A Melbourne coffee shop has come under fire after they refused to serve a pregnant woman coffee.

A coffee shop in Melbourne has been criticised for refusing to serve a mum-to-be despite her having ordered and paid for her coffee. The mum says that she was asked by the barista if she would prefer decaf when placing the order but didn’t think anything more of it.

“I thought that was a really weird question, and I said no, I’ll have that normal,” she said.

“When I went and sat down the person in charge said, unfortunately, they’d like to ask me if I could make that a decaf because the barista didn’t feel comfortable making me a caffeinated beverage, given I’m pregnant and there are health risks for babies.”

The mum says she was embarrassed by the whole experience, despite having had two healthy pregnancies previously, and knowing that a small amount of caffeine was safe for expectant mums.

“I was just so shocked and angry because I really wanted that coffee,” she said.

“I felt a bit judged for my choices, it just felt a bit unfair that someone else was making assumptions based on my pregnancy. I’ve always drunk coffee, in fact, nowadays I need it more and more, but I do try to just stick to the one and I’m pretty strict with other foods as well.”

Following the incident, both the mum-to-be and her husband expressed their disappointment to the cafe owner and received an apology, with the owner stating that refusing service to pregnant women was not part of their policy. They were also offered to return to the cafe for complimentary coffee but declined.

“We were happy with the response but I won’t be going back, even though they offered coffee,” she said.

It’s hard enough to deal with the constant advice that comes with being pregnant, so we really feel for this mum! The most important thing is that you are doing what is right for you and following your doctor’s recommendations.

Do you think this barista was out of line? Share your thoughts in the comments!