These three stories are related, somehow, but we can’t quite get the point.

Breast milk boosts mental health in kids n babies

A new study has found that babies that are breastfed for longer than six months have significantly better mental health in childhood. The findings are based on data from the ground-breaking Raine Study at the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, that has tracked the growth and development of more than 2500 West Australian children over the past 16 years.

NYC mothers protest a security guard's action to discourage public breastfeeding

With posters saying “Breast milk is love, life, lunch” and “Wall Street Needs Some Mama Love” attached to the back of their strollers, a group of about 30 mothers staged a “nurse-in” at the Winter Garden on Thursday, July 21.

The protest, led by the Tribeca Mommies and the Hudson River Park Mamas was organized after Leandra McCormick, 26, was told by a security guard employed by Brookfield Properties to cover up or move to a more secluded area of the mall if she wanted to continue nursing indoors.

“She came over to me and said, ‘Don’t get mad but you have to cover up because people might get offended,’” said McCormick who had gone into the Winter Garden on July 6 to feed her 7-month-old daughter, Leandra McCormick III. “It was 90 degrees outside and I was afraid [my daughter] was going to get dehydrated,” said McCormick. “So I went inside where it was nice and cool.”

Slightly embarrassed but mostly insulted, McCormick who was accompanied by three other women and their infant children, asked to speak to the mall manager. She was directed to the security manager instead. “No one could tell us the mall’s policy,” said McCormick, “they just told me I couldn’t go exposing myself like that.”

Eventually McCormick and her friends left the Winter Garden and continued to nurse on a bench outside.

Women protest breastfeeding rights

A Grand Rapids woman says she was told to stop breastfeeding her baby at the Kent County Clerk's Office. That sparked a protest by other mothers.

It's a movement of sorts. Calling themselves "Lactivists", local moms spent their lunch hour Thursday breastfeeding on Calder Plaza in downtown Grand Rapids. "We want to make it public. We want people to know it's okay to nurse in public," said nursing mother Julie Nietling.

This "nurse-in" was prompted by a situation Nietling says was inexcusable. Jennifer Seif was at the Kent County Clerk's Office applying for her baby's birth certificate when she began breastfeeding. Seif says County Clerk Mary Hollinrake asked her to cover up or leave.

"Nobody has the right to tell me how I can feed my baby and when he's hungry. I have to feed him," Seif told 24 Hour News 8.

Deputy Clerk Sonya Dean says Hollinrake received two complaints from other customers who were offended because Seif's breast was fully exposed.

Apparently it has something to do with babies, we suppose. It appears babies are only allowed in public in western Australia. Maybe it’s some sort of strange religious cult thing, or possibly American children are just supposed to be stupider than in other countries?