to note that Elizabeth walked out of the restaurant as soon as the manager asked her to “cover up,” but the informed mom didn’t leave them without getting the last word in. Before she got to the door, she relayed an Iowa state law that protects public breastfeeding. You go, girl!

Because this story has quickly gained traction, a Red Robin spokesperson has come out and said that the Davenport location where Elizabeth’s public shaming went down is currently being re-educated on this particular law. The company also added that the restaurant would now accommodate any mother and child who need to breastfeed in the establishment.

Not everyone is against public breastfeeding

While there are plenty of public breastfeeding naysayers in this world, many mothers are getting support from the most unlikely of places.

For example, just this past January, Pope Francis, of all people, encouraged a group of mothers who were visiting the Vatican with their infants to breastfeed anywhere they liked. Mind you, the holy man said these words in the Sistine Chapel, a place that is just a TOUCH more important than a small town Red Robin!

Well, if the pope doesn’t judge mothers for breastfeeding, frankly, we don’t think we should either. Just the same, there are, of course, two sides to every story, both of which you can hear in WQAD’s video below.

We’d really love to get your perspective on this divisive issue. Are you pro-public breastfeeding or anti-public breastfeeding? Do you have any personal experiences that have informed your stance? Have you ever been asked to cover up while breastfeeding your child?