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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:
icanmakeyouicecream · 28/05/2014 20:38

You com

TheScience · 28/05/2014 20:38

Billygoats - the difference is surely for practical reasons. It's hard to keep sterile formula milk at the right temperature next to a swimming pool, and bottles aren't really a comforter in the same way a breast is. I have seen little babies with dummies in swimming pools though.

icanmakeyouicecream · 28/05/2014 20:39

You complained? Get a grip.

TheScience · 28/05/2014 20:40

Bellezaboobian - so if you had just got into the pool and your baby started fussing, you'd get out, get dried, changed and go out to the cafe to offer a feed Confused

TheFairyCaravan · 28/05/2014 20:42

YABU!

The woman didn't need to be covered, although when I BF my babies' heads were always nearly as big or bigger than my boobs so there was precious little on show. The children should have been told to stop staring by their parents if they felt uncomfortable, which is their problem!

I wouldn't have batted an eyelid!

Spidermama · 28/05/2014 20:42

I once gave a right old mouthful to a pool attendant who suggested that I shouldn't feed my baby at the side of the swimming pool.

YABU. YAB a tell tale tit too.

Spidermama · 28/05/2014 20:42

It's great for children to see breastfeeding. It should be completely normalised.

Namelessonsie · 28/05/2014 20:42

Beliezeboobian. My babies would be screaming by the time we got dried dressed and to a cafe! Then we would want to get back in again anyway as it would have only been about 10 mins in the pool. Despite feeding em just before.... Something with swimming and holding them half naked close to your skin!

SaveTheMockingBird · 28/05/2014 20:44

Yabu of course.

SauvignonBlanche · 28/05/2014 20:44

YWBVU, I can't believe you complained.

MrsKoala · 28/05/2014 20:44

why would you get out, get dry and dressed and dry and dress a crying baby who just wanted some bf, when you had your boob just there, really easily accessible for them? Confused Why does it make any difference?

Bellezeboobian · 28/05/2014 20:45

Yes I would thescience just like I would if I suddenly got hungry. For once I'd like to wash the chlorine and god knows what off, and for two I don't think a swimming pool is the place to breastfeed. And this is from me, a person who breastfeeds on buses, in cafes etc.

Bellezeboobian · 28/05/2014 20:45

nameless I'm sure there's loads of situations in which you can't just whip your breast out, they'd have to wait then wouldn't they?

Namelessonsie · 28/05/2014 20:46

Um no. Why would I make them wait?

Billygoats · 28/05/2014 20:47

thescience I was referring in general. I got moved along in next when waiting of DH in the changing rooms (he's worse than a female at shopping) when I formula fed my then 2 month old dd. I didn't think anything of it at the time and thought it was just up to the shop to make the rules until you see the uproar mumsnetters have about breastfeeding women asked not to feed. Since then I've been a bit confused as to why bf trumps everything. Maybe I should have gone to the newspapers and caused a fuss.

I in no way am offended by bf. I tried myself but it jut didn't work for us.

MrsKoala · 28/05/2014 20:47

i always whipped my boob out wherever i was. i never was in a situation where i felt i couldn't/shouldn't.

5madthings · 28/05/2014 20:47

Err no belle one of the benefits of bfeeding is that you can just feed anywhere. Where else do you think women shoulder feed?!

TheScience · 28/05/2014 20:47

Can't really think of any situation where I couldn't just whip a breast out, unless I'd had to leave the baby with someone else.

Bellezeboobian · 28/05/2014 20:47

nameless so there's absolutely no situation in which you'd make them wait 10 minutes or so? Hmm

Really?

Eminybob · 28/05/2014 20:48

Belleze, that maybe your preference, which is fine for you, but would you impose it on others who's preference is to stay in the pool?
And would you complain like the op did if you saw it happen?

redexpat · 28/05/2014 20:49

I think I read a similar story elsewhere, and the woman concerned was told that babies are more likely to throw up if they go from feed straight into the water. But that doesnt seem to be your concern.

The pool was being used by lots of families with children who were making comments & staring as she wasn't covered in any way So? You can see exactly the same in the changing rooms!

The lady looked disgusted that she was told to stop or carry on else where yes probably because it's a violation of the Equality Act and she had every legal right to breastfeed there.

YAB VVVV U.

TheFairyCaravan · 28/05/2014 20:50

The baby must have been having a long feed, or you must have had a short swim, if you noticed her going in and she was still feeding when you got out so you dobbed her in!

I seriously couldn't be arsed to "tell tales". What did you say?

Bellezeboobian · 28/05/2014 20:50

Look I'm a massive campaigner for breastfeeding, I was part of the campaign that got Tesco to change their signs etc to make it friendly for us breastfeeding women. But I still think a swimming pool is not the place. One of our points was, you wouldn;t want to feed your baby in a toilet, so why a swimming pool? I wouldn't eat or drink in a swimming pool. The thing is if we are going to campaign and fight for it to be more of the norm, we need to chose our battles. I don't think this is one that should be fought.

TheScience · 28/05/2014 20:50

I can't think of any situation where it would be in anyone's interests to make DS2 wait for 10 minutes Grin

The only situation I can think of is if I was driving, but I don't drive so that hasn't come up.

Namelessonsie · 28/05/2014 20:51

Only if eg I was in the middle of changing a toddler dirty nappy. Fed everywhere else - in church, during a smear test, at a return to work interview (did ask out if politeness if my manager minded but I knew he wouldn't) shops, buses, etc