To think you shouldn't breastfeed in a swimming pool

[HappierThanEverBefore]

Went swimming today & as I was walking to the steps there was a lady sitting on them breastfeeding.

I carried on as if nothing was wrong but the mentioned it to the life guard as I walked out. The lady looked disgusted that she was told to stop or carry on else where

AIBU to think it's wrong to breastfeed in the swimming pool

Two men holding hands makes some people feel uncomfortable, as does a mixed race couple. Do we pander to them? You'd think bf was the same as picking your nose or spitting, the way some people talk about it.

Nobody's ever been swimming in the sea then.

RTFT and you will find out. Many, many times over.

I have read the thread and I dont get why feeding your child with a bottle in a swimming pool is wrong but breastfeeding is not

either they are both acceptable or neither is acceptable

Frasersmummy, you aren't allowed to eat or drink in shops, but you're allowed to bf. You wouldn't eat or drink in church, but you can bf. etc etc. Babies need and get special entitlements, not sure why this is hard to accept.

Some other woman recently won compensation from a pool after being asked by a lifeguard to stop breastfeeding in the same situation. YABVVVU OP but possibly you've just helped that woman to pay her next family holiday. How about you mind your own business in future and let other people get on with their lives.

Oh. I missed the bit where someone had been asked to leave the poolside because people lt uncomfortable about them bottle feeding.

i get that your baby has special entitlements.. you can give a baby a bottle in supermarkets in church etc etc but you cant give a baby a bottle in the swimming pool so why are you allowed to breastfeed ??
The rules need to be applied fairly if you need to get out and sit as the side to bottle feed then the same should apply to breastfeeding

So the usual argument for not breastfeeding in the toilets is 'would u want to eat your lunch in a toilet?' so why does this not apply to a swimming pool? I wouldn't want someone parking up at the steps in a pool with a baguette and packet of wotsits or getting out their flask of soup! Some places are not appropriate to eat in....nothing to do with seeing a nipple or people being uncomfortable just that its not a suitable place to eat! IMO anyway!

Surely this just a rehash of a now very old headline? Total yawnsville.

Op, you're a bit late to this party. Nice try at trolling. How about take your silly views to a nice new dark place under a bridge ....?

To all the people moaning about pissy water going into a baby's mouth...babies swallow water when they're swimming whether they're being fed or not!!!

Okay, so I'm sure I'll find the answer to this if I trawl through this thread/the other thread … but I'm in work, so I can't really take the time.

For me, the common sense approach is to say it's fine to breastfeed in an environment where you'd also bottle-feed or where adults/older children eat or drink, but not in a place where eating/drinking is generally discouraged for reasons of practicality/hygiene/etc.

So park/cafe/cinema fine, swimming pool not fine.

Why is that unreasonable?

If you had clicked on the link provided, twice, you'd have seen it pointed out that bfeeding isn't simply about nutrition, but is often also about comfort. It's likely that a breastfed baby might have wanted comforting in a strange place.

If you had read the thread in its entirety, you would also have seen people point out that sometimes if a breastfed baby sees boobs, it's game over and they want feeding there and then.

That's why it's different to burger and effing chips.

FM - I would have no objection to babies being bottle fed in this scenario, though presumably you'd have to get out anyway to get a bottle handy. I would agree babies should be entitled to get milk, from whatever source.

exactly Lawrie

Apart from the fact that there is no earthly reason why the poor woman shouldn't have breastfed exactly where she did, some posters seem to think that it would be reasonable to make a baby wait for their feed so as to avoid eating at the pool. I wonder if they have ever met a hungry baby?

My local pool charges £4 per adult. She may have had other children in the pool who would have had to get out if she had had to leave the pool area and go and shiver somewhere uncomfortable to feed hee little one. Why the hell should she?

All irrelevant of course because breastfeeding anywhere doesn't cause a legitimate problem to anyone, and the needs of that hungry baby trump the 'needs' of anyone else every time.

The reason formula feeders probably don't do it is because they go back to the changing room to get the bottle anyway. Boobs are attached and available in the pool so no need to get out!

Please read the link I posted by the analytical armadillo. It should answer your questions.

Practically giving a baby a bottle in a pool is harder, just heating it etc but actually a baby should be able to have a bottle as well tbh.

Breast milk is a food but also counts as clear liquid ie water which is allowed in a pool.

Those who have a problem with seeing ppl bf a just going to have to get over it really.
No. Of course a baby shouldnt be made to bf in a toilet.
But that doesn't mean they can't.
It's not up to random fusspot busybodies to determine where babies can be fed
It's up to the person feeding them.

The rules about eating "solid foods" and the like are different because of the effect on other ppl.
If ppl were to take their sandwich lunch in the pool there'd be an issue with debris. Also, the food would have to be collected from somewhere.
Bf doesn't pose a legitimate problem to other ppl. And the key thing is you can bf without having to go off and fetch a bottle or make a sandwich.
So the comparisons are not helpful.
They're just obstructive ideas coming from ppl who don't like seeing bf in public.

Those of you whinging about breastfeeding in/beside the pool, the be all and end all is this:

The LAW disagrees with you. As in it's ILLEGAL to tell someone they can't breastfeed their baby wherever/whenever they want to.

Moan away all you like. Wring your hands, clutch your pearls, purse your lips all you sodding want to. Your opinion is just that - your opinion. And not one that I, or any reasonable, mature adult wishes to share.

A baby needed feeding. Baby was fed. No one was harmed in the process.

Grow the fuck up and find something worth moaning about.

Thanks whiskwarrior
Phew. Well said. I can get on with my chores now.

Excellent. Brilliantly put!

The reason formula feeders probably don't do it is because they go back to the changing room to get the bottle anyway.

And to put the bottle back.

As for people feeling uncomfortable, there is an easy answer : look somewhere else. Only you can make yourself feel uncomfortable, no one else has control over your feelings. If what a person is doing is legal, then you'll just have to get over it.

I posted a really good link by analytical Amarillo that covers all these spurious arguments and more, please do read it!

Sadly the ignorant do not want to be enlightened or educated 5madthings