A powerful post from one of my #breastfeeding clients, a working mom, about her horrible experience traveling home with pumped breast milk after a work trip abroad. She was forced by security in London to throw out all of her hard-earned pumped #breastmilk. I dont typically post parenting stuff other than pics of [the baby], but I feel everyone, parents and non-parents, should know about a recent experience I had coming back from Zurich where I was on business. Because if no one tells you it happens then you wont know that it does. I had to stop in London because, for some reason, I couldnt check my bags through, so I had to go through security again. With me I carried breastmilk. I had carefully sanitized, labeled and chilled each bag, despite a hectic work schedule. It takes 15 minutes or more to create 4 ounces and I would be bringing home 30, more than a days worth of food. It felt good to do something for my baby despite being away for a week. I felt proud I managed to do so while working so hard professionally. But then it happened. At London security I was told I was not allowed to bring the milk through because... I didnt have a baby with me. I could be on a business trip or I could be a mother. According to the law, I could not be both. Watching them toss the milk in the garbage was such a horrible sight. The saddest part is that the law is fundamentally flawed: had I had the baby with me, I wouldnt have needed to bring milk on board at all. I would have simply nursed. Thankfully, this is not the law in the US. For once, we are ahead of the curve. That said, we live in a weird time where we call for women, many of whom are mothers, to lead in the workforce... but then allow for laws that simply state: You can be an executive. You can be a mother. You cannot be both. LLLGB because Breastfeeding Matters The Leaky B@@b La Leche League USA Breastfeeding USA The Feminist Breeder
Posted on: Tue, 27 Jan 2015 23:03:35 +0000