I don't want to start a 10 pager, I just don't see the big deal. I'm not going to reply to the wrath, just being honest.
Okay, I'll give you an honest response, then.
Some babies won't tolerate a cover. Some mums find it very hard to maneuver a cover and manage breastfeeding. Both of those are not uncommon and frankly, make the whole thing a much, much bigger production than just feeding the baby. Practically speaking, the battle to use one and ensuing shrieking from a baby wanting to be fed is pretty much guaranteed to annoy more people on an airplane than the one or two at risk of getting a glimpse of boob.
On a bigger, less individual scale, a cover ideally should be for the comfort and ease of the nursing mum and not for the protection of the innocent eyes of those around her desperate avoid a glimpse of side boob. A woman shouldn't NEED a cover to nurse in public because, well, it's just not that big a deal.
And to institute policy requiring that makes breastfeeding on an airplane impossible for some mums, which, ultimately, is going to make everyone suffer and not just the very few in boob-sight-line.
So, "just cover up" is, unfortunately, not a logical or practical universal solution.
Not to mention the fact that with the bazillion things you have to pack when taking a baby on a trip, it's possible to forget to bring a cover. So does baby just not eat then?
Every woman I've seen NIP *is* discreet. I think it's people who've never observed a woman NIP who think it's all about breasts flying through the air. Well, perhaps part of the reason they've never seen a woman NIP is because women are generally very discreet about it.
And I guess if you're a large-breasted woman, you can't feed your kid. Too bad so sad.
I have big boobs. When I used to nurse, I'd fling my big nekkid titties around and try to hit people in the head.
Also, so we're all working from the same premise in case tillie isn't alone - here's a picture of what looks to me like a pretty typical nursing pair.
You see a pretty fair amount of boob. Many times you'd see less than this because the baby's head would be angled more toward the mom. Sometimes you'd see a lot more skin if the mom had bigger boobs. But thanks to the kid's head you'd see zero boob from the other side or the front. And from this side you really see about as much boob as you'd see in a low cut v-neck. And we all know AA wouldn't be handing out blankets to their passengers in low cut tops.
You might get more of an eyeful if the kid pops off, or while during latch on or when they're done while the mom is rearranging her clothing. But a cover isn't going to be a 100% protection against random flashes since kids pull them off or up pretty frequently.
Really, I am not. I just don't want to be sitting next to someone on a plane with their boob hanging out. It's not somewhere I can just walk away from.
Just like you can't walk away from a screaming unfed baby.
Really, I am not. I just don't want to be sitting next to someone on a plane with their boob hanging out. It's not somewhere I can just walk away from.
Don't fly Alaskan the last week of August. See my post in MMM, but ds DOES NOT NURSE DISCREETLY. I wish I had a choice. I do not consider starving my baby a viable option.
I'll be sure to fall asleep on your shoulder and drool also.
Really, I am not. I just don't want to be sitting next to someone on a plane with their boob hanging out. It's not somewhere I can just walk away from.
Ok...you know what, I do understand feeling a little uncomfortable sitting next to a nursing mom. I'm a social spaz at times, and before I was a nursing mom I'd totally be all "oh jeez. Where do I look? don't look at her boob! Eye contact! No, just look away! OmG!". But here's the thing tillie. It ISN'T ABOUT YOU. There is a hungry baby. It needs to be fed. Sometimes that means you might see a flash of a tittie. Them's the breaks. You don't get to wish for rules that value your moment of slight emotional discomfort over a hungry baby without getting pegged as an asshole.
So if given what people have explained here (sometimes a cover just isn't practical) do you really think that it's reasonable for the airline to demand that?
Really, I am not. I just don't want to be sitting next to someone on a plane with their boob hanging out. It's not somewhere I can just walk away from.
no, you must be doing this on purpose.
why is the sight of a boob something you must walk away from? it's just a boob.
(also, can someone please find a gif from the movie Airplane--the part where the topless lady is running around??)
Really, I am not. I just don't want to be sitting next to someone on a plane with their boob hanging out. It's not somewhere I can just walk away from.
No, really, you are because you *should* be smart enough to know that boobs aren't "hanging out" when a woman is NingIP.
"Not gonna lie; I kind of keep expecting you to post one day that you threw down on someone who clearly had no idea that today was NOT THEIR DAY." ~dontcallmeshirley
I'd like to see a survey of people on the plane: would you rather the possibility of people around me seeing some breast, or would you rather my baby scream at the top of her lungs for the next 3 hours?
That was my thought. Boob or screaming baby? Much like my singing in public, sometimes its either that or a screaming baby. Trust me when I say my rendition of sitcom theme songs is preferable.
when DD was little, we flew somewhere... I think it was Seattle to Florida, so long long flight. She was like 9 months old. She was a lap child.
H and I were in the aisle and center seats, and there was a youngish hipsterish dude in the window seat. He DID NOT LOOK HAPPY at the beginning of the flight at the thought of sharing a row with an infant. She nursed, she slept, she was chill and mellow. At the end of the flight, he was all, "wow, that was totally cool, thanks."
