Aussie woman hits back after sparking fury with exit-row plane act: 'I’d be so mad'

If you've ever flown with a baby, you'll wholeheartedly relate to this mother, but she's been forced to hit back online after being slammed with a wave of criticism for rocking her baby to sleep beside an emergency exit-row seat on a plane.

Australian midwife Aliza Carr, who founded Bumpnbub.com, recently uploaded a video to her Instagram page, showing her standing in front of an emergency exit door on an international flight, with her four-month-old baby in a carrier.

Aliza can be seen in the footage gently bouncing up and down in an effort to get her baby to sleep, not appearing to encroach on the space of those passengers sitting at the exit row.

That didn’t stop a stream of people commenting on the video blasting the mum for the act, saying they’d be furious if they were sitting in that row.

RELATED:

• Woman ghosted by stepdaughter after bikini request for pool party: 'Grow up'

• Aldi nappy redesign leaves parents furious: 'They won't even stay on'

• Kmart fans in a frenzy over $3.50 buy after viral TikTok review

She captioned the video:” I remember this flight, it was 14+ hours straight and I remember taking Panadol for my butt and leg muscles that were aching #Mumlife. If you’ve travelled with a little one, how did they go to sleep? I know if my child’s life depended on it, she wouldn’t sleep in the plane bassinet, or even on us - standing, bouncing and aggressively swaying is the only way .”

Angry travellers take aim

People immediately hit out at the video, with one person called Sue commenting: “If I was sitting at that exit row and paid for the extra leg room… I’d be so mad having this happening in front of me the whole flight!”

Aliza hit back at the woman, saying: “Ahh Sue I’m so sorry that seeing a mother trying to soothe her baby, clearly trying her best could ever “anger” you - this is so sad to see and I hope you’d put your children above the happiness of a stranger on a plane. Also, as you can see I’m nowhere near anyone’s legs or “extra room”.”

However, Sue wasn’t the only person who said they’d take offence to where Eliza was standing, with another person commenting: "How annoying such 'dancing' mamas. Kid already sleeps for 30’ but they still jump with kid and annoy people around. I had a 'luck' to fly with similar woman recently.”

Another person wrote: “What made you think a 14-hour plane ride would be easy?”, while another commenter said: “I feel bad for the other passengers who wanted to sit on the plane in peace.”

One person even questioned why people who decide to have children fly in the first place.

“Why do people travel with babies? Have your relatives/friends visit you! And why is it that people without babies/kids who don’t want them or care for them need to be subjected to crying babies on the plane or this? I just absolutely don’t understand the logic. Just stay home! Don’t fly or take your baby to the restaurants if your kid cries non-stop. Nobody wants to hear that!” the person wrote.

People rush to mum's defence

Others were gobsmacked at the response in the comments, with many saying the exact same people would be complaining if Aliza had just left her baby to cry for the duration of the flight.

“Wait why the heck are the comments all so darn negative???? All I see is a loving mother and a baby who needs a bit of extra love and closeness from their mother. Calm DOWN everyone,” a person commented.

“Yeah, she should have just sat down with her child and let it scream for 14 hours. That would have been less annoying for you,” one person said.

“I promise you I have sat in that exact seat, and watched many people come and spend time in the extra area, including grown men just standing and staring for an hour. I would gladly take an exhausted and doing her best mama to soothe her child every day. Put a mask on it and go to sleep Sue no one is in your precious space my god. Also extra leg room is maybe about up to 5 inches, those big spaces on the large airplanes by the BATHROOM is not all yours, try again,” another person wrote.

One person pretty much summed up what a lot of the commenters were saying by writing: “This comment section is awful. Truly. Where has our humanity gone. She is doing her best.”

Another person pointed out that that space is very large and where the flight attendants usually sit for take-off and landing.

“That space also allows a whole beverage cart to be turned around and maneuvered without taking up passenger leg space. She’s not infringing on anyone’s space,” they wrote.

Never miss a thing. Sign up to Yahoo Lifestyle’s daily newsletter.

Or if you have a story idea, email us at lifestyle.tips@yahooinc.com.