Believe it or not, Michigan law used to allow babies to be out of their car seats if they were nursing. At the time I assumed it was a misguided nod to the Big Three and all things automotive. The car is king! Keep it moving! Despite the unsafe nature of the law, I appreciated the apparent belief in the importance of breastfeeding.However, Michigan recently chose to tighten its car seat belts laws. Local News Channel 3 WWMT explains:
The legislation now also prohibits removing a child from a car seat to nurse while the vehicle is in motion. Babies should …read more

There is something for everyone (breastfeeding or not) in the mix of the Breastfeeding 1-2-3 highlights from April 2008:
~ Free Pattern for Sewing Your Own Crew Neck Over-the-Head Baby Bibs
~ Judge Denies FLDS Request to Keep Mothers with Nursing Babies
~ World Health Day 2008: Protecting Health from Climate Change
~ Breastfeeding Basics Checklist for a Good Breastfeeding Latch
~ Gentian Violet and Grapefruit Seed Extract as Thrush Remedies
~ Breastfeeding and International Travel
~ Top Five Breastfeeding Interviews

What’s with the airline industry and its poor treatment of breastfeeding mothers and babies? An Australian woman booked a business class ticket to San Francisco on Qantas Airlines. For some reason, the airline’s booking agent advised the woman to put her baby on the ticket of her companion who was traveling in economy class. The agent assured the woman that the baby could visit business class whenever the baby needed to breastfeed, and the pair had no problems on the initial flight. On the return flight, however, flight attendants refused to allow baby Alexandra to visit business class to breastfeed, …read more

Welcome to this month’s “Travel” theme day here at the b5media Science and Health Channel. Believe it or not, travel is a hot topic in breastfeeding news, especially in light of the new U.S. Transportation Security Administration rules for traveling with expressed breast milk. Of course, travel is a hot topic for all the science and health bloggers participating today. Stay tuned throughout the day as contributions are added below.
Liz at Alzheimer’s Notes sets out important considerations when traveling with someone with Alzheimer’s Disease.
Travel is one of Kristina’s favorite metaphors to describe her family’s life with Charlie in what she …read more

The Transportation Security Administration loosened its restrictions on carrying expressed breast milk on an airplane to allow mothers traveling without children to bring unlimited quantities in their carry-on bags. Today’s TSA press release states the new rule, which goes into effect August 4, 2007:
TSA is also modifying the procedures associated with carrying breast milk through security checkpoints. Mothers flying with or without their child will be permitted to bring breast milk in quantities greater than three ounces as long as it is declared for inspection at the security checkpoint.
Thanks to Jake Marcus of Birth Without Boundaries for the tip!
Under the …read more

Did anyone else see Amanda Peet on Live with Regis & Kelly yesterday? Nothing much funnier than seeing Regis Philbin squirm as Amanda Peet described her experience pumping while standing at the sinks in the airport public restroom before her flight to New York. Both Amanda and Kelly used their hands and voices to mimic the suction of the double breast pump, prompting a desperately embarrassed Regis to blush furiously.
Amanda brought her 2-month-old baby girl Frances Pen with her on the plane. Unfortunately for Amanda it was one of “those” nightmare flights where she had to walk Frances up and …read more

Almost five months after nearly 900 people participated in nurse-ins at 40 airports across the country in support of Emily Gillette (the New Mexico mother who was kicked off an airplane for breastfeeding her toddler), Ms. Gillette’s case is starting to undergo investigation. Rebecca Robinson of the Bennington Banner reports that last Thursday the Vermont Human Rights Commission denied a motion by Delta and Freedom Airlines to dismiss the complaint against them.
Ms. Gillette refused to cover up while breastfeeding her 22-month-old son as they sat on a plane waiting for take-off from Burlington Airport in Vermont. Vermont state law specifically protects breastfeeding in …read more

It brought a smile to my face to read the press release put out by Minneapolis-St.Paul International Airport (MSP) this week. The airport announced that it has opened a “nursing mothers room” with a rocking chair, side table, lamp, electrical outlet and emergency telephone. The room is meant to accommodate both travelers and nursing mothers who work at the airport. The room is located on the second level above the C concourse rotunda at the north end of the concourse connector. Still having trouble finding it? Just look for the international breastfeeding icon!
To gain access to the locked room, simply …read more

Texas mothers plan another nurse-in at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport (DFW) this Friday, December 1, 2006, at 10 a.m. at the Delta counter in Terminal E of the airport.
According to participants, when five mothers and nine children originally gathered at DFW for the national nurse-in on November 21, they were harassed by airport security and threatened with arrest for indecent exposure and disorderly conduct. Mothers participating in this second nurse-in not only will gather in support of the mother kicked off a Delta flight for nursing without covering up, but to insist that the airport police (Department of Public Safety officers) …read more

The dust has settled after the national nurse-in on Tuesday, November 21, 2006, and the final tally approaches 900 activists and children at 40 airports across the country! I’m impressed by the tremendous grassroots effort organized in just four days’ time!
As I said, most of the press has been extremely positive. I’ve seen just a bit of backlash from letters to the editors of newspapers covering the story, and a lot of heated debate on news message boards.
Overall I think the nurse-in and subsequent media coverage reflected positively on a woman’s ability to nurse in public. Certainly women airline passengers …read more