Mum 'ordered to stop breastfeeding baby' by staff on Ryanair flight

'It’s left me incredibly anxious and nervous to fly again – and I won’t be doing so with Ryanair'

Rachel Duffy described feeling, "shocked, angry and embarrassed" (Caters)

A mother of two has described her anger and embarrassment after being told to stop breastfeeding her seven-month-old son on a recent Ryanair flight.

Rachel Duffy, 40, had just boarded a return flight from Faro in Portugal to Manchester after a 10-day holiday with her baby and 14-year-old son, Nathan.

Duffy, from Yorkshire, had reportedly read that breastfeeding your child during take-off and landing could reduce ear discomfort, caused by cabin pressure, in babies.

The mother said she had successfully fed her baby on the outbound Ryanair flight and began to do so again.

However, Duffy claims she was apprehended by a member of cabin crew who ordered her to stop breastfeeding, stopping and waiting until the child had unlatched and redressed before moving on.

“The air steward came over and told me that I couldn’t feed my son, which was shocking as I had been fine on the Ryanair flight just 10 days earlier,” she said.

“The steward stood and watched while I struggled to sit my baby up – who started to cry – and continued to stand there until I had re-dressed myself.”

Duffy attempted to feed her child again on the descent into Manchester, but was stopped again by Ryanair staff.

“I was really shocked, angry and embarrassed by the situation – I continued to breastfeed during the rest of the flight, but I was told to stop again before landing,” she said.

Duffy’s negative experience on the low-cost carrier has affected her outlook on future journeys with her son.

“It’s left me incredibly anxious and nervous to fly again – and I won’t be doing so with Ryanair,” she said.

Duffy said she had no problem breastfeeding during take-off and landing on the outbound flight 10 days earlier.

“When I flew to Portugal from Manchester, on a Ryanair flight, I was allowed to breastfeed during take-off and landing,” she said.

“No one said anything to me, even when they were doing the seatbelt checks.”

“It’s made me very angry and others that I have spoken to are disgusted with Ryanair,” she continued. “It made our flight very difficult and uncomfortable.”

A spokesperson for Ryanair told The Independent: “Breastfeeding mothers are very welcome onboard our flights.”