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Original poster

breastfeeding on aeroplane

16 replies

mumB · 19/11/2005 22:09

We are going to Australia to vist DH's parents. My DS will be 7 months at the time of travel. I had thought I might stop BF entirely by then but I do think the ability to BF will make life easier on everyone and it will hopefully help to settle him into the new time zone. But I just can't help thinking that BF on a plane will be so awkward ! DS will be kicking the person next to me, he fidgets quite a lot when I feed him and there's no privacy (I'm not confident at feeding in public). He also takes from a bottle but then there is the hassle of heating the milk up etc and anyway if I am still BF I will need to feed him myself to prevent any engorgement. Any tips?

OP posts:

bobbybob · 19/11/2005 22:18

BF on a plane is a million times less bother than bottlefeeding in that you can do it when he wants it, you are totally portable etc. The person next to you will get kicked anyway, and you may be lucky and get an extra seat. If you have booked a sky cot then you will be with other parents probably so it not as public as all that. When we took ds to the UK from NZ I saw a lady breastfeed an enormous 23 month old and then cram her into the sky cot. Pretty much anything I did after that would have been subtle!

starlover · 19/11/2005 22:21

make sure it's your dh that is getting kicked! lol

Original poster

mumB · 19/11/2005 22:22

thanks bobbybob. We have requested a sky cot. So, yes, hopefully we will be next to other parents...I hadn't thought of that!

OP posts:

GoodKingWestCountryLass · 19/11/2005 22:46

DD is 16 months and BF no problem two weeks ago Her legs dangled in the aisle a bit so I jsut had to watch when the buffet trolley went by.

bobbybob · 20/11/2005 07:59

When your ds is asleep use the blanket they provide to drape over the cot. Everyone who walked down the aisle thought they could stick their nose in to have a look at ds and some even touched him.

Which airline are you travelling with - I went with Qantas and printed the bit off the website that said that you were welcome to breastfeed in your seat. I had no problems though.

Chuffed · 20/11/2005 08:36

What I did was switch seats with dh so that the breast I was feeding with was always the closest to dh and yes occasionally legs went toward other person in 3rd seat or into aisle. I would think that somebody would rather have an occasional kick which a sorry than an irritable child and it was a lot easier to bf than cup feed which we did later.

Original poster

mumB · 20/11/2005 11:05

thanks everyone. I'm feeling better about it. It's just that sometimes I worry about the whole travelling thing although DS is usually a good sleeper so fingers crossed he will sleep for a good chunk of the time. We're flying with Cathay Pacific

OP posts:

Skyler · 20/11/2005 12:08

I have had to do this on a number of occasions and you will be fine! Get DH to help you when organising positions etc. When I flew with Cyprus Airways the crew moved me into their equivalent of club class when they saw me b/feeding so I could have some more room and privacy. (They did it in a nice way not a 'you shouldn't be doing that way') and even gave me champagne! You never know you might be lucky with CP. The position you will be in will be no different to just giving your lo a cuddle to sleep anyway. It will be MUCH easier than bottle feeding too and save loads of room in your luggage. Good Luck.

spidermama · 20/11/2005 12:17

The poor old woman next to me on the plane got a right old kicking from my six month old. She was very good about it. You need to make sure you have an aisle seat so that you have a bit more room. (I was sandwiched between my chatterbox five year old and said woman. I had to dig deep) .

I was really glad I could bf him though because it kept him calm and amused.

NotQuiteCockney · 20/11/2005 13:00

I've breastfed two kids on planes (not at the same time, though), and found it very convenient. If you breastfeed during takeoff and landing, the baby often falls asleep, and doesn't have ear problems from the pressure change.

I would breastfeed in public beforehand, though, to be comfortable and ready.

Last flight, I was next to a woman in a hijab who was breastfeeding on the plane. She was very happy to have a friendly breastfeeding woman nearby, although she wasn't very happy to bf in public.

skerriesmum · 20/11/2005 13:05

I've done this at exactly the same age and it worked great actually, he just fed and slept as usual. In fact he was so quiet that at the end of the trip people getting off said "oh, there was a baby on the flight?" (Those days are definitely over, he's nearly 3 and makes his presence known everywhere he goes!)

PrettyCandles · 20/11/2005 14:30

Breastfeeding on a plane is rather more private than you would imagine. The seating means that the only people who are likely to notice that you are feeding are those immediately to either side of you. Book a skycot if at all possible, and if not then make sure you get bulkhead seats, and if not that, then at least get aisle seats. Don't let them give you window seats.

I've breastfed on a plane, and it really isn't a hassle. If you're worried about modesty then practice now, and get yourself used to feeding out of your home. To protect your modesty drape a muslin or scarf over your shoulder on the side that you're feeding from, to make a tent over the baby. He won't mind, especially if he's used to it. Travel in a loose top, so that you can just hoick up a bit and even drape it back over the baby, rather than having to undo things.

I once flew to Israel across the aisle from a very religious family. I'm not sure how many children, at least 5, because they were sitting in two separate groups, and the dad kept coming along with some and swapping over with the ones the mum had. The two youngest were both breastfed, one was a toddler and the other only a couple of months old. The mum maintained complete modesty, and the children were relatively contented.

mears · 20/11/2005 15:00

mumB - I went to Florida when DD was 8 months old. I sat in the window seat with DH beside me (he usually likes window seat but gave it up for me ).

Breastfeeding made the flight so much easier for everyone around us. When she got grissly, I put her on the boob. It is pretty private BF on a plane because you are obscured by the seats around you. I didn't have a skycot - DH and I took turns holding her when she was sleeping. It was only a problem when the meals were put out because the tray couldn't be put down so we took turns to eat.

Because DD fed a lot on the flight I had Dolly Partons the next day - she just fed and slept

mears · 20/11/2005 15:01

Different views on window seats there

PrettyCandles · 20/11/2005 15:04

The reason I say not window seats is because a) you have no elbow room on one side, whereas if you have dh on one side and aisle on the other you have more elbow room (or should I say 'kicking space') and b) it's harder to get out for nappy-changes and to stretch your legs.

SoupDragon · 20/11/2005 15:13

wrt privacy, have a think about how much of your fellow passengers you can see when on a plane. Once your baby is latched on/off (which are the only times you're likely to be exposed) no one can see a thing and even at the start and finish, they won't notice anything.

I'd say that an aisle seat is probably easier for space reasons (and ease of getting up etc) although a window one is more private (unless someone's looking in a 30,000 feet )

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