Flight Attendant Humiliates Breast-Pumping Mom

Dawnella Brahos is claiming a flight attendant publicly humiliated her by not letting her use a breast pump aboard an American Airlines flight earlier this month. According to the mother, she was flying between Minneapolis and Chicago when the flight attendant denied usage, and the attendant even went so far as to claim Brahos was “making up” the fact that she had used the pump on previous legs of the trip on her way back from California.

“She was speaking in a loud voice, reading a page from a manual and adamant that because it was not pre-approved medical equipment I could not use the pump at my seat,” Brahos told NBC News.

The mother is particularly angry because she spent hours researching logistical issues, such as what planes had electrical outlets, and talking on the phone with airline representatives to ensure the device was allowed onboard. She and her husband even forked out extra money to make sure they’d be seated next to each other so a stranger wouldn’t have to be next to her when she used the device.

Brahos received a $100 voucher at the airport after she complained about her treatment, and is planning to file a formal complaint because she wants the airline “to let moms do what they need to do.”

[Photo credit: Pumpman2 / Wikimedia Commons]