Bringing a newborn to university lectures

[Nimnuan]

I'm on a part-time university course (apprenticeship) and expecting a baby in the next few weeks. I'm not intending to take a break as any break would mean a year's delay. All classes this year my baby will be under 26 weeks old and breastfeeding.
I want to bring her to lectures with me because arranging childcare and expressing breastmilk will be much more difficult at such a young age and given the university's atrocious arrangements for expressing. Obviously if she cries or is disruptive I'll have to step out into the hallway.
I've just been told that I'm not allowed to bring my newborn to lectures because it would be a "contravention of rules and regulations". I've asked to be told which rules and regulations but haven't heard back yet.
Can you give me any advice about how to argue my case?

I don’t think they should allow that to be honest, ok some newborns (mine did) slept all day only waking every 4 hours for a bottle, however this only lasts a few weeks until the wake windows become longer. Some newborns do not sleep this good. It’s a distraction none the less and not fair for others in the class as if they allow you, they would have to also argue with other parents, say someone with a 3 year old who could sit and watch an iPad with headphones.

Probably move this to legal?

i went back to uni when my baby was three weeks old. I expressed in the lecture theatre under a scarf. Took a cool bag and ice block. You have no idea what your baby will be like. I wouldn't have appreciated a newborn in lectures.

You are being unreasonable OP

It will be disruptive - why should everyone else be disruptive because you have a baby and don’t want to wait a year for your course.

without doubt the baby will cry - even if you go out in to the hall you’ve still disturbed the lecture, distracted others getting up and leaving and door aren’t soundproof so they’ll still hear a baby crying. It’s not fair on others really is it?

I think yabu, unfortunately. That wouldn't be fair to others on the course.

You may be surprised by how much head space having a new baby takes up. I know I was. I couldn’t concentrate on anything for ages after I had mine and wouldn’t have managed a lecture, even though I was a relatively recent graduate. Everyone’s different but I think you’d be asking a lot of yourself and your baby, even if it was allowed.

You are being ridiculous. Of course you can’t take a baby to lectures! It’s not fair on other students. You will have to get child care, like everyone else has to do.

You are being so unreasonable - great start to being a parent.

Health and safety won’t allow it. Building insurance probably doesn’t cover it. All sorts of reasons before you even get to the other students and their rights/

Totally selfish I’m afraid.

Definitely no. This cannot be a serious question.

It wouldn't be at all unusual for university regulations to say people who aren't registered students can't come to lectures without permission, so I think you may find they can support it.

On a separate note - are you not taking maternity leave from work? I don't think you can complete an apprenticeship while on leave from work - inherently a degree apprenticeship is supposed to be integrated work and university training.

As a lecturer this would be a “no” at my university. I had a student who wanted to do this and was told by my boss it would contravene health and safety (not 100% sure why). Insurance was raised as a possible issue 🤷‍♀️. But more importantly I guess that you bring a baby, then the next person’s childcare falls through and they bring a 2yo, then someone’s kid isn’t well enough for school and they bring a 7yo, in the school holidays the lecture is like a crèche. If you say yes for one person how can you say no to someone else. I did try arguing it from a breastfeeding pov but got nowhere.

I do see the argument that some people may find it distracting and they’re paying a lot of money for tuition.

Bless you but no, this can’t and won’t happen for many reasons.

Somebody brought her baby to lectures on the course I was on. I can’t remember it being the slightest bother. The baby is now a well known actor-so it doesn't seem to have affected her at all!

Just to be clear, I'm not asking for opinions on whether I should bring a baby to lectures, I'm asking for advice on how to argue my case.
I understand perfectly well that this is only going to work if she's a relatively easy baby like my first. I'm trying to avoid having to express in the toilets like I did last time.

This is a good shout on the part of the uni OP

You can't argue your case. It's unfair to other students.

There’s this idea that newborns are sleepy little potatoes who snooze through the day until they’re four months old. Nobody told my baby that because after about 6 weeks the chances of him sleeping in a lecture theatre with other people he could stare at was zero. And very quickly they get bored and need entertaining (mine wouldn’t be still and needed to be walked around without stopping). I’m sure some people have snoozy spuds but there’s no way I could have attended a university course with him while gaining anything from the experience myself and not pissing off everyone else.

You made it work last time
So do the same this time

If people don’t agree with what you are suggesting they aren’t likely to give you tips on how to argue your case!

How often will you even need to be on site in lectures op?

You need to use childcare, or take time off to have a baby, like everyone else.

Taking a baby into lectures is ludicrous

You can certainly argue for a more appropriate place to express than the toilets.