Mother Asked to Leave Virgin Lounge for Pumping Breast Milk
So, there’s been a pretty shocking story coming out of Melbourne Airport recently that’s got a lot of people talking. A mother-of-two, Dr. Elise Turner, who’s a general practitioner from the Gold Coast, shared her experience of being asked to leave the Virgin Australia business lounge while she was pumping breast milk for her six-month-old twins. And honestly, the whole situation sounds both frustrating and completely unnecessary.
Dr. Turner had been on a stopover in Melbourne after attending a medical conference in Perth. She went into the lounge for a cup of tea and to pump milk for her babies, using a discreet breast pump under her shirt. But almost immediately, she was approached by a staff member and told that her actions were making other guests uncomfortable. She was directed to use the bathroom instead, even though she had already asked if there was a private space she could use without resorting to a public toilet. The staff member even suggested hiring a boardroom, but it would have cost her an extra $100.
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Dr. Turner tried to explain politely that breastfeeding is a legally protected right under the Sex Discrimination Act of 1984, which makes it unlawful to treat a woman less favorably because she is breastfeeding. Despite her attempts to educate the staff, the situation escalated. She was essentially cornered in the lounge, told that her presence and actions were inappropriate because there were men around, and asked to leave after a hand was even placed on her arm.
The incident sparked outrage online, with Dr. Turner describing the treatment as “disgusting” and expressing disbelief that such a thing could happen in 2025. She pointed out that she wasn’t doing anything shameful—she was simply taking care of her children—and highlighted the need for broader societal understanding and support for breastfeeding parents.
Virgin Australia has since apologized directly to Dr. Turner, acknowledging that the situation fell short of the airline’s standards for customer care. They also confirmed that the staff member involved has been spoken to regarding the incident. The Australian Breastfeeding Association weighed in as well, emphasizing that expressing breast milk in public spaces is legally protected and that situations like this create unnecessary barriers for women trying to meet their breastfeeding goals. Victoria Marshall-Cerins, the association’s executive officer, called the incident disappointing and said it reflected a continuing need for awareness and education around breastfeeding rights.
Melbourne Airport also clarified that there are no restrictions on breastfeeding or pumping milk in the terminal. In fact, the airport provides several parenting rooms with comfortable spaces for feeding and changing babies, so Dr. Turner should have been fully within her rights to pump in the lounge.
In the end, this story has sparked a wider conversation about how breastfeeding parents are treated in public and professional spaces, and the importance of ensuring that laws protecting these rights are respected. For Dr. Turner, it was about feeding her children and feeling supported—not judged. And for everyone else, it’s a reminder that awareness and empathy around breastfeeding still need to improve.
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