Mom claims airport security forced her to dump gallons of breast milk

A candid Facebook post by a working mom who claims security officers at Heathrow Airport told her to toss gallons of breast milk has gone viral.

"I normally would not post something this personal, but I do not remember the last time I felt so justly upset," wrote Jessica Coakley Martinez.

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The mother opened up about her struggle to nurse and pump milk for her 8-month-old child while managing a demanding work schedule that often forces her to make long trips away from home.

When she arrived at Heathrow's Terminal 5 she was told she would have to dump the 500 ounces (nearly 4 gallons) of breast milk she was carrying in the trash.

"This wasn't tomorrow's milk; it was two weeks worth of nutrition for my child," stressed the mother.

The Heathrow website clearly states that the limit for liquids in carry-on bags is 100 milliliters, or 3.4 ounces. Coakley Martinez admits she should have checked the rules, but wishes the security officers had compromised with her.

She says she offered several times to leave the checkpoint and put the breast milk in her checked luggage instead, but officers refused.

"Beyond literally taking food from my child's mouth, you humiliated me and made me feel completely defeated as a professional and a mother," wrote Coakley Martinez.

A spokesperson for the airport responded and said, "The aviation security regulations on liquids mandated by the Department for Transport are clear and publicly available on our website. They are there to protect the traveling public and Heathrow has a legal obligation to enforce them."

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