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New mum “refused food” over controversial breastfeeding rule

<p dir="ltr">A new mother of twins was left reeling after not being offered lunch while her child was sick in hospital.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 37-year-old woman gave birth to her children who had jaundice and was required to express more breast milk.</p> <p dir="ltr">No matter how hard she tried, the Sydney mother just could not express enough milk for her newborns.</p> <p dir="ltr">And with twins she knew it was “going to be hell” so she opted for formula to ensure her children were satisfied.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I wanted to breastfeed so much…I even tried to express and there was nothing. I just couldn’t and I thought ‘I can’t keep doing this – it’s going to be hell with twins’,” she told <a href="https://www.kidspot.com.au/news/i-was-refused-food-in-hospital-for-24hrs-because-i-didnt-breastfeed-my-newborn/news-story/224a952a530509c7712aff572b856bc2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kidspot</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Three months later on February 12, the mother was overwhelmed when one of her twins’ temperature soared to 40C from a UTI infection.</p> <p dir="ltr">The mother rushed her baby to Campbelltown Hospital where she was then admitted to the paediatric ward.</p> <p dir="ltr">After conducting a series of tests, the worried mother waited anxiously for her results in the same room with another mother who was breastfeeding.</p> <p dir="ltr">It was then she noticed that the other woman was given food off the trolley and she was completely ignored.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I saw the food trolley go right past our bed and up and down the hallway, and it never stopped for me, so I thought to myself, ‘What’s going on?’ Why is she not asking me? Does she not know I’m here?’”</p> <p dir="ltr">Not wanting to cause a problem, the mother opted for some muesli bars she had in her handbag and eventually fell asleep.</p> <p dir="ltr">The next morning, the mother missed breakfast after sleeping in and decided it was time to say something after not being given lunch, dinner and breakfast.</p> <p dir="ltr">She approached the front desk and questioned why she was not offered food in the 24 hours she was admitted into hospital.</p> <p dir="ltr">The mother claims the nurse was embarrassed after saying it was because she was not breastfeeding.</p> <p dir="ltr">“They only give food if you’re breastfeeding. That’s the rule,” the nurse said.</p> <p dir="ltr">The nurse eventually came back and apologised and gave her a sandwich, but it was then she realised her child was admitted under private health.</p> <p dir="ltr">The mother once again confronted the nurse who said it was an “old rule” and nothing could be done to change it.</p> <p dir="ltr">Eventually, her husband arrived to look after their daughter while she went back home to care for the son. He was also not offered any dinner.</p> <p dir="ltr">He was given a sandwich and some crackers.</p> <p dir="ltr">The mother said she felt “shamed” for her decision to opt for formula as she was already struggling with the twins.</p> <p dir="ltr">She insists that if in the near future they needed a hospital that the family would not go to Campbelltown Hospital.</p> <p dir="ltr">The hospital issued a statement following the incident insisting that all parents are offered food during their stay.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The hospital offers sandwiches to all parents during lunch and dinner periods. Sandwiches are also stored in the unit’s refrigerator for use between or after meal times.”</p> <p><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

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Mother sacks babysitter over disturbing nanny cam footage

<p>A mother has not been able to hold back her disgust after sacking her nanny.</p> <p>The mum said that she was shocked to discover that the nanny she hired to look after her 10-month-old son and five-year-old daughter had secretly been breastfeeding the son. </p> <p>The nanny started attempting to nurse the baby after the mother had confided in her about her issues with breastfeeding.</p> <p>“During a conversation that we had recently (maybe two weeks ago), I mentioned that I don’t produce much milk which forces me to rely on donor milk to feed my son,” the mum confessed <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/comments/hnm9j2/wibta_if_i_fired_my_nanny_for_breastfeeding_my_son/" target="_blank" class="_e75a791d-denali-editor-page-rtflink">in the Reddit post</a>.</p> <p>“She was very sympathetic and inquisitive about the situation, and I was happy to answer all of her questions while simultaneously thinking nothing of it.”</p> <p>It was only after the mother checked the nanny cams that were set up in the house that she made the discovery.</p> <p>“I have nanny cameras set up in the living room and in my bedroom that my husband and I can access at anytime when we’re not home, but I never feel compelled to check for the simple fact that I trust my nanny,” she explained.</p> <p>“However, I was having a rough day yesterday and wanted to see what the little ones were up to so I decided to pop in. My nanny was sitting on my bed, rocking my son, and attempting to breastfeed him.</p> <p>“I almost felt sick, it just seemed so inappropriate. I decided to wait until I got home to confront her about it, and when I asked she was incredibly apologetic. She said she wanted to help me because of my milk production issues and never meant any harm.”</p> <p>The mother initially accepted the apology, but became suspicious and went through old footage.</p> <p>To her horror, she discovered that the nanny breastfeeding her son wasn't a one-off occurrence. </p> <p>“She unplugs the camera in my bedroom when she goes to put him down for naps and plugs it back in when she leaves,” she added.</p> <p>“After reviewing our recordings this wasn’t the first time she attempted to breastfeed my son, among a few other questionable things (closing my daughter in the pantry, leaving my son in the backyard unattended, etc).”</p> <p>If that's not bad enough, the mother also discovered that some treasured baby items were missing. </p> <p>“A couple of my son’s first outfits (first onesie, first Halloween costume) were gone as well as a small blanket that belonged to my daughter, and a box of old baby clothes I was going to donate,” she added.</p> <p>“These were returned to me by [the nanny’s] father minus the blanket because she can’t find it.”</p> <p>The mother said she’s been left "heartbroken" by the incident.</p> <p>“We’ve decided to let her go, obviously, and I’m going to be taking a few weeks of leave to take my kids in for check-ups,” she added.</p> <p>“My husband and I are horrified and heartbroken that we facilitated a situation in which our children’s safety was put at risk.”</p>

