Cribsheet heard about the national nurse-in too late to rush over and participate (dang!). But Strib reporter Sue Peterson was at Minneapolis-St.Paul Airport Tuesday morning for the protest against Delta Airlines, which had ejected a nursing mother from a commuter flight. Her truncated observations ran in a national story in the paper Wednesday. Here’s what ended up on the Strib’s equivalent of the cutting room floor:

It wasn’t a total bust, but only a small contingent of nursing moms turned up.

Andrea Marrapodi of Minneapolis was there with daughter Zora, 18 months, She called Delta’s 800 number Monday and was told the ariline’s policy is to allow breast-feeding “as long as they’re being discreet and they cover the baby with a blanket.

That’s not acceptable, Marrapodi and two other protesting moms said Tuesday, camped out on a bank of seats in front of the Delta ticket counter.

“We’re not expected to eat with a blanket over our heads,” and babies shouldn’t either, said Barbara Morgan, mother of 12-week-old Maya, who was nursing inside a sling baby carrier. “Breast-feeding is not supported and encouraged enough, given the benefits to babies and mothers….(This) is just one more reason for families to be discouraged from breast-feeding their babies.”

Rebecca Aylesforth of Minneapolis said a blanket isn’t practical. “She whips it off,” said Aylesforth, mother of 9-month-old Sophia Paulson. a wiggly, giggly charmer. “That just calls more attention to us.”

Aylesforth and Morgan said they’d no trouble nursing on Northwest and other airlines’ flights. Northwest spokesman Kurt Ebenhoch said: “We rely on our customers to use their good judgement and be respectful and sensitive to their fellow passengers.”

Susan E. Peterson (612) 673-4506

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