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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Breastfeeding in the swimming pool?

220 replies

AuntPepita · 21/08/2012 21:13

Does anyone have any thoughts on this one?

I went swimming with DS (15mo) earlier and he was tired, grizzly and signing milk, so I fed him. The lifeguard eventually cottoned on and asked me to stop, so I did, but the more I think about it the more annoyed I am. Should I just suck (ha ha) it up, or make a fuss?

He was happy for me to feed at the poolside, just not in the pool.

He was perfectly polite, but I suspect knows nothing about the mechanics.

OP posts:
TheCountessOlenska · 22/08/2012 07:18

It think it's sad that people who claim to have breastfed themselves have such a negative attitude to breast feeding - why on earth did you bother to do it? Confused

TheCountessOlenska · 22/08/2012 07:18

I think

Pekka · 22/08/2012 07:29

When I took DS swimming, there was a mother breastfeeding her son in the pool. I was put off by it, they could have easily moved to the poolside especially as her son was already walking. I know all sorts of bodily fluids get into the pool, but it isn't actively encouraged.
The son didn't enjoy eating in the pool either as he was crying his little eyes out.

DilysPrice · 22/08/2012 07:44

It's an interesting one. My first instinct was Hmm, with a side-order of "probably shouldn't" and I then had to work through whether that was in fact reasonable, and I think the lifeguard probably had the same reaction, and if he were a young man he probably didn't have the knowledge to get past that first response. I suspect a lot of other people ate having the same reaction which is why you're getting several different reasons why you shouldn't.

I think the only objection that holds water for me is the politically iffy one of "discretion". Depends on what you were wearing and your approach, but I'm visualising you pretty much stripped to the waist, which would be where my "breasts are not genitals, bf is perfectly natural" attitude tips into "probably making people uncomfortable (and not just crazy people), perhaps more polite to be a shade more discrete".

megandraper · 22/08/2012 08:04

I don't see anything wrong with feeding in the pool. I have only fed pool-side, but that's because it was more comfortable for me. Wouldn't occur to me that feeding in the pool would be a problem.

Alibabaandthe40nappies · 22/08/2012 08:33

Why would she need to be stripped to the waist? I've fed mine in the pool before now and you just pull your suit to one side.

OP there are some odd ideas on this thread, I can't see a problem with what you did at all.

TheCountessOlenska · 22/08/2012 08:43

"Stripped to the waist" ffs!!

I've never breast fed in a pool but I breast fed DD on holiday by the pool side wearing a bikini - is this inappropriate too? Shock

MainlyMaynie · 22/08/2012 08:53

I can't see anything actually wrong with it, assuming you knew you were safely positioned. But I guess from the number of negative reactions on here that the guard was probably right to ask you to move to poolside as lots of people don't like the idea of BM in a swimming pool for some reason.

bumpsnowjustplump · 22/08/2012 09:37

OT but Tiddlybears if you had read previous posts you would have seen that feeding in the bath is adviced to encourage babies to latch who are not feeding. I think it is great that 5 months in you have had no problems feeding your child but dont say that feeding in the bath is not particularly safe, practical or necessary. There is plenty of evidence to show it is very safe, very practical and in my case was very necessary.

EauRouge · 22/08/2012 09:38

I can't bring myself to be all up in arms about someone breastfeeding in a pool. I'd much rather swim around in someone else's breastmilk than someone else's piss.

Figgygal · 22/08/2012 10:24

I wouldn't have done it, don't like the sound of it at all and I imagine others would be uncomfortable .......but appreciate it shouldn't be any different to anywhere else.

Can't say why I would object I just would.

Interesting debate though OP

PicklesThePottyMouthedParrot · 22/08/2012 10:27

It's a saftey issue more than anything else, you should probably feed at the poolside.

No one is allowed to eat or drink anything in a pool (ours anyway) so I can see its unfair.

I'd have sat at the side of the pool.

SchrodingersMew · 22/08/2012 11:32

Countess Just because I breast fed myself does not mean I want to be in water with someone potentially leaking. And feeling like that also doesn't mean I have negative feelings about breast feeding.

Yeah, it's great that the law is there to protect feeding Mothers (not being allowed to be asked to leave) but some people take that to extremes and use a kind of "breast feeding is entirely natural and should be done anywhere regardless" completely disregarding anyone else's feelings on it.

It's not a case of I don't want to see someone breastfeeding, in fact I got very annoyed when feeding my Son in SCBU when they brought a screen along and put it round me when there was only 2 other people in the room. Hmm But this is a case of not believing it to be hygenic.

I fucking hate the way some posters make out you are against breastfeeding because doing it in 1 situation makes you uncomfortable, even if it is for hygene reasons!

