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Original poster

Mother sues for £20k for being discouraged from bf while the wave machine was on

1000 replies

sizeofalentil · 02/05/2016 12:54

Daily Mirror link to the story here.

I'm totally for breastfeeding wherever and whenever, but I wouldn't want to eat my sandwiches in a swimming pool - they are so germy, like a human soup, so not sure a swimming pool with a wave machine on would be the best place to bf. Plus, obviously in this case there was the waves.

I realise that getting out of the water, especially if she had other kids, with a hungry baby would be a massive faff, but wouldn't the wave machine splash the baby and make it choke?

Serious question: AIBU to think this? Is bf in a swimming pool a done thing? Genuinely curious.

OP posts:
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9
Maryz · 02/05/2016 14:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MidniteScribbler · 02/05/2016 14:04

I think there are some women who are looking for the argument, and I've seen forums where women actually say "I can't wait until someone says something while I'm breastfeeding so I can tell them off". Sometimes things are just people trying to be nice: a person sees someone in what they would think to be an uncomfortable place and says" "Would you like a chair to breastfeed?" Mother immediately jumps to "No, you are violating my human rights, I'm going to sue!" and then can't wait to get online to her mummy group to tell them how she was told to stop breastfeeding.

If I saw someone sitting on the floor breastfeeding, should I offer them the chair I am sitting in, or should I ignore them? If I offer them my chair, am I suggesting that I'm not comfortable seeing them breastfeed on a floor, or should I ignore them because they may think that I'm suggesting that breastfeeding on a floor is being an exhibitionist when they should sit on a chair to breastfeed instead?

hownottofuckup · 02/05/2016 14:07

She wasn't asked to stop feeding her baby, staff were concerned that although they were down the shallow part waves at that end can be more forceful then people expect and take them off guard. It's a life guards job to look out for the safety of the pool users.
She was offered a chair by the side.
I hope she doesn't win her case.

bloodyteenagers · 02/05/2016 14:09

Puzzled - yes the primark one is the same one who also claimed a pool bf ban.

This one wasn't asked to stop. She was asked if she would like a chair. She decided to make an issue of it and storm off into the changing rooms, after shouting at the manager.
I am also very Hmm that she has been stopped several times in less than a year, with the same child, including a hospital.

Hopefully they don't pay out and go to court.

Gileswithachainsaw · 02/05/2016 14:10

I mean, do we have to think up every bonkers thing someone might do and have a specific rule against it?

it would appear so.

I'm surprised there aren't signs reminding people to breathe ffs.

it's a stupid idea. end of. who gets offended at being offered a seat

Roussette · 02/05/2016 14:13

The woman in the article is pathetic and undoubtedly she did this so that staff would say something and then she could shout, bleat and sue.

All the lifeguard did was offer her a chair. I bet she was delighted and turned it round to being banned breastfeeding in the pool. Reminds me of the Primark woman who insisted she'd been told not to bf in Primark and a security guard pulled the baby off her. CCTV proved otherwise and she actually went to court for perverting the course of justice.

I imagine this swimming pool woman is of the same ilk.

soapboxqueen · 02/05/2016 14:15

Lunar if it's about safety, then yes there needs to be a rule. Plenty of people carry their babies horizontally, which would have the same impact on any lifeguard.

If having babies in the pool is dangerous, ban them. If having babies, non swimmers in the pool when the waves are on, ban them. If lifeguards stipulate that they want to be able to see a baby's face, then have a rule that all babies must be held vertically when the waves are on.

Safety must come first but I haven't heard any argument yet that can't be applied to just having a baby in a pool full stop or a ff baby or a baby already on solids.

MaudGonneMad · 02/05/2016 14:17

Safety must come first but I haven't heard any argument yet that can't be applied to just having a baby in a pool full stop or a ff baby or a baby already on solids.

Don't feed a baby while in the pool? Either solids, formula or breastmilk.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 02/05/2016 14:17

do we have to think up every bonkers thing someone might do and have a specific rule against it?

Trouble is, every time we think folk might use a bit of common sense, someone who didn't use any at all tries a lawsuit ... which is why we have bleach bottles marked "not for internal consumption", packs of nuts labelled "may contain nuts" and so on

I don't like it any better myself, but can't really blame those protecting themselves against the hard of thinking Confused

LogicalThinking · 02/05/2016 14:17

I really hope she doesn't win her case - idiots like her do so much damage to breastfeeding women.
It was a safety issue. Breastfeeding in the water when a wave machine is on is just stupid. The lifeguard did the right thing in suggesting that she move to the poolside.

Lunar1 · 02/05/2016 14:18

It amazes me that I managed to BF for over 4 years with no problems. Some people are just looking for an argument.

