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?

@Isthisafreename being respectful of different cultures and behaving appropriately to those cultures having had certain etiquettes explained to you by people born in those cultures is not racist as far as I am aware?

Gawd, there's always one poster who trots out the comparison with urinating in public. If you can't see the fundamental difference between urination and feeding a baby, you have serious, serious problems.

@Isthisafreename Not sure why you tagged me, that isn't my comment!

Even conservative cultures respect breastfeeding so it’s a moot point.

Following that line of thought surely there are many things our body naturally do yet that are not done in public because as a society over time the social niceties dictate we don't.

So should we hide away every bodily function? If we can't see babies eating and drinking, presumably we should all hide away in shame when we take in any form of nutrition? How are you with breathing in public, somerset?

@Celebelly - I'm sorry. I don't know what happened. For some reason, I typed in @, followed by return and your name was put in.

No probs!

If KLM think that someone BFing on a flight could disrupt 'the peace onboard', maybe they need to start weeding out those passengers who they think would react in that way.

Surely you tailor how you feed to where you are and who you are with, even in public.

On holiday by the pool, surrounded by women bathing in bikinis and topless - flop it out if needed.

Next to a teenage boy on a plane - cover up as much as possible to spare both of your blushes.

I disagree @Schuyler i was asked to cover up and offered the toilet to breast feed on numerous occasions in ireland over the course of feeding two babies.

Seemingly not @Hugtheduggee many posters feel flopping them out ( as you put it) on a plane with all ages and cultures whilst actually most likely touching the passenger next to you is totally appropriate.

I am of the opinion that being discreet as possible on a plane when feeding is in everyones best interest including my own.

@Somersetlady - being respectful of different cultures and behaving appropriately to those cultures having had certain etiquettes explained to you by people born in those cultures is not racist as far as I am aware?

Your assumption on what is culturally appropriate is, I can only assume, based on outdated assumptions about religious conservatism. Stereotyping a nationality in this way is racism. Have you ever actually been to Ireland? If so, have you ever actually been in a changing room?

If, as you say, you have spoken to people born in Ireland, I can only assume that they are either very elderly, very religious or have not lived there since early childhood.

It is perfectly acceptable to strip in changing rooms in Ireland. Some women do, some women don't. I always do, I am never the only one doing so, and nobody has ever been offended.

This is really shocking, like surely contravening legislation? Can’t believe the ‘keep the peace’ justification. I had never seen a ‘whole boob out’ breastfeeder until a long time into feeding my first, and I often wondered how people could get so offended by breastfeeding. It did catch my eye more as it’s not what you see often, but of course I noticed then moved on and got on with my life. And thought ‘wow, I wish I was that relaxed about it’. My second still needs a fair bit of help patching well at 9mo so I could do with getting the boob right out but policies like this and the fact that 11% of MNers think it’s ok, means I’ll probably still feel most comfortable trying to keep as much as possible covered.

@Somersetlady - i was asked to cover up and offered the toilet to breast feed on numerous occasions in ireland over the course of feeding two babies.

Again with the racist references to Ireland's conservatism. Ireland is modern country, with social attitudes similar to most western countries.

I also find your comment very hard to believe. My children range in age from 16 to 22. I breastfed all of them, everywhere. The only comments I ever got were positive. I have never seen anyone challenged while breastfeeding and you can see women out and about breastfeeding everywhere.

Surely you tailor how you feed to where you are and who you are with, even in public.

I’m afraid I tailor how I feed to the comfort of the baby. And yes, shockingly, my own comfort.
No matter how much of my breast is on show it does not mean I am whipping it out to show it off. It is to feed my baby. Quite simple. If a bit of fatty tissue offends you...not my problem

There’s a widely trodden way between flipping out a breast and covering you and the baby completely and most women manage it well. Most of my friends wore loose-ish T-shirts and pretty well everything was automatically hidden without needing to be ostentatiously covered up.

