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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

How will I breastfeed - speed awareness course

28 replies

SeriousStuff · 29/11/2016 16:11

Regrettably I was caught going over the speed limit about a month ago. I want to opt for the speed awareness course rather than get the points but I have a 3wk old baby and I'm breastfeeding...I rang them today and was told that they can prepare a room for me in order to BF in and that I can leave the course to feed whenever I need but...I can't have him in with me where the course is held. Someone would have to look after him outside. But I don't decide when he feeds, he does and sometimes he'll feed for a few hours at a time. What can I do?!

OP posts:
Swatsup · 29/11/2016 16:13

I may be wrong but I think it's your choice to do the speed awareness course isn't it??? You could always pay the fine or have points instead. Or not speed in the first place!

DPotter · 29/11/2016 16:17

I think you will need to re-jig your session if you can - until a time when you baby is a little more settled and predictable (yeah I know - the impossible). Either that or take the points.
It's not fair on other attendees for your baby to be there( - hanging myself out here I know.......). Don't know how you are feeling but I would not have been in a receptive frame of mind to sit and take in a speed awareness course for 3-4 hours so soon after giving birth. I thought you had to be there for the full time so you have already been given a big concession by being told you can feed your baby during the course time. I know others have not been given such an allowance.

FeckinCrutches · 29/11/2016 16:17

Well, you can keep leaving the room when someone knocks for you, or not attend the course.

FeckinCrutches · 29/11/2016 16:18

I'm very surprised they will let you leave though.

Original poster
SeriousStuff · 29/11/2016 16:19

There is a choice and I'd rather not take the points. And yes, not speeding in the first place would obviously be preferable but it's happened now and I need to find a solution.

I was genuinely asking for some help here, not judgement.

OP posts:
HeyRoly · 29/11/2016 16:20

There was a thread on this very topic just a few weeks back. Verdict was that's it's totally unreasonable to expect to bring a baby inside the room where the course is happening - you need to give it your full attention and not disrupt others.

Personally I'd say you can't possibly do the course.

FATEdestiny · 29/11/2016 16:20

The speed awareness course is important and does require your full attention. You cannot expect to give the course your full attention while sole carer for a newborn.

Their suggestion is a fair one I think.

If it's not acceptable to you, pay the fine and take the points instead.

Original poster
SeriousStuff · 29/11/2016 16:21

I was impressed that they would have a room available, it's just the practicality of it, like you said, having to leave for long periods or leave at all!

OP posts:
NerrSnerr · 29/11/2016 16:22

There was a thread about this not to long ago. Of course the baby can't go in with you- would be hugely unfair on the others as the baby may be unsettled that day and disrupt the course. It's your choice- use the room outside or take the points. To be honest, my 3 month old still fed round the clock so if I couldn't do the course a bit later I would take the points. It's a punishment so you can't expect them to bend over backwards just because you're breastfeeding.

Groovee · 29/11/2016 16:24

I did a speed awareness course in Blackburn last month. We started promptly at 8am and had Breaks about 9.30am then 10.30am. Finished just before 12pm. I think you get 4 months to do the course but only 14 days to book. So it may be worth trying to book as late a course as they allow where you may be in a better routine.

Growingbeanno2 · 29/11/2016 16:25

Not jumping on the Sancti boat here.

Is there a later course you can take so there's hope for a little more time between feeds? Or express?

Someone will just have to look after the B whilst you're in there.

moggle · 29/11/2016 16:26

When I did this course I had the option to choose dates up to 4 months in advance. Try and leave it as long as you can. But if you have to leave the room a lot, I reckon there's a chance they'll decide you haven't actually completed the course and you may be required to do it again, or even just take the points / pay the fine. Even without the BFing issue I would've been far too tired to sit in a room for most of a day without falling asleep, until DD was about 3m old. As others have said you do need to pay full attention.

Primaryteach87 · 29/11/2016 16:26

Ask of you can do the course later on. I would argue it was indirect discrimination to not allow you the same options as other speeders just because you had a baby. 3 weeks would be too early for most bf mums (or formula feeding for that matter) to leave their baby at all.

OlennasWimple · 29/11/2016 16:27

At three weeks I would say that it will be near impossible to do the course if you need to leave to feed, unless you are able to express lots and leave your baby with someone else for 3-4 hours. You could be gone for 1/3 to 1/4 of the course, as well as the stress for you and your baby

OverScentedFanjo · 29/11/2016 16:31

I did a speed awareness course while I was pregnant. It was really laid back and informal, I'm surprised you can't take a baby with you. I understand a toddler, but I would have thought having such a young baby they can move your course or help,you a bit.

HeyRoly · 29/11/2016 17:20

Of course it not discrimination!

There is no reasonable adjustment that the course organisers could do here, apart from give the OP one on one teaching over the course of more than one day. If there was and they refused, then that would be discriminatory.

ThePoloHole · 29/11/2016 17:21

I had the same problem.

Took the points instead

Etak15 · 29/11/2016 17:29

You should be Be able to book the course for a later date as pp mentioned you get a few months in which to complete the course.
Then I suppose if you want to do the course your only option is to leave baby with someone for those few hours - someone who's prepared to either wait outside with baby so you can pop out when needed, or maybe see if the baby can manage those few hours and if they are really desperate for you could bring the baby to you. A bit of a kerfuffle I know but it's just a one off thing isn't it.
I think they are quite accommodating I remember having Dh booking one when I was due to have ds he let them know baby was due and he might have to rearrange at short notice or leave half way through! ( he didn't have to though ds was late!)

FatOldBag · 29/11/2016 17:38

At that age I think you will have to take the points instead unfortunately.

ruthsmumkath · 29/11/2016 17:58

I did one recently and bf.

When you book your course book it as far in advance as you can - I booked mine 2 months later. A 3 month old is able to cope for longer than a 3 week old.

I also paid £3 extra for a course that I could change up until 6pm the day before so I had flexibility in case my child care fell through.

I had the choice of am, pm or evening - pick your time according to babies best time - with mine that would be pm.

Then I would either - check when the coffee break is and get baby brought to me for that or if no one was able to do that

Leave a couple of bottles of expressed milk / formula for emergencies.

My course was 10 minutes from home and finished 20 minutes early.

I would check with the company on the timings.

I loved my course. Look on it as a bit of me time.

Florin · 29/11/2016 18:11

I have done the course. It is rather intense and you have to contribute all the way through if you don't you fail. We were only allowed 2 x 15 minute breaks so it wouldn't really work to breastfeed as a young baby is unlikely to be able to stick to the regime. On our course if you missed any more time during the course apart from a very quick wee you would fail. There was a lot of information to cover and if you were out of the room for say 20 minutes you would miss a lot so to be honest it is only fair. There was also a lot of group work so wouldn't really be fair on the other participants. There are s no way I could of kept an eye on a baby and passed. Either suck up the points or book it for late as possible when hopefully you can leave your baby at home.

MoreThanUs · 29/11/2016 18:20

If you opt to do the course, you need to be present, and not breastfeeding in the next room. It's no good to me, or any other road users, if speeders are allowed to miss chunks of an awareness course.

Original poster
SeriousStuff · 30/11/2016 01:07

Thank you to everyone who had sensible suggestions - I'll see if I can book for a date in a few months' time as hopefully he'll have more of a feeding pattern by then. Just seems ridiculous that I would be forced to take the points just because I'm BF.

OP posts:
SpeakNoWords · 30/11/2016 01:18

What would you want them to do instead to accommodate you?

lostinthedarkplayground · 30/11/2016 01:54

Not because you are bf - because you are unable to attend for the full course. The reason is immaterial.

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