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

[sizeofalentil]

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.

Well of your kids don't need you to supervise them.closely enough that yku can find a.position away from other kids splashing and kicking then they are probably old enough to be able to swim with you sat on a chair at the edge of the pool.

pools are always really hot and humid

and if they are so scared of the pool you need to shove a boob in their mouth constantly then why are you even taking them.swimmimg. they aren't ready.

if they are teething then give them.sone calpol.

how can. yku properly supervise your lids if your hands and attention are taken up anyway.

some babies are snackers. I had one big feeder who would do one big feed every 3 hours - I'ld find a nice comfy seat for his feeds.
The other was a snacker, never did long feeds just lots of little ones. if I didn't feed him on the go I would have had bed sores from the constant sitting that some posters on here think I should have been doing every time he latched on!

sitting not required at all.

just not physically being in a pool.

Giles, hardly any of your post makes sense.

You can supervise older siblings with a baby in your arms, of course you can! WTF? are new mums with older siblings not supervising their older kids unless the baby is down??
Calpol should be used occasionally, not for every grizzle
Babies can enjoy a pool and still get ocassionally spooked by a big splash or screetch, there's nothing wrong with comforting them
Lots of pools are flippin FREEZING out of the water, my local one is

the arguements against this just don't make much sense

Why would you want to feed in the wave machine? Surely it's common sense?

Surely though the H&S rules and policies re eating and drinking in the pool (making an assumption here as every place I visit has such signs) trumps the right to breast feed anywhere?

The equality act is about equality. Eg about being able to acess food and water like everyone else not about trumping policy.

"sitting not required at all.

just not physically being in a pool"

Why?

Older children aren't allowed in the pool in my local council pool unless a parent is in the pool WITH them, you can't send them in and sit on the side. So the whole family has to get out and stand around in the cold every time the baby wants to latch? ridiculous. Why is standing at the side preferable to you than standing in the pool or sitting on the steps in the water in the baby pool?

Youaren'tkiddingme you are aware that BFing women are lactating and usually leaking a little in swimming pools whether the baby is latched on or not right? in fact you're more likely to leak into the pool if you have to wait till you're out to feed

If she has been spoken to several times about breast feeding she must be deliberately doing it in such a way as to attract attention. I breast fed both my dc, often in public. I've been to mother and baby groups where lots of feeding was going on and it's normal to see breastfeeding in cafes, restaurants, parks etc. I have never seen anyone, in what looks like a restaurant, with their breast entirely out feeding like that.

I just dont see how getting splashed whilst feeding is any better.

more likely to make baby sick of the water is running up the nose etc.

just seems a ridiculous thing to do. people could be swimming naked fir all I care. however feeding in a pool witg the wave machine on is just stupidity

Anything for a quick buck, this really does nothing to promote breastfeeding, and perpetuates the streotypes surrounding breastfeeding mothers.

I'm surprised that some people think that when contending with a wave machine there's no difference between holding a baby and holding a latched on baby.

I remember answering the door while ds1 was latched on and it was loads harder than answering the door when just holding him - I remember at one point almost loosing a nipple.

Oh for goodness sake, she's obviously an attention seeking dim-wit.

How little common sense do you need to have to actually think breastfeeding in a pool with a wave machine is a good idea? Some of those machines are really strong. She may as well try and do it while skiing down a slope next time.
Nothing to do with the right to bf, just plain bloody stupid. Imo obviously.

"I just dont see how getting splashed whilst feeding is any better"

You don't have to see it, nobody is saying that your children should be fed in a pool.
But it's right for other babies/mothers/families and they have a right to breastfeed anywhere where babies are allowed to be

What about the chlorine in the water/ on your nipple? Or the germs/pee in the pool? Are these things to worry about?

My babies went swimming from a couple months old. What's the difference, do you think an 8 month old isn't drinking the water? The wave machine hardly looks ferocious either, Really the only think I can get outraged here is the 20,000 pounds. That's madness.

they have a right to breastfeed anywhere where babies are allowed to be

It is not against the law to prevent a woman breastfeeding if there are legitimate health and safety concerns. Which, presumably, the lifeguard in question had.

“If the baby had been sick, the pool would have had to be closed, drained and it would have been shut for days.

Um, bollocks would it.

"Some of those machines are really strong. She may as well try and do it while skiing down a slope next time."

The difference is that no dry slope that I know of in the UK would allow you to skii down holding a baby, ergo you are not allowed to feed while skiing.

If the particular wave machine was so strong that it's unsafe for all babies then babies aren't allowed to be there, ergo you aren't allowed to feed there.

But some wave machines are piddly, this one obviously allowed babies, ergo you are allowed to feed there

you can breastfeed anywhere where babies can be if somewhere is too unsafe for any babies to be there, then you are not allowed to breastfeed there.

Stupid woman. If the baby was sick in the pool, it would have had to be drained.

Dangerous to bf while the wave machine was on. Baby was 8 months? So eating normal meals? So able to wait for a bf?

She sounds like a professional complainer or very unlucky, the number of times she's been asked not to bf/to move.

Never happened to me in years of bfing in public.

"It is not against the law to prevent a woman breastfeeding if there are legitimate health and safety concerns. Which, presumably, the lifeguard in question had"

Name one legitimate health and safety concern where babies ARE allowed to be held in arms, but it is unsafe to feed same babes in arms??

If the situation is safe enough for babes in arms, it's safe enough to feed

What has lactating and leaking got to do with it?

I was simply asking if health and safety rules about eating and drinking in pool would be extended to BF mothers. The rules are there for a reason and it's more than food in water and hygiene etc. It's to do with digestion and how digesting draws blood from the extremities which has an effect on (blood pressure I think) the body.

From the article it wasn't even that she was asked not to BF just offered a chair as an alternative.

any baby can be sick in a pool. Most sicky babies are only sick after feeds, so getting out to do the actual feed would make no difference to that.

Maud which health and safety concerns relate only to bf infants?

kiddingme equality can also mean treating somebody more favorabley if not doing so could put them at a disadvantage. It's not about everybody being the same.