AIBU to think KLM's breastfeeding 'policy' is absurd?

[Celebelly]

'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.'

This was posted on their official Twitter today.

'Permitted'. Thank god it's 'permitted' to feed your child.

AIBU to think this is ridiculous?

@Somersetlady men don’t need to be topless to feed anyone?!

This boils down to you thinking women are exposing a lot of boob in order to antagonise or titillate. I do not think this is true. We are never going to see eye to eye are we?

Do women ever stop to consider the feelings of others, particularly men

Ha!

Nah mate, I just considered the feelings of my baby. But hey, I'm just a bitch like that.

maybe address them then and not me?

I wasn’t aiming any vitriol at you, I was just responding to your comment!

This boils down to you thinking women are exposing a lot of boob in order to antagonise or titillate. I do not think this is true

This! My mother has similar views on this despite having extended breastfed 4 babies and it’s maddening.

Again imo most women expose very little if anything when feeding @HenSolo.

Poor poor sensitive men. I think they need to be shielded from offence-causing behaviour- like breastfeeding......so offer them an eyemask!

ah sorry @crispysausagerolls

@Dora26 you do know thats it’s not just men? Some Women also feel uncomfortable.

Them too

Again imo most women expose very little if anything when feeding @HenSolo.

Yes but you’re complaining about the people who expose ‘too much’ Am I right in saying that? And I’m saying that I don’t think anyone exposes a lot of boob for any reason other than comfort. I think it is disingenuous to suggest otherwise with no evidence. Many people on here have said why they do it, particularly those with larger breasts. I used to get my whole boob out when it was hot and I was only wearing one layer. Still I would not be showing more than someone in a bikini.

It sounds as if they might ask the mother to cover up if someone complains but will leave the decision up to her. They have to keep the peace on a flight, I don't see the harm in trying to mediate.

To be fair, it would take quite alot effort to notice a woman breastfeeding so I am pretty sure they've just added that as a disclaimer. It seems like an all in all rather unlikely situation to arise.

KLM flights tend to be ridiculously kid-friendly. I cannot count the occasions on which kids were running wild and the parents expected someone else to look after them. The flight attendants noted it but expected the other passengers to put up with it. I had babies and children passed to me to hold without comment or prior interaction on three(!) occasions. It is actually one of the reasons I avoid KLM these days.

I genuinely think most people who bleat on about covering up in case someone faints at the sight of a nipple would really rather we did it in the toilets, as if breastmilk is akin to urine or ejaculate. Or didn't do it at all. It enrages me.

Are KLM a Dutch company? I imagine the right to breastfeed uncovered can't be enshrined in Dutch law then which I'm surprised about

I have however seen In London and Brighton women with whole boob out above a vest top feeding whilst looking around presumably to see who is looking at them

I see bottle feeders doing this all the time - looking around while they feed their baby. They should of course keep their eyes downcast all the time to show their shame.

Only yesterday I saw two men walking through the park and eating fish and chips while looking around proudly, flaunting their cod.

My colleague drinks coffee and looks at his screen at the same time, occasionally glancing around the office to check wed are all impressed by his multi tasking . It’s disgusting.

This has been interesting reading, because I actually never realized till today that I am a titlopper! I’ve just been feeding my baby the way that feels most comfortable to me - by pulling down my stretchy vest on whatever side he’s going to feed, unclipping my bra, and feeding him. So all this time I’ve been hearing about ‘exhibitionist’ breastfeeding mothers and just thought ‘well, I’ve never seen one’. Isn’t it possible that all these women are just feeding their babies?

And, look, if you feel more comfortable covering yourself up or buying one of those mad nursing tops that I’ve never got on with then great - you do whatever you need I to feed your baby. And I’ll do the same. And if I CHOOSE to drape my cardigan over myself because my brother in law is in the room then I will. But anybody thinking that I should be expected to can fuck the fuck off.

And to those of you who say you support breastfeeding and breastfed your own but think people should cover up - please just consider that what you found comfortable whilst feeding may not be what someone else does. And - In the beginning - feeding can be one of the hardest and most painful and most emotional and guilt fuelled things we do for our children. Please think carefully before adding body shame to that list. You might choose to cover up or you might not - expecting women to do this is in the same realm as saying girls shouldn’t wear shorts because the boys will be distracted.

I wear low cut tops. I have always worn low cut tops, boobs are one of my better features. When breatfeeding for 3 years solid, I still wore low cut tops and frequently fed over the top of them. Indeed, the boob I wasn't feeding from was frequently less covered than the one with a bloody baby attached to it...

KLM can fuck off. People offended by bf can fuck off. And all those people (and it's been heavy on here with it), who say they're pro bf, but talk about flopping tits out and being 'discreet' can fuck off too; you annoy me as much as the rest.

I don't give that much of a fuck about offending people in the rest of my life, so why would I care at all while all I was doing was feeding my children?

I have however seen In London and Brighton women with whole boob out above a vest top feeding whilst looking around presumably to see who is looking at them

Going by some of the sentiment seen, I'd presume they are looking around to see who is going to cause trouble with complaints or insults.

If men breastfed

m.youtube.com/watch?v=y1j0nv9Jc6o

Your in a confined space full of people from potentially vastly differing backgrounds be it educational or religious. I really don't see the problem in trying to keep the peace. It's not like they're religating you to the hold, trying to ban it or sticking you in a cupboard. Perfectly natural or not it is a sadly contentious issue and I really don't think a tin can in the sky is a place to make a stand about differences.

FairytaleOfWigan

Your post really made me chuckle

ruminthebath and herja you are both fabulous and wholeheartedly agree with everything you have said.

vastly differing backgrounds be is educational or religious

My opinion is that religion is a bullshit, made up construct and that uneducated and ignorant people on this thread ought to educate themselves. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Certainly not going to base my life decisions or my wardrobe around these two things.

The word “flop” or variants of it has been used on this thread alone more than 20 times to describe women uncovering their boobs to breastfeed.

According to the dictionary:

“Flop (verb) - fall, move, or hang in a loose and ungainly way.“

How are we supposed to persuade society in general to be more accepting of breasts and/or breastfeeding when the very language that even pro-breastfeeding women use to describe their own breasts is inherently negative?

I really don't see the problem in trying to keep the peace.

Frankly the bfing mother has enough to worry about in a) meeting her child’s needs and b) keeping herself comfortable and sane.

That’s plenty on her plate. Asking her to also worry about and accommodate other people’s hang ups is fucking ridiculous. Why can’t they deal with themselves like the adults they are?

And it tells you everything you need to know about expectations of women in our world.

Just because you don't believe something doesn't mean you cannot respect it.
That's is a childish and inflammatory argument that bares absolutely no standing.
You are entitled to your opinion but respect of others cost nothing. No one said you had to change day to day but how utterly disrespectful would it be to go to a country with certain dress codes and completely disregard them because you don't believe the so they don't count?
It's the same with in a small environment of a plane where 15 people are in charge of keeping the peace of 100s with no back up essentially. There is more than one view to take into account. Keeping the peace is the greatest importance. If covering up helps with that then so be it.

If men breastfed