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

I don't think it's a problem with a young baby. All she needs to do is sit near an exit in case it cries or needs changing.

None of the students on my course used changing facilities as you dont actually need them. I have been in lectures with breastfeeding mums as well. My course was an all female course so we could do what we wanted, and all the mums on it didnt take any time out just because they had a baby. Thats the way it should be.

How long for? Because whatever the arguments for bringing a newborn are (and I tend to agree) will all be pointless in 3 months or so

I think you're overthinking this. The mum in question will have her own comfort level on things like bf and nappies - and I'm sure she'll investigate & plan accordingly. The neutral assumption would be to nappy change in the loo and breastfeed anywhere she likes.

well as an adult that is your issue tbh frog you should be able to cope with a baby in near vicinity without being so distracted. yes they are cute and lovely but come on!

As a one off, sure, but I think a regular thing is taking the piss.

So long as she is happy to step out if the baby is unsettled, I can't possibly see the issue

"Someone might be distracted by the baby's mere presence" is a pretty rubbish reason.

peterparker my uni didnt have changing facilities but they quickly put some in as i had my ds1 and a few mature students started and their partners had babies plus lecturers with kids etc.

i changed ds1 on a bench (with a mat) and one person complainef. i pointed out there were no facilities anywhere and they were installed pretty quick.

the university also had a nursery used by staff and students, it still does. ds1 is 14 now and we still go to campus to walk around the lake and reminise re student days.

students with babies/children is not that unusual now i would expect most places to have somewhere they could change a nappy.

Frog - I hear you - but that's a weak reason to bar the baby's mother from completing her module.

I'm sure the 'distracting' argument was trotted out when women started to attend universities.

Peter changing facilities are really not such a big deal. I easily nappy change in a regular cubicle. But - FWIW - my uni does have changing facilities.

I wouldn't worry too much about baby changing facitilies - I had a fold up changing mat in my bag that went on the floor.

I did a part time degree and one woman did just this .

Wasn't a problem for anybody - but this was a loooong time ago

We are allowed to take children in with us if needed. Its not allowed as a regular thing and they have to be kept occupied (if older obviously!) and not allowed to disrupt the lecture.

The only time we have been asked not to is when the lecture was talking about sexual abuse as it wasn't appropriate (again wouldn't be an issue for newborn)

We were allowed to if needed. Its how I passed with a 2.1 with only 10 days maternity leave. We had a few people in our class do it Our course was all women though so its much more of a normal occurence.

I was put off by the baby 5madthings. I couldn't stop watching it and all my instincts wanted to play with its fingers!!!!! Funnily enough after the meeting a male colleague couldn't remember a thing about what was said and all he could talk about was how the baby looked so like one of his dds as a newborn!! I think we all ended up watching the baby and listening to its little grunts and watching its stretches and smiling to ourselves.

The meeting was pointless really - no one concentrated!!!

Thats why I think it is distracting.

Please could you let us know how it goes? I had to defer my university place in 2013 after finding out I was pregnant. Hoping to go in 2014, worried about child care.

Our university has no changing facilities for a baby, does yours? Just something else for her to consider in case there's a poonami.

I wouldn't mind a newborn as they mainly sleep and feed, though older babies can be far more distracting. Read this yesterday

theconversation.com/women-at-work-should-be-able-to-breastfeed-and-succeed-22150

My friend had a baby going through teacher training college. I looked after her 2 other boys and she took the newborn to class. Never an issue, it was like Procrastreation said, no hassle. Let her take the baby. If it doesn't work out, I'm sure you can talk.

Btw - one thing I did once (#veteran )- was ask one of my friends to babysit in the coffee shop next door. He was a bit scared, but I literally left him in charge of a buggy with sleeping DS in it. I expected him to sleep for 2 hours, my meeting was 1 hours - but he had instructions to text if he woke. It went very smoothly - but DS was about 2 or 3 at the time - so more disruptive when awake but also more predictable when asleep.

I think meetings are a different matter. In lectures everyone faces front and will hardly know the baby is there.

I've been in lectures with a baby. They were no problem. I've also known lecturers to give a lecture with a small baby in tow - not in the UK where maternity leave tends to be longer - in some countries maternity leave is just a few weeks.

As long as the baby is not crying, I don't see the problem.

frog if people are put off by a sleeping baby that is their problem.

and yes ronzulli took her baby into european parliament, until she was quite big i think.

I can't see how it would be a problem. I used to go to special parent and baby cinema screenings with baby ds and even with a roomful of babies and the film at a low volume it was absolutely fine.
I would say yes on condition I could sniff the baby's head and grab it for a cuddle. .
A newborn cry sounds loud to the mother but in fact it's a very thin sound.

My colleague thought her baby was no trouble. And it truly wasnt - slept through the meetings no problem.

The trouble was it distracted people. They didnt relax the same in truth.

If its only one or two lectures I think it would be ok though. I reread ops posts and it seems as if it is only for a short time.