Preparing to NIP on a Delta flight

[aeterna]

Hi lactivist mamas,

I'm planning a trip soon and have tickets booked on a Delta flight. Knowing they've had some issues before, I thought I'd be proactive and get a copy of their breastfeeding policy to bring with me, to share with any misinformed individual employees who might give me a hard time.

For obvious reasons, I want this policy in writing. However, Delta is surprisingly hard to get ahold of!

I could not find this policy on their site. I could not find a general customer service email address. I submitted my inquiry via their (confusing and poorly laid out) website, asking for their policy on breastfeeding in flight, and was given some regurgitated response about TSA permitting breastmilk but recommending you only bring as much as you need... Which had nothing to do with my question, but thanks for the link, I guess? =P

Does anyone here have any recommendations on where I can go or who I can contact to get this information? I really don't want to end up as a bad press news story, nor do I want to miss my flight, but I feed my kid when and where he is hungry so I'd rather come armed against attackers. =)

Thanks!

[Mama2Rio]

I'll just add here, since no one's responded...

i don't remember what airline i flew but i've breastfed dd on flight (she was about 5 months) so this was about 3 years ago. i nursed her in my seat during take off and landing. i was sitting next to a father and his little girl and i was only traveling with dd. the way to the destination i had a great flight-male-attendant who let me stand in back when dd was fussy and i needed a place to stand and rock her and she only would let me nurse her while standing. as we were talking, he also mentioned remembering his mother nursing his younger siblings and how it's so important, ect. was just really awesome! i didn't bring pumped milk since i had dd with me, there's no need to carry more stuff. and overall, i've never pumped milk, my kid never had a bottle.

i didn't have a problem on the flight back either, it was a red-eye and my brother was with me, so who was going to complain? not sure what info to give you, but unless you're bringing pumped milk, i don't think there should be any hassle. don't expect the worst! maybe i was a lucky person to have such a good experience with on-flight breastfeeding, but i don't fly much anymore.

[PatioGardener]

I have no info about Delta, but wanted to join you in your determination to NIP while flying.

My DS is 22 month old, and we are at the age where mama-milk is the magic calming elixir of happy toddlerness. At the edge of a meltdown, mama-milk will turn the situation around.

So we will nurse on the plane, as I am sure the other passengers would prefer a happy (quiet) milk-loving dude to the ear-splitting seat-kicking demon he can become. I certainly do!

[Subhuti]

I think trying to get something in writing is a great idea.  

Um ... personally, I would bring a cover up ... why start world war three over this -- and explain it / try it before hand w/your little one ... something gauzy ... so if in case there is a complaint you can just keep nursing (that's the point, right?).

GL!!!

Let us know how it goes!!

[birdie.lee]

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Edited by birdie.lee - 5/9/13 at 8:01am

[VegMamma]

Well SOME babies and mammas don't LIKE coverups. I don't like the tone of the post above. You're not an idiot for not wanting to use a nursing cover, despite how she worded that. You should be free to nurse however you and your baby are comfortable. I don't mean run up and down the aisle topless while screaming "LOOK AT MY BOOBIEEEEEEEEEEEES!" but you know what I mean. 

[birdie.lee]

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Edited by birdie.lee - 5/9/13 at 8:02am

[MommyBecky]

I went back and looked, birdie.lee, and I don't think she was referring to you:)

[crayfishgirl]

I travel a lot for work and my daughter (now 3) always came with me.  We've never had an issue with nursing on any flight, including several Delta flights, and we've never used a cover up (my DD, and now DS, doesn't like them, and I'm not coordinated enough enough anyway!).  I think one of the PP mentioned obtaining details of state laws, and I think that's what any airline must abide to, no?

[birdie.lee]

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Edited by birdie.lee - 5/9/13 at 8:02am

[Anna Phor]

I've nursed on dozens of airplane flights and never had a problem. I don't cover, FWIW. 

I can't speak to Delta specifically, though. But one thing to keep in mind of you are nervous--they are extremely unlikely to throw you off the plane once it has taken off. :)

[illiterati]

Yeah, our gauzy cover worked for about two seconds in a crowded hot plane. I was also sitting right by the bathroom so there was a long line of folks right there. But no impolite stares or anything adversarial. Everyone was just glad the baby was calm. The nice people and the focus on my DS meant my normally modest self got pretty relaxed pretty fast about NIP in close quarters. But I would encourage a coverup if your LO is distractable as there's lots of stimuli on a plane.

[Subhuti]

Delta had problems within the last several years with one momma nursing.  Hopefully that is well in the past.  I think the planes are not governed by state laws and have wide latitude about in-flight rules.

Veg Momma but I think you're reading too much into my post.  I think you need to take a chill.  I never suggested the OP was an  "idiot."  

Personally, I have taken stands in public spaces, which are governed by state law, but I wouldn't do that on an airplane.  The OP said she likewise didn't want to make a big deal of it, and that is why I suggested just having the cover-up at an option.  

I too have never seen cover-ups work -- babies don't want their heads covered.  But the OP may want to have it as part of her bag of tricks, to pull out and make a show of using, if not actually use.

[jessjgh1]

This update was starting to circulate yesterday:   http://yourlife.usatoday.com/health/story/2012-03-14/Airline-settlement-fuels-the-national-breast-feeding-fight/53536674/1

You might find out more here: http://breastfeedinglaw.com/
http://mothering.com/breastfeeding/lactation-and-the-law

Jessica

[aeterna]

Checking out those links, thank you! For whatever reason this thread wasn't showing up on my recent posts so I didn't even realize I was missing responses here! :lol

I NIP regularly and am comfortable doing so. I've never used a cover and don't intend to do so unless DS needs it to focus (think we might be getting to that, LOL... he's getting pretty distractible!). Maybe I'm just a sassyfras but my preference is to calmly respond, "Thank you, but your own policies protect my rights to breastfeed my infant" than to cover up. I never did get their policies in writing, although when I called the representative was baffled as to why I wouldn't think that would be permitted (so that's a good sign, right?). And planes are covered by federal laws, not state ones. Except maybe if they're on the ground (that part is unclear to me). Luckily all the states I'll be grounded in have good breastfeeding laws. =)

We fly out on Wednesday and will be back on Monday, I'll let y'all know how it goes! Here's hoping Delta has learned its lesson. ;)

[MichelleZB]

Wow, I've never been asked not to nurse on an airplane--and I never cover up! I've had attendants tell me that the airline recommends I nurse my baby on take-off and landing. I guess I'll never fly Delta.

[Laney1983]

The thing I'd be scared of is sitting next to a male passenger who isn't my husband but enjoys looking at my boobs. Sorry, I'm just not comfortable with putting them out on display like that.

[purplerose]

i'm nursing my fourth child, and have yet to put my boobs on display in public! i don't actually know any moms who do that LOL people don't even know when mine are nursing, i'm that good.

[alittlesandy]

I've nursed openly on dozens of flights, including Delta, and nobody has ever said a word to me, except to comment on how cute my son was.

[LitMom]

I have other issues with Delta (they have a pattern of saying seat assignments are "requests" only, removing families booked seats to give more prime seats to their frequent fliers, and reseating families with small children apart from one another), but I've never had a problem with nursing on their airline with many business and family trips when my kids were small enough to nurse. With the recent settlement especially, and other cases where airlines have had steep fines, I wouldn't worry about it too much.