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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

695 replies

Celebelly · 16/07/2019 20:25

'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?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
15
ethelfleda · 17/07/2019 22:54

People always talk about ‘those women’ on these threads - the ones that get both breasts out when feeding... I doubt they exist tbh.

loltara · 17/07/2019 22:55

if you bring in the stats on cesarians (many are not an emergency), British girls want tight vaginas and non-saggy boobs...I think this has more to do with breastfeeding stats.

rockingchaircandle · 17/07/2019 22:59

Ha, loltara - I think this is what KLM were thinking this morning before they had the flaws in their argument roundly pointed out!

You're right about it being natural though. But there's really not two sides, just let women nurse and it's no one else's business...

LaurieMarlow · 17/07/2019 23:02

allow breastfeeding (obviously) but cover up

Ffs, for about the 40th time, what if the baby doesn’t tolerate a cover?

Don't get precious about it

Who is this aimed at, the baby? I don’t think it’s about the baby being precious exactly. They want to feed. Without a cover. They’re not just doing it to annoy you.

LaurieMarlow · 17/07/2019 23:03

British girls want tight vaginas and non-saggy boobs...I think this has more to do with breastfeeding stats.

Erm, say what now? Confused

rockingchaircandle · 17/07/2019 23:04

Wait, Loltara - I meant KLM were making the same argument about covering up.

I don't think they were leaping to judge women who have cesarian births! Weird that you have, though.

BadLad · 17/07/2019 23:07

If I owned an airline I would fill a whole plane with breastfeeding mothers and fly it somewhere tomorrow as a show of solidarity to mums

You could start a GoFundMe / Kickstarter and then charter a KLM plane to do it.

www.klmjets.com/klm-aviation-what-is-charter.html

BadLad · 17/07/2019 23:08

Actually it seems that's not actually part of KLM. Oh well. Still easier than owning your own airline.

ChiefClerkDrumknott · 17/07/2019 23:14

I would suggest that anyone who is uncomfortable with the sight of a breastfeeding mother has the right to avert their eyes and possibly have a word with themselves

AngeloMysterioso · 17/07/2019 23:15

Because for many people, breasts are not just for the purpose of breastfeeding but are a body part associated with sexuality.

Why is that a problem for breastfeeding women to solve?

That's very different to a woman seating next to a stranger, exposing herself with no care at all for their feelings

“Exposing herself”?? Jesus wept. It’s a breastfeeding woman, not some pervert flashing randoms in the street.

Breastfeeding is not so special that it should be worshiped by everyone.

Breasts are not such a shocking and shameful thing that they should be kept covered at all costs.

AngeloMysterioso · 17/07/2019 23:18

Also can we please stop talking about “flopping” breasts out? As I said before, we’ll never be able to persuade people to accept breastfeeding if we can’t even use positive language to describe our breasts when we’re using them to feed.

LaurieMarlow · 17/07/2019 23:18

I don’t see anyone asking for breastfeeding to be ‘worshipped’

Just to be able to do it in peace without using a cover, if that doesn’t work for us.

Shewhomustgowithoutname · 17/07/2019 23:51

Breast feeding breast are not the best looking breasts ever are. I don't think I would show my breasts at their best never mind when they are less than pretty.
Why would that not make women cover up better.

Borisdaspide · 17/07/2019 23:56

Breast feeding breast are not the best looking breasts ever are

Tell that to a breastfed baby. They think that shit is da bomb

Seven78 · 18/07/2019 00:00

Thanks to some particularly special people posting this has been a depressing thread to read through and shows how backwards attitudes are from some posters (and therefore likely from the general population).

But also with some great and entertaining points from those with common sense and respecting feeding mothers' rights to just get on with things!

Thankfully the majority seem able to feed without issue. The sooner that becomes perfectly normal and not viewed in any way as unusual or reason to take offence the better, whether noticed by children, adults, old people, unicorns, flight attendants, teenagers, restaurant customers, cats, or the 14% of mumsnetters (as it currently stands) who think that 'flaunting' should be covered because of possible offence. Covering a feeding baby looks odd and awkward and, unless people want to do it for their own reasons, should not be imposed.

missbattenburg · 18/07/2019 00:30

Breast feeding breast are not the best looking breasts ever are. I don't think I would show my breasts at their best never mind when they are less than pretty. Why would that not make women cover up better.

Bloody hell, that is the most depressing thing I've read in here.

Which is saying something.

Women, remember, only inflict a vision of yourselves on the world if it's aesthetically pleasing. If you're anything less than pretty, cover up. It's the decent thing to do.

Bettyspants · 18/07/2019 00:37

Ridiculous. I've sat next to a man with the most revolting eating habits on a flight. Food spilling out of his mouth, snorting and undoing his flies mid meal. Unfortunately I doubt the flight attendant would have insisted on the much needed cover. Although she did give me some sympathetic glances.

Percypigparade · 18/07/2019 00:52

It is massively offensive to suggest that everyone having a non emergency c section does it to achieve a tight vagina.
What a nasty piece of work you are loltara.

moreginrequired · 18/07/2019 00:55

Breast feeding in public in Holland is way less common than here. Maternity leave is only 3 months and I suspect this is part of why it’s just less often seen. I frequently saw on mummy pages examples of cafes/museums shops asking women to cover up whilst feeding so policy seems sadly in line with some attitudes there. From my experience they are a pretty terrible airline when travelling with children so I’d likely just avoid travelling with them as much as possible

AuntieGT · 18/07/2019 07:12

Breast feeding in public in Holland is way less common than here.

Yet more women in the Netherlands feed than the U.K, so where are they doing it? I had no idea that public feeding was considered taboo. when we had Dutch friends to stay (men in their 20s) I was breastfeeding my 3 months old and explained about the peer support groups we had here and they seemed to think that breastfeeding in Holland was the norm and couldn’t believe women in the U.K. didn’t do it more. Also have friends who are a gynaecologist and a midwife in the Netherlands who have backed this up. I suspect like the U.K. views must vary demographically.

Somersetlady · 18/07/2019 07:24

@loltara what a load of guff. Back to back breach babies meant i had no choice but a section and i had to fight hard to breast feed as the milk takes so long to come in.

I am one of those statistics but not through choice!

TigerTooth · 18/07/2019 07:55

LaurieMarlow

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

I hate when people try to hide behind others supposed offence. You don’t speak for them, let them speak for themselves.

IIf you have a problem with bfing then be honest and own it*

Well since her father nor her 16 old boy are likely to be on mumsnet and since she knows them extremely well having lived half her life with one or the other, she is well qualified to comment on their reactions.

My elderly father would be hugely embarrassed as would my 11yr old son if they were sat with a breastfeeding mother who didn’t cover, esp if the other boob was out. Most BF mothers (and I’ve fed 4) do so discreetly, But not all, some people are exhibitionists and that includes a small minority’s if BF mothers. I think the policy is fine, KLM are keeping their options open.

HenSolo · 18/07/2019 08:04

My elderly father would be hugely embarrassed as would my 11yr old son if they were sat with a breastfeeding mother who didn’t cover, esp if the other boob was out

I’m getting sick of this. Educate your son. And your father. It is NOT our problem.

HenSolo · 18/07/2019 08:07

Can everyone RTFT please. Several more patient and eloquent posters than me have explained multiple times why a mother might need to feed with uncovered breasts. NONE of those reasons is exhibitionism. We don’t care about turning on your grandad, we care about feeding the baby and SHOCK HORROR being comfortable doing it