A mum of four from the UK has spoken of her anger at being told to stop breastfeeding on a flight recently.
Kelly Edgson-Payne was mid-feed with her one-year-old son Lex when a member of cabin crew approached her and asked that she stop.
The EasyJet flight from Gatwick to Spain’s Fuerteventura was about to take off.
Kelly had flown with the airline countless times before and wanted to feed the baby as they took off to keep his ears from popping, she said.
“I was mortified. 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,” she told The Mirror.
“I had to very quickly cover myself up – but my breasts were still leaking milk, because I had stopped mid-feed.”
Another cabin crew member approached Kelly during the flight and apologised for her colleague.
The airline’s website states that it welcomes breastfeeding mothers but in email correspondence after the incident a representative told Kelly that breastfeeding is only allowed “as long as you are discreet.”
“What annoys and disappoints me is that there is no consistency,” she said.
“I find it really disappointing that an airline I trust, and who we fly with all the time, actually broke the law in discriminating against me as a breastfeeding mother.
“The law in the UK says it protects breastfeeding mothers – and even easyJet’s own website says mothers are welcome to breastfeed at any time during a flight.”
In a statment, EasyJet said that particular flight was being operated by another airline.
“It is not our policy to ask mothers to be discreet and we make this very clear in our training.
“This flight was operated by another airline on our behalf and while they should follow easyJet policies we are sorry this did not happen on this occasion.”
