Breastfeeding Entrepreneur Turned Away from Amazon Business Event, Sparking Calls for Greater Workplace Inclusion

A Scottish entrepreneur has raised concerns over workplace accessibility after being denied entry to an Amazon business development event because she was accompanied by her 20-week-old breastfeeding baby, prompting renewed debate about support for working mothers.

Rachel Bews had been scheduled to attend an in-person session of a six-week business course hosted at an Amazon fulfilment centre in Dunfermline, Scotland. According to Bews, she informed organisers a week in advance that she would need to bring her infant because she was breastfeeding and expected the arrangement to be accommodated.

However, while travelling to the event, she received a phone call informing her that children under the age of six were not permitted inside the facility under Amazon’s long-standing health and safety policy. As a result, she was unable to attend the in-person programme despite having already made the journey.

Amazon later apologised for the situation, acknowledging that its site access policy had not been communicated clearly before Bews travelled to the event. The company said it understood her frustration and confirmed it was reviewing its communication procedures to prevent similar incidents in the future. Amazon also reiterated that the restriction on young children applies to all visitors and employees at its fulfilment centres.

Bews said the venue had provided a lactation room where breastfeeding mothers could express milk, but she explained that she had not prepared to use it because she had expected to feed her baby directly. She added that she did not have sterilised bottles or pumping equipment with her and noted that many breastfed infants will not readily accept bottle feeding.

Although Amazon allowed her to continue participating in the course online, Bews said the virtual option could not replace the value of face-to-face networking and relationship-building that often takes place during in-person events. She described those informal interactions as an essential part of professional development and business growth.

The incident has sparked wider discussion about how organisations can better accommodate breastfeeding parents while maintaining health and safety requirements. Advocacy groups say employers and event organisers should consider more flexible arrangements to ensure new parents are not excluded from career development opportunities.

Health guidance in the United Kingdom encourages employers to discuss breastfeeding needs with returning employees and emphasises that continuing to breastfeed after returning to work is both possible and supported. For many working parents, the case has highlighted the ongoing challenge of balancing professional ambitions with the practical realities of caring for young children.