Breastfeeding in the swimming pool?

[AuntPepita]

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.

AngelDog, I totally agree with you! It also seems to be the same divide for people who think that everyone should parent the way they did too.

It may be true that baby swim classes are pro-feeding-in-the-pool (although I bet nobody is giving bottles in the pool). But they have small groups so it is easy for the lifeguard to make sure everyone is safe.

A public swim session is different. It is not just babies and parents there in a small group. There is a lot going on. Rightly or wrongly, the lifeguard felt that feeding the baby in the pool was unsafe. He is responsible for keeping the pool safe so surely better to respect that and perhaps query the policy with the management at a later date if you feel they are in the wrong.

But seriously, surely it is possible to say the word NO to a 15 month old and tell them to wait for a couple of minutes while you get out of the pool? Toddlers have tantrums about prettty much anything, do you always give in regardless?

It's not a case of people thinking that someone should parent the same way as someone else does. It is the fact we were asked our opinions on the subject.
I wouldn't go up to someone and say 'Hey your 15 month old is obviously distressed, why is he here? He should be having his nap now!!'
I really don't give a fuck how they parent as long as they aren't harming the child and annoying me!!! It was something that was up for discussion.

Oh wait, did the op ask for our opinions? YES.

Bloody Nora!

Not sure if you were taking the piss but the OP's opening line was 'Does anyone have any thoughts on this one?' and with all conversations the dialogue twists and turns and goes off subject and back on again.
The art of debate!

think of this OP you are basically feeding your baby in a pool of pee! how many people children and adults wee in the pool?! yuk!

Angel Btw, that comment about finding BM ick but not cows or normal...

I would be saying the same thing about cows milk, formula, whatever other type of milk you could come up with, I wont go near any of it.

How is this about people thinking everyone should parent the same way?

Personally I couldn't give two hoots about how you parent, as long as no-one is coming to any harm.

The guard was not stopping OP from nursing her child (for purposes of food or comfort, or any other reason), he simply asked her to move to the poolside. She was not banished from the pool or asked to cover up or stop feeding the little one ffs.

As for those of you who are turning it into a bf/ff debate and all those who disagree must be anti-bf , I'll add my name to the [long] list of posters who are pro-bf and have breasfed themselves but think it's inappropriate to feed in the pool.

Fair enough. I didn't have you particularly in mind :)

Just to clarify - I assumed that swimming/bathing in other types of milk eg cows' wouldn't be similarly controversial because midwives here advise bathing daily with lavender oil added to (cow's) milk (to disperse it) as a way of helping stitches heal post-birth. I had assumed that was normal practice.

I'd rather swim in breast milk than other people's piss any day

Me too. Or preferably water mind

I dunno, have you tried breastmilk on your skin? Makes it really soft

Some people drink their own urine too so not all bad there either.

But surely, as this was a recent experience, Op was in a public swimming pool in the middle of the school holidays.
So she was standing in a crowded pool, holding a toddler, so not particulary light, trying to BF while every family and their children are jumping around splashing and getting in her way.
IME the school holidays are not the time to go swimming pools, they're a nightmare.
To sit on the edge in comfort would surely have been the easiest solution, both for mum and baby.
I think op is trying To Make A Point here.

Agree with lifeguard asking to go poolside - pursuing the matter that someone DEMANDS to feed in the pool just makes some BF mothers look complete idiots and makes the campaign for breastfeeding anywhere a bit of a farce that no one will take seriously - common sense is needed.

Yy Tuna

This feeding in silly places is not doing the campaign for breastfeeding any good whatsoever. It just makes people think look at that woman. What an idiot. I am pro breastfeeding and breastfed both of my DC's. In a regular session in the water at a public swimming pool is not appropriate. The life guard was right. Get out the pool and feed your child.

A 15 month old can be bloody heavy (mine certainly were); I couldn't imagine choosing to stand with them in my arms to breast feed when the option to sit down was available.
I strongly suspect the op wouldn't either in any other circumstances.

I'm with the majority - definitely making a (fairly ridiculous) point.

Did the OP feed with them in her arms? My 14 month old only feeds like that at bedtime. I rarely feed him in public now though, so noone but family gets to see him standing up a la front cover of Time .