Nothing comes easy for breastfeeding moms.
Kate Aulette was excited to see Ariana Grande perform on the Sweetener World Tour at the Little Ceasar’s Arena in Detroit on April 6.
As the mother of a seven-month-old baby girl, Kate knew that bringing her breast pump to the venue might be a problem, especially considering the heightened security restrictions put in place following the Manchester Arena bombing at Grande’s concert in 2017. That’s why Kate called the venue ahead of time to confirm that she could bring her breast pump. They told her it qualified as a medical device and that she shouldn’t have any trouble bringing it inside.
But when Kate got to the venue, things didn’t work out the way she was told they would. Read the post detailing her unfortunate experience below.
Kate’s Story
“I explain that my bag is a breast pump and I start emptying it out for them to search, the security guard says nope you can’t come in with that,” she writes. “I explained that I called ahead and was told this an approved medical item and would not have any issues, they search everything, all my parts, and then proceed to tell me no it’s not a medical device and refuse to let me in.”
Um, excuse us?
“I asked for a manager and an older gentleman comes and I explain the whole thing again, and his response to me was that I was not allowed to bring this device in unless I had my baby with me,” Kate continues. “Are you kidding me? The whole reason I have to bring my pump is because I don’t have my baby.”
“After going around and explaining that it’s important for me to be able to express milk when I am not with my baby he still was not having it and refused to let me in with my pump. They told me my only option was to check my pump into Guest Service over at another venue (commercial park) and that if I left to use my pump I would not be readmitted into the venue. Again are you kidding me?”
What Happened Next
Unfortunately, Kate had to return to the bus to pump, and then leave her pump on the bus, before she was officially allowed to enter the venue. But at least she made it to the show. More importantly, Kate says that Little Ceasar’s Arena offered her a formal apology for handling the situation so poorly.
But Kate still cares about making sure moms don’t have to put up with things like this.
“I want to advocate for ALL the pumping/breastfeeding moms,” she says. “I am so sad that their [sic] are uneducated people in this world who do not understand the uses of a breast pump. I hope no one ever gets treated or turned away like I did for wanted to ensure my baby has milk.”
We applaud Kate’s strength and bravery. Even though she was put through an embarrassing and inconvenient ordeal, she turned the situation into a valuable lesson. Hopefully, going forward, venues instruct their staffs how to properly handle things like this. There are so many breastfeeding moms who deserve better.
[H/T: Pop Sugar]
[Image Credit: Ariana Grande / Instagram]
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