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?

Can you formula feed?.

Ha, you must have a very narrow experience of newborns then... I can't inagine anything less predictable than my son!! 😂 and 'occasionally' cry? Oh, if only. I don't think I sat down for the first three months unless I was feeding him! I think the OP will get a shock if she expects this to go as easily as she seems to think.

PS you seem unclear about the previous poster saying she's 'out'. That usually means she's done with the thread. HTH.

Then I could not recommend enough the elite breast pump. Pricy but I got a new one that lasted two babies and I have passed on to someone else and I got a back up one from vinted and just bought a new flange and a couple of vaves. It really is a BF game changer

Is this a joke? You’re in Essex, of what relevance is a random university in Wales? Universities in a different country will have zero precedent on yours.

I don’t know what year you are in, but I think you need to look into transferring to a different university if you’re really set on this because the university doesn’t seem able to support it, but others might.

I don’t think it’s appropriate for a baby to be in a university lecture or tutorial, as I imagine there will be concerns about health and safety, fire evacuation protocol, insurance concerns, noise, the building won’t be safe for babies, there may be disruption to both you and others, the content of university classes may not be appropriate for young children, you would need to formulate a solid argument against all of these points. I think you’d be better off making an argument for home study/online study instead. Some universities might look to help you with childcare costs instead. But it’s doubtful that many universities will support babies in lectures.

Yes but it was not very helpful. Half of links go to the generic it/learning disability/I centre support page. One of them just links to the NCT, and I'm not qualified or looking for grants/loans/financial support.
I would be interested to know the basis of their statement that "Anglia Ruskin campuses are family friendly environments" but the link below it just brings me back to the same generic help page.

Exactly. My best friend has a baby who won’t let her exist without being held by her, he will cry and fuss. He tolerates me in bursts but like she can barely do much on a day to day because he’s incredibly bonded to her. OP doesn’t know if she will have a baby like this.

My DC1 screamed pretty much non stop for the first few weeks. Plus I had very bad post natal depression. There's no way I could have done this. It's not fair on the baby or on your fellow students

You need to either arrange childcare or take a year out. Personally I'd do the latter.

Sorry OP, I get where you’re coming from but I don’t think it’s a realistic prospect. As a former academic, I’d be sympathetic to a student in your situation, but ultimately even if you got the lecturer on your side, or it was a small friendly and intimate class and the other students supportive, you’d still have the university as a business to contend with. Lots of good reasons have been given: university insurance, disruption to other students, etc. but I also just don’t think it will be physically feasible and you are setting yourself up to fail the course or get a very low mark. I say this as I breastfeed a 3mo and I’m struggling just to text as she’s so wriggly! You will likely be physically recovering from birth, exhausted, up all night with feeds, with lots of gp visits etc etc - there’s a reason mat leave is compulsory for those first weeks. I think you need to reconsider your priorities - and ultimately you need to do what is best for baby.

I’m a lecturer and I’ve taught on degree apprenticeships. You are being completely unreasonable to expect to bring a baby into class. In your shoes I would talk to your course leader and whoever from your workplace is in charge of your apprenticeship and explain the situation. They may be able to make some accommodation re. remote learning. Students often have babies - check with the student welfare team. There should also be a nursery on site or nearby. Unless the uni is very small there should be somewhere suitable for expressing milk - there will be some members of the teaching team who need similar provision.

Oh I thought she posted too early. I've only ever heard people say that in poker games or bars.

Well, narrow or not - sounds like you were on one specific end of a spectrum. Lots of people are incredibly rude to op - and all she wants is to continue her studies. I'm saying she could try it - I feel so many women on mn are hostile to others wanting to do anything remotely different from the norm

And in my limited experience, as you say, I've met about 10 or so newborns in academic setting when I've taught their mums. It's always been fine.

Edited typos

45 odd years ago I was a well behaved 5-9 year old and I still wasn't allowed to sit in my mum's lectures, I had to sit by myself in the JCR with a book.

Expressing in a toilet you can argue against but not the baby in a lecture.

Last time I asked to watch recordings instead of attending as an accommodation for the last two weeks of pregnancy and first three weeks with a newborn. They did not allow it, but they did allow me to skip the classes without penalty.
This time I will miss too many classes for just skipping them to work. I'll ask again, hopefully they will allow recordings this time.

I think it’s fairly clear they advocate for childcare, they have a section around childcare and one of the first sentences states parents may be entitled to childcare funding. Being family friendly, doesn’t equal babies in lectures.

if you’re on benefits, they might also fund childcare too.

She’s talking about a new born baby up to around 3 months old.

She said up to 26 weeks. Which is 6 months.

Thanks. You're right, objections are useful, but only the first few times. So many people saying the same thing over and over again just makes it difficult to read through the thread.

Some lecturers would be ok with it. There was a baby in a lecture I was observing at ARU Chelmsford. The lecturer did not mind, however the baby was taken out when fussing.

What level of study are you, maybe speak to your Student/Faculty Rep.

I think you would be best contacting your course lead and requesting attending the lecture online due to your exceptional circumstances. I maybe able to assist please feel free to private message me.

I’m surprised they do apprenticeships at university level

I took my newborn to lectures for the first 6 months of their life but that was a) 1000 years ago and b) with the complete blessing of my professors. It was actually their idea. Would sit by the door and leave if they even made a peep which actually they never really did. It's kind of a shame if it's less parent friendly than nearly 30 years ago as it's bloody tough being a student parent as it is but if that's the policy, I guess that's the policy.

They’ve been a thing for at least 10 years.

The problem is she wants to breastfeed so it's not just about availability of childcare, there needs to be responsibility in when you choose to get pregnant!

Maybe we are more aware of babies needs these days and realise sitting in a lecture for ten hours does not meet those needs.

you cant. people paying over £9000 a year in fees do not want a baby in the lecture theatre/in class
as a previous student - i would complain about you and your baby!

Because it's going to be very difficult to manage if I have to leave her with someone else. I know about breast pumps. I used one last time from about 8 weeks old and it was miserable.
I don't want to have to do the same thing from 2 weeks old this time if I can possibly avoid it. From around 3 months or so it's a lot easier to be separated for the day.
I'm generally ignoring the multiple suggestions to use childcare and a breast pump because they are not answering my question, just telling me I shouldn't be asking.

The problem with all the anecdotes about individual lecturers allowing it is that a significant proportion of academic staff are totally oblivious about things like insurance and H&S policies. And are also intent on being inclusive at all costs. So it will depend on who you ask. But it sounds like the OP has asked someone who is actually aware of university policy,