Follow up: Nurse-in at Burlington airport after mother removed from flight for breastfeeding

Good for them. I was so disturbed by that story.

I fly internationally regularly with my wo kids. The last time I nursed my older boy on a flight he was about 23 months. Our last flight I nursed my younger boy (he was about 6 months then) and will be nursing him on the plane again in about 2 weeks - he is 13 months now. I've never had any problems with the crew on the planes. Once I had an old lady complain loudly to no one on general that I was nursing. (I was being very discreet though, as always, and it actually took her a long time to realise what I was doing.) She also complained about just about everything else on the flight though and just seemed to be an unpleasant human being so I just ignored her totally.

I hope we can come to a place where people in society get over these silly hang-ups over breastfeeding. Babies are MEANT to have breastmilk, like it or not their bodies are designed for it. I'm sorry, but I am not going to feed my kids an artificial substitute just because someone is squemish about that fact. (I totally understand that many people have really good reasons for using artificial baby milk, I am just saying that I do not think anyone should be PRESSURED to do so to protect other people's misinformed and/or ignorant views.)

Anyway, again, good for them. I hope that the complaint that these parents made and all the publicity, including this nurse-in, really make a difference.

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I fully agree with you that mothers should be allowed to breastfeed their children in public. I fully breastfed my daughter for the first 9 months (when she refused to breastfeed anymore) HOWEVER, I do believe that if you are in closed environment like an airplane there is nothing wrong about trying to be a bit discrete. From what I understand the mum was not denied breastfeeding, but asked to cover up with a blanket…why refuse this?

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You know what, I did nurse one of my children ( due to complications with my second, I was unable too) but the mother who was nursing should have covered up. What if there were little boys around or men looking. It can be very confusing for children. Regardless, we do need to be a little modest about breastfeeding. And I don't think she should have been kicked off for it, but I think she should have covered up. What happened to just being polite? Maybe you don't agree with it, but so what, we have become so self centered as a society, then people start making stuff a LAW, next thing you know we have women who can't fly on planes because she can't feed her son on the plane because he has breathing problems and can't be covered up. But thats fine you people keeping playing it that way, you are only hurting yourselves.

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Ever tried to "cover up" with an active baby nursing? It can cause even more ruckus, and draw more attention, than the nursing itself. And those airplane blankets are hot and not necessarily clean . . . don't know if I'd like to put one over my child's sweet head. From the sound of it, they had the row to themselves. When I nurse, the top of my shirt already covers the baby's head, and the baby's body covers up the rest of my torso, so what's to see on the mother?

Forcing a nursing mother and her family (!!) to leave the plane is just madness; it's giving her treatment reserved for disruptive people who have drunk too much, gotten too angry, etc. Yikes.

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Hilde, there are several reasons.

First of all, what could be more discreet than sitting in the next to last row window seat with your husband in the middle seat?

I've never had or known a toddler who would stand for nursing with a blanket over his head. In addition, consider how hot it is on an airplane while it's being loaded.

Unless she unbuttoned her shirt from the top down, nursing one of those big-headed toddlers pretty much covers all of the "mom-bits" (sorry, couldn't resist an immature reference while talking about this...it's all so silly!). What's not covered is less than is normally seen on the average scantily clad lady and would need to be really looked at hard to be noticed and offended.

The flight attendant hadn't even received any complaints. She was the only one who noticed the nursing. She overstepped her bounds, not when she offered the blanket, but when she requested that the family be kicked off the airplane.

SHE DOESN'T HAVE TO COVER UP WITH A BLANKET. Period. That's the law. Breastfeeding is not something that should be hidden away. It really isn't (but you know that...it's the other knuckleheads who need to hear it over and over).

If the flight attendant had received a complaint, it would have been her job to explain to the complainant that the nursing couple wasn't doing anything wrong and that she couldn't do anything about it. Then, she could, if she thought it necessary, discreetly let the mother know that someone was having a problem. The mother could then do what she wanted with the information. If it were me, I'd check myself and make sure that I was as covered as possible with the clothes I was wearing. Heh, heh...some ladies might hike their shirt up under their chins. This would still be legal, but immature and not at all helpful to promoting public breastfeeding.

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Dee, men and little boys *should* see breastfeeding more often.

Confused? Maybe, but only because it's an unusual sight, not because it's naughty or something.

I nursed my older child when a cousin, who was 6 at the time, said, "What's she doing?" I answered that she was having some milk before our long car ride home. My cousin automatically asked, "Can I have some?" It's no big deal to young kids.

And, I believe that the article said that the woman was being discreet.

Have you really seen nursing breasts hanging out of clothing? And is this usually what you see? The vast majority of women are discreet when they nurse in public. In fact, they're so discreet that most people don't even realize that they are nursing.

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Whenever I've nursed in public, I've always covered up- my main reason for doing so is because I know how many true PERVERTS are out there, looking at my child and wishing it were him!!! Discreetness is necessary in today's world.

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Is there some kind of pervert plague that I'm not aware of, attracted to breastfeeding women on planes and in malls? Why is that point almost invariably pulled out when talking about a woman's RIGHT to breastfeed?

Can i start pulling out the pervert plague routine in summer when all the overweight men in my town start parading around with no shirts? No, of course not, a MAN'S chest is acceptable, whereas boobs with purpose aren't.

If you're that worried about "perverts", don't leave the house. Your brain might implode.

