A London airport took shaming breastfeeding women to the next level. A nursing mom was asked by Heathrow London airport staff to dump four gallons of collected breast milk meant for her breastfed 8-month-old son.
At Heathrow's Terminal 5, security officials didn't let Jessica Coakley Martinez off the hook if she didn't throw the breast milk she brought for her baby. As a nursing mom who balances work and family, Martinez pumps and collects milk during travels so as to provide for her baby's needs.
London Airport officials make Jessica Martinez dump her 4 gallons of breast milk https://t.co/X7JI4Eh9Mp
— The Global Dispatch (@Global_Dispatch) April 24, 2016
The angry mother, according to City News, posted her frustration and humiliating experience on Facebook, which was shared for almost 4,000 times. In Martinez's post, she vented out her ordeal at being shamed publicly.
Only At Heathrow Airport
Martinez brought a "giant block of frozen breast milk" but she was denied through British customs. She said that she successfully brought frozen breast milk through four countries and she's appalled why Heathrow airport wouldn't let it through.
Heathrow's limit for liquids in carry-on bags is only at 100 ml. The breast milk that Martinez brought was way beyond the limit set by Heathrow airport.
Pumping Breast Milk Whenever Possible
"I resolved to pump at every possible moment between my meetings, presentations, business lunches and dinners, taxis, flights, and long waits in airports," said Martinez. She added that it meant "pumping while sitting on toilets in public restrooms" and even in stuffed airplane bathrooms.
"You made me dump nearly 500 oz. of breast milk in the trash," said Martinez. "You made me dump out nearly two weeks' worth of food for my son," Martinez said via Daily Mail.
No Compromise
Martinez also acknowledged that she should have familiarized herself with Heathrow's regulations, but at the same time, the airport staff should have agreed on a compromise. She was willing to throw the liquid milk, and at least, she should have been allowed to carry the more than 300 ounces of frozen breast milk.
Despite her crying and begging, Heathrow officials didn't give her the consideration. According to an airport representative, their regulations are clearly stated on their website, implying that nursing moms should read these regulations before traveling.
However, the mom is not the only victim of shaming breastfeeding at the Heathrow Airport. Last year, actress Alyssa Milano had her pumped breast milk confiscated at the same airport.
What do you think about Heathrow Airport's policies? Share your thoughts below!
