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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Breastfeeding at Olympics - disgrace

104 replies

BondiBaby · 27/07/2012 10:43

Hi All,

I was hoping for some Mumsnet support on this matter. I am due to attend the equestrian at Greenwich park on Monday and have been advised by a Dr not to take my 4mth old given the hot weather. I live 5mins walk from the entrance and asked London 2012 if I can be given a pass out in order to breastfeed my baby. I have been told "there are no passes out". Given my baby will not take a bottle I am now being discriminated against and will not be able attend, unless I ignore Drs advice and take her to the event.

I have asked that the issue is escalated with their customer services but dont have a huge amount of faith that I will hear back positively before Monday. I hope reaching out to all you lovely ladies may give some pressure to the situation.

Many Thanks - Elisabeth

OP posts:
ShipMate · 27/07/2012 16:07

Just to add (a bit late, I know!) that of course you're not being descriminated against. You are perfectly entitled to breastfeed. Nobody has asked you not to. That's one of the great things about breastfeeding - you can do it anywhere. Just because your baby is particularly sensitive, that doesn't mean the rules should be broken. You're being really ridiculous.

It isn't a disgrace to not allow a pass-out, it's normal.

ShipMate · 27/07/2012 16:08

Eeeek! Typo - "discriminated"!

Original poster
BondiBaby · 27/07/2012 16:16

yes shipmate you are a bit late with you comment but hope you feel better for adding another dig!! Makes all the difference. good on you.

Confession: used the word disgrace to help the post stand out. Looks like that did the job but maybe not how I had intended.

OP posts:
KickTheGuru · 27/07/2012 16:18

I think you probably opened yourself up for it though - using "disgrace" and "discrimination" in your posts. It's not a dig but you have to look at potentially how you worded your question in light of the responses.

ShipMate · 27/07/2012 16:22

Don't post such a ridiculous OP then, accusing people of discriminating against you and acting disgracefully, unless you expect readers to realise that you were just helping "the post stand out". Hmm

Original poster
BondiBaby · 27/07/2012 16:25

Yep agree, fair comment, less learnt etc.. guess i was digging for compassion when feeling so stressed about it all and well, you can see what I got. some fair and good advice and a whole lot of grrrrr from others Smile

OP posts:
mumblecrumble · 27/07/2012 16:25

ER...... did you not know when you got the tickets you would have a 4 month old breast fed baby?

ShipMate · 27/07/2012 16:25

I suggest you use an NHS GP in future too - someone who wouldn't come up with the utter tripe you've posted. Sigh.

Original poster
BondiBaby · 27/07/2012 16:27

Yep agree kicktheguru, fair comment, less learnt etc.. guess i was digging for compassion when feeling so stressed about it all and well, you can see what I got. some fair and good advice and a whole lot of grrrrr from others

anyway, i have a baby to look after so with leave you all to take this thread wherever you chose. thanks again to those who were wise with their words.

OP posts:
Belmo · 27/07/2012 16:28

I'd take my baby and feed in the sling personally. Have you tried a doidy cup? Mine wouldn't take a bottle but she'd slurp out a cup, if only I could be arsed expressing!

KickTheGuru · 27/07/2012 16:28

Is she your first baby?

KickTheGuru · 27/07/2012 16:29

What I mean by that is that if it's your first baby, I can understand the newness of it all and how you would be overwhelmed by a potential outing like this.

Good luck either way :)

CharlotteWasBoth · 27/07/2012 17:00

This reply has been deleted

Withdrawn at the user's request

belgo · 27/07/2012 17:14

I think that using the words 'disgrace' and 'discrimination' are red rags to a bull on mumsnet! Especially regarding breastfeeding.

I guessed that the doctor's advice wasn't your GP - I assume it was a doctor you happen to know - you gave you their informal, unprofessional opinion? - if so, I don't think it's valid to use that 'advice' in your query to customer services.

MummytoKatie · 28/07/2012 00:58

Dd wouldn't take a bottle and when she was 5 months I had a training day with work. Cycled home at full pelt in my lunch hour to feed poor starving child only to discover poor starving child happily drinking from a bottle!

It seems that dh offering her a bottle while I hover on the other side of the door saying "is she taking it yet?" is very different to "mummy's not here and I'm really quite peckish - guess I'll try out the bottle after all."

domesticslattern · 28/07/2012 01:21

I'm taking my ebf baby to the Olympics on Tuesday and I'm sure it'll be fiiiiiine. It's the transport which worries me, and OP you are lucky enough not to have that problem. I hope you can relax and enjoy it.

blushingmare · 28/07/2012 04:19

Hi OP - just wanted to say I'm taking my 7 week old dd to the eventing on Monday too! I'm a bit anxious about the long journey there and back as we live in West London and its a bit annoying not being able to bring a pram. But I'm sure the feeding side of things will be fine - another time I'm grateful that I'm breastfeeding and don't have to worry about bottles etc! I reckon of all the Olympic things to go to, the cross country must be one of the best to go to with a baby as you're not stuck in allocated seating when LO gets grizzly and liable to annoy other spectators or just need a bit of space. It should be relatively easy to find somewhere quieter/shaded/more discreet for feeding if you need that. And hey, if you're both having a miserable time then you cut your losses and go home - you're so lucky to live so close and not have to do battle with the tube at the end of the day Envy!!

None of us know what medical reasons your doctor would have said you shouldn't go for, so if there are other things going on that you haven't mentioned then obviously you need to take those into account and decide if there's a medical risk to your dd. but if not, then I'd say go for it. The weather is supposed to be cooler on Monday anyway Smile but Sad!

And to those who said you should have known you had a baby when you bought the tickets. Erm... My dd wasn't even conceived when I got my tickets through the ballot!!!

RillaBlythe · 28/07/2012 06:46

I still want to know more about this doctor.

exoticfruits · 28/07/2012 07:08

I would just take the baby- I'm sure you could find a quieter spot and it would be very useful in future to get her used to feeding in all situations. Being quiet and at home is going to be very restrictive.

Thumbwitch · 28/07/2012 08:31

If you're worried about her feeding while she's out, take a bottle of expressed milk anyway as well, or a bottle of cooled boiled water - if she's thirsty enough, she will drink.

fireice · 28/07/2012 08:47

Did the doctor know that you were asking them for professional advice?

SirBoobAlot · 28/07/2012 11:14

Some of you need to ease up on the OP, she's a new mum facing a stressful situation and looking for some support. Also heartily disagree with "a baby will take a bottle if they have to" type comments - not all of them. Its an entirely different type of sucking.

FWIW I would be annoyed too if faced with a situation like that. If your doctor was suggesting it because of the heat, then I would just make sure you dress her in thin (but fully covering) clothes, take an umbrella if need to, a pocket fan, and a muslin square to feed under.

As for her being distracted during feeds, its quite normal, albeit frustrating! I'm sure there will be a quieter spot you'll be able to locate. And you could always ask one of the stewards to find you somewhere.

Agree the most logical solution for you would be to go home if you don't feel comfortable feeding out and about, and I'm sorry this isn't an option for you :(

I hope you have a lovely time.

thisisyesterday · 28/07/2012 11:15

just take the baby!
it's no different to having her out in the garden surely?

as long as you keep her shaded and feed on demand then I really can't see the issue.

SirBoobAlot · 28/07/2012 11:15

CharlotteWasBoth - how old is your baby? Please don't expect a baby who is used to being fed on demand to suddenly go a large number of hours without a feed / only being offered a feed by bottle when they're not used to it.

showtunesgirl · 28/07/2012 13:43

Thumbwitch cooled boiled water is not needed for a four month old baby and could do harm.

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