This Mom Got Shamed For Pumping in an Airport Bathroom, Because of Course She Did

Sophie McBain, a mother of a 10-month-old baby who was traveling for work, wanted to sneak in a quick pumping session at Heathrow Airport in London before her flight back to New York. Rather than whipping out all her equipment in the waiting area, Sophie asked the airport staff where she could go to get the job done in private. They told her to go in the baby-changing room, so Sophie made her way there and set up shop. Everything was going well until a male airport employee barged into the room midsession.

Sophie described her outrage in a series of tweets that would make any pumping mama cringe:

Feel a bit upset @HeathrowAirport - I'm a breastfeeding mother traveling without my baby & needed to express milk. I asked staff where I could do this in private and they suggested the baby changing room. So I used it, feeling a bit bad to be occupying the room for 20mins but...

— Sophie McBain (@SEMcBain) January 21, 2018

I was really uncomfortable and needed to do this. I didn't hear someone knock, & after they were kept waiting they asked a staff member to unlock the door for them. A male attendant came, unlocked the door and while I was still attached to a machine with my breasts out...

— Sophie McBain (@SEMcBain) January 21, 2018

And if that's not bad enough, the male employee went on to lecture her about where and when she should pump:

He lectured me about how I should leave the door unlocked or pump outside. I felt so exposed and embarrassed. Could a female staff member not be sent? Could he not wait until I was unplugged and undressed? Can breastfeeding women not have a room to pump Undisturbed & in private?

— Sophie McBain (@SEMcBain) January 21, 2018

Rather than totally losing her cool, Sophie tried to explain how painful missing a pumping session can actually be.

But I did explain that it's not just that BF women feel uncomfortable when they can't pump – it puts us at risk of a painful and potentially serious condition called mastitis

— Sophie McBain (@SEMcBain) January 22, 2018

Although Heathrow Airport reached out to Sophie with an apology, it wasn't as heartfelt as Sophie had hoped.

Anyway- here's the reply I got pic.twitter.com/JskEhihzwS

— Sophie McBain (@SEMcBain) January 22, 2018

I told people yesterday that I wasn't so upset about my horrible experience @HeathrowAirport, I just didn't want other women to go through the same. But then I received this excuse-filled, non-apology to my formal complaint & I am so sad..

— Sophie McBain (@SEMcBain) January 22, 2018

Sophie hopes that her negative experience leads to more private spaces for pumping and breastfeeding mamas in airports and other public venues because honestly, no mother should feel uncomfortable about feeding her baby.