KLM says breastfeeding policy is to 'keep the peace' after mum asked to cover up

A mother issued a warning to any nursing mothers who are considering travelling with KLM: don't. In a Facebook post to the airline's page, Shelby Angel detailed an incident on a flight from San Francisco to Amsterdam where she said the attendant told her to cover up while breastfeeding her 1-year-old daughter. Angel said she nurses her child to calm her during the flight and make her comfortable. "I do my best to be discreet, but sometimes some skin shows. Before we even took off, I was approached by a flight attendant carrying a blanket. She told me (and I quote) 'if you want to continue doing the breastfeeding, you need to cover yourself,'" the mother wrote. "I told her no, my daughter doesn't like to be covered up. That would upset her almost as much as not breastfeeding her at all." According to Angel, the flight attendant told her that if anyone on the flight complained then it would be the attendant's issue to deal with. While no one protested her breastfeeding in public, Angel said she felt disrespected by the flight attendant. She filed a complaint with the airline when she got home, to which they told her their employee was acting in accordance with their policy and she needs to be respectful of other people's culture. A spokesperson for the airline Manel Vrijenhoek, said that although breastfeeding is allowed on their flights, not everyone is comfortable with it, which results in complaints to cabin staff. "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," the statement read. "This may involve a request to a mother to cover her breast."<br/>