Yeah, hipster dude. The boobs aren't just decorative. They're also functional.
IMHO, he was probably a LOT happier with the few minutes of "OMFG, She's nursing the baby!!!" than he would have been with four hours of screaming infant. But, you know, maybe I'm projecting.
I don't want to start a 10 pager, I just don't see the big deal. I'm not going to reply to the wrath, just being honest.
Okay, I'll give you an honest response, then.
Some babies won't tolerate a cover. Some mums find it very hard to maneuver a cover and manage breastfeeding. Both of those are not uncommon and frankly, make the whole thing a much, much bigger production than just feeding the baby. Practically speaking, the battle to use one and ensuing shrieking from a baby wanting to be fed is pretty much guaranteed to annoy more people on an airplane than the one or two at risk of getting a glimpse of boob.
On a bigger, less individual scale, a cover ideally should be for the comfort and ease of the nursing mum and not for the protection of the innocent eyes of those around her desperate avoid a glimpse of side boob. A woman shouldn't NEED a cover to nurse in public because, well, it's just not that big a deal.
And to institute policy requiring that makes breastfeeding on an airplane impossible for some mums, which, ultimately, is going to make everyone suffer and not just the very few in boob-sight-line.
So, "just cover up" is, unfortunately, not a logical or practical universal solution.
Really, I am not. I just don't want to be sitting next to someone on a plane with their boob hanging out. It's not somewhere I can just walk away from.
I mean, even if the woman has large breasts and has to nurse by going over instead of under, why does a breast feeding a baby make you so uncomfortable?
Every woman I've seen NIP *is* discreet. I think it's people who've never observed a woman NIP who think it's all about breasts flying through the air. Well, perhaps part of the reason they've never seen a woman NIP is because women are generally very discreet about it.
And I guess if you're a large-breasted woman, you can't feed your kid. Too bad so sad.
My DH was totally of this mindset. Then we went to Mexico, where nursing moms were everywhere. He didn't even notice until I pointed one out to him on like the 5th day of vacation. Then he was all WTH is the big deal.
American runs multiple daily flights that are more than 10 hours in duration. I would be furious if I was a passenger on one of those flights and there was a crying child because the mother wasn't able to feed it. There is nothing so terrible as a child that cries nonstop for a 16 hour flight, I've been there and done that and I would have gladly had the mother of the child dance naked in the aisles if that's what was required for the child to stop. I mean, really.
I imagine the mom wouldve been wiling to do it to stop the kid too.
since I'm on a random unrelated story kick today - the "there's kids on this flight!" aspect of this story is really pissing me off.
I spend a lot of time with a pack of little girls. My local friends all had kids around the same time, so when we have people over there are, at a minimum, 2 4 year olds and a 3 year old zooming around. None of them were used to being around nursing babies. The first time they came over after shorti was born I was sitting in a chair in the LR nursing and suddenly had three little heads at my elbow, about 2 inches from shorti's head peering at her to see what she was doing. One of them asks what she's doing, and I tell them she's eating. The oldest looks up at me and goes, "she eats from your boob!?" and I tell her (biting back laughter), "yup, there's milk in there just like there's milk in a bottle." And all three of them say, "oh!" and then run off and play some more.
since I'm on a random unrelated story kick today - the "there's kids on this flight!" aspect of this story is really pissing me off.
I spend a lot of time with a pack of little girls. My local friends all had kids around the same time, so when we have people over there are, at a minimum, 2 4 year olds and a 3 year old zooming around. None of them were used to being around nursing babies. The first time they came over after shorti was born I was sitting in a chair in the LR nursing and suddenly had three little heads at my elbow, about 2 inches from shorti's head peering at her to see what she was doing. One of them asks what she's doing, and I tell them she's eating. The oldest looks up at me and goes, "she eats from your boob!?" and I tell her (biting back laughter), "yup, there's milk in there just like there's milk in a bottle." And all three of them say, "oh!" and then run off and play some more.
scarred.for.life. Clearly.
I'm reminded of Louis C.K. on gay marriage:
"It doesn't have ANY effect on your life. What do you care? People try to talk about it like it's a social issue. Like when you see someone stand up on a talk show and say 'How am I supposed to explain to my child that two men are getting married?' I dunno, it's your shitty kid, you fuckin' tell 'em. Why is that anyone else's problem? Two guys are in LOVE but they can't get married because YOU don't want to talk to your ugly child for five fuckin' minutes?"
Really, I am not. I just don't want to be sitting next to someone on a plane with their boob hanging out. It's not somewhere I can just walk away from.
I really try not to name call on the internet, but you can rest assured that if we were having this conversation in person I would say this to your face: You are an idiot. Anyone who is uncomfortable observing a mother nursing is someone with deep need for therapy because you are clearly improperly sexualizing the natural act of feeding a human child. I'm so sorry for you.
I would also like to reiterate, it is probably NOT the woman being indiscreet. Chances are it's her angry badger of a distractable baby who is being the indiscreet party here.