I too would feel hugely violated. I find that so disgusting and inappropriate.
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I too would feel hugely violated. I find that so disgusting and inappropriate.
I'd be really annoyed. I know how long it takes me to express any milk. I would complain to someone at your work. It's really not appropriate at all for that to happen.
Not sure how it could be accidental either, it's not as though most people store expressed milk in a cow's milk bottle...
I am completely outraged for you. It's just not on.
Will be back. The former union official in me is currently going off my head for you.
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Was the bottle labelled?
Reading that i started to feel so angry and disgusted that somebody could do that!! I didn't BF but i know how precious BM is especially considering the quantity. :hug: i really hope you complain because if it was just a one off its still highly inappropriate and i would be utterly disgusted if one of my fellow work mates did something like to me.
I'm glad my feeling of being peeved is not inappropriate! Thank you, ladies, for validating the way I feel.
The blokes on site actually work for a different organisation to the one I work for, it is a shared branch. The common areas (and fridge) are also shared. The organisation I work for now employ more females than in the past, but management is still heavily weighted towards the blokes. The organisation we share that particular site with employ very, very few females. As such, breast milk in the workplace is obviously quite foreign to them and ripe for practical jokes!! I am just doing my own thing in order to express at work, fitting it in around my duties. So far, that seems to be working ok. I am hesitant to make a complaint to management and create an issue when so far being left to my own devices is working well. Being a male dominated work place, I am not likely to find much understanding from management in regard to BF and expressing. I know there are legal requirements to accommodate my needs but I just don't want to 'rock the boat' when the status quo is ok. Also, as I work somewhere different each shift there is little chance I will be on shift again with the same crew. I did make it clear that I was displeased, although it was a general statement as no one directly claimed responsibility.
The milk was not labelled, but it was in a Medella baby bottle - pretty hard to mistake for Rev!
I would be pretty grossed out to think I was drinking coffee made with a stranger's BM, I don't know if anyone did actually drink it??
Finally, surely some of these blokes have wives and children and they know how hard a woman works for that BM?!
I'm appalled by this! Do they know some diseases such as hepatitis can be transmitted through BM? I would put a label on the bottle with a warning saying something similar...if they want to steal milk they should know what they're dealing with.
I understand you don't want to rock the boat, but this behavior is totally unacceptable. It's a bit different from eating someone else's lunch.
I think that's my concern though, Arcadia. I suspect I would be told that the bottle should have been clearly labelled as it is a possible 'health risk'... if someone is stupid enough to drink milk stored in a baby's bottle. :rolleyes:
I think that they were probably just being immature and did it without thinking about any of the implications for themselves or you. I wouldn't personally make a complaint but if you let them know next time that it's definitely not funny and not acceptable hopefully that's enough to stop it ever happening again.
If it happens again, while they know it's inappropriate then that calls for further action..
ETA: I agree with labelling of the milk.
It's stealing from a baby. Expressing is hard, BF can be hard. How dare some men steal your hard earned breastmilk for a joke. And to drink it. I find that very fetishy and off-putting for strangers to do that to you. Also, if someone played that 'joke' on me, if I had unknowingly drank BM I'd be horrified...I'm just floored that grown 'men' could think any of what they did was okay. I would be taking it higher if it were me but I can understand why you wouldn't.
Is it possible someone thought it was milk that had been left for a long time and thought they were doing the right thing by cleaning the bottle? (You know how BM settles and separates?) maybe now they realise they are too embarrassed to say?
Just trying to think of anyway it couldn't have been deliberate. Because if it was on purpose I would be wild. They basically stole from a baby, for a really offensive joke IMO Expressing is HARD and to steal it to make coffee is so so so rude
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I was once told Breastmilk goes for $1.40 to $2 I think it was... An ounce.:
I would be pee-ohed!
Have to say this is how I would feel as well. I would be putting in a formal complaint. If they put it in other peoples coffee without them knowing then they have opened them up to risk, and they could quite legitmatley sue the company for it.:
Forgetting for a second that it was BM, they have stolen your food for a start. Regardless if it was mistake/prank.
In addition, they have stolen a bodily fluid, are they aware of that? BM is treated like a blood ***** in hospital setting, it's not something to joke around with. It's like sharing a syringe, so if it was a prank. I would put on the fridge "sharing breastmilk is like sharing a syringe, it is a bodily fluid with live organisms - DON'T STEAL MY MILK"
Lastly, I feel soooo bad for you 200ml is a FANTASTIC amount and I am so angry on your behalf and your poor bubs!!!
I can't stop thinking about this! I mean, I was at the point where I could not feed my DD from my breast, it was all ebm and we were pretty much playing catch up and expressing feed to feed. What if you hadn't had anymore milk in the freezer for baby, if you were only one or so feeds ahead, and they needed that milk??
I'd be furious. I think even if you don't go to HR, you need to alert people that BM is a biohazard and should not be touched, except by the owner (whilst at work). Can you get biohazard tape for your baby bottle? 200ml is LOADS, well done you.
I know your work is male-centred, but that doesn't excuse this.
I'd be up in arms if this happened to me! I would make a complaint. Fair enough if it was an honest mistake but if they did it on purpose (joke or not) I wouldn't be happy.
I'd be really peeved too.
I think it is worth raising the issue with management though. If you don't feel comfortable making a formal complaint, that's your call. But I think there needs to be some awareness of the health risks involved.