A passenger was told to stop breastfeeding because it would make people 'uncomfortable' on her flight despite her baby crying in pain

09.08.2023 - 13:27 / insider.com

A TUI passenger said on Monday that she was told to stop breastfeeding during takeoff because it would make people "uncomfortable" despite her baby crying in pain.

Chelsea Williams, a 28-year-old software engineer from Wales, was flying with her husband and two children from Manchester to Algeria, Spain, on July 30 when she sat in the back row to breastfeed her 5-month-old. 

But just before takeoff, a crew member asked her to stop breastfeeding despite her baby being buckled in with her on the seat, in accordance with airlines rules, Williams said in a Facebook post.

"Before my inbound flight, I thought I'd check what the official rules were as I was shocked it wasn't allowed as it left my baby screaming as a consequence," she wrote. 

When her husband later asked TUI about why she was not allowed to breastfeed during takeoff, a spokesperson responded: "There are no official restrictions however we would not recommend it because it would make other people uncomfortable," according to a screenshot shared by Williams

Williams said the comment was "complete discrimination and majorly disappointing." 

"I wasn't sure what to do with that. I didn't reply to that, I was just honestly gobsmacked. So then I went the whole way off really anxious that someone was going to say something again," she later told Metro in an interview published on Tuesday.

Williams also told Metro that her baby "was obviously crying – quite drastically" when she had to cut her feed.

"I was sweating, I was on the verge of tears. I felt like everyone's eyes were on us because obviously the baby was screaming and I obviously looked not great at that moment," she added. 

Once the plane was in the air, Williams said she was able to finish feeding the baby, but that it took a full hour for it to help calm her child down.

After Williams' complaint, the company appeared to change its response.

In a statement provided to Insider, a TUI spokesperson responded: "We are really sorry for the distress caused to Ms Williams and her infant.

"As a family-friendly travel company, we support breastfeeding on our flights at any time. We are currently conducting an urgent internal investigation and will be making sure that all colleagues are retrained on our breastfeeding-friendly policy," the statement added. 

Breastfeeding is usually encouraged between takeoff and landing, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as it can soothe ear pain that can occur in babies.

Lyndsey Hookwat, a lactation consultant, told The Washington Post that no mother needs to ask for permission in advance to breastfeed on a flight. 

"It is unethical and immoral to deny a breastfed baby access to food, fluid, and comfort by discouraging responsive