Breastfeeding Mom Kicked Off Plane

A breastfeeding mother was removed from a Delta flight in Burlington, Vermont after refusing to cover her breastfeeding baby with a blanket. Emily Gilette reports that she was sitting in the second-to-last row, next to the window, with her husband sitting next to her, and no part of her breast showing. A flight attendant handed her a blanket and told her to cover up. When she declined, and stated that she had a legal right to nurse her child, the flight attendant got a ticket agent to remove the family from the flight.

Breastfeeding advocates everywhere have responded with a nurse-in at the Burlington airport, and a national petition to urge Congress to pass the Breastfeeding Promotion Act, which amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to protect breastfeeding mothers. It's not right that in 2006, breastfeeding mothers are being harassed in stores, restaurants, while traveling, and at work. Breastfeeding mothers should feel safe in providing the nourishment their children need, especially on flights.

Any breastfeeding mother who has flown with an infant will tell you that nursing is the best prevention for a crying baby. Who wants to listen to an infant scream during an airline flight? During take-off and landing, the changing air pressure can hurt an infants ears. Nursing is the best way for an infant to acclimate to the air pressure, as well as sooth her in a strange environment. Not to mention provide the best source of nutrition for a infant.

Sign the Petition to Delta Airlines and Congress:  Moms Rising