breastfeeding woman kicked off flight

[migirl]

I also don't understand why people have such freaky attitudes about it. If she was sitting in a window seat near the back of the plane, and was trying to keep her baby from fussing during a delay, I just don't see who she was offending or how.

We live in (what I consider to be) a pretty 'crunchy' town, and a mom at the local YMCA was asked to leave the swimming pool area while she was breastfeeding her baby because there's no eating allowed in the pool area.

[Lo]

We live in (what I consider to be) a pretty 'crunchy' town, and a mom at the local YMCA was asked to leave the swimming pool area while she was breastfeeding her baby because there's no eating allowed in the pool area.

JERKS!! All of them! I'm not a huge fan of people bf in public and i dont think that i would ever be able to, but you don't make a scene of it. it is a natural thing necessary for survival. these people are nuts, all of them!

[Vishenka69]

What's wrong with that flight attendant? I would may be understand if a number of passengers complained but she did it out of her own initiative.

Once I saw a woman breastfeed a kid (he was somewhere between 1 and 2) on a crowded NY subway in the middle of rush hour. That was weird. Nobody said anything but people gave her plenty of dirty looks. So much for discretion.

Once I saw a woman breastfeed a kid (he was somewhere between 1 and 2) on a crowded NY subway in the middle of rush hour. That was weird. Nobody said anything but people gave her plenty of dirty looks. So much for discretion.

I don't even understand the dirty looks! The subway isn't where I'd choose to nurse, but sometimes you don't get to choose (granted - w/an older child there's more flexibility). Plus, NYC is where women are legally allowed to go topless - so one boob out is nothing.

I do understand that lots of people here who've not had kids (or chose not to nurse) are probably more of the "really rather not see it" camp (although no one has condoned what the flight attendant did). Nursing in public was not my favorite thing to do, but I did it w/o hesitation when it needed to be done. There are TOTALLY discreet ways to do it w/o putting a skeezy blanket over the kids head. Neither of mine would ever nurse w/a blanket on their head - and honestly some of those wraps just make it more noticeable if you ask me.

[Vanquisher]

Personally, I was never a gal who could nurse discreetly. I am just not built that way, and when I nursed, there was plenty to see. I always nursed in as much of a private location as possible. However, I cannot understand booting a woman off a plane for breastfeeding. It's just unimaginable to me.

It's a frickin boob! Get over it.

when baby has to eat, he/she has too eat, there's no understanding in young children of 'patience i need to find somewhere discreet'. I wasn't able to BF ds but if I was he would have been my priority and the boob would have been whipped out to feed him, I'd tried to be discreet but not at the price of making him or I uncomfortable.

I don't see how this women could have been anymore discreet, as a regular plane traveller I fail to see how anyone could have seen her bar reaching over her seat and staring! Shae on the flight attendant, this women was only meeting her childs needs in the most natural and healtiest way.

[DCJenn]

So- the consensus is:

Asshattiness abounded aboard the airplane.

(How's that for aliteration)

Jenn

[MrsC]

Yeah, this is crazy, I mean she was sitting near the window, with her husband beside her. Who else could have seen her.

If the kids got to eat, what can you do. Personally though, I believe in being discreet. I was on a flight to the U.S a few years back, sitting in the middle aisle of the plane. There was a woman breastfeeding beside me, her husband was on the other side. She pulled both boobs out and stayed that way for the whole flight, even when the baby was asleep. Absolutely no discretion. That's something I didn't want to see. As for looking the other way, I did but I had one hell of a pain in my neck after six hours.

[SuzySunshine]

To go along with this topic - a customer sent me this today.

http://www.mothering.com/sections/ac...on-winner.html

[migirl]

a mom at the local YMCA was asked to leave the swimming pool area while she was breastfeeding her baby because there's no eating allowed in the pool area.

They did this to a lady at our local JCC and stirred up quite a controversy!

