Breastfeeding mother kicked off plane, what would you do?

[SarahFair]

Hmm maybe breast feeding was the best way..
Nowa days you cant take but 3 oz of liquid on a plain and it has to be in a zip lock baggie
If you want to take formula the mother has to taste it. I know I would NEVER EVER EVER taste that nasty stuff..OMG the smell of it makes me want to vomit.
People just need to get over the fact that breast feeding is a way that people choose to feed their children. If it makes you uncomfortable then look the other way. I might see if a child is watching and asking questions but hell they need to learn sometime or another right?
If I were a child feeding and had a blanket over my head I would feel sufforcated but then agian I am claustrophobic..
I think they are blowing it out of the water..
Maybe plains need to have seats designed for mothers that do breast feed that will block the sight some dont want to see.
IDK whatever whatever.

 

[DawnMarie]

Just because I enjoy playing devils advocate.......

Why is seeing boobs and butts so unnatural in comparison to breast feeding?....well, okay - excluding the silicone and lipo-suction

It's the whole "indecency" thing...I totally don't know if that is spelled right. Anyway, I mean, it's okay to see that stuff on tv, but it's not to breastfeed your child? I'm not saying the naked body is "unnatural" Just that that shouldn't be okay, and breastfeeding not. I'm probably not making sense, I have a headache and 3 kids driving me crazy

 

[showpug]

Well, for all the arguments about "why not just give the baby a bottle?" Well, my daughter is almost 7 months and has never had a bottle or formula in her mouth. If I were to offer a bottle now, she certainly would not take it. This is very common in exclusively breastfed babies. Do a little research!
AND why would I want to make up and pack a cold bottle anyway, when I have my boob with me everywhere I go. It's fresh and ready and waiting and VERY convenient to say the least. There is another aspect to nursing besides just feeding a hungry child. There is a comfort aspect to it as well. It helps calm babies and makes them feel safe. If they are tired, it helps put them to sleep. Now, I can guarantee that if this lady was allowing her child to scream it's head off on the plane, people would have had a problem with that too.

Boobs and naked bodies can be all over TV and movies and billboards etc in this country and that is acceptable, but the second one is used for it's original purpose everyone is in an uproar! I don't get it, but it's a rediculous mentality.

Oh, and it's not considered indecent exposure. In public places, women can not be told not to breastfeed. It's against the law. Private places/businesses like a plane are different and it's up to the owner of the business to make the call.

 

[girlbuffalo1]

well

I think you can say however that besides the analogy of the offensive t-shirts--analogies about TV do not compare. There are a lot of people who don't watch TV or selectively watch shows without nudity or any other such filth. While I hardly think BF'ing is filth it seems strange that the same people who made such a huge deal out of the Janet Jackson superbowl thing (ooh the poor kiddums how indecent!) are the same proponents of bf'ing any where any time and to any age--no matter who is sitting around. In the end just because it is a natural body function does not mean that I or whoever should be forced to watch it in plain (plane LOL) view! You can only crick your neck at an extreme angle for so long!

In fact the airlines can make you change your offensive shirt! They have done so for people who have shirts protaining to plane crashes and terrorists ect or even for arabic writing (which I think it TOTALLY WRONG)--but it's their planes--you buy a ticket you follow their rules.

 

[MyIrishWolfie]

In the end just because it is a natural body function does not mean that I or whoever should be forced to watch it in plain (plane LOL) view! You can only crick your neck at an extreme angle for so long!

If I ever have another kid.. I'm going to create a t-shirt that says..

"I'm about to start breast feeding.. please stare"

Nobody is forcing you to look.. you can look away ya know

But yea.. I know.. its hard to not look anyway

 

[girlbuffalo1]

Lol!

I just meant that on a plane you would either have to shut your eyes the entire time or turn your head 90 degrees in the opposite direction and keep it there! It's kindof like a car crash maybe? LOL--just kidding. I have never seen someone do it--but I'm sure I have been around people doing it so I guess they were 'discreet'!

 

[AndrewF]

Well, for all the arguments about "why not just give the baby a bottle?" Well, my daughter is almost 7 months and has never had a bottle or formula in her mouth. If I were to offer a bottle now, she certainly would not take it. This is very common in exclusively breastfed babies. Do a little research!
AND why would I want to make up and pack a cold bottle anyway, when I have my boob with me everywhere I go. It's fresh and ready and waiting and VERY convenient to say the least. There is another aspect to nursing besides just feeding a hungry child. There is a comfort aspect to it as well. It helps calm babies and makes them feel safe. If they are tired, it helps put them to sleep. Now, I can guarantee that if this lady was allowing her child to scream it's head off on the plane, people would have had a problem with that too.