I fed mine for eight months in all kinds of places. Never once did I expose more than an inch or so of breast, briefly. On a few occasions I draped a muslin over myself, mainly because of the comments of older women who didn’t BF their children.

I'm a massive advocate of breast-feeding. Breastfed my two - eldest to twelve months and youngest to eighteen months respectively.

I'm of the thinking that it doesn't need to be us versus them. I think you can breatfeed discreetly.....I honestly don't understand why it needs to be a battle over whose 'position' trumps someone else's. This can be a win win for everyone????

Yup @Isthisafreename married an irishman lived there for over a decade and swam in many different pools mostly down the country. It was actually MIL that brought it up with me! I’d been changing as her friends were coming out of water aerobics and they went on to tell her i was naked in the changing rooms and they felt uncomfortable. It made me very aware of it and even now i notice how many women hold a towel around them changing when swimming there. It didn’t make me ashamed of my body but it did make me more mindful of how others might feel whilst I’m prancing about makes without a care in the world and i changed my actions accordingly.

I haven't noticed this in Dublin or in bigger hotels interestingly but i guess thats because they are probably requested by out of town guests rather than locals.

Wicked can we decide what offends us and ask that those people be covered up? I once sat next to a horrendously smelly man could we wrap him up in a blanket? Might have helped. KLM just lost my business. Fuckers.

@Somersetlady - characterising an entire culture as being conservative on the basis of the opinions of some older, rural, women is sweeping generalisation at best. I assume older women in the UK are more likely to cover up too.

I’d be surprised if there was real evidence of many women sitting and feeding almost topless in public. Of course there may be some female weirdos who get a kick out of being nearly nude but that’d happen if they were breastfeeding or not. Some babies don’t cope with being covered. As long as you’re not topless on a plane, you’re fine. Breastfeeding women really don’t seek out to be exhibitionists.

@Isthisafreename have a word with the marble city bar on the butterslip in kilkenny where i was feeding discreetly outside with a friend only in 2017 and was very politely asked by the manager if I would like to go somewhere more private. In the toilet. I politely declined.

My own mil made me go into another room in her house if feeding and refused to put my sons breast milk in her fridge but thats a whole other thread.
I was asked to stand outside to feed at a wedding.
I literally couldn't find anywhere to sit at a busy race meeting at the curragh when baby was 6 weeks old (in retrospect it was silly to take him) when i asked a member of staff they suggested the toilet.

I could go on. Shall we just say our experiences have been different because they obviously have.

NEtoN10 I have seen a woman on a full Tube feeding exactly like that, only less clothes. Vest top pulled right down and very large breasts on full display - it was extremely uncomfortable for myself (a young liberal type) and many others from the awkward glances.

I am pro breastfeeding, I am pregnant and I plan to breastfeed in public.

But there are some women who do strip off to an unnecessary degree and I agree with PPs that a small minority do do it in an f-you get over it way. Yes it's a natural function, many things are that we don't put on full display in public. Just because you haven't seen it doesn't mean it doesn't happen. I don't know the KLM case and it may be they were totally out of line but they also may need to reserve the right to in some cases ask an individual to be more discreet.

HenSolo, that's your call. I don't think a teenage boy would necessarily be offended by a boob blatantly on show, but it may have other perfectly natural effects which would be embarrassing for all

I breastfed for 16 months and never got a negative comment but I was always prepared with what my comeback would be if I did, because we all know they do happen.

I've fed on flights several times and made a bit of extra effort to have privacy by sitting by the window and wearing a breastfeeding top. This was purely for my own confidence in feeding in an enclosed space and I'd fully support another mothers right to feed however she saw fit. Whoever wrote this policy has never breastfed a child over six months/at all!

I've just messaged KLM on Twitter just to add to their pain of dealing with it all tomorrow.

Great to see that EasyJet have tweeted that they support breastfeeding on board. Will be taking our last booked KLM flight this year and then hoping over to easyJet from now on.