For Elizabeth Arnold, going away for the first time without her two children — both under the age of 2 — was a big step.

But Arnold, who is breastfeeding both her children, was quickly confronted with an unexpected challenge: plugging in her breast pump while onboard Air Transat flights to and from London.

Flight staff initially refused to allow Arnold to use onboard outlets, saying it was “against airline policy.”

Representatives for Air Transat say staff simply followed regulations established by the aircraft manufacturer, which restrict the use of outlets to cellphones and tablet devices.

But in Arnold’s view, Air Transat failed to accommodate a basic need of a nursing mother. “I feel like that’s taking away a mother’s choice,” she said.

On her way to London, where she was accompanying her husband on a business trip, Arnold, a kindergarten teacher, said she needed to use her pump, but did not have access to an electrical outlet at her economy seat.

Without her toddlers with her, Arnold relied on a pump to express her breast milk, to both continue milk production for her children and prevent ensuing medical risks.

“I’ve gotten mastitis before,” she said, “it makes you really sick,” referring to an infection, often caused by a backup of milk.

After some discussion with a flight attendant, Arnold was given access to a plug used by crew members intended for vacuum cleaners, she said.

Returning home to Toronto, she ran into similar problems.

“I pumped right before I got onto the plane, hoping that I didn’t have to (later on),” she said, but the almost eight-hour flight proved too long.

Arnold said she spoke with a flight attendant and manager, who both denied her access to the outlet she had used on the previous flight.

“(The manager)’s saying to me, ‘It’s against the law to use that pump. You’re not allowed to. I don’t know who let you (use it) on the way there, but I follow rules and it’s a no,’” she explained.

Arnold said she persisted, asking that her “medical right” be accommodated.

“I was shaking,” she said, adding the manager just kept repeating it was “against airline policy and against the law to use that plug.”

Eventually, after speaking with the captain, the manager relented.

“He says, ‘I talked to the captain and we’re not supposed to but there’s a plug by the exit. I’ve spoken to the passenger who sits there and he’s willing to let you pump. You have seven minutes, go,’” Arnold explained.

“Even though eventually I was able to pump, the stress and the havoc and everyone watching … It was so emotionally exhausting,” she said. “No mother should have to fight for that.”

Air Transat representatives maintain staff onboard Arnold’s flight were following protocol.

“It’s a question of regulation from the aircraft company,” said Debbie Cabana, public relations and marketing director with Air Transat. She also noted concerns with respect to voltage.

Cabana told the Star passengers are prohibited from using outlets for anything other than cellphones and tablet devices due to concerns of voltage.

“We never know what kind of device it is and what could happen,” she said.

“Of course, we want to answer the specific needs of our passenger,” Cabana said, “but we always have to think in a security perspective.”

“This for us is the main aspect of the situation,” she added.

Cabana said there is no specific policy for nursing mothers because they are welcome on Air Transat flights.

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

“There is no problem at all,” she said, “We are a family vacation airline.”

Air Transat passengers are told to use a hand pump or battery-powered device while onboard, Cabana added.

“They need to be manual because there is no way we can have access to an electric plug onboard,” explained Cabana. Though Arnold was permitted access to a plug on her first flight, “she was not supposed to be allowed.”

Arnold said she looked into the use of a hand pump before taking the trip, but after speaking with fellow mothers, she decided it was not the best option for her.

“They basically said, a hand pump is not as effective,” Arnold said, especially because she is nursing both her two children.

“I figured if it’s not effective, and I have a device that I know works, I’m going to choose that.”

But Arnold insists this is beside the point.

“It shouldn’t have been a question of, ‘am I doing it most effectively?’” she said. “I need (to pump) so why isn’t there something in place for me to do that?”

“That’s not up to (the airline) to decide how I’m going to extract the milk from my breasts” she added, “I think it’s a matter of choice.”

Cabana said Air Transat’s website makes it clear that, in accordance with the industry protocol, “medical equipment must be equipped with an independent power source.”

“We follow the regulation and rules,” Cabana said.

In an e-mailed statement, Lauren Stewart, a representative for WestJet, said she was “not aware of any issues or barriers” to using a breast pump on board WestJet flights.

Brad Cicero, with Porter airlines, said Porter has not encountered a similar problem, because their aircrafts do not have electric outlets.

Arnold’s story is one of many instances in which a mother’s needs are found to conflict with airline policy.

While Arnold says she understands the need for regulation, such rules restrict the rights of mother.

“In an ideal world, women get to decide where or how they pump,” and how they feed their children, she said. “It shouldn’t be a question. It should just be thought of as someone’s right.”