Family & Pets

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The breastfeeding debate with a major twist

<p>A woman has sparked an online debate after revealing that she breastfed her sister’s baby.</p> <p>In a post on <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/comments/gvqkpx/aita_for_breastfeeding_my_sisters_baby_while_he/" target="_blank">Reddit</a>, the woman said she breastfed her sister’s five-month-old son while he was in her care.</p> <p>The sisters had their babies months apart, and both were still breastfeeding.</p> <p>“My sister had to go to an appointment in the hospital and because of all the Covid she didn’t want to take [her son] so she asked if I could care for him,” the woman said.</p> <p>She explained that her sister expressed a day’s worth of milk ahead of her appointment so that the baby could be bottle-fed.</p> <p>But she found a problem. “I fed sister’s baby the amount she said he could eat at each time, and he always seemed hungry still afterwards,” she said.</p> <p>“I tried my best to make the milk last but I was down to 6oz [177 mL] left and I wasn’t expecting my sister back for another 5 hours.”</p> <p>She decided her sister’s baby “just needed another nibble” and fed him from her breast.</p> <p>“I was feeding my baby already so I just put sister’s baby on my other boob,” she said. “Sister’s baby drank a little bit then fell asleep. The same thing happened a couple of hours later and again, I ran out of milk. My sister had been delayed with her procedure and wasn’t back yet so I just fed sister’s baby from the breast.”</p> <p>Her sister was enraged to learn about the breastfeeding upon her return home, describing the woman’s action as “disrespectful” and “crossing a line”.</p> <p>“She said it was so disrespectful and I should have given formula if it wasn’t enough. I would never give my kid formula if I could help it and I don’t have any in the house,” the woman reasoned.</p> <p>“I can see why she is upset, it’s a very personal thing to feed your baby, but I’m not a stranger, sister’s baby is my nephew and he was hungry.”</p> <p>Some criticised the woman in the comment section, saying the woman overstepped her sister’s boundaries.</p> <p>“You should have asked her permission first since you understand that it’s a very personal thing to do and went ahead with it anyway,” one wrote.</p> <p>Another user claiming to be a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) nurse commented: “A baby fed slightly less than it can take is not starving, and won’t be harmed. In fact, babies can be very poor judges of how much food they can take without spitting. As long as this baby was being given adequate fluid and calories across the span of the day, he was in no danger, and was far from starving.”</p> <p>However, others were more supportive of the woman, saying the infant needed to be fed.</p> <p>“If your sister didn’t express enough milk you can’t be expected to let the baby go hungry, that would be cruel. I think asking first would be better but women donate milk for premature babies all the time,” one chimed in.</p> <p>“She didn’t give you enough milk and no supplemental formula. What were you supposed to do... take two infants to the grocery store in the middle of a pandemic?” another added.</p>

Family & Pets

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Airline's response to breastfeeding mum on flight causes anger online

