Breasts on a Plane...

You no doubt have heard of Snakes on a Plane...

What is it about the airlines and breasts? See my last posting...

Here is the story as related from one of the Midwife lists I subscribe to:

Emily Gillette was flying with her husband and 22 month-olddaughter onOctober 13, 2006 out of Burlington, Vermont. Their flight had been delayedby several hours and when it appeared they were ready to take off, Ms.Gillette began to nurse her daughter.

It was then that aflight attendant approached her and asked her to cover up with a blanket. Ms.Gillette declined and told the flight attendant that she was within her legal rights to nurse where she was without any covering. Ms. Gillettewas sitting near the rear of the plane in a window seat with her husband next to her,nearest the aisle when she began nursing. After Ms. Gillette refused to cover up, the flight attendant then allegedly told Ms. Gillette that she was offending her. (Can you believe this!?)

The family was then approached by a Delta gate agent and told that they were being removed by the flight attendant from the flight. Ms. Gillette and her family complied and although a conversation with a co-pilot did take place off theplane and the family requested to be re-boarded, they were not and instead were rescheduled on a different flight the following day. Ms. Gillette has filed a complaint with the Vermont Human Right Commission regarding the incident.

A woman's right to breastfeed wherever she is, is legal and is protected in Vermont under the Public Accommodations Act. Freedom Airlines has issued several statements, although they give contradictory information. In one statement, Paul Skellon, a spokesperson for Phoenix-based Freedom Airlines, said that they were aware of the incident and that Freedom expects mothers to nurse in a discreet manner(which is assumed under a blanket). In a second statement, he recanted and said that Freedom welcomes all nursing mothers and would not expect them to use a blanket in the future. As well, the second statement issued by Mr. Skellon is full of inaccuracies, including the statement that the family refused to re-board, when they were in fact asking to re-board and were denied that request. Ms.Gillette and her supporters are very upset that Mr. Skellon and FreedomAirlines are both trying to minimize a very grave situation where awoman's basic civil rights were violated and are attempting to shift the blame from themselves to Ms. Gillette, who did nothing wrong and was perfectly within her rights.

Toddlers and babies are especially susceptible to the cabin pressure changes during take-off and landing and nursing them is a natural and convenient way to help them continually equalize that pressure in their ears. Nursing is also a soothing and calming activity for both mother and child and a goodway to calm travel jitters.