True enough. And as I mentioned before, it was likely some tight-@ss who ratted the lady out. Strictly relating to this incident though, she was asked to use a blanket and refused. Oops!

As it turns out, the airline disciplined the attendant. Nuff said.

Boobs and naked bodies can be all over TV and movies and billboards etc in this country and that is acceptable, but the second one is used for it's original purpose everyone is in an uproar! I don't get it, but it's a rediculous mentality.

If we're going to switch to the general 'breast-feeding in public' debate, I'm all for it but as I said earlier, I enjoy playing devils advocate.

I have yet to see a bilboard on public display showing T&A. Maybe I'm not looking hard enough

Unlike your TV or movie (which has a rating system that identifies whether nudity will be a part of the show), I can't turn a breast-feeding mother off or change the channel.

I'll also go back to the point I was mentioning with DawnMarie: what other natural processes do we have which aren't allowed in public? Just because I have a penis doesn't make it okay to have sex with my wife on the front lawn - even though I'm equipped.....or to pee at the playground - though that's also a natural function after 6 cups of coffee.

Oh, and it's not considered indecent exposure. In public places, women can not be told not to breastfeed. It's against the law. Private places/businesses like a plane are different and it's up to the owner of the business to make the call.

True enough. And (stepping away from my role as devils advocate) in Ontario (where I'm from) it's not illegal for women or men to go topless either - unless that law's changed recently....which makes the whole debate of breast feeding in public kind of futile

 

[MyIrishWolfie]

I just meant that on a plane you would either have to shut your eyes the entire time or turn your head 90 degrees in the opposite direction and keep it there! It's kindof like a car crash maybe? LOL--just kidding. I have never seen someone do it--but I'm sure I have been around people doing it so I guess they were 'discreet'!

True.. everyone can't help but stare at a car crash.. :lol-sign:

 

[bubbatd]

On news here in Indy this noon .... a whole group of breast feeding moms picketed in front of Delta ticket desk this A.M. and nursed . A little much , I'd say !

 

[casablanca1]

but I also wonder why a breasfeeding woman is thought of as offensive but yet someone with a shirt that says "professional muff divers association" with a cartoon picture to go with the saying is not offensive.

I find both offensive. To me, the difference is what each person would do if suddenly elevated to godlike status and allowed to kill me. The smirking twerp with the t-shirt is going to probably make me re-enact "Kill Bill" with me, of course, in the role of slaughteree. Which, yes, is wrong and bad, but ultimately just wearying. The breastfeeding mother will make her hubby do it while she fusses loudly with the brats. The last thing I'll hear on this Earth will be her complaining into a cell phone "Bill's got to kill this childless woman for me; no, I couldn't do it myself, I'm exhausted, I had to go to the store this morning and then Tyler wanted to play trucks with his Nana so we had to swing by there and..."

 

[makenzie71]

On news here in Indy this noon .... a whole group of breast feeding moms picketed in front of Delta ticket desk this A.M. and nursed . A little much , I'd say !

YEah I can just imagine that scene...cuz you know one was in charge...

~Alright ladies! Ready! Aim!...

They'd have to do it on a plane to get the point across...terminals are busy. No one's ever in one place long enough to have to deal with the anyone's stationary actions for long. What they should have done was put one mommy on each flight out for the day and have them start their little little vac-heads up 2 after the seatbelt light goes off.

 

[RD]

(disclaimer - haven't read the entire thread)

I don't see the big deal, honestly. So she doesn't want to bottle feed, that's fine. Of course kids need to eat and I'm sure people in the airplane would have preferred a nursing baby to a screaming one.

However . . . there are nice LIGHTWEIGHT blankets out there that could be used. A thin crocheted blanket would be perfect. In a less-cramped situation I can understand why she'd refuse, but when she's so close to other people . . . Ye Gods, be considerate!

 

[whatszmatter]

well breast feeding is a whole lot healthier than formula, the comparisons aren't even worth mentioning. Where exactly is she supposed to heat on up on the plane?? Is it better to let the baby cry the whole time??

Unless a woman has her shirt pulled up over her head, its discrete, the only way you see boob, is if you're looking for it, get over it.