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First off, her "infant" is almost two years old. I understand you should breastfeed as long as mutually possible, and I also understand that this is a great way to get a child's ears from popping. BUT, would sucking on a bottle not work for their ears? And, what is wrong with covering up? You have the right to breastfeed, and I have the right not to view it. Don't get me wrong, breast feed away girls, but go to a bathroom, a room where nobody is in, somewhere where nobody can see. My mother did it with me and my brother and sister. Honestly, if I'm eating lunch, for example, in a mall food court, the last thing I want to see is a large, veined mammory gland, with fried egg sized nipples, in some infants face.
The woman filing this law suit says she was offended by the airline's supposed "discrimination" towards her. From what I gather, the airline allows you to breast feed, just cover up some. And what about her breast feeding offending others? Other people have the right not to have to look at that if they don't want too.
In closing, this woman, Emily Gillette, is full of crap. She is suing because she can't handle this situation like an adult. I say give her a one way ticket to an arab nation and see how well her breast feeding in public goes over there.

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Jared, whether you like it or not, I have a RIGHT to whip out my "large, veined mammory gland, with fried egg sized nipples". So, you would be a whole lot better off to just get used to it. This isn't going away. We're not your mother's generation and we're not putting our breasts away.

I find it humorous and ironic that you can't "eat" if you see a working breast yet that is the first food you ever consumed.

Your immatutiry astounds me!

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Jared, you have a hard time eating while viewing a nursing baby, but want that same baby to have to eat his lunch in the toilet?

Mom should buy a bottle and haul it around when she has two perfectly good breasts for the same function? Let's even toss out the fact that a nursing toddler isn't very likely to accept a bottle, anyway.

The airline didn't give the woman the right to breastfeed. That's not a power that an airline has. The airline didn't have a right to insist that she cover up. Again, that is out of the airline's hands. The airline is NOT being sued (not yet, anyway).

Jared, you hit the nail on the head with your statement, "Other people have the right not to have to look at that if they don't want too." I'm pretty sure Mrs. Gillette didn't grab the flight attendant's face and keep it turned it toward her. If you don't want to see it, keep those eyes a'movin'.

Sometimes I don't like to see sweaty people or fat people or greasy people or disfigured people or Chinese people or really skinny people or people wearing a jersey for the Philadelphia Eagles. I think all of that is my problem, not theirs ('cept maybe for the Eagles fan...there really oughtta be a law on that one!).

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You nailed it - seriously, how many OTHER offensive things do people do on the plain with no action taken.

And guess what? I've never ever ever met a woman who does not attempt to be discrete while NIP... Get a grip. I'm not out whipping my boobs around - if you see something, oh well. You'll see more walking by a Borders magazine rack or on a beach ANY DAY.

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I have a RIGHT to whip out my "large, veined mammory gland, with fried egg sized nipples"

Does Jared have a right to whip out his weiner and walk around pointing it at people all day? No? I didnt think so. You dont have any special rights to expose yourself in public. Go read a lawbook sometime.

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Sigh. I started to type out a long response to eejit #9 but it's just not worth my energy.

Jared. Grow up.

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IMO, putting a blanket over yourself just calls MORE attention to what you are doing. It's like putting up a neon sign that says, "WE'RE NURSING! PLEASE DON'T LOOK!"

If the child is latched on, his body/head covers up everything anyway! YOU CAN'T SEE ANYTHING UNLESS YOU ARE *TRYING* TO LOOK! And a toddler isn't going to put up with nursing under a tent.

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Oh, are we really allowed to have people removed from our presence when they're offending us?

So, all the girls walking around with their thong sticking up above their pants, we can have them removed? Cause I really *really* am offended by that. I just can't eat my lunch in the presence of a fat man who's stomach is hanging out above his pants and below his shirt. Or the boys who's pants are down BELOW their butt. And when I go to the mall the LAST thing I want to see is all the breasts on the Victoria's Secret's signs (which is MUCH MORE than you can see when a toddler is nursing).

I cannot understand why people are assuming the woman *wasn't* being discrete, just because she decided not to use a blanket. This woman was in the back of a plane in the window seat. No one could see her but the flight attendant. Even if you can find a child who is willing to nurse under a blanket (highly unlikely) I guarantee you it is much more conspicuous. I have had entire conversations with people while nursing a toddler where the person was completely unaware that I was nursing at all and not holding a sleeping child.

Nursing in public is not necessarily indiscrete. And even if it is, we actually DON'T have the right to impose our particular visual preferences on the world. Jared, you think you have the right not to view it. You have the right not to LOOK, but you have actually no particular right to not be in view of it. If that were true then there would be a lot less spandex in the world.

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A lot less spandex in the world!!

*snort* good one!

Kudos to you, Tara. Usually, I follow your tack on not dignifying the eejits, but with this one, I figured I could do some good with other readers who aren't quite so lacking in good sense.

I think that the next time I fly, I'll have a questionnaire printed out and I'll hand it out just before we descend for landing.
It will have two questions on it:
1. Did you notice that the lady in seat 22B was nursing her toddler? ___YES ___NO
2. Did it bother you? ___YES ___NO

Hmmm...maybe I'll bring it church, the park, the playground and the library, too.

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for all you people that didnt' know this...the airline fired the lady in question b/c they felt she overstepped her bounds

Here's the link:
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2006-11-17-breastfeed-discipline_x.htm?csp=34

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Did I say it was easy to cover up ,,noooo ! But when people come in your house do you want them to be respectful of your rules ! Come on people. Also have you ever nursed a baby???, you don't have to completely cover the child's head to do it ! Also, my husband is a police officer, perverts are like roaches, when you see one you can guarentee there are 100 more around.
And as far as chidlren should see more breastfeeding that may be but that's not your decision it's the parents.
It's not about right or wrong, it's about RESPECT.

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Oh yea please email me your addresses so I can dress up like a prostitute and come over and walk around in your house,,, by the way, you can't say anything!
P.S. for all the people who will try to think I am compairing the two,,,, it has nothing to do with what your wearing it's RESPECT for other people's rules.

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