<p>A breastfeeding mum has taken to social media after airline staff told her to “cover up” while on board a flight.</p> <p>Shelby Angel was travelling on a KLM Airlines flight from San Francisco to Amsterdam with her one-year-old daughter when the incident took place.</p> <p>Writing on the airline's Facebook page on Sunday, Angel recounted the moment a flight attendant gave her a blanket as she was breastfeeding her daughter.</p> <p>After refusing to cover up, saying it would upset her child, she was told it would be her “issue” if a fellow passenger lodged a complaint.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FKLM%2Fposts%2F10156473618075773&amp;width=500" width="500" height="268" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></p> <p>“Instead of standing up for and protecting breastfeeding mothers and our children, already under the duress faced by flying with our young children, KLM would rather hold up antiquated values that shame women’s bodies,” she wrote on Facebook.</p> <p>After Angel issued her complaint, the company responded saying the flight attendant’s behaviour was “in line with company policy”.</p> <p>And the airline refuses to back down on their statement, with a representative replying back to the post saying: “We would like to emphasise that breastfeeding is permitted on KLM flights.</p> <p>“However, we strive to ensure that all of our passengers of all backgrounds feel comfortable onboard.</p> <p>“Therefore, we may request a mother to cover herself while breastfeeding, should other passengers be offended by this.”</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FKLM%2Fposts%2F10156479372935773&amp;width=500" width="500" height="632" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></p> <p>The post spread like wildfire and came to the attention of other parents who are now claiming to avoid the airline.</p> <p>“Omg and I thought KLM was more modern thinking. Sorry you have felt this way,” one person commented.</p> <p>“I am astonished. I’ve been a flight attendant at KLM for up to 21 years now and I’ve seen so many mothers breastfeeding their child. Never has this been an issue, not for me, nor for any of my colleagues.”</p> <p>A third person then wrote to KLM on their Facebook page asking for them to clarify their policy on breastfeeding, and they were told, “as an international airline company, we transport passengers with a variety of backgrounds”.</p> <p>“Not all passengers feel comfortable with breastfeeding in their vicinity … to keep the peace on board, in such cases we will try to find a solution that is acceptable to everyone and that shows respect for everyone’s comfort and personal space.”</p>

International Travel

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Mum kicked off flight for breastfeeding

<p>A US mother claims she was kicked off a Spirit Airlines flight with her elderly parents and two-year-old son for breastfeeding.</p> <p>Mei Rui, 34, her son Lukas and her parents were flying from Houston, Texas, to New York City on December 8 when they were escorted off the plane by security.</p> <p><img width="429" height="230" src="https://s.yimg.com/iu/api/res/1.2/a2cQTd1yVL7VNEcr9mNixA--~D/cm90YXRlPWF1dG87dz05NjA7YXBwaWQ9eXZpZGVv/https://s.yimg.com/iu/api/res/1.2/TGD.QjQBQpDw.sLopyuLwg--~D/cm90YXRlPWF1dG87dz0xMjAwO2FwcGlkPXl2aWRlbw--/https://s.yimg.com/ea/img/-/171212/5a2ee5c47931f_screen_shot_2017_12_12_at_7.06.26_am_5a2ee5b69abcb.png" alt="Mei Rui mum kicked off flight" class="article-figure-image" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>The cancer researcher and concert pianist said the plane had been sitting on the tarmac for almost three hours because of a de-icing delay, when she began to breastfeed her “exhausted” two-year-old son.</p> <p>“Every parent with a young child can [imagine], you don’t want to be that parent on the plane,” Rui told the Post. “It would be very embarrassing. I was just trying to avoid that.”</p> <p>Shortly afterwards, a flight attendant told her to stop and put her son in his seat because they were ready for take off. However Rui claims the plane doors were still open.</p> <p>“I asked for just a couple more minutes to finish because if he woke up at that point he would have made a lot of noise,” Rui told the publication. “I said, ‘I promise I’ll finish before you close the plane’s door.’”</p> <p>Rui complied however and “forced” her son into his own seat where he began to cry for 25 minutes.</p> <p>A flight attendant then asked them to leave the plane but when Rui refused, Spirit made the entire plane disembark then reboard.</p> <p>Fellow passengers took to social media to defend Rui and call out the airline. </p> <p><img width="470" height="286" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/11/13/473748BF00000578-5167327-image-a-24_1512998409108.jpg" alt="Another passenger who saw the ordeal unfold described the airline's treatment of the family as 'disgusting'  " class="blkBorder img-share b-loaded" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" id="i-8f4719efa2a9c04d"/></p> <p>In a video taken at the gate afterwards, staff can be seen laughing and refusing to tell Rui exactly what rules had been broken beyond saying they “did not comply with instructions”.</p> <p>They dismissed the suggestion that the family had been kicked off because of the toddler’s crying.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">A Houston pianist and clinical researcher kicked off <a href="https://twitter.com/SpiritAirlines?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpiritAirlines</a> flight Friday morning.. she was on her way to conduct cancer research in NYC. Wants answers from airline. Live <a href="https://twitter.com/iah?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@iah</a> at 10 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KHOU11?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KHOU11</a> <a href="https://t.co/mDPQmC5AOC">pic.twitter.com/mDPQmC5AOC</a></p> — Marcelino Benito (@MarcelinoKHOU) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarcelinoKHOU/status/939703793054375937?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2017</a></blockquote> <p>Police were called to escort the family away from the gate.</p> <p>After the incident at George Bush International Airport, Rui says her father was so distraught and stressed he collapsed and had to go to the hospital.</p> <p>In a statement to DailyMail.com, a spokesman for the airline said: “No one was removed for breastfeeding.</p> <p>“We were forced to remove a passenger from flight 712 after she refused to comply with crew instructions several times while the doors were closed during taxi and safety briefing.</p> <p>“To ensure the safety of our guests and crew, FAA regulations and airline policies require all passengers stay seated and buckled during takeoff and landing. We reviewed multiple accounts from the crew and other guests sitting nearby and we apologize for any inconvenience caused by this issue.</p> <p>“As a courtesy, we’ve issued a full refund to the customer in question.”</p> <p>They would not comment on Rui's claims that the door was still open when she was breastfeeding.</p>

