NO BREASTFEEDING BUT HELP YOURSELF TO THE BLOODY MARY MIX!

OK. So it's really true. Delta Airlines actually removed a nursing mother from a flight for breast feeding her child. The mother, Emily Gillette, noted that she was in the second-to-last row, next to the window, and "her breast was not showing." A flight attendant apparently offered her a blanket to cover what she believed was already covered enough and she declined. At that point the attendant asked that the family be removed from this three-house-late flight. If you've ever traveled with a toddler late at night on a delayed flight you know how hard it is to settle them down. Besides, from the reports I read, the decision to nurse was made partly because kids often cry on takeoff and landing because of the pressure changes. One of my kids used to get ear infections when we flew because the pressure pushed mucus around in his eustation tubes – until our pediatrician suggested we give him Benadryl before flights to dry him out. So I know it’s an issue.

More importantly though – what could possible have “offended” the flight attendant who asked for the removal? We know that gate agents comply with these requests as a matter of policy and we know this is one of those puddle jumper subcontractor airlines and maybe they aren’t as worldly as larger ones but everyone has been a baby and she was in the back of the plane in a CORNER for heaven’s sake. Lots of you have been very funny on your blogs about this but I’m just not in a funny mood . It is a reflection of our larger policy toward children and it ain’t good. Somehow everything comes before the kids. Even the sensibilities of the only person likely to even notice this going on – that flight attendant.

While everyone is so censorious about nursing – I happened in the same weekend that I read this to fly from DC to Orlando and spend an hour and a half in the United Red Carpet Room – a very pleasant and useful luxury if one travels frequently. Here’s the thing. There are apples and bananas and oranges and 3-4 kinds of juice and pretzels and TWIX bars and sometimes even cheese and crackers sitting around in there. So when grownups are hungry – or even when they’re not – it’s all available and it’s all free (unless you count the annual feel for the Red Carpet Card.) I was going to write about how hard it is for me NOT to take a whole bunch of stuff in my tote bag – if only because it’s free. This time I failed – partly because the stuff was kosher and I thought we might need it. Three tomato juices, 4 tiny pretzel bags, five mini-Twix bars and two granola bars. And over the weekend we used them all. But isn’t it funny that I can get free food and carry it on in quantity while a 22 month old child three hours late for dinner can’t even get what’s naturally, organically, God-givenly hers? Somehow there’s nothing funny about that.

Comments

[Cynthia Samuels]

I agree with everything people have said here, but I also wonder why we don't understand that how we treat our kids will determine our quality of life for generations. Everything we do passes on to the next generation.

I'm not so naive that I think Europe is better because they love kids more; they have a frighteningly low birthrate and the benefits they offer are to motivate people to have kids, but they do set some great policy examples. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

[Susan]

Maybe if we put "kids first" in our culture, our whole world would be better. I am of the opinion, it actually brings us all up when we help those that need it and we can all agree (I assume) that kids need and deserve good care, nutrition, education, etc.-all the basics.

I think this worth getting upset about because it is a symptom of a bigger problem.

[Liza]

What really gets to me is the combination of "you can't nurse your baby on the plane" and "you can't bring pumped milk on the plane unless your baby is with you."

If you're a professional woman as well as a mom and pumped somewhere away from your baby -- which I think is the most common reason you'd need pumped milk on the plane -- too bad.

BTW, I nursed on both legs of our trip this weekend, on Delta, and had no trouble.

[Kids Furniture Crazy]

I heard about this on the news. Airlines are getting more and more ridiculous. They would restrict the bottle coming on the plane as well, so what is a mom to do?