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?

Thank you for the insight @Bibijayne having breast fed two myself i have a good idea of how breastfeeding works.

I still don't think that they are asking you to cover the baby. Just to cover your breasts!?

Both the photos of breast feeding women are fine surely? Don't like it don't look. Not a woman's responsibility to be 'sensitive'. Don't make it the mother's problem.

Bibijayne

Which is exactly why I’m teaching my kids that BF is perfectly natural and healthy.

If I spot someone BF their baby, I discreetly get my kids to look (so the poor mum doesn’t feel like a science experiment)and then explain to them what it is.

I wasn’t able to BF my kids but no way am I going to let them grow up and be the twat on the plane demanding women to cover up babies so they can feed them

@Bibijayne, some will be many won't. I think it would be the polite thing to ask the passenger ne t to them it is OK with them. As said, I wouldn't have an issue with it myself , but I know my father wouldn't be keen, my 16yo boy would be horrified!

@crispysausagerolls airlines have dress codes yes. As do many other places the public use.

I would expect a store to have a place to be quietly feeding a baby even a changing cubicle would be better than a central atrium.

Did you bottlefeed perched on a wobbly stool in a tiny cubicle behind a curtain often?

Why on Earth not? It’s a better and quieter place for the baby, after all....

@swingofthings but why should I have to explain something which is incredibly common with babies? Surely it makes far more sense for that person to move? And at the point I'm needing to feed a hungry baby, I'm not in a position to explain calmly to an adult what the issue is. I'm trying to focus on my child who is going to get pretty upset (and draw a lot of attention to what is going on) as opposed to the grown up. A baby is not able to rationally understand embaressment or delays. An adult can. In that scenario the baby's rights to not be upset/ hungry/ frightened / in pain are more important that some momentary awkwardness for an adult.

In most things we say the right of a baby or a child - who cannot advocate for themselves - trump's that of an adult. Why is it different Inthis circumstance?

@Soubriquet, having different views and values to you doesn't make others twats. It's that judgemental attitude that really irks me. What is natural to you doesn't have to be for others.

I have never seen a woman in a low cut top or see through top or boob tube type thing asked to get off a plane or cover up. And I have seen that a LOT.

I can’t grasp why pandering to people feeling uncomfortable is so important. Where does one draw the line?

I am not going to ask permission to feed my child.

but I know my father wouldn't be keen, my 16yo boy would be horrified

Both of them better grow the fuck up, then.

Just laughing that every couple of pages of this thread some new delightful person comes in with the old, “I’m not against breastfeeding BUT...” bullshit.

And then we go round in circles again. So I’ll say it again. Breastfeeding mothers are not doing it to antagonise/titillate. No matter how much or how little of their breast is covered.

Reading this thread i am beginning to think i had a relatively good breast feeding hour journey (apart from the first 6 weeks of bleeding nipples for the silent reflux baby that fed none stop)

I literally could and did feed anywhere. Even standing up confidently by number two.

I certainly hadn't considered how hard it would be if i was bigger busted.

It does @swingofthings when your “comfort” trumps a baby’s

I mean you have a working neck I presume and can look else where can’t you?

@Somersetlady

I'm cursed with 34 L cup breasts post baby. Trust me, I'm keen to keep as much covered as possible but it's not possible. Now he's bigger (just turned 11 months) he covers a lot more and it's so much more discrete. But when he was a tiny 5 1/2 lb newborn nothing really covered up my breasts. There's not a lot of clothing that is good at covering larger ladies whilst nursing - especially if the early days! And the only way to sort of cover him would be to use a cover or a muslin. This is not something he tolerates at all. And I have tried!
To do what you have suggested would have required me to stay at home for the first six months of his life. Which wouldn't have been great for either of us.

@crispysausagerolls to use your analogy and change is around some. If it is OK for mums to breastfeed and it is OK for an elderly dementia patient to expose her breasts because she is ill how would you feel about an elderly man probably with dementia stripping naked in front of a young mother and 3 to 9 years old daughter?
The breastfeeding mother has one story for her breastfeeding the elderly lady has another story for the exposure of her breasts. Having a naked man in front of you is quite another situation especially with a young female child being present. It is horrible and happens more often than people think.
What if the naked elderly male dementia patient sees the breastfeeding mum and thinks he is a 25 year old adonis!
Similarly, what about having a male child aged 8 to 12 with you when you notice a breastfeeding mum.
This is not just about mums who breastfeed or mums who bottle feed. This is about comfort for all concerned.

Both of them better grow the fuck up, then
And you grow some manners maybe.

To clarify. In the early days, I'd have needed to cover him in order to cover my breasts.

Just laughing that every couple of pages of this thread some new delightful person comes in with the old, “I’m not against breastfeeding BUT...” bullshit

This happens on every breastfeeding thread on MN. It’s usually that we are allowed to bf our babies as long as -

We don’t talk about how great it can be
Actually- don’t talk about it at all
Don’t draw attention to it - better to do it away from people
Don’t make others ‘feel guilty’ for not doing it (which takes little effort)

Etc etc etc

Similarly, what about having a male child aged 8 to 12 with you when you notice a breastfeeding mum.

Wtf - explain to him what breastfeeding is!

Bloody hell, my kids are going to be so much more educated than this. And they certainly won’t be freaked out by a pair of boobs.

The only time I've breastfed a baby on a plane, it was infinitely preferable for my neighbour I am quite sure than listening to said baby bawl for milk for half an hour. Or for a queue to form while I fed in the toilet.

Similarly, what about having a male child aged 8 to 12 with you when you notice a breastfeeding mum

I would be fine with this because my son will be comfortable with seeing women breastfeed. Not just because he has been breastfed, but because I will educate him.

The thing is seeing a man’s penis needlessly isn’t comparable anyway as it has a “reason” in this case described but it’s not necessary. Sometimes feeding without a cover is necessary. Or practical.

A patient with dementia exposing themselves to strangers does not serve the purpose of nourishing a baby.
A baby’s need to eat trumps someone’s offence at seeing body parts.

If your dad and son genuinely cant handle some nipple less flesh, they are totally pathetic.

Did anybody else have one of those babies who used to get distracted when feeding, pull off to look at what distracted him leaving your nipple exposed and your milk spraying all over the damn place? That was what used to stress me out the most when trying to breastfeed discreetly.

Plenty of "male children aged 8 to 12" will be the big brothers of breast fed children.
I think the answer to this is more feeding in public, not less. Needs to be more normalised.