Covering for breastfeeding in order to “ensure that passengers of all origins feel comfortable on board .” This is how the Dutch airline KLM replied on Twitter to a woman’s question about the company’s policy towards breastfeeding.
Curiously, two days before this response, another Californian mother denounced the same airline on social networks, after experiencing an uncomfortable episode on board a plane when a flight attendant told her that she should cover herself if she wanted to breastfeed . User criticism has not been long in coming.
“We could ask the mother to cover herself to breastfeed”
Breastfeeding is permitted at KLM flights. However, to ensure that all our passengers of all backgrounds feel comfortable on board, we may request a mother to cover herself while breastfeeding, should other passengers be offended by this.
— Royal Dutch Airlines (@KLM) July 16, 2019
“Breastfeeding is allowed on KLM flights. However, to ensure that all of our passengers from all backgrounds feel comfortable on board, we may request that the mother cover herself while breastfeeding , in case other passengers are offended. thus”.
With this forceful message, the airline KLM responded to a woman’s question about the company’s policy on breastfeeding . Logically, the criticisms of Twitter users did not wait, starting with the mother who had raised the question:
Do you think it’s acceptable to ask a mother to cover her child while feeding? Why would breastfeeding cause anyone to “feel offended”? I’m very curious to know how feeding a child could be viewed as offensive?
— Heather Yemm (@HeatherYemm) July 16, 2019
“Do you think it is acceptable to ask a mother to cover her child while feeding? Why would breastfeeding make someone ‘offended’? I’m very curious how feeding a baby could be considered offensive “.
Other users supported the mother by denouncing the archaic policy of the airline, and urging those responsible for the company to reconsider the natural fact of breastfeeding a baby , something that in no case should be considered offensive or worthy of hiding.
Please explain why all passengers are to be comfortable except for the feeding mother and baby. If a passenger is uncomfortable with breastfeeding, why can they not be moved or cover themselves? Shame on KLM! I will never fly with you again.
— Euro Amy (@amyworldalive) July 18, 2019
“Explain why all passengers should be comfortable except the mother and the feeding baby. If a passenger is not comfortable with breastfeeding, why not ask him to cover himself or move? Shame on KLM! I’ll never fly with you again. “
This is outrageous, KLM. I know you’re trying to be fair, but this is not the way to do it. You’re pandering to those who would control women’s behaviour, prioritising their feelings over the process of nurturing an infant.
— Paul Milnes (@nonklatink) July 18, 2019
“This is outrageous, KLM. This is not the way to be fair. You are pleasing those who want to control women’s behavior by prioritizing your feelings over raising a baby.”
You need to change your perspective @KLM – anyone who claims to be ‘offended’ by breastfeeding is sexualising the mother’s breast. Don’t pander to the creeps – tell them to look at something else and mind their own damn business.
— Cáit O’Riordan (@rockyoriordan) July 18, 2019
“You need to change your perspective, KLM. Anyone who claims to be ‘offended’ by breastfeeding is sexualizing the mother’s breast . Don’t be fooled by these types of people and tell them that they should look away and take care of their own matters “.
How dare you “permit” breastfeeding, no mother should have to seek permission to feed their child. I don’t have a child, so I have no idea how challenging it might be to fly with a baby and breastfeed on a flight but I’m ashamed to have to fly with you tomorrow with such comments
— Ellen W. Evans (@Research_Ellen) July 18, 2019
How dare they “allow” breastfeeding? No mother should have to ask permission to feed her children . I don’t have children, so I can’t imagine how difficult it can be to fly with a baby and have to breastfeed on the flight, but I would be ashamed to have to fly with you in the future with such a comment. “
Faced with the barrage of criticism received, the company continued to publish new messages in order to try to soften the tension generated . But far from rectifying its position, the airline’s comments continued in the same direction, and user complaints were also on the rise.
