From reading some of these postings, you'd think the mom was stripped to the waist! From the news reports I've read on the subject, the mother WAS being discreet. She sat in a window seat with her husband on the other side and her breast wasn't in plain view. According to her lawyer, the flight attendant told her to cover up because the flight attendant was offended (as opposed to other complaining passengers).

If the woman was sitting in the aisle seat topless, then yes I would agree that some covering up was in order. The reality seems that she was practicing modesty but did not want to put an airline blanket over the baby's head just to please a flight attendant, and I don't blame her. As I've mentioned elsewhere, a woman can with practice and care nurse without most people realizing what she's doing, but throwing a blanket over the nursing baby is akin to shouting I"M NURSING! If it's the realization of nursing (as opposed to a glimpse of breast) that bothers someone, the presence of the blanket might be worse, not better...especially if the baby fusses about the blanket.

Many women with older babies nurse in fitting rooms, etc in stores because the baby is so easily distracted and wants to look around. That's one reason why so many people don't see older babies nursing.

And do you really want the airplane bathroom tied up for 20-30 minutes while a baby nurses? That's a LOT more inconsiderate than nursing, discreet or not.

Come on! It might be interesting to examine how attitudes about pregnancy and children have evolved over the years but this is a little first-year-grad student angst-y. Actresses "have always presented an image of smoldering female sensuality "? Like Donna Reed or Sally Fields, sexpots both? "Virtually all parenting, that of the rich as well as that of the poor, is now delegated to a special class of professionals, whether it be nannies or day-care workers"? Wow, my kid plays and sings "Wheels on the Bus" with a group of kids supervised by adults, and somehow I have abdicated "virtually all parenting"? "Information about everything from breast pumps to epidurals was once transmitted locally, from generation to generation, mother to daughter, or friend to friend" sounds like the good old days but it seems to me that MISinformation, old wives tales and myths were spread much that same way. "Average hourly workers know that if they did indeed put their families before their jobs their children would starve or end up in a shelter, a public housing project or the foster care system"? Putting your families before your job means choosing a job with flexibility and benefits, NOT quitting your job outright. The great insights in the article are not insightful at all.

It appears that the flight attendent in question has been "disciplined".

Here's something to ponder: The mother in question, by all accounts, WAS being discreet as possible. Maybe, just maybe, she knew that if she threw that blanket over the baby, the baby would yank it off, fuss and cry...thereby drawing more attention to the situation than if she refused the blanket. Maybe the mother knew her baby better than did the flight attendent. Maybe the mother made a decision that was best for everyone, not just the baby.

If there are women that the LW has become friendly with, he should pick two or three that know each other, take them out to lunch or dinner and ask them point-blank what their suggestions are. This might take a drink or two. If he's clear that he can take whatever they tell him, they'll probably tell him. He might find out that shyness comes off as condescension or something like that. He'll learn something and word might get around that he's a nice guy who wants a girlfriend.

That's what I tell my kids. "Some men fall in love with other men and some women fall in love with other women. We call those people "gay". Some other people don't like it, but your dad and I feel that it's no one's business". They don't seem to have spontaneously combusted yet.

And sorry, whoever you are, the percent of Americans who are opposed to gay rights is decreasing every year. And as for marriage, many people who are not in favor of "gay marriage' are fine with civil unions. Let's see if these laws are still in place 20 years from now.

Gay people are nothing unusual. I work with them and teach them. I hear the occasional sob story when there is a breakup, just as with the straight students. I just don't get the threat thing.

As someone who nursed two babies, I agree that an airline blanket is a scary thing to throw over one's baby's head. Also, not all babies like to have their heads covered and I know that it was hard for me to hold the baby, keep my arms supported, keep the breast in an accessible-yet-unobtrusive area AND hold a blanket in place (I tried a few times and gave up). And if I was asked to perform this feat after getting a baby packed for a trip and on a plane, I might be frustrated and tired enough to go a little ballistic myself.

The kicker is...if you're nursing discreetly, people may not even notice what you're doing but if you have that blanket over your shoulder you may as well wear a big sign on your head saying I AM NURSING A BABY.