I am now bottle feeding my DS (through no fault of my own btw, I wanted to continue) and I wouldn't dream of giving him a bottle in the pool, he is 11 months and he can and does wait until we get out, I am guessing I would also be asked to leave if I tried it and MN would go mental if I said I had given him a bottle in the pool, why is that so different for bfing? You are still feeding in the pool, it is still food and shouldn't be in the pool.

This argument is not even about a hungry baby! OP has said her DC wasn't even hungry and it was just for comfort, why should that trump others rights to feel comfortable?

marge2 · 22/08/2012 11:35

Poor baby. You would have had chlorine/pool wee water on your boobs wouldnt you? I would have had a wash first.

terrywoganstrousers · 22/08/2012 11:53

Countess- just because I wouldn't personally feed in one particular situation doesn't mean I have a 'negative attitude to breastfeeding!'
And in fact to my friends and family I am known as the BF Police, so your comment is laughable based on my opinion that being asked to stop feeding in a swimming pool wasn't necessarily unreasonable as the lifeguard seemed to be happy to allow the feeding on the poolside and was polite.
And 'claim to have BF'? WTAF- are you accusing all the people saying they BF their own DC and still wouldn't feed in a pool of lying? Because of course there's no way that anyone can have a different opinion to yours?

5madthings · 22/08/2012 12:09

i would imagine they just have a blanket policy of no eating/drinking in the pool? which is fair enough.

i used to get out and feed toddler on the side of the pool, purely because the only way i could feed was to get a boob out the top of my costume, it wasnt very discreet so i got out and drapped a towel over my shoulders, to make me feel more comfortable mainly.

i dont see an issue feeding in the pool tbh and lol at worries about bmilk in the pool, the op says she doesnt leak anyway. but if she did it would be small amounts which diluted in a pool is neither here nor there, esp compared with what else is in the pool!

and as for people not understanding why a toddler may want to bfeed when swimming, well it depends on the toddler doesnt it, some wouldnt need the comfort, others would.

anyway i do think they will just have a blanket no food or drink in the pool and that will include breastmilk. so not anti bfeeding, just anti food/drink which is what bmilk is, and yes its comfort as well but they are still having milk so eating/drinking and most pools will not allow that.

5madthings · 22/08/2012 12:10

intersting that some swimming teachers and baby swim organisations actually recomend feeding in the pool tho, i guess they could allow it in baby swim classes? and it does seem a good thing to do for babies/toddlers that are wary of swimming :)

megandraper · 22/08/2012 12:11

Countess - it is different, I think, for a bottle-fed baby to wait - because the bottle is not there in front of him. It would be cruel to dangle a bottle of milk in front of him while he was hungry/upset, and refuse to give it to him.

A breast-fed older baby (IME) will happily wait a while for its feed when it's with anyone other than its mum. But a baby with its mum knows the comfort/feed is right there, and gets VERY upset if it has to wait! They don't understand about other people disapproving of feeding in a particular situation, only that they want milk, milk is there, why can't I have it, WAAAH!

5madthings · 22/08/2012 12:16

yes exactly, it is difficult for a bfed baby/toddler, mum is there so milk is there. my ds2 when a toddler went through a phase of feeding all the time! i used to take him to a music group and he spent 90% of the time asking for 'milka' and feeding, i opted just to go with it, it was a phase and he grew out of it. i did get some looks from a few mums who probably just didnt get it, thought i was just giving in to him etc. but a mum i knew went had also bfed her through toddler hood and she knew the issues i had and would commiserate with me :)

NeverKnowinglyUnderstood · 22/08/2012 12:16

for me any breastfeeding can be done anywhere that you would be happy to give a bottle.
Iirc you aren't allowed to eat or drink in the pool, if you aren't going to bottle feed there then I don't think you should bf either.

megandraper · 22/08/2012 14:02

I disagree with you NeverKnowingly, for the reason I said a couple of posts before. It is different.

PicklesThePottyMouthedParrot · 22/08/2012 14:06

Ok but no one is saying the baby has to wait for food, just move a foot or two by the pool.

If he'd said the op had to move right into the changing rooms or something fair enough, but I don't think the motivation here was to hide the breastfeeding away.

katielou2012 · 22/08/2012 14:15

I wouldnt want to swim in a pool that someone had be breastfeeding in personally, not that im against it just I wouldnt feel comfortable swimming in there. Blush

katielou2012 · 22/08/2012 14:17

Also you wouldnt be able to feed a bottle fed baby in the pool, why should you be able to breastfeed? And why didnt you wait until after you'd fed your baby to go swimming Confused

SchrodingersMew · 22/08/2012 17:33

I don't buy the argument that because the babys Mother is right in front of them they can't refuse, that's ridiculous.

There's times when my 11mo DS would like plenty of things in front of him, doesn't mean I have to give them to him, this includes times when he wants picked up or wants a cuddle for comfort and the time or place isn't right.