Behaviour in swimming pools

[ClaudoftheRings]

I take DCs to the local public swimming pool most weekends.

Last weekend there was a woman in the pool taking endless photos with a waterproof camera. The lifeguard didn’t challenge her until his boss walked past and told the woman to stop (she proceeded to argue with him) and reminded the lifeguard of the no cameras policy.

This morning, a woman standing chest deep in the pool breastfeeding a baby aged around 8 months. I have no problem with breastfeeding in public but get out of the pool. There are 50 empty seats right next to it. And I know there are worse things than breast milk in a pool but I wouldn’t carry on swimming with a baby if it had just had a feed.

AIBU to think it’s common sense not to do these things in a public pool?

Breastfeeding in chest-deep water? I'd be concerned about a wave choking the poor wee mite!

Christ if you are worried about breast milk in a public pool you are probably being a bit naive about the usual bodily fluids in there.

Yeah but most of those fluids are kind of inevitable, especially with kids in a pool. There’s really no need to choose to breastfeed in a pool when you can just sit on the bench by the pool. You wouldn’t grab a bottle of formula from your bag and give it to a baby in the pool. It sounds like a faff and a half holding your myself high enough to keep your boob out of the pool while water is lapping at your baby’s face while your trying to feed.

Neither of these two things would bother me. I'd probably question why the woman felt the need to breastfeed a baby in the pool rather than getting out, but I don't think an older baby is particularly going to vomit milk back up, or poop immediately afterwards. A camera is surely no different to taking pictures on the beach with others in the background.

Women have the legal right to feed anywhere. I wouldn’t have been het up about the milk. The camera, definitely. It is a safeguarding issue.

Weird to feed a baby in the pool, and I say that as someone who used to breastfeed in many public places. Some parents are just a bit entitled though and think everybody adores their little darlings as much as they do. Last week I was in a café where a woman was putting her toddler on a potty repeatedly next to the table. The toilet (very clean, quiet, empty) was just behind them. I was gobsmacked.

@Bettyboop3

I totally agree, no need for somebody's bodily fluids in a public pool, even it is breast milk. Get out and feed your baby, nobody else stays in there to eat their lunch.

There's so much chlorine in public pools, to neutralize all the urine etc. Breastmilk really is the least thing to be concerned about.

Women have the legal right to feed anywhere

This is true and I am very pro-breastfeeding and I did it wherever I wanted, but literally in a pool is just silly and unnecessary.

I saw a woman recently in the pool with a phone, video calls, pictures and a call. In between tucking it into her costume. Mainly I just though it was really sad- she was that glued to it and on and off interacting with her toddler.

Breastfeeding- whatever. Don’t care. Probably comfort suckles and not taking much.

I can't see the issue with breast feeding?
But taking pics absolutely no!!

I don’t agree with BF in the pool. Baby might bring some back up.

I'm surprised by the amount of people who wear clothes in the pool and also have noticed lots of spectating parents passing their swimming children snacks and drinks.

The photography thing is obviously a big no no but the breastfeeding wouldn’t bother me as long as she wasn’t in anyone’s way.

I'd have more of a problem with a man pissing in public which is not uncommon than a woman bf in a swimming pool which is unusual