Saturday, November 18, 2006

Mom gets thrown off plane for breastfeeding her 22mo in Vermont, US

Online article here.

"...Gillette said she was seated in the second-to-last row, next to the window, when she began to breastfeed her daughter. Breastfeeding helps babies with the altitude changes through takeoff and landings, Gillette said. She said she was being discreet -- her husband was seated between her and the aisle -- and no part of her breast was showing.

Gillette said that's when a flight attendant approached her, trying to hand her a blanket and directing her to cover up. Gillette said she told the attendant she was exercising her legal right to breast-feed, declining the blanket. That's when Gillette alleges the attendant told her, "You are offending me," and told her to cover up her daughter's head with the blanket.

"I declined," Gillette said in her complaint.

Moments later, a Delta ticket agent approached the Gillettes and said that the flight attendant was having the family removed from the flight.

Gillette said she didn't raise her voice -- not wanting to make a scene in the current jumpy air travel atmosphere -- and complied with the ticket agent, crying as she exited the plane...."

There are laws to protect mothers' right to breastfeed in public, and they do not mention anything about being discreet. Basically if you want to breastfeed, as long as you have a right to be in that place, you CAN breastfeed.

Freedom Airlines' response in a separate post.

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