This “news” is very late for babyminding.com but I’ve been thinking about the story since it came to my attention several days ago and I just have to write something about it. In October 2006, a mom, Emily Gillette, on a Freedom Airlines flight out of Vermont to New York was sitting in the next to last row in a window seat and while the plane was still sitting at the gate was breastfeeding her child and holding her shirt closed with one hand. The flight attendant told the mom “You’re offending me.” and asked her to cover up her breastfeeding baby with an airplane blanket. The mom refused and was escorted off of the plane by crew.
Now, I try not to preach my views to anyone and try not to over do it with regard to my strong belief that “breast is best” because I know for some moms it just isn’t an option. However the fact that another breastfeeding mom was called out and made to feel ashamed of providing the best nourishment for her child really irks me! What is offensive about breastfeeding? Especially when done discreetly. What’s even more ridiculous is that the rest of the crew supported the attendant and actually escorted the mom off of the plane! I truly believe that more moms would choose to breastfeed their child if it wasn’t a public taboo. I hate that I feel embarrassed to breastfeed in public. I hate that I always sit in the darkest booth of a restaurant when dining out with my 7 month old because of the stares I get when she wants to eat (discreetly) with the rest of the family. I hate that I have to stop my shopping mid way through to run out to the car and breastfeed in the backseat under the protection of my tinted windows. Perhaps I’m more modest than most but I have to think that based upon what happened to this mom it is not uncommon for other breastfeeding moms to feel the same way. Bottles have nipples; are those to be hidden under a blanket too?