Travel Trouble

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This mum still breastfeeds her 5-year-old daughter

<p>A British mum has stirred up controversy after revealing she still breastfeeds her daughters, five-year-old Jasmine and two-year-old Arianna, with whom she also shares a bed.</p> <p>“I don’t think there’s anything strange about feeding your children,” 29-year-old Sophie Mei Lan told <em>The Sun</em>. “Breast milk is nourishing, soothing and it’s free. I must have saved thousands of pounds over the years.”</p> <p>She admitted her husband Chris doesn’t quite share her views on the issue, but says she “can’t say no” to her kids when they want to feed. And she doesn’t plan on stopping until her daughters decide they’re ready.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media"> <div style="padding: 8px;"> <div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 50.0% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;"> <div style="background: url(data:image/png; base64,ivborw0kggoaaaansuheugaaacwaaaascamaaaapwqozaaaabgdbtueaalgpc/xhbqaaaafzukdcak7ohokaaaamuexurczmzpf399fx1+bm5mzy9amaaadisurbvdjlvzxbesmgces5/p8/t9furvcrmu73jwlzosgsiizurcjo/ad+eqjjb4hv8bft+idpqocx1wjosbfhh2xssxeiyn3uli/6mnree07uiwjev8ueowds88ly97kqytlijkktuybbruayvh5wohixmpi5we58ek028czwyuqdlkpg1bkb4nnm+veanfhqn1k4+gpt6ugqcvu2h2ovuif/gwufyy8owepdyzsa3avcqpvovvzzz2vtnn2wu8qzvjddeto90gsy9mvlqtgysy231mxry6i2ggqjrty0l8fxcxfcbbhwrsyyaaaaaelftksuqmcc); display: block; height: 44px; margin: 0 auto -44px; position: relative; top: -22px; width: 44px;"></div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BazZ5rhjHwX/" target="_blank">A post shared by Sophie Mei Lan (@mamameiblog)</a> on Oct 28, 2017 at 12:20pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“Whenever I try to get ready quickly, granted, Arianna will try to stop me in my tracks for urgent ‘Mama Milk,’” Sophie wrote on Instagram.</p> <p>What’s your take? Is it appropriate for a mother to continue breastfeeding her children up to (or even beyond) the age of five? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below. </p> <p><em>Image: Sophie Mei Lan/Instagram.</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Beautiful moment orangutan was captivated by mum breastfeeding

<p>When mother Elizabeth Hunt Burrett sought a place to breastfeed her baby on a day out at Australia’s Melbourne Zoo, she never expected to attract an onlooker of the primate variety.</p> <p>Elizabeth was breastfeeding 13-week-old son Eli in a corner of the orangutan enclosure, when an orangutan sauntered over her way.</p> <p>"I was breast feeding and this orangutan locked eyes with me and came over to check out what was going on," she told 774 ABC Melbourne.</p> <p>"It started off with just one, then another one came over who seemed to be a bit older and shooed this one off for a little while."</p> <p><img src="https://scontent-sin1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtf1/v/t1.0-9/12670182_10153921520967422_1838350618300002182_n.jpg?oh=0a33fd8644b8909ed784c4c358b7b5ac&amp;oe=57379493" class="spotlight" style="width: 440px; height: 330px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>Elizabeth said she shared an emotional encounter with the great ape when one gave her nod.</p> <p>“She came over and gave me a bit of a nod … It was absolutely amazing,” Elizabeth told the radio station.</p> <p>Elizabeth's mother snapped the picture of the orangutan staring intently at the mum and son, speculating that as her grandson has flame-red hair, the orangutan may have thought he was a baby orangutan.</p> <p><strong>Related links: </strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/01/photos-of-animals-hitchhiking/">Hilarious photos of animals hitchhiking</a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/01/animals-who-love-warm/">In pictures: 12 animals who love warmth more than anything</a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2015/10/why-dogs-so-happy-to-see-you/">The science behind dogs being so happy to see you</a></em></strong></span></p>

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