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

I'm trying to imagine what on earth breast milk contains that is OK for babies to drink, but too unhygienic to be in a chlorine and piss filled swimming pool.

How do we all feel about the people swimming who are naked under their cossies? Especially the ones who don't shower before getting into the water. Dirty, naked, unhygienic feckers.

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.

But what if you haven't got in the pool yet, so there's no chlorine to wash off? And what if you need to watch older dc who don't want to get out yet?

Hmm I was thinking it sounds like quite a nice
Relaxing experience for baby but I take the good point about not feeding a baby places you wouldn't eat yourself. I hadn't really thought of that

Just think about the argument about it not being hygienic to eat in/by the pool for a moment.

If this were abroad, on holiday then that argument becomes completely moot. I've seen people giving their kids packets of crisps, ice creams etc while they are in the pool. I bet no one would think twice about someone sitting on hotel pool steps eating a 99er with flake. As a previous poster said, there are swim up bars at some pools.

So why does it suddenly become a different story because they are indoors, in rainy Britain?

Your not allowed to bottle feed in the pool so there shouldn't be any breast feeding either.

I teach swimming. I never breast fed in the pool. I just didn't see any need. I fed dd before I got in and after I got out.

Just to make the point that 99% of hotel pools abroad are fresh water so no chemicals added to neutralise the. Pee etc and yet people still swim up yo the bar ford food and drink so why is it so disgusting to sit on the side of a chlorinated pool and bf a hungry baby?! This happens a lot at my local council pool at have seen it at my water babies lessons. It's a non issue imo

eminy because most British pools have more stringent guidelines.

But bit doesn't matter about the chlorine, piss, snot, winos etc. I realised that after my first post. If your in the pool with baby then your in the water and the water is going in their mouths, on their hands etc so it's no different to what's on the breast?. Are you happy for your baby to go to the pool and in the water, if so they will get all of the above in their mouth regardless of being fed or not and if your bothered then how are you happy to take your baby in the pool?

Winets not winos lol

Winets?

Softly, I know, I'm not talking about guidelines and rules, I'm talking about people's perception of whether it's right or wrong.

Poo balls of kids not wiping their but properly, not sure how to spell winets tbh

Stupid auto correct

Never heard the term before! Well you learn something new everyday

Er yep YABU. I was breastfeeding in a spectators area at a pool yesterday, was that "allowed?" Where should we have gone, toilet, car park?

From urban dictionary

winets
Apubewith a small quantity of fecal matter attached.

Tino almost barfed when he went to use the shrimp boat's bathroom and discovered a winet lying in wait for him on the toilet seat.

Well I know for a fact I have leaked breast milk into a public pool! (Still pregnant)

I think you know you are being unreasonable.

I'm 100% for bf wherever - but this is not hygienic for the pool (milk dribbles - although I'm sure there a lot worse in the actually pool) but most importantly it is not healthy for the baby if the mother has been swimming and not showered. There's really strong chemicals (and what else??) in the pool which you are supposed to wash off yourself and your baby before bf.

Sorry but I don't think a swimming pool is an appropriate place to feed, I wouldn't eat or drink in a pool myself, not even on holiday, etc nor would I give DC's food and drink in a pool! Don't think it's especially disgusting or anything and generally I'm very pro bf in public but I wouldn't bf anywhere I wouldn't eat myself and I wouldn't sit on the side of the pool and eat a sandwich!

Having said that I wouldn't have told the lifeguard but I do think she should have moved to the changing room/spectator area etc

But violet, the baby probably ingested more chemicals while just swimming in the pool than would have been on the mothers breast.

Yabu.
It's a comfort thing and also warms baby up so they can stay in the pool for longer.
Pool will have had loads more bodily fluids in it than bm, including the digested bm that that baby will have peed out.
Who cares if she was completely uncovered. Do you mean both boobs?

Pee, poo crumbs, foot fungus, pus from burst zits, scabs that fall off...

And you'd eat with that in the vicinity would you

Oh and I would happily drink in a swimming pool - not the nasty indoor pools here in the uk, but outside on holiday, bring on the cocktails!
So it's not that weird

I wouldn't eat a meal myself in one of those grubby feeding rooms in Mothercare, but plenty of women feed their babies in them....

The baby will ingest water just by being in the pool! It's actually less likely that the baby will ingest the pool water whilst it feeds as the latch creates a seal.

Breasts that are lactating often leak regardless of if a baby is feeding.

Many baby swim classes and teachers recommend that you feed in the pool as it will comfort the baby.