Brilio.net/en - A mother turns to Facebook to discuss her emotional incident at the Heathrow Airport after she was was allegedly forced to dump nearly four gallons of breast milk at the airport security checking.
Jessica Coakley Martinez from California said that security staff at Heathrows Terminal five forced her to dump a container of liquid milk and a two-gallon frozen block that she was carrying in her hand luggage.
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If youve ever been in breast-pumping moments, youll know thats a huge amount. Every drop of it is a result of unbearably boring hours of pumping; those times you painstakingly find in every possible moment between meetings and endless tasks. Its indeed devastating to just dump your days of hard work like that.
Image via Facebook/Jessica Coakley Martinez
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The milk was intended for her eight-month-old son and the mother-of-two has now openly criticised Heathrow Airport in a letter posted on the social media.
Coakley Martinez also highlighted how she felt like a failure for turning to formula milk instead of fully feeding her son with breast milk. Being unable to breastfeed their babies is indeed heartbreaking for almost every mother in the world.
Image via Facebook/Jessica Coakley Martinez
Coakley Martinez says that security officials were unwilling to compromise and rejected her offer of dumping the liquid milk in favour of the frozen block, which was no longer in liquid form.
In fact, the limit for liquids in carry-on luggage at UK airports in 100ml, and larger amounts need to be carried on to the cabin. But in the contrary, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA), states that baby formula, breast milk and juice in quantities larger than 3.4 ounces is permitted in carry-on luggage.
But Coakley Martinez believes that in her case, the officials should be more lenient.
Rules and procedures at airport security are rarely universally enforced because similar to police officers, a significant aspect of your job is the public trust and engagement, which includes using your judgement regarding appropriate enforcement in complex situations, she said.
Heathrow Airport is yet to comment on the incident.