A breastfeeding mum was left furious after a traumatic experience in pub toilet.
It was Stephanie Booth’s first night out since having eight-month-old daughter Freya.
The Swansea woman hit the town to celebrate her birthday after allowing herself some well-deserved ‘me time’.
However, after getting a table at the pub, she needed to find a private place to express milk.
The 32-year-old said there was a horrendous ’20-minute’ queue for the women’s toilets so she tried to use the overflow ones instead.
When she went to ask for help, one employee told her that the overflow toilets were ‘staff only’.
The mum-of-two says she was forced to queue in the long line like everybody else.
Stephanie explained: “I found the manager and told her my situation and asked if I could use the overflow toilets to pump.
“She told me it wasn’t her problem and to either pump there by the bar or leave.
“I had paid for a table so couldn’t leave to go elsewhere as I would lose my money.
“It resulted in me waiting in line, going in a cubicle for 20 minutes while other women banged on the door telling me to hurry up.
“I was just in a state of shock. She didn’t wait for my reaction she just carried on serving.
“My frustration is the fact that they had an area I could have used, that wasn’t even signposted as staff toilets, they said overflow toilets. There was just no sympathy whatsoever.
“I can’t imagine a lot of people asking to use these toilets to pump so I don’t see why it would have caused a problem.”
The mum added: “There are laws out there that you have a right to pump in work, there is a right to breastfeed your baby but there is nothing about pumping in public places.
“I am a mum, I want to try and have time for myself to help my mental health a bit. I didn’t do stuff like this with my first, but I thought it was my birthday I will do it for myself and this is what I was met with.
“So many mums have anxiety around stuff like this happening to them it just stops you from wanting to go out.
“I really think we need to educate these companies and support breastfeeding mums who need their me time for their mental health.
“People legally need to provide and area for when you breastfeed your baby but why is it any different when you need to pump?”
WalesOnline contacted the pub and the manager Stephanie told the publication they were dealing with a problem behind the bar at the time which had caused the sink to overflow.
They said the overflow toilets are only opened to the public on nights that are extremely busy due to special events like Halloween.
She said she advised Stephanie she would be able to help her after she had dealt with the flooding.
