Breastfeeding in a swimming pool

[Winegal]

A story has come out about a woman been told that she can't breastfeed IN a public pool. AIBU to think that's actually fair enough?

I think women should be allowed to breastfeed wherever they need/want to. We have a massive issue in this country with women feeling uncomfortable breastfeeding in public and I agree that needs to stop but IN a pool? This isn't pleasant is it? The water is meant to be clean and if there is milk in the water isn't that a bit...off?!

Fully expecting to be flamed here but really interested to see what people think about it.

Dunno. More likely to get milk in the water if a screaming hungry baby triggers a let down reflex. I mean, there is so much shite in a swimming pool...

I really don’t see the issue

I was about to say, there’s more chance of getting milk in the pool if you DONT feed the baby

Not acceptable imo. This was an 18 month old not a newborn. So surely she could have got out if the pool and sat on the side. In the same way that I wouldn’t agree with giving a bottle of milk or a cup of juice in the pool either.

Would you have your lunch in a pool? I wouldn't so wouldn't feed in one.

There will be milk in the water if a lactating woman is swimming.

There's also blood, poo, and wee.

There's a reason swimming pools have a lot of chlorine in them.

She totally should of got out and sat at the side of the pool. I wouldn’t give my child a drink or food in the pool

@User46942 but they’re boobs, which are already in the pool. A cup of juice wouldn’t be in the pool. Unless you ban lactating women from the pool then this is a complete non-issue and actually better off feeding than not

I wouldn’t and that has a lot to do with the number of babies, mine included, that are sick after feeding. I see nothing wrong with sitting on the side and feeding there.

In my view, anywhere anyone feels eating a bar of chocolate/packet of crisps or giving a bottle fed baby a bottle, is fine to breastfeed.

that "story" came out a year ago at least. and was done to death then.

Isn't there a 'breastfeeding in the pool' fiasco every few months?

Why on earth would an 18 myth old need to have breastmilk at the side of the pool? She would have given it a packet of Pom bears so it doesn’t get milk.

IN a pool, I wouldn’t. What happens when the baby upchucks it all back? Surely sitting at the side of the pool is ok?

There might be all kinds of shite in a pool, but that doesn’t mean it’s ok to add to it!

Saw this lovely story on 'Angry People in Local Newspapers' 😂 no one else eats in a pool, babies can be sick v quickly and finally surely it's not nice to put your chlorine covered boob in your baby's mouth?? I agree with the pool operator.

Ah come on - I breastfeed and think breastfeeding most anywhere should be encouraged, but IN a pool?! No reason not to just get out for goodness sake! There are a couple of confrontational breast feeders who are very “wave your breasts around in the hope someone gets annoyed so you can argue and assert your rights”. This seems like that.

@toomanychilder

You are right they pop up all the time don't they. One of the reasons it winds me up so much is because stupid people who don't even like women feeding in a cafe etc use these stories to make of point of 'look how unreasonable women are they want to even feed in a pool!' When most women wouldn't do that and it's COMPLETELY different from feeding anywhere else.

I really don't think this is an issue. The baby is already weeing in the pool, god knows what other saliva, urine, vomit, pus, menstrual blood etc is in there.

The chance of a few ml of milk is really neither here or there.

I probably would have started feeding in the pool and then moved as I was feeding.

I didn’t see this (old) story but I have breastfed in a pool. My son was 10/11 months old I think and my 4 year old was enjoying her trip to the pool. He wasn’t as happy- and we’d have needed to come out the pool if I’d not been able to settle him by sitting on the steps in the pool and slipping my boob out the side of my costume and feeding him. This way my daughter could stay in and be supervised and my son settled enough to stay in a while.
No big deal really.

I really doubt it makes any difference to the risk of sick whether the mum is in the pool or sitting on the side.

You're not allowed to eat in the pool as an adult - so why would be allowed to feed baby?
Like people said, pools aren't the most hygienic of places. Why would you want your baby feeding in that??

I probably wouldn't do it myself and time feedings around swimming, more because it would be tricky and I try and cover my boobs whilst feeding (personal choice, but don't care when others don't)

So I don't really see the problem, it's just another public place.

I’m sure there’s always a ‘breastfeeding in the pool’ story once a year which always makes it here.

I can't get worked up about it. Lactating breasts can leak in a pool and no one may know it's happening. Having got out of a pool to sit at the side and feed a baby, I still had chlorine water on me anyway. The showers are communal so I wasn't permitted to remove my chorinated tankini top in them so they had to remain in contact with the chlorinated top.
Swimmers at laned sessions often have bottles of drink at the end of their lane anyway.

An 18mo definitely can wait for a feed! There's no way I'd ever bf in a swimming pool. I'm very happy to bf anywhere, but in a pool with an 18mo is ridiculous.

I could just about think it was ok to bf an infant under 6mo in a pool as long as mum was exiting pool to feed, or sitting on the side.