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Subject: FW: Delta kicks breastfeeding mom off plane! Sign the petition now!
Dear MomsRising member - I almost got kicked out of a Flower & Garden Show for nursing my son ten years ago, but that pales in comparison to actually getting kicked off an airplane--as happened recently to a mother on a Delta Airlines flight in Vermont.
She was sitting on an airplane nursing her child in a next-to-last row window seat with her husband beside her (in other words, she was in a discreet location), when a flight attendant offered her a choice: Cover herself and her child with a blanket, or get off the plane. She declined the blanket, and was escorted off the plane.
MSNBC quotes her as saying, “It embarrassed me. That was my first reaction, which is a weird reaction for doing something so good for a child.â€Â
SIGN THE PETITION TO DELTA AIRLINES AND CONGRESS: Tell Delta Airlines to get a clue and be supportive of breastfeeding mothers. And tell Congress it’s time to pass the Breastfeeding Promotion Act, which amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to protect breastfeeding mothers. Clearly this law is needed now!
*Click here to sign on to the petition (and then forward this e-mail on to friends so they can sign too): www.momsrisi ng.org/breastfee ding-petition
WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY: The action Delta Airlines took flies in the face of what the medical profession and the government agree is best for mothers and children. In fact, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) actively advocates breastfeeding and states on their website that the, “CDC is committed to increasing breastfeeding rates throughout the United States and to promoting optimal breastfeeding practices.†And, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services leads a National Breastfeeding Awareness Campaign to promote breastfeeding, and notes on their website that, “The longer a mom and baby breastfeeds, the greater the benefits are for both mom and baby.†*Interested in knowing more? Read why the American Academy of Pediatrics advocates breastfeeding by clicking here: www.aap. org/advocacy/ releases/ feb05breastfeedi ng.htm
That’s some heavy evidence. So why was that mother publicly humiliated for doing what doctors, and even large government agencies, advocate?
SIGN NOW: Sign the petition (and then forward this e-mail on to friends so they can sign on to): www.momsrisi ng.org/breastfee ding-petition
And feel free to also give the CEO of Delta Airlines a jingle (and a piece of your mind): Gerald Grinstein, Delta CEO, at (404) 715-2600â€â€you’ll need to press 0 for the operator. While you’re at it, you might want to contact Lee Macenczak, Executive Vice President and Chief of Customer Service at the same number.
Best – The MomsRising Team
p.s. Got a breastfeeding story of your own to share? After you sign on (and pass along the petition to friends by forwarding this e-mail) please share your own breastfeeding tales of triumph and embarrassment with us online at www.MomsRising. org -- get there by scrolling down the homepage to the blog section, and then click on the Share Your Breastfeeding Tales blogâ€â€you can add your story when you click on that blog
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Re: MomsRising: Delta kicks breastfeeding mom off plane! Sign the petition now!
Sat, November 18, 2006 - 6:23 AMI can relate to the anger that this injustice must have caused this mamatoto. I just flew recently to go to my Grandmothers's funeral with my just turned three year old whom is still nursing. A man BEHIND and diaganol to me was making rude comments to the huge party around him, moving forward to stare, and yelling at me to cover up. The stewardess was not much help.
I did cover up to protect my child but felt totally invaded and persecuted. It is not as if we were totally in view anyway, he went out of his way to look and then yelled at us! This was by far my worst airplane experience with him but I have had many similiar in response to nursing from stewardesses, even when my son was under a year. I have never gotten such intense treatment off of aiplanes. I do know a women on Kauai whom got PUNCHED by a tourist for nursing her autistic four year old, obviously unaware that the worldwide average to wean a nursing child is 4.2 years.
Nursing mamas in this country need protection and honor, no doubt. I have had enough and am moving out of country shortly!
One interesting cultural difference about coveing up... In India all Mamas cover up while nursing but not out of shame. They cover up their babies to protect them from people whom may similiarly be thinking not so pure thoughts about nursing which in turn can effect the sensitive babies digestion. When put this way, it makes more sense to implement discretion. To me nursing was always very innocent and natural and i never even thought to cover up and so ofcourse my son never learned to, pulling at my boobs at the most inopportune moments. But from the wisdom of experience, with my next baby I will be a little more discreet for the peace and well being of me and my baby.
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Re: MomsRising: Delta kicks breastfeeding mom off plane! Sign the petition now!
Sat, November 18, 2006 - 2:51 PMI want to emphasize although I may be more discreet with my next baby, no women should ever be forced too!
