Barista Refuses to Serve Coffee to a Pregnant Woman
There are a few unspoken rules about interacting with a pregnant woman. Most are just common sense: Don't touch the belly...Don't ask if the baby was "planned"... Don't tell her she looks like she's "about to pop"...And, whatever you do, don't question her choices. It's not that hard.
One barista in New Zealand must not have gotten that memo, because he refused to sell a cup of coffee to 27-week-pregnant Alexandra Smith.
"'No,' he responded motioning towards my belly. 'No caffeine for you'."
Pregnant with her third child, I'm pretty sure Alexandra knows what she's doing. Actually, it doesn't matter. Because it's her body. Period.
The barista gave her the option of decaf or a very weak flat white, the latter of which she accepted after having been shamed into believing she was hurting her child.
"I was wracked by mother guilt. My decision to inflict caffeine on my unborn child had been criticised [sic] by a stranger."
While excessive consumption of caffeine during pregnancy can cause birth defects, The American Pregnancy Association confirms that moderate intake (150 mg – 300 mg a day) has not been proven to cause any negative effects for the mother or baby.
Frustrated, Alexandra said she is upset with herself for not defending her choice to the barista.
"Just like our bodies, our decisions also become fair game. So, tired and hungry, I walked - or some would say waddled - off from the cafe with my cup of 'coffee' disappointed and still cranky."
Can we all just stop with the shaming, now? And if you see Alexandra, buy the woman a cup of coffee.
[via Sydney Morning Herald]