And we absolutely don’t want to make the mums of our youngest passengers feel judged about the most natural thing in the world. That is why our cabin crew may suggest options to the mums to ensure some privacy when feeding their child. <<<
— Royal Dutch Airlines (@KLM) July 19, 2019
“We do not want the mothers of our youngest passengers to feel judged by something that is the most natural thing in the world. That is why our cabin crew could suggest options to moms in order to guarantee some privacy when it comes to feed your children “
What are the options?? Moving mum to first class? Sleep mask for the “offended” passenger?
— The Cathinator (@cathinator) July 18, 2019
“What would the options be? Moving mother and baby to first class? A sleep mask for the ‘offended’ passenger?”
Are you bloody serious? You do realise that the problem is the “offended” passenger, right!? Why would a mother feeding her child need to be inconvenienced and shamed? Yet here you are insisting on supporting the creeps that have a problem with this. 🙄
— Chara (@chara_30) July 18, 2019
“Are you being serious? Do you realize that the problem is with the” offended “passenger? Why should a mother who feeds her child be molested and humiliated? However, you continue to insist on supporting those who have a problem with this topic. “
The previous complaint of a Californian mother
Two days before the controversy that emerged on Twitter, Shelby Angel, a Californian mother, also denounced the policy of this same airline regarding breastfeeding, after having suffered an uncomfortable situation while breastfeeding her baby on the plane .
According to her own account on her Facebook account, last June she was flying with her one-year-old daughter on a KLM flight that covered the San Francisco-Amsterdam route. In order to calm her daughter and help her sleep, Shelby began to breastfeed her, but a few minutes later a flight attendant came up to her with a blanket and told her that if she wanted to continue breastfeeding she should cover herself .
The mother refused to cover her baby , and the airline staff reproached her that in that case, if any passenger was offended, she should solve the problem herself.
“I issue a warning to all nursing mothers: do not fly with KLM! A month ago, I was flying with my one-year-old baby on a KLM flight from San Francisco to Amsterdam. It was my third flight with my little girl. I was breastfeeding her, because the breast calms her down, helps her sleep and makes her feel comfortable. But my daughter does not like to eat covered, and although I do my best to breastfeed discreetly, my baby does not he always makes it easy for me. “
“Immediately a flight attendant appeared with a blanket, and said verbatim:” If you want to continue breastfeeding, you have to cover yourself. “I refused because my daughter does not like to be covered. I think that would irritate her almost as much as not being able to suckle. So the stewardess warned me that if someone complained it would be my problem, and as such I should solve it. “
“No one complained. In fact, no one has ever complained on any of the flights that I have taken with my baby , except this flight attendant. She was tremendously uncomfortable and I felt that I had been disrespected. When we got home I reported the facts to the public. company, but they told me that their mission was to respect passengers of all cultures, and that the flight attendant’s response was in line with company policy. “
“So instead of defending and protecting breastfeeding and babies, they coerce us into traveling with our nursing children. I think KLM has old-fashioned values, which makes us women ashamed of our bodies.”
“It has taken me time to write these lines, because I have never received such harsh criticism about the type of parenting that I carry out with my daughter . Therefore, I hope that people who have to fly with their nursing babies do so on board an airline that respects their bodily autonomy and their right to care for their children as they see fit. “
Cover a baby while feeding? Really?
It seems incredible that in the 21st century there are still people who see inappropriate for a mother to breastfeed her baby in public. But unfortunately it continues to happen, and it is not the first time that we echo similar stories.
There are few cases that we have known of mothers who are expelled from public places such as restaurants, swimming pools or airplanes for breastfeeding their babies. Or, like this case, mothers who are asked to cover up while breastfeeding.
Judging by the comments that have been raised on Twitter on this issue, there are still those who support the airline’s policy (although fortunately, there are very few). And there are people who continue to consider ugly, inappropriate or provocative the fact that a mother breastfeeds her baby when and where it is necessary.
But the truth is that breastfeeding should be protected by everyone , and mothers should never feel humiliated or reprimanded for breastfeeding their babies in public. In addition, and above any opinion, the well-being of the child, his diet and his rest should come first.
Undoubtedly, the problem is the offended person and the eyes with which he looks at an act of love as pure, necessary and natural as breastfeeding.
Photo | iStock
Via | The confidential
