Mom slams airline after male flight attendant told her to stop breastfeeding her baby
A distraught mom has slammed an airline, saying she was told to stop breastfeeding during a flight.
Kelly Edgson-Payne, 36, was feeding 1-year-old son Lex onboard an EasyJet plane to Spain from London’s Gatwick Airport in August when she was left in tears by a flight attendant, Fox News reports.
Traveling with her husband and four children, Edgson-Payne said she was approached during takeoff by a male crew member who told her to stop breastfeeding and to fasten her child into a seat.
“It’s just absolutely crazy that I was told that I couldn’t feed him — crazy, and really embarrassing for me,” she said.
She said she was forced to hand her son to her husband and quickly cover herself up, leaving her and her child visibly upset.
She also said a female crew member approached her soon after and apologized for her colleague’s behavior.
The inconsistency from employees angered the British mother even more. When she delved into the matter further, she received varying responses.
While EasyJet’s website says the company fully supports breastfeeding at “any time” during its flights, Edgson-Payne said she was told by a customer service rep that she must be “discreet” while doing so.
Edgson-Payne contends that the airline was, in fact, breaking the law by refusing her the right to breastfeed.
“I just want them to make themselves aware of the law so no other moms have to go through this,” she told reporters, adding that she was given a £25 ($32) voucher by the airline as compensation for the incident.
An EasyJet spokesperson confirmed that passengers are entitled to breastfeed at any time during their flights.
“It is not our policy to ask mothers to be discreet, and we make this very clear in our training,” the spokesperson said, noting that the flight in question was operated by another airline and that the appropriate action has been taken to make sure this doesn’t happen again.
Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:
Breastfeeding mom forced to stand because no one offered a seat on rush-hour train
Police officer who breastfed crying baby in a hospital is hailed a hero
Breastfeeding mom says church told her to ‘cover up’ to avoid making men ‘Iust and stumble’
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.