The airlines publically apologized to the mother. Although they lied about what really went down which has made their apology a punch in the mamas face.
I am copying this story to bring armed with me my next plane ride in order to protect myself!
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Re: MomsRising: Delta kicks breastfeeding mom off plane! Sign the petition now!
Sun, April 29, 2007 - 7:26 AMI'll be breast feeding by the end of the year myself, and I'm really curious about this: I never understood why women need to breast feed EXPOSED, especially in public. I understand there is a 'right' way to feed and a 'wrong' way. Does covering up the area make it hard to feed properly?
If not, why would you want to have it all hanging out anyway, as if once a baby is latched onto it, it's no longer your exposed breast-and-nipple??
I personally don't even think I'd feel comfortable doing that, unless of course, if it interferes with proper feeding, I guess I'd make myself do it.
But I'd feel as if I were squatting to pee at a keg party, off in the corner or not, but in public enough view for anyone to see if they wanted. Sure, it's wicked rude to stare at someone doing either, and wicked rude to talk about it and make a big deal of it, you gotta pee, it takes 10 seconds, gotta do it; you gotta feed your baby, it takes, i dunno, not forever, gotta do it; but why the hell expose yourself for whatever the reason in front of strangers if you don't have to, knowing it's an offensive sight and everything? Also wicked rude, isn't it?
How do you do it?
Will I have to go around doing it?
Is this really that common a thing to have to do? -
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Re: MomsRising: Delta kicks breastfeeding mom off plane! Sign the petition now!
Mon, April 30, 2007 - 3:21 PMHi Jen,
I can understand feeling trepidation about nursing in public, especially if you've never done it before. I'm a first-time mom and my son is 11 months so i've been doing it for less than a year. In answer to your questions "I never understood why women need to breast feed EXPOSED, especially in public. I understand there is a 'right' way to feed and a 'wrong' way. Does covering up the area make it hard to feed properly?"
I gotta tell you first, there really isn't a "right" and "wrong" way. Every mom and baby are gonna find what works for them, and as your baby gets older the position they preferred 2 weeks ago may be the one they avoid currently. I don't think any mom wants to expose themselves in public, i think they simply want to feed and nurture their baby, and guess what? it involves your breast being uncovered to a certain degree. As to how much or little that is, well- once again, a squirmy baby's gonna dictate that more than any other factor. I used to have no worries nursing my son coz his head covered my breast. Fast forward a few months to my active boy who kicks, squirms, and constantly pulls off to look around him... i have to have my hand hovering over my boob the do a quick-cover *constantly*. I'm pretty sure i've flashed someone, somewhere. but i'm also pretty sure they woulda had to be staring, too.
I never covered up with a blanket. When he was younger (and to a lesser degree even now) i needed to SEE to latch him on. I recall some funny quote to the effect of "it's like trying to fit a watermelon through a cheerio". Once they hit about the 4 month mark, most babies won't stand to have something covering them and will pull a blanket off. You'll attract a lot more attention with the constant tug-of-war than you would by nursing.
Admittedly, i'm not the most modest person in the world and i grew up in a bf'ing family so i never found anything strange about nursing in public. I'd say that if it's causing you a lot of stress at the thought, invest in some good nursing tops- they make for practically invisible nursing. But please don't look down on mom's who nurse in public. It's unfortunate that our society is so sexualized that we can't see the act for what it is- one of *NORMAL* nurturing, and instead blame the mother.
hope that helps. If you want some great help/advice/support, join the Breastfeeding tribe or the online forums at Mothering Magazine. They're excellent! -
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Re: MomsRising: Delta kicks breastfeeding mom off plane! Sign the petition now!
Wed, July 4, 2007 - 5:39 PMwell said Jessica. -
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"well said Jessica."
Thu, July 5, 2007 - 7:38 PMI have been breastfeeding for several years now (4 little ones) and I have not had 1 child who will willingly nurse with a cover. It really hasn't been difficult to feed them with out making a show of it. Many people don't even realize what we are doing. Our culture has made real progress in the support of breastfeeding but if the moms don't stick together we are not going to continue in the direction we've been going in.
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Re: MomsRising: Delta kicks breastfeeding mom off plane! Sign the petition now!
Thu, May 10, 2007 - 11:10 PMIt's actually very easy to be discrete. I always breastfed in public and very few people ever even figured it out. They usually had to see baby's jaw moving before they even realized any of my kids were nursing.
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