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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Asked to breastfeed in a more discreet place

88 replies

Babynonamee · 29/05/2018 16:57

I'm fairly sure I'm not being unreasonable but I'd be interested to know what other people think.

Today I went to a local swimming centre. My DH and DS1 were swimming and I was watching them from a bench (newborn was in the carseat and not swimming but just 'watching')

I was in a one piece swimming costume.

Newborn started crying as he was hungry, so I took him out his car seat, covered us both with a towel and cracked on with breastfeeding him.

I was not breastfeeding in the water I would think this perhaps would be inappropriate! But I was simply feeding on a bench next to the poolside.

Perhaps the fact I was in a swim suit made breastfeeding in public offensive?

The outcome was actually I pointed out I was fully covered. The life guard spoke with someone who looked like a manager, who appeared from a distance to dismiss the situation and nothing more was said. Baby stopped feeding at this point and so I put him back in the car seat.

OP posts:

speakout · 29/05/2018 21:05

Breastfeeding does not have to be discreet. And often it is not.

RoadToRivendell · 29/05/2018 21:14

Of course they should, but using your powers of imagination I'm sure you can appreciate how they have a training budget and whatever non-life saving topics they cover will be comparatively brief. If it's a council-run pool, they might be struggling just to stay open.

It's as if some people don't understand budget constraints.

Mummyoflittledragon · 29/05/2018 21:16

We don’t know what was said. The manager may have informed the lifeguard of his mistake. Equally the conversation could have gone down “let her get on with it mate, fucking disgusting if you ask me but it’s the law, innit”. The point is no one apologised. Perhaps the lifeguard didn’t tell the manager he’d asked you to move. But if he did, it was a very poor show and besides the lifeguard definitely should have said something to you.

Semster · 29/05/2018 21:19

This reminds me of a time at the beach when the woman next to me wearing a bikini that displayed pretty much her entire boobs ranted on for about 10 minutes about how disgusting it is when people breastfeed in public.

speakout · 29/05/2018 21:19

RoadToRivendell Budget or not- in Scotland the law is clear.

TooManyPaws · 29/05/2018 21:32

How much of a training budget does it require to say "breastfeeding is legal anywhere a child is allowed and that includes poolside and changing rooms as well as reception etc"?

RoadToRivendell · 29/05/2018 21:40

How much of a training budget does it require to say "breastfeeding is legal anywhere a child is allowed and that includes poolside and changing rooms as well as reception etc"?

Are they to focus only on the rights of breastfeeding mothers? What about every other constituency? Do you think they should devote equal time to this issue as they do, say, their obligation to disabled swimmers?

RoadToRivendell Budget or not- in Scotland the law is clear.

I'm sure it is. No one is going to enforce it.

ErrolTheDragon · 29/05/2018 21:47

That sentence takes what, 10 seconds to say and is pretty self explanatory. I'd hope much more time was spent on disability rights.

Iggi999 · 29/05/2018 21:54

Rivendell you’ve already said that it’s all about stopping people drowning. So no time in your view for training to include supporting disabled people to access the pool - except when it’s in competition with bf women there’s suddenly time for that? You can cover the equality act at a basic level in less than an hour. I’m sure I could do it in 15 mins if really pushed

notacooldad · 29/05/2018 22:41

Those that are saying it only takes 10 seconds to say about breast feeding in training, surely there is more to it than that. I would have thought it would have had to be written into the official training manual, the right words and legislation act to be included, signed off by other councillors (if local authority) implemented as part of compulsory training, roll it out to all staff, make sure they know it's the law by getting them to sign off that they understand.
A line manager can't just stand up and make a statement. It's not a 10 second job to get it rolled out to every employee from Direct Services to children's services to youth and leisure etc.

ferntwist · 29/05/2018 22:57

Seems pretty straightforward to me. Not sure why posters are trying to make it more complicated than it is.

TooManyPaws · 29/05/2018 22:57

Good grief, in all my years in the public sector, from national government to local government, I've never yet seen a training manual! 😂

Induction training in my current employer includes a manager pointing out to new employees the policies that are likely to be most relevant, then the employee is left to read them on the Intranet. If there is no computer access, then the manager prints them out. New policies and changes are highlighted on the front page of the intranet and mentioned at regular team meetings. Hence, it can be relatively quick, particularly with areas that are the subject of legislation rather than policy.

notacooldad · 29/05/2018 23:25

Good grief, in all my years in the public sector, from national government to local government, I've never yet seen a training manual!

We have one.
Everything is signed that you understand so there is no comebacks to day you weren't informed and also mentioned in supervision.

I'm not saying it's right, wrong or indifferent, just saying about my expierenced.

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