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?

You really need to arrange childcare. Its only one day a week.

Employees would not normally expect to be paid for a work day, and be engaging in child care at the same time
I’m sure HR would advise that KIT days are days that you are available as an employee, even if this is as a apprenticeship / uni days -
not with child care responsibilities at the same time
as per the uni policies that u have seen, you will be expected to arrange childcare whilst you are attempting to function in an employee capacity,
given we are referring to a newborn - what child care provision would be available for a very newborn baby other than a nanny experienced I. Newborns ?
it is so clear that this hair-brain idea is a non starter that OP’s attempts to wiggle out of all reasoning is ludicrous - OP will have to defer whilst on mat leave

Kindly, thats a crap way to parent a baby for a day. You should be engaging with your baby, talking to them, singing to them, looking at them and showing them your facial expressions, not stuffing them in a sling for an entire day in a setting like a lecture where you are not going to be able to engage with them for literally hours and hours!

That would be the best option. I didn't really push for it as much as I could have last time to be honest. I guess I didn't realise until I was doing it how hard the pumping would be, and then it was too late.
Hopefully they'll see remote attendance as a reasonable adjustment when compared with having a baby in class!

Why can't you formula feed and use childcare?

Didn't you think about this before getting pregnant?? Nuts to think you can bring a newborn into lectures!

You've asked if my employer has agreed. I've answered that they have.

Brilliant description of reasons why OP is being unreasonable

How long is the course that you’ve had two children in that time?!

I disagree with a lot of posters. Having been in lecture theatres I don’t see the issue with you sitting at the back and dipping out. People are always coming and going and if you don’t want to be disturbed you sit more towards the front.

uni clearly haven’t agreed so given it’s the uni you are expecting to be able to get a newborn to ….. it clearly has not been agreed in all senses of the word - agreed -

This reminds me of a friend i had who took her newborn to the pub in the daytime. She’d get angry and make loud comments if people were noisy or playing pool. You can’t take your baby to lectures.

So the lectures are recorded / streamed?

I'd contact the equity department. There's learning assistance provided for people with disabilities eg sight or hearing, which may include recording of lectures. Explain your issues with breast feeding / pumping and the challenges with the lecture schedule. Ask for access to the recordings as a reasonable accommodation to allow you to remain in education after having a baby and maintain your progression in your course.

I'd hazard a guess they are the owners of the pages you keep getting directed to. The uni I worked at was very big on helping women with young children return to work(academics) / study

This one might be different, but my first loved being in a sling. Interacting with a newborn is generally a pretty quiet activity. They like to be held, rocked, touched, fed.

Anglia Ruskin has an Athena Swan gender equality charter mark I think. As someone said upthread, seek out your School/dept/discipline EDI & Athena Swan leads. You might not be able to get your baby into lectures but you absolutely need to be provided with expressing facilities which are not in a toilet. Also, does the student union have an equality officer or women's or welfare officer - a sabbatical post?
You want to be provided with copies of uni policy for maternity/breastfeeding (even if they say it only applies to staff), children on campus, equality policy, dignity at work and study policy. Maybe others too. The SU officer will know.
Good luck!

Yeah I think it would be the most sensible option too. I know you only wanted to hear supportive responses towards in-person attendance with your baby, but realistically attending online is easier for you. Any time you have to step out of the class to attend to your baby, logically means you can’t soak in the teaching occurring whilst you’re out the room - so to a certain extent that plan would have always impacted your studies.

Frankly, I feel that would even be setting you up for failure, as it’s a high bar to completely attend to a newborn and soak in a degree level lecture.

So yeah egg on the online request in your email to them. Firstly thank them for considering your in-person request, and for helping you put it in place initially and then for undertaking further research. You appreciate their concerns and accept it is now not possible etc although you were willing to attend in person with those adjustments. Then directly pivot to the online request, using their refusal for in-person classes to support the online request. Mention engagement, wellbeing, supporting your studies during this difficult time etc. I think you have strong prospects of success if you word it right.

Because it is a lecture theatre not sing and sign !
on what planet do people think it is appropriate to take babies into an establishment where adults are there to learn and engage in the lecture …

Yours was very different from mine! My son was very demanding. You may be lucky with your second one, though, she may be the same as your first.

If you are being paid for keeping in touch days -that’s considered work. That’s why they are limited in number so you are not impacting your maternity leave.

Some employers pay your salary during that time. Some offset it against your maternity leave.

Just so we are clear - your employer who is paying you for these keeping in touch days - has expressly consented to a 3 week old baby attending class 9-4pm with you?

As an employer I cannot understand how that’s in your or the child’s best interests.

I agree. I can’t see HR signing this off -
it’s a piss take

You don’t have a case. As another poster said, if you’re allowed to take your baby then what’s to stop other people bringing their children?
I went to university when I was 32 and my daughter was a baby. I wouldn’t have dreamed of taking her with me; it would be unfair to the other students and the lecturers.

Try progressing from this page - it talks about pregnancy and maternity

www.aru.ac.uk/about-us/equity-diversity-and-inclusion/equity-diversity-and-inclusion-for-students

I know I'm going to get slaughtered for saying this but I actually feel concerned and sorry for this baby. The first couple of years for a baby are so so important and there's so much evidence about how important attachment and quality interaction is at this age. IMO your focus should be on this and nothing else for the first year at least. The lectures can wait. You'll never get that time back again. Just enjoy your baby and worry about uni later.

Yes I agree. I also think you’ve made quite a lot of assumptions, that may change when your baby arrives:

• You may actually not want to go right back
• You may or may not be able to breastfeed or express. Some people can do one, not the other easily.
• Any needs of your baby, that you don’t know yet. Ie ours was small, and for that reason, and poor latching, I choose to mostly express.
• Babies do generally cry quite a lot
• You may not want to expose them to germs so early on, once they are here
• You may or may not be able to sleep enough to also study
• To be honest, I think most struggle to just look after a baby, let alone study too.
• You may want to take 1 year away, which I would recommend.

There are so many variables with having a baby. It’s wonderful, but you can’t predict it al! Sending best wishes! *Sorry for the typos! Tired with our baby :) 😁

Thank you, I will look into it further!

I had a classmate bring her newborn to lectures. Baby never cried, however you really underestimate how noisy an awake and wriggly newborn is. It was hugely distracting for everyone, especially the lecturer. Halfway through the second lecture, during which the lecturer stopped a couple of times due to mum fussing with baby, mum walked out and the lecturer thanked her as she left. Mum left bub in care after that, which was the best option.

I don't think you can argue that you have a right to bring a baby to an education setting.