Nursing mom on flight battled to use breast pump
Toronto woman argued she needed access to outlet to avoid medical risks
For Elizabeth Arnold, going away for the first time without her two children — both under the age of 2 — was a big step.
But Arnold, who is breastfeeding both her children, was confronted with an unexpected challenge: plugging in her breast pump while on board Air Transat flights to and from London.
Flight staff initially refused to allow Arnold to use on-board outlets, saying it was “against airline policy.”
Representatives for Air Transat say staff simply followed regulations established by the aircraft manufacturer, which restrict the use of outlets to cellphones and tablet devices.
In Arnold’s view, Air Transat failed to accommodate a basic need of a nursing mother. “I feel like that’s taking away a mother’s choice,” she said.
On her way to London, Arnold, a kindergarten teacher, said she need- ed to use her pump, but did not have access to an electrical outlet.
Without her toddlers with her, Arnold relied on a pump to express her breast milk and prevent ensuing medical risks.
“I’ve gotten mastitis before,” she said. “It makes you really sick,” she added, referring to an infection often caused by a backup of milk.
After some discussion with a flight attendant, Arnold was given access to a plug used by crew members intended for vacuum cleaners, she said.
Returning to Toronto, she ran into similar problems.
“I pumped right before I got onto the plane, hoping that I didn’t have to (later on),” she said, but the almost eight-hour flight proved too long.
Arnold said she spoke with a flight attendant and manager, who both denied her access to the outlet she had used on the previous flight.
“(The manager)’s saying to me, ‘It’s against the law to use that pump. You’re not allowed to. I don’t know who let you (use it) on the way there, but I follow rules and it’s a no,’ ” she explained.
Arnold said she persisted, asking that her “medical right” be accommodated. “I was shaking,” she said. Eventually, after speaking with the captain, the manager relented.
“He says, ‘I talked to the captain and we’re not supposed to, but there’s a plug by the exit. You have seven minutes, go,’ ” Arnold explained.
“Even though eventually I was able to pump, the stress and the havoc and everyone watching. . . . It was so emotionally exhausting,” she said. “No mother should have to fight for that.”
Air Transat representatives maintain staff on board Arnold’s flight were following protocol.
“It’s a question of regulation from the aircraft company,” said Debbie Cabana, public relations and marketing director with Air Transat. She also noted concerns with respect to voltage.
Cabana said there is no specific policy for nursing mothers because they are welcome on Air Transat flights.
Air Transat passengers are told to use a hand pump or battery-powered device while on board, she added.
Arnold said she looked into the use of a hand pump before taking the trip, but after speaking with fellow mothers, she decided it was not the best option for her.
But Arnold insists this is beside the point. “It shouldn’t have been a question of, ‘am I doing it most effectively?’ ” she said. “I need (to pump) so why isn’t there something in place for me to do that?
“That’s not up to (the airline) to decide how I’m going to extract the milk from my breasts,” she added. “I think it’s a matter of choice.”
Cabana said Air Transat’s website makes it clear that, in accordance with the industry protocol, “medical equipment must be equipped with an independent power source.”
While Arnold says she understands the need for regulation, such rules restrict the rights of a mother.
“In an ideal world, women get to decide where or how they pump,” and how they feed their children, she said. “It shouldn’t be a question. It should just be thought of as someone’s right.”