Roussette · 02/05/2016 14:20

Well... there is a quiz on DM site "should Mums be banned from breastfeeding in public swimming pools?"

Results so far -
Yes 86%
No 12%
Don't know 2%

It's women like her that turn the public against breastfeeding in public, because she does more harm than good.

Stupid woman. There were signs supporting breastfeeding all over the pool premises.

mamamea · 02/05/2016 14:29

She's a vegan AND a 'lactivist'. So she has to tell you twice. And then sue you, in case you didn't get the message the first two times.

Her FB is classic

"Today I am breastfeeding my 2 year old for the last time." (with photos)
then a few hours later
"First feed as a 3 year old and first tandem feed as a 3 year old 😀" (also with photos)

WorraLiberty · 02/05/2016 14:32

I love that 2% of people said they don't know Grin

Why not go away and think about it?

soapboxqueen · 02/05/2016 14:33

Maud bf babies don't feed to a schedule as we know. Bf is also a protected characteristic which ff and babies eating solids aren't. How should we write a law that protects bf mothers but stops people from just saying 'you can't bf here because I think it's a bit weird /gross/inconvenient'?

You are allowed to breastfeed anywhere you are normally allowed to be, so not in the manager's office or unless the place itself is dangerous. For the latter to apply the pool would have to be dangerous for babies full stop.

Babies are going to be exposed to the germs in the pool anyway unless they float in their own forcefield.

A bf baby could be sick but so could any child, including the ff baby who had a bottle in the changing rooms.

A bf baby could be in danger while the waves are on but so could any child.

originalmavis · 02/05/2016 14:34

Where's common sense these days? Having a holiday? I was in a pool with a jacuzzi and a group came in with sandwiches (yes they really did). Maybe they were waiting for someone to violate theur human rights?

Shakey15000 · 02/05/2016 14:35

Just bizarre. Being sat even on the edge of a wave pool being bashed is surely no comfortable place to BF. Agree, she's being deliberately difficult and engineering a pay out. Which I sincerely hope she doesn't get.

Quiero · 02/05/2016 14:37

I don't think women should be banned from feeding in swimming pools but I don't really understand why it would ever be necessary. Confused

How long are you ever in a pool that you cannot go swimming between feeds? Trying to keep the babies body in the water to keep it warm while you feed whilst not drowning it sounds like a whole load of hard work to me.

I actually don't think it's necessary to allow feeding everywhere - anywhere where it would be acceptable to give a bottle would be fine. It's only because some arseholes can't accept seeing it in cafe's etc that we even have to have these conversations. Like everyone else said, this does more harm than good. What a tit she is!

originalmavis · 02/05/2016 14:39

Wouldn't the poor child get a mouthful of chlorine? I wouldn't want to eat or drink with the fumes whafting up my nose.

soapboxqueen · 02/05/2016 14:40

I admit I wouldn't have wanted to feed either of my dc in the pool, particularly if the waves were on. I always sat on the side.

I do agree that she's out for attention and the payout. That doesn't stop her being technically correct

MidniteScribbler · 02/05/2016 14:41

If having babies in the pool is dangerous, ban them. If having babies, non swimmers in the pool when the waves are on, ban them. If lifeguards stipulate that they want to be able to see a baby's face, then have a rule that all babies must be held vertically when the waves are on.

Or just use your fucking common sense.

I have a pool at home. DS was born in the peak of summer and had his first 'swim' at three days of age. I'm in Australia, so our summers are mostly spent around the pool and the summer he was born was no different. At no point did I find it necessary to feed him whilst actually IN the pool. He got fed whilst I was sitting in a chair next to the pool, he got fed whilst I was sitting next to the BBQ in the pool area. But I never felt it necessary to feed whilst in the pool (and I could have, if I had wanted to), because it just didn't seem like a sensible place to do so.

ScreenshottingIsNotJournalism · 02/05/2016 14:45

I can think of lots of reasons why it would be a good idea to feed in a pool:

  1. supervising older siblings who are in the pool
  2. reasure the child that they're safe in the big noisy pool
  3. when the pool is warm and the air out of the pool is freezing
  4. when the child is teething and is having small comfort feeds every 2 mins and you wouldn't get to spend any time in the pool (nor would older siblings) if you didn't feed in the pool
  5. Because there's no logical reason NOT to
proudmom135 · 02/05/2016 14:46

Doing that in a swimming pool is not a bad thing. Smile

soapboxqueen · 02/05/2016 14:48

Or just use your fucking common sense.

Or just accept that your choices are not everybody else's choices.

Lunar1 · 02/05/2016 14:52

Babies need a 1:1 adult in every pool I've ever been to so there wouldn't be a need to supervise siblings at the same time.

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