What were they thinking?

[Prufrock]

If you were going to fly to the US, leaving behind your bf baby, would you not at least try to get her to accept liquid from something other than your boob beforehand? Not this woman

And shouldn't a one year old - even the most militant breastfeeders one year old, be taking some other fluid? I think this paints breastfeeding mothers in such a bad light - it makes it seem as though extended bf is such a limiting thing.

Hehehe - read this story this morning and first thought was 'Must post that on MN!'

The more I think about this, the more ludicrous it sounds. The dad must be a total incompetent and I do wonder if he'd ever had any kind of input with her before the mum went away.

As for the dehydration - er, I very much doubt it - agree that sounds like it was for the insurance company's benefit.

Bobbybob, good for you - I'm the same

What a numpty this woman sounds!! Yeah, like anyone in their right mind would fly back across the Atlantic cos their baby was crying! FFS! Is her husband totally incompetent? AND, surely the baby would not dehydrate or starve herself - if she was thirsty she'd take it surely, even if you had to pour water down her from a cup with half of it dribbling out the edges!

I don't think it makes breastfeeders look silly at all - I just think it makes this individual look silly!!

I don't understand why this story was reported - it was in the Guardian today and Standard yesterday. I do know of a breastfed baby who wouldn't drink anything else till nearly 18 months, much to her full-time working mother's frustration and exhaustion, but she didn't go to the national press about it. Sounds like a stingy-but-wealthy woman trying to get money out of the airline but I don't know who's going to feel sorry for her.

can't believe she expected someone to pay for her flights though ie refund or insurance.

a real example of the me me me society

Had the baby taken a bottle before? My ds3 used to take a bottle but now all of a sudden has decided not to! However I don't think the airline should have to pay. If you leave your baby there's always a possibility that you'll have to go back, they could get ill for example. Its a risk you take as a parent. Maybe her dh was throwing a wobbly so he wouldn't have to look after his dd again!

"The drama happened when Ms Stamp left for an immigration interview in New York in January, leaving Betsy in the care of 49-yearold therapist Mr Bolton at their flat in Wandsworth"

hate this style of writing! drama indeed. harumph.

agree wholeheartedly with mears & others re: totally out of proportion panic after 12 hrs. ffs. [exasperated emoticon, with rolling eyes]

Sorry to bang on about this, but before I left DS with DH to go to work about 12 miles away, I made sure there was a freezer full of milk (which this woman had done). But then I made blinking sure that he would drink said milk - it took a while, but he did eventually accept a bottle, and later a cup.

I think it's downright ridiculous to go to America without knowing if your child will accept fluid from another source.

What if (God forbid) the mother got hit by a bus? Would they have to find a wet nurse?!

There was a piece about this in the Telegraph today and actually she has a point - a) she thought she had bought a flexible ticket (£50 to change it) and b) if eg her parent was suddenly taken ill her insurance would have covered it.

Agreed she sounds a bit OTT all round (she certainly should have tried a preliminary sortie with EBM in bottle before she went) but her financial claims aren't as mad as they seem and her explanation about why she flew back, under the circs, makes sense.

LOL at wet-nurse! I left ds3 with MIL 2 nights ago and he refused to take the bottle from her at all. Afterwards ds2 asked me with a really puzzled face " Why did Nana not just breastfeed him?"

Still think she's mental. DS is 13mo and breastfed and there's no way I'd have left him for the first time to fly to pigging America!

Ludicrous and mental and absurd. "No choice" - should've bloody thought of that before you left, stupid woman. Mental. Did I say that?

Sorry - am usually calm hunker, but this woman is just mad. And her partner sounds like he just didn't want to look after her.

Put simply, if you know you're flying to the States, make sure your child will take milk/liquid from another source. If your plane falls out of the sky, what happens? Does your child dessicate from lack of fluid?! Hmm?! MAD!

Chipmonkey, even I want to say "Nana bitty" after that post!

Oh, is that the "Little Britain" thing. Do you know, I've never actually watched it!

Yes

In case anyone is interested in her side of it all (whatever THAT turns out to be ) she's on Richard and JUdy straight after the ads ie NOW!!!!!!

Well, she came across as very sane and reasonable and levelheaded after that. R and J seemed a bit shocked she was 'still' bfing at 16 mths, but very nice when she said she was expecting again. I thought she was nice

she is so annoying Sorry

I wonder is she is a MNetter! Come on own up!