While I try not to pump breast milk in the toilet, I sometimes, very unfortunately, do have to make do with making my baby’s milk in a cubicle of a public err…rest room –  which mostly happens when I’m out and about and especially when I have to be at my client’s place.

Not the bestest of places, I know, but in my effort to provide food for my baby, I try my very best to keep everything as hygienic as I can. The thing is, when I have to pump, I have to pump – there is no question about it. Besides, I only need 10 minutes, and in all fairness, it is of no one’s business what I do in the privacy of the bathroom!

Having to pump in a public toilet is bad enough. And having to deal with a nosey, ignorant person who intrudes on my privacy while I am sitting on a closed lid toilet bowl as I pump is even worse.

So, when I was rudely interrupted by the cleaning lady while I was at a client’s place recently while I was pumping in one of the stalls of the toilets, I was none too pleased. Granted my pump unit does make some funky noises, but trust me on this –  there is no need to panic by asking me several times to open the door even after I “mai pen rai, mai mi pan ha” her repeatedly. (Literally translated as never mind, no problem)

After a minute waiting right outside my closed cubicle door and calling out to me several times, the ignorant twat still would just not leave me alone. I got so pissed that I opened the door angrily with the pumps still stuck to my breasts as the pump unit was still buzzing away, raised my voice at her with a “WHAT!”, and showed her what I was doing right at that time while I was still seated on the toilet seat with one foot holding on to the door.

A charming sight I bet, and only after she saw what she saw did she walk away. There were no apologies, instead, she just mouthed an, “oh…”

“Oh!” My ass. WTF! Was I embarrased? Nahh…far from it.Since becoming a mother, the term embarrassing has lost all meaning. All dignity has been pretty much stripped away the moment the baby left my womb. So forget about feeling embarrassed, I just was royally annoyed. Annoyed at the unnecessary intrusion that even in the privacy of a public restroom, she would not let up and leave me alone.

She never did come back after that. And, as I finished up my pumping business, I was somewhat comforted by the fact that perhaps, to make up for all the inconveniences which she caused me, she had probably seen the scariest sight of her life.