Breastfeeding is not an easy thing to get the hang of. Not that I’ve tried it, but it took May and Pooky a while to get on the same page. It can be especially nerve-wracking when the baby is extra fussy and not wanting to accept the breast, even though you and the baby both know that the only thing that will calm her down is some mother’s milk. You want to get the baby going before it reaches that point, wherever you happen to be.

Breastfeeding in public is a whole other can of worms. A lot of women, from what I understand, are not terribly comfortable with the idea. I don’t blame them. I’m not terribly comfortable with the idea of my nipples being exposed in public, and I’m a guy. May solved this issue with a wonderful drapelike contraption. Other women have other methods. Whatever works is great. The point is, the baby needs to get fed, and if a woman feels comfortable enough to do it in public, more power to her. If a woman feels she has no choice but to feed the baby in public, regardless of whatever issues she may have, she should certainly not have to worry about being judged or hassled for it. Which is what makes this story about a woman being kicked off of a plane for breastfeeding so infuriating:

[Emily] Gillette said she was being discreet. She was seated by the window in the second-to-last row, her husband was seated between her and the aisle and no part of her breast was showing, she said.

A flight attendant approached, tried to hand her a blanket and told her to cover up, Gillette said. She said she had a legal right to breast-feed her baby.

Moments later, a Delta ticket agent approached and said the flight attendant had asked that the family be removed from the flight, Gillette said. She said she didn’t want to make a scene and complied.

Adults putting their issues ahead of a baby’s needs. Great. I wish people would just get over themselves.

Here’s the article.

Additional blog coverage of this news story:

Blogging Baby
Working Moms
aurelia ann