What would you do if a university student wanted to bring her newborn to class?

I would suggest to her that if she hasn't got one already, she invests in a stretchy wrap - a lightweight one like the Hana Baby would be perfect. Reasons:

• babies tend to sleep longer in slings. They are also proven to reduce crying. A baby under 3 months would probably spend the whole lecture asleep.
• It is hands-free for her, for making notes etc
• It keeps the baby a little more out-of-sight, for all those who are 'distracted' by having a small baby in the room, since he or she is attached to the mother's front for the whole time.
• You can also use it as an additional support for breastfeeding - put the baby through one cross, support with one arm, leaving one arm free for note-taking etc. It's not hands-free (their head should stick out for safety, and you support with an arm), but it does ease arm strain and make it easier to do something else with the other hand.

Exactly a little bit of flexibility gives the student much, much more than it takes away from the other people involved. It is potentially lifechanging for her, versus a risk of a limited distraction.

Childcare cost between £5 and £10 ph round here (prob top end for a newborn). Unless her mum lives locally - that's unaffordable on a student budget.

I completed a degree with three small children including a toddler and newborn. I took one or the other of the little ones to lectures on occasion and studied predominantly from home (and in cafes where I could breast feed and ds2 could look at the interesting people and not eat my books).

Without this accommodation on behalf of the uni I couldn't have completed my degree. I didn't want to leave and come back later as I was afraid I would lose momentum.
I had some fabulous lecturers who made me feel like anything was possible despite being a teenage parent. It made a huge difference to my life and the way I perceived my future.

Santana I think that's for her to judge - but presumably she worked up to Christmas - so now just has to juggle through 3 months to the end of term. Stopping & picking up wold at least mean having to recap last term. She's much better off finishing her degree & either getting a job or SAHM - but knowing that she;d safely locked in her achievement so far.

*the one that!

I managed it santana I was in lectures on my due date then gave birth whilst it was half term. I them went straight back with no extended dates on anything and passed with a 2.1 degree. I was also told by people it couldnt be done, and I waant the only women who managed it.

The onwhat did get pregnant and quit is now at home on income support as she had grand plans to return but didn't.

One of the things I've found hard having babies with no family/friends nearby to call on regularly, is that you just can't do things like pop into work/uni for a quick lecture/seminar/meeting. It can be really isolating and hard on your career.

My uni has a breastfeeding room and baby changing facilities in a couple of places.

I would allow the baby to attend. In my opinion, it's a feminist thing to do. Be very clear with your student that she will have to take the baby outside if s/he cries.

I took my DD to postgrad seminars until she was 2 and a bit and now teach at uni myself.

I think its terrible if you dont allow it tbh.

I really disagree, I think you should be able to stop your degree and pick it back up. It's terrible that she's being forced to do her degree with a newborn in tow- if she can't leave them for an hour to go to a lecture, how on earth is she going to go to the library and get all the coursework done?

One of dh's students brought her preschool age dd to one of his maths lecturers when her childcare fell through and it was all fine except when she piped up in a quiet bit, 'Mummy, your school is really boring.'

If the baby is quiet and the student is strategically sat by the exit it shouldn't disrupt anyone.

On a serious note (my previous posts were perhaps a bit flippant for such a serious thread!!!) I do think she ought to be able to finish her degree tbh. The worst bit I think is that in this day and age she is being made to attend a lecture at all with a newborn.

I wouldn't have wanted the hassle and would hope that things have progressed enough to make allowances for this and do web connections to the lecture or some other method.

The last thing I would have wanted to do with my newborns is go into university but a video link to home would have been good.

I occasionally took a new born to lectures, the baby was no problem inside a sling next to a boob and not many even realised he was in there.

I also took his older brother to a few practical classes and discovered that he is better at reading x rays than most of my colleagues
He now has a fair idea that he wants to be a radiologist.

Fair enough. In that case id say fine.

I think its terrible if you dont allow it tbh. Then people wonder why women get stuck being sahms. If the student goes out with any crying or noise what harm does it do. I am very glad all my lecturers were forward thinking women.

I am going back to 1991 here but a fellow student of mine - the father not the mother - used to bring his tiny daughter with him to one of my weekly lectures/tutorials.
She was gorgeous and he was pretty fantastic at keeping her happy. Aside from the initial cooing from us all including our lecturer at the start of each class it was business as usual.
We were all fine with it as he was an active contributor to class anyway and we all admired the multi-tasking and the fact that he was supporting his partner. Cannot remember the baby being a distraction as she slept mainly and the one time she cried he promptly produced a bottle and sorted it.

Managing distractions is a skill we try to teach in the EYFS - I'd expect adults to be able to manage themselves.

Hmm, I could have taken DS1 along to classes easily. He would just sleep or feed in the sling. DS2, however, I wouldn't even want to take near the building as he is so bloody LOUD, never ever naps and needs lots and lots of attention!

Stealth once they are 3 months they can go to full time nursery if required.

5mad - easily distracted me!!! I get distracted when the window cleaner zooms down on his rope from the roof, when I am in meetings too!!!

It happens occasionally to me (I teach postgrads in a university and they are constantly reproducing!). I'd permit it as a one off or just for a few events, if the university allowed, assuming she took the baby out if it cried.

I have taken newborns to events in universities, just occasionally when there was something specific while I was on mat leave. I was very careful to leave the room at the first hint of a wail.