baby

A mum was told to stop breastfeeding on a flight, but how the airline handled it was worse.

 

A mother-of-four has shared her disgrace with the airline easyJet due to being told to stop breastfeeding her one year old son, Lex, as the plane was taking off.

According to Fox News, Kelly Edgsson-Payne was left “mortified” when the male flight attendant insisted she stop mid-feed, and strap her child in to the seat next to her.

“It’s just absolutely crazy that I was told that I couldn’t feed him — crazy, and really embarrassing for me,” Kelly, from Rochester, said.

“The law in the U.K. says it protects breastfeeding mothers — and even easyJet’s own website says mothers are welcome to breastfeed at any time during a flight.”

Kelly was travelling with her husband and four children when the incident occurred, which left her and her baby visibly upset.

mum told to stop breastfeeding on plane
Kelly with her husband, Ross, and her four children. Image via Instagram.
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"I'm not afraid to breastfeed my baby wherever — I've stopped at a break point during a marathon before and fed him - but this left me embarrassed and in tears."

"I had to very quickly cover myself up — but my breasts were still leaking milk, because I had stopped mid-feed. Even my eldest daughter, who is 9, said, 'Mummy, they can't tell you not to breastfeed him.'"

Kelly further explained the necessity for her son Lex to be breastfeed during take off, saying babies' ears have a propensity to pop during takeoff, causing them great discomfort.

According to Kelly, what irritated her the most was not only the discrimination she faced, but also the lack of consistency from the airline when she enquired about their rules concerning mothers who need to breastfeed.

"Most other cabin crew would actually encourage breastfeeding during takeoff, because it distracts them and stops them from crying … I've never before been told that I can't feed Lex, or any of my other children — and we've flown with him about 16 times in the last year."

mum told to stop breastfeeding on plane
Kelly with her one year old son, Lex. Image via Instagram.
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A female member of the cabin crew apparently apologised for the episode soon after, telling Kelly:"'I'm sorry about that, ignore him, he's wrong.'"

The lack of uniformity by easyJet's staff members continued even after the plane ride, when Kelly emailed customer service about the incident.

"On their website they state, 'We support breastfeeding mothers and you can feed your baby on board at any time.' But when I emailed their customer services about it afterwards, I was told, 'Passengers are allowed to breastfeed their babies on board the aircraft, as long as you are doing this in a discreet manner.'"

Kelly also revealed to the publication that she was given a £25 ($45) voucher by the easyJet as compensation for the discrimination.

A spokesperson for the airline confirmed that mothers are indeed allowed to breastfeed whenever need be.

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And as for the discreet comment by the customer service staff member? "It is not our policy to ask mothers to be discreet and we make this very clear in our training," the airline insisted.

Kelly hopes that by bringing this incident to light, no other breastfeeding-mother will have to experience the same discrimination she faced.

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