Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think you shouldn't breastfeed in a swimming pool

539 replies

HappierThanEverBefore · 28/05/2014 20:13

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

OP posts:
doobeedee · 29/05/2014 11:12

Does anyone else wish they were still breast feeding just so they could go to a public pool and annoy easily offended people?! I had no negative comments whatsoever when I was feeding. I used to wish I had just so I could use the comeback lines I'd practised in my head!

BeCool · 29/05/2014 11:15

I can feel my breasts swelling as I type doobeedee Grin
DD2, now 3, will be very pleased!

SquirrelledAway · 29/05/2014 11:15

the H&S issue isn't breast milk in the pool, it's vomit. Pool operating procedures vary from pool to pool, our pool is required to be closed for 12 hours following vomit in the pool. Same for solid stools, even though other pools are OK to scoop out solids and continue operating. I am still amazed at the number of school aged children that poo in the pool.

There's no problem bfing on the pool deck as any vomit can be mopped / swabbed up before it reaches the pool itself.

Whiskwarrior · 29/05/2014 11:16

My ex told me, during an argument, naturally, that I once made his brother very uncomfortable feeding DD in front of him - in my own home!

Apparently, I should have gone upstairs so as not to embarrass him.

One of the many reasons why I'm glad to no longer be a part of that family. BIL's embarrassment does not trump the hunger of a newborn baby.

Equally, prudes who can't handle a brief flash of side-boob don't trump a hungry newborn either.

Feenie · 29/05/2014 11:17

I didn't get any negative comments either. Apart from my dm, who couldn't get her head around demand feeding at all. ' But how do you know how much he's getting/surely you're overfeeding him now?' etc.

Whiskwarrior · 29/05/2014 11:18

Squirrel

By your argument, no one should be allowed to swim in case they vomit. Anyone is just as likely to vomit.

Can we please just have someone standing by the side of the pool to check when everyone last ate? They can then turn away anyone who has eaten within the last hour.

5madthings · 29/05/2014 11:18

doobe hell yes!

I almost want to have another baby just to go bfeed in a pool!

I did have a comment when feeding ds1 in a department store, someone said I should go sit behind a curtain or something! I said I was fine where I was. I also got giggly looks and stares at uni, mainly from 18yr old boys who had clearly been to an all boys school and who couldn't cope with a the sight! Grin but on the whole over ten years of bfeeding and no drama, I am almost disappointed.

Igggi · 29/05/2014 11:19

What if your baby doesn't vomit though? Mine never wasted a drop. Equally my older dc can vomit, but is still allowed in the pool.

TheScience · 29/05/2014 11:26

Squirrelled - DS1 never vomitted after being fed. DS2 vomits fairly often between feeds. Are you saying I should never take DS2 swimming in case he pukes?

DS2 is much more likely to posset 30 minutes-1 hour after a feed than DS1 would have during/immediately after a feed.

LaurieMarlow · 29/05/2014 11:31

I wouldn't interfere with someone's right to do it, because I don't really believe in sticking my nose in other people's business.

And I'm certainly not offended by seeing boobs in public. we're much too prudish about our bodies in this country (imo)

I just happen to think that a swimming pool is not an ideal place to breastfeed, just as its not a suitable place to eat crisps or drink juice - for reasons of practicality and hygiene. I also can't understand why a mother would want to, given the chemicals/chlorine/various unmentionables that will be in the water.

Obviously I'd respect the law, I just happen to disagree with it.

SquirrelledAway · 29/05/2014 11:32

Whisk nope, most people (toddlers / children / adults) are unlikely to vomit unless they are ill or have just eaten, in which case they shouldn't be in the pool.

If someone vomits in the pool (regardless of baby / child / adult) we have to evacuate and the pool is closed.

I run a swim school, and I do have to deal with these issues on a daily basis. I have stopped obviously unwell children from getting in the pool before now (ie have thrown up in the changing rooms).

fatlazymummy · 29/05/2014 11:34

thescience yes if you think he's likely to vomit in the pool.
When we did swimming at school we were told it was unsafe to swim less than an hour after eating.