Blow job compared to feeding a baby?? yeah they're really similiar, nice comparison, about the same as pissing on the sidewalk is the same. Sure thing

its uncomfortable to watch? you're a big boy, turn you head the other way. Sorry, there isn't much more of a basic need, than to feed a baby, too uncomfortable with it, maybe you're the one that needs to do some changing.

Oh my gosh, its a boob, somebody call the police.

 

[Whisper]

First of all, I think breastfeeding is a completely natural non-offensive thing. But some people may have been truly offended by it. Like if a Muslim was on the plane it would be very offensive to them. I would never have complained but I don't think it would have hurt to just put a very light blanket or comething over the baby. I thought I had the impression that there were blanket/things for that purpose?
That being said, I do think people can be way too uptight about things, such as this. I guess I have conflicted thoughts about this. I think it would be ridiculous for someone to get offended by breastfeeding, but if asked to cover up on a place such as a plane, I think you should cover up. *shrugs* I'm sure there's more to this story.

 

[zoe08]

Ok, I have not read all of this, but from the many pages I did read, No one has mentioned a BREAST PUMP. People should really teach their babies to eat from a bottle, and they can still use breast milk. Babies should always be prepared to HAVE to eat from a bottle cuz what happens in an emergency when their mother can't be there to breast feed them for some reason? Especially when they are almost 2 years old. I am sorry but if it was a newborn maybe, however a 2 year old should have different alternatives than breastfeeding. By that age they should definitely be able to use a bottle, like I said, you can still use breast milk. And by the time they are 2 they should be eating baby food and stuff other than milk. Heck most 2 years old are drinking out of sippy cups even, so put it in a cup if you don't want your child to have a bottle.

 

[makenzie71]

Your lovely, intellegent, high quality fiance did back on page 2.

 

[corsomom]

I find it very strange that anyone could be offended by a mother feeding her baby.I breastfed my two until they were right around a year. My babys would not take a bottle, wanted nothing to do with it. I breastfed my daughter on a plane once, I dont even think anyone noticed.I bet the reason someone complained is the age of the baby, that makes alot of people uptight. I think its the decision for mother and baby to make when time to end breastfeeding,no one elses. I took alot of crap for nursing mine for so long, but I did what I felt was best for us. Oh, and comparing feeding a baby to getting a blow-job?I dont think I've ever heard anything so ridiculous.

 

[Whisper]

Oh, and comparing feeding a baby to getting a blow-job?I dont think I've ever heard anything so ridiculous.

I agree with that! I don't think I've heard anything so ludicrous in a long time.

 

[showpug]

Ok, I have not read all of this, but from the many pages I did read, No one has mentioned a BREAST PUMP. People should really teach their babies to eat from a bottle, and they can still use breast milk. Babies should always be prepared to HAVE to eat from a bottle cuz what happens in an emergency when their mother can't be there to breast feed them for some reason? Especially when they are almost 2 years old. I am sorry but if it was a newborn maybe, however a 2 year old should have different alternatives than breastfeeding. By that age they should definitely be able to use a bottle, like I said, you can still use breast milk. And by the time they are 2 they should be eating baby food and stuff other than milk. Heck most 2 years old are drinking out of sippy cups even, so put it in a cup if you don't want your child to have a bottle.

Have you ever used a breast pump or breast fed a baby? Well, I'll start by saying that I refuse to give my daughter a bottle, but that is a whole other story. Second, it's not like you can just pump a bunch of milk whenever you feel like it, especially if your body is not accustomed to pumping. Have you ever heard of the "let down" reflex with nursing? You can pump all day long, but if the pump doesn't trigger your "let down" then you will have about 1/2 ounce of milk. No where near enough to feed a hungry baby. I can't get my breasts to let down with a pump, but they do immediatley with my daughter. Since my daughter nurses every 2-3 hours my body makes enough milk for the amount she nurses. It's not like I could just go upstairs right now and pump a bottle. It would take time and conditioning for your body to adjust to pump enough milk to fill a bottle on top of nursing your baby at regular intervals.

 

[makenzie71]

Oh, and comparing feeding a baby to getting a blow-job?I dont think I've ever heard anything so ridiculous.

I agree with that! I don't think I've heard anything so ludicrous in a long time.

Assuming they were ever compared doesn't speak highly of your literary perception. In places where it's a banned practive, meat-whistle tuning is just as illegal as breastfeeding.

Well, I'll start by saying that I refuse to give my daughter a bottle...

That's your perogative...just don't expect to get away with breastfeeding a toddler on a plane...or many, many other places, without scrutiny.

And never confuse your inabillity to use a breast pump (or similar alternative) with the public's concern.