Air Canada Tells Mother to Breastfeed in the Bathroom, Goes Viral
Woaria Rashid March 12, 2019
An airplane bathroom is one of the grimiest areas in an aircraft, second to the tray tables. With roughly 50 people to one bathroom, it’s an easy way to pick up an infection.
So when a representative of Air Canada informed a mother flying with her infant she’d have to use the airplane bathroom to breastfeed, she was furious.
Stephanie VandenBerg, a physician in Calgary, called Air Canada prior to her flight to arrange flying with her infant son. She didn’t expect to be told that she’d have to breastfeed in the bathroom, an area that only gets a deep cleaning about once a month. However, according to Air Canada’s website, the airline is “happy to support breastfeeding on board our aircraft, whenever safety permits.”
VandenBerg took to Twitter and called out the airline.
Dear @AirCanada: It is never okay to recommend a woman breastfeed her infant in an airplane lavatory. Nor would I like to be referred to your medical line to discuss this further. If you would like to eat your dinner there, by all means, but my infant son will not be joining you
— Stephanie VandenBerg (@StephVDBG) March 4, 2019
The tweet immediately received a response from Air Canada informing her they’ll look into the situation, but those outraged of the encounter and in support of VandenBerg were not satisfied with the response.
One tweet called for better training amongst all representatives:
That's great that you "support" breastfeeding onboard. But don't forget, you are legally mandated to allow a mother to breastfeed in any place that mother is permitted to be. Such as, the seat she paid for. A pledge for more active training would be best.
— Maeve (@PragueorBrno) March 5, 2019
Another user reminded Air Canada that the encounter is a violation of one’s human rights:
@AirCanada The right to breastfeed in public is protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It is also explicitly spelled out in the Human Rights Code of ON and BC. Until you train your employees properly, you are at risk of a lawsuit.
— Milo Shandel (@MiloShandel) March 5, 2019
[Source: Shutterstock]
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Frizzy - agree with everything you say. MtotheM - honey, you got serious issues. Have you ever actually met a baby? Or a mother? IkarosBOS - Common sense is feeding the baby when the baby needs feeding, where the baby and mother are, ie in the seat. Manners and consideration for others is not making a fuss when a mother and baby do what is natural for mothers and babies to do.
Mtothe M, you are more concerned with old school modesty issues here than with the actual reason a mother's breasts produce milk: to.feed.her.baby! Wherever and whenever. It is the best food for the baby, it is ready on demand, more hygienic, and the right temperature. The passenger's seat is a perfectly fine place to breastfeed. A mother should not be the subject of the rest of the world's modesty ideas when breast-feeding. Depending on the flight duration, she may need to feed 3 or 4 times. How dare you suggest she does it at the airport only? Or not fly during expected feeding times? And on a practical level, why monopolise a toilet for 30 minutes while breastfeeding? It is a toilet, not a dining area.
"the kid gonna develop some mental issues if he drinks from a bottle" - will be the next argument :D
Mtothe M what’s wrong with you?
For other options: Don't book a flight during a time you'll be feeding them. Use a pump and take it with you. Feed them in the airport prior to/after flying.