Yeah, it caused quite a lot of commotion here too. I just couldn't believe it was a controversy HERE of all places, the liberal bastion of the Midwest. The woman ended up having to take her case before the city council who said it was ok for her to nurse her baby in the pool area.

I do understand that lots of people here who've not had kids (or chose not to nurse) are probably more of the "really rather not see it" camp (although no one has condoned what the flight attendant did). Nursing in public was not my favorite thing to do, but I did it w/o hesitation when it needed to be done. There are TOTALLY discreet ways to do it w/o putting a skeezy blanket over the kids head. Neither of mine would ever nurse w/a blanket on their head - and honestly some of those wraps just make it more noticeable if you ask me.

ITA.

Before having a child, I was pro-breastfeeding in public so long as a blanket was used. Then my son was born and reality slapped me in the face. Once he hit 3 months, it was IMPOSSIBLE to keep him covered with a blanket.

I just think of all of the flights I breastfed on (without a blanket) and wonder what I would have done if a flight attendant had asked for me to be removed.....I'm guessing I'd be behind bars.

[Michele]

I do understand that lots of people here who've not had kids (or chose not to nurse) are probably more of the "really rather not see it" camp (although no one has condoned what the flight attendant did). Nursing in public was not my favorite thing to do, but I did it w/o hesitation when it needed to be done. There are TOTALLY discreet ways to do it w/o putting a skeezy blanket over the kids head. Neither of mine would ever nurse w/a blanket on their head - and honestly some of those wraps just make it more noticeable if you ask me.

ITA.

Before having a child, I was pro-breastfeeding in public so long as a blanket was used. Then my son was born and reality slapped me in the face. Once he hit 3 months, it was IMPOSSIBLE to keep him covered with a blanket.

I just think of all of the flights I breastfed on (without a blanket) and wonder what I would have done if a flight attendant had asked for me to be removed.....I'm guessing I'd be behind bars.

After my section and being in the hospital, and trying to learn to nurse in the NICU, modesty is a thing of the past....

this has been all over my LLL listserve....they've made laminated cards with the LA laws on it b/c this area is particularly conservative.

Reminds me of the flack over that Baby magazine cover with the breastfeeding mom and baby on it....

[MissCrabette]

I don't have kids yet so my opinion may change, but so far I'm with the others who said they'd prefer to do it discreetly. That's just my personal preference and I understand that it may not be possible to cover up. And why should you have to for other people's sake? They were totally in the wrong to boot this poor woman off the plane.

To Delta's defense, they didn't do this. It was one of their subcontractors.

Glad to hear the airlines apologized and reprimanded the B^%@! who booted the family off.
Sorry, but I was once handed a blanket with VOMIT all over it. I usually bring my own small blanket when I fly and I would never accept being forced to cover up if I were to breastfeed on a plane.
Of course, I would be discreet about it. I wouldn't whip my shirt off and let everything hang out but jeez...it's hard enough flying, let alone flying with an infant!

[Gwendolyn]

DS never latched on and I was back at school way too quickly to give it the time it needed, so I pumped the first year. DS was exclusively fed with pumped breast milk...my life way all about seeking out outlets in public places. I can't tell you how many bathroom floors I sat on with James in his stroller, with the sound of the motor humming. I was so envious of the women I saw who could just lift their shirt. I got many strange comments about pumping from people during these numerous bathroom floor sitting sessions...didn't it make me feel like a cow? For me, it was the best thing I could do for my child...

What it really came down to was that people could not handle breasts for the purpose of nursing. It was disgusting to many. I admit that when someone I don't know pulls out a naked breast and pinches it into her child's mouth, I am a bit squeamish, but that is my problem, not hers.

I had a woman in my program who brought her infant to class and nursed in the middle of discussion. (I am talking about a graduate seminar with about 12 students). She used a blanket, but we all were able to have complex discussions about theory and criticism while listening to the sounds of her daughter eating.

This one kills me. If you have an issue, it is yours to deal with, not the mothers to anticipate.