Incredulous123 · 29/05/2014 11:34

Ah.....now I remember why I stopped reading this website. It seems to be impossible for the mums on this site to have a balanced mature discussion without swearing and berating other mums just for having opinions and feelings which are different to theirs. Feel so sorry for the children being brought up by women who are so filled with anger that they have to resort to use of the f word and comments such as 'you make me sick' just because someone doesn't share their opinion. Need to learn some tolerance methinks

Whiskwarrior · 29/05/2014 11:34

Squirrel - like I said, who's checking everyone else as they get in the pool? Are you volunteering to stand there with a clipboard and ask everyone when they last ate?

Or is it just bfed babies that you have an issue with?

PiratePanda · 29/05/2014 11:34

I can KIND of understand it if you're concerned about the hygeine implications of the baby getting pee and chlorine in its mouth or maybe breastmilk in the pool. But if you're just concerned about the act of breastfeeding in a public place then YABU.

OwlCapone · 29/05/2014 11:35

Whisk nope, most people (toddlers / children / adults) are unlikely to vomit unless they are ill or have just eaten, in which case they shouldn't be in the pool.

So just ban babies. They seem to throw up whenever they wish.

5madthings · 29/05/2014 11:36

The vommitting issue is covered in the link I gave...

But babies sometimes possett a tiny bit of possett is prob not noticed by pool staff and is no diff from the spit/snot etc already in the pool.

A big vomit yes but most babies don't puke loads and if they do its bad luck but can happen regardless of if they have just fed.

Many baby swim instructors and classes recommend bfeeding in the pool.

Regardless it's enshrined in law so it doesn't matter what anyone thinks women can bfeed in a pool.

Whiskwarrior · 29/05/2014 11:37

One of the reasons I love this website is because we're treated like adults and we're allowed to say 'fuck' if we want to.

I have three dc. Guess what - you don't need to feel sorry for them because I use the f-word online. They're all fine and dandy thanks. Happy, healthy, bright, articulate, funny little people. All polite, helpful, compassionate. All doing brilliantly at school.

But yes, I said 'fuck' online - what a terrible Mother I must be!

OwlCapone · 29/05/2014 11:37

Ah.....now I remember why I stopped reading this website

If you've stopped reading it, how did you see this thread?

5madthings · 29/05/2014 11:39

Laurie you do realise the baby WILL ingest some water whilst in the pool! They are actually less likely to ingest any whilst bfeeding, the hygiene argument is spurious and flawed as has been covered many times on this thread.

TheScience · 29/05/2014 11:44

I see Squirrelled, so you're saying no baby should be allowed in a swimming pool regardless of how/when they're fed?

fatlazymummy · 29/05/2014 11:46

5madthings I don't think they can, actually, not if it's covered by health and safety rules.
The reason the woman won the legal case referred to earlier was due to the way the staff member (life guard) handled the situation, not the question of whether she was allowed to breastfeed there or not.

TheRealAmandaClarke · 29/05/2014 11:47

Again, there is a difference between eating crisps and having a bf in terms of the impact it has on pool hygiene.
crisps do have an impact and breast milk doesn't.

Same for other foods so no need to list them all.
Examples of foods that might have a significant impact on pool hygiene and are therefore inappropriate to eat in a pool:
Crisps. Chips. Hoummus and carrot sticks. Pizza, minestrone soup, olives, popcorn, ice cream, sandwiches, spaghetti.... It's a long list and there's not room for it here.

Examples of things that don't impact on pool hygiene and therefore ok to feed a baby: human milk
(also, remember the woman in the op was actually just sitting in the water, not snorkelling)

To avoid all chances of vomit or milk in the pool then both babies and bf mothers, irrespective of the time of theiir last feed, would need to be excluded from the pool. Always. Because a baby can vomit any old time and breasts will leak milk.

But I suppose that kind of ban would be acceptable to some ppl.

SquirrelledAway · 29/05/2014 11:47

Nope, what I am trying to point out is that it is sensible to minimise the risk of water contamination.

TheScience · 29/05/2014 11:49

I'm not sure how feeding on the side of the pool meaningfully minimises water contamination vs. feeding sitting half in.