...to think the breastmilk-dumping woman should have read the bloody guidelines?

[GreenBaizePacker]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-36120247

Surely there's no way she thought she'd get all of that through customs. The 100ml regulation is so well known! And the exception is if you are travelling WITH the baby who will need more milk on the flight.

[VimFuego101]

I can only imagine what a hive of bacteria that milk would have been after being partially defrosted and refrozen multiple times when she traveled through airports during her trip. The baby probably had a lucky escape. That said, though, airlines should have a clear policy for mums traveling without a baby and pumping milk. There was a case a while ago where a lady packed frozen milk in dry ice and Delta refused to check it for her, even though their policy says they will.

[ChemistryHunt]

Her breasts were going on the journey with her

^ that has to one of the best statements I have seen in ages.

The women shouldn't have even tried to take that much through, it was ridiculous. I am not even going to start on the hygiene aspect of it.

[Mysteryfla]

She's got some kind of agenda, and it's not feeding her child.

[StillStayingClassySanDiego]

I saw the other thread and thought 'fuck that' after the first two posts .

[NotSpartacus]

The story is stupid on so many levels.

No way would that frozen milk have been fit for consumption after being taken through airports, planes, transfers, different hotel freezers etc.

Her baby is 8 months old, so milk is not his sole source of nutrition. In any event, she can make more milk. He is not going to starve to death.

Her open letter reads to me as written by a woman who feels guilty about working and who is dealing with this by pumping obsessively. She really shouldn't expect airport security to waive their rules and facilitate her obsession. Her letter says security should not be their only concern - I disagree.

[ollieplimsoles]

Agree 100% with Mysteryfla

[curren]

I agree she has some agenda.

A lot of people think she is putting too ouch pressure on herself and is acting out of guilt.

Personally I think she is attention seeking and knows that, currently, anything with a sniff of being anti breast feeding gets in the media.

I don't believe she was acting out of guilt or putting too much pressure on herself. I think she has achieved what she wanted...attention.

[MrsHathaway]

If you read the LLL statement it's clear that even they think she's wrong. They say it's upsetting to have to dump pumped milk, but that nursing mothers should check the regulations so as not to have to.

It would likely have been at least half her baggage allowance mind you.

I've been an exclusively pumping mother and it does make you a bit loopy at times.

[PeppaIsMyHero]

Totally agree with NotSparticus. I read it the same - she feels guilty and also wants the world to know how hard she is finding life.

However, I also think she wants credit for this crazy pump+travel regime she has put herself through. It might be that she's not getting much support at home... she sounds like someone who needs some help.

[Topseyt]

To me her letter read like an incoherent rant from a madwoman. How dare security at Heathrow apply the rules to her!! She is such a special snowflake because she has a baby at home!! Like no other working woman has ever had a baby and had to travel without him/her.

The rules are there for a good reason. There is a certain amount of flexibility for parents travelling with a baby to allow for feeds that may be needed during the flight, but 14 litres was ridiculous and to top it all she wasn't even travelling with her baby.

[MrsHathaway]

She claims that the "baby traveling with" exception discriminates against working mothers. No, clearly it excepts actual infants who need feeding during the actual flight.

[isitginoclock]

YANBU. The whole thing is batshit crazy. What sort of mum is willing to get on a transatlantic flight for work without her breastfeeding infant but not willing to give him a little formula at 8 months old?

[oneowlgirl]

YANBU

[ScarletForYa]

Hysterical and illogical.

I'm amused when I imagine the customs officers scratching their heads at the breastmilk iceberg and the crazy lady on a mission to bring it home.

[Babymamamama]

Crazy attention seeking was my thought about this piece.

[Moreisnnogedag]

I'm just amazed at the volume - 14 LITRES!! Decking hell I failed at pumping. Thats 24 pints! I want to know what pump she was using.

[Herewegoagainfolks]

I'm hugely pro breastfeeding but I found this whole story very odd and in fact damaging to the pro breast feeding lobby principally because:

The milk wouldn't have been fit to give to her child. She must know this surely?


The tone of the complaint letter is hysterical and irrational. It doesn't sound like it was written by either a professional business person or by someone who knows anything about breastfeeding.

It's all quite, quite strange.

[LassWiTheDelicateAir]

She is bonkers.

[Alisvolatpropiis]

Yanbu. I have absolutely zero sympathy with the woman. I don't know any women who have breastfed who would 1) be so stupid as to not check the guidelines 2) would kick up such an almighty fuss over a situation caused by their own error.

[giraffesCantReachTheirToes]

Yanbu. That milk would have been rancid anyway over that length of time in a bag!

[Clandestino]

In short - yes. She acted like a completely ignorant twat and I have no compassion whatsoever for her.

[Creampastry]

Crazy woman.

[Blu]

I think there is a lot more to this. Which may mean she is an attention seeking fantasist, or a troll.....or that she has PND or other MH issues and needs some help, not mass internet exposure and shaming.