Breastfeeding mom asked if anyone had complained after a flight attendant told her to cover up — the response left her deeply disappointed
Traveling with an infant can be challenging. Managing the baby along with multiple necessities, while hoping they don’t throw a tantrum, is quite difficult. Also, when unsympathetic passengers add to the exhaustion, the journey becomes even harder. A mom, Radhika Goyal Sutherland, who goes by @hotradh on Threads, shared one such instance in a post on Wednesday, November 4, 2026. She was breastfeeding her child in her seat when the flight attendant came over and asked her to cover up. Unsure how to respond, she asked whether other travelers had complained, and the response left her feeling disheartened.
The woman recalled feeling stunned and embarrassed when the flight attendant made that request. She mentioned that she didn’t cover up because her baby would fling it off and get uncomfortable. She asked whether anyone had complained about being uneasy around a breastfeeding mom. The reply? “You have no idea.” Sutherland was left feeling confused and disappointed. She mentioned that she had breastfed her child on different modes of transportation and in different countries, and no one seemed to have an issue. Furthermore, she noted that attending to an infant’s needs was something so common and important that people should have known better.
The whole exchange left her feeling defeated. She mentioned that with outdated mindsets like these, moms can “never win.” Her child was quiet, not fidgeting; they were in their assigned seats, not causing trouble, yet someone still had complaints. It’s not like moms choose the most unexpected places to breastfeed on purpose. An infant’s hunger can’t be controlled, and there is no option but to feed them no matter where they might be. It’s a natural occurrence, but stereotypes overpower humanity. It’s taxing enough for a new mom to handle such a situation in public, and judgmental looks and criticism make it even worse.
According to the BBC, one of the contributing factors that hinders and causes discomfort to a mom breastfeeding in public is the reaction and unsolicited opinions elicited by strangers. Dr. Aimee Grant of Swansea University's center for lactation, infant feeding and translational research studied 17,700 pregnant women and mothers' responses on the topic and made eye-opening findings. Many onlookers made sexual comments and even reportedly told moms that they were doing it wrong. Grant noted that this creates “a hostile environment in which it was harder for mothers to feed their babies.” Commenters shared support for the mom. @michelle.the.mystic said, “People need to stop sexualizing a biologically normal thing.” @embabes added, “I once pumped uncovered on an airplane. No one is making you look.” @rstnbtchface remarked, “You must hand the person the 'light blanket' to put on their head so they can’t see you feeding your baby.”
You can follow @hotradh on Threads for more content on parenting.