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 hope no one at the university who is a decision maker on the OP’s request comes across this thread… as they’ll see the vast majority ( from the perspective of people who’ve been the mother of a newborn, some some from the perspective of being a student and some from the perspective of being the parent (and financer) or a student) all say this would not be appropriate.

That’s exactly why I hope they DO come across it!

Have you considered getting Uni to provide you with n line access to lectures OR asking permission for another student to record for you. That way, everyone wins. You feed and bond, baby doesn't spend 2 / 3 hours in a car and you don't break rules or ask for special treatment or Heaven forbid - something bad happens and you aren't covered by insurance.

Also, winter, unimmunised baby, public transport, freshers flu

Read the thread …
she’s requested online multiple times during this and previous pregnancy and it’s not an option
but OP keeps pushing hoping they are going to relent and say yes …..
I wouldn’t want an employee - she’s studying as an apprenticeship- to be caring for a newborn and studying - that’s abuse of the system - we don’t crowbar our caring responsibilities into our paid hours of employment….. do we ??

I would look at Anglian Ruskin Rules and Regulations

I haven't spotted anything specific in the one document I have found but
there are many sections which state students must not disrupt the academic procedures ie lectures

It also states students as well as the Uni must take note of health a safety issues. ie students are also responsible for their own health and wellbeing

There is also a section which gives other students the right to report anything which disrupts them in their studies

So it’s likely with 3hour lectures your baby will not be quiet, you will have to leave at some point etc and students and lecturers could report that as disruption to their studies. They have the right not to be disrupted.

On the basis of this document Anglia Ruskin are within their rights to deny you the right to taking your baby to lectures

I can’t see AR based on their rules allowing this at all. Waiting to see a babies temperament is too late. It is your responsibility to manage the issue and AR would have to agree to your attendance with your baby

They won’t chance it as other students have to right to uninterrupted studies. They would be agreeing to allow something they say in their rules they can’t deny other students..

However
They also can’t deny your right to defer. I believe that will be an option they will offer
I would ask for online lectures as an alternative although AR don’t state they have to offer this but it’s worth a try

Maybe this is part of a very smart long term plan.

Yes this is a good point…. All those freshers around. I would be actively avoiding being around them on mass with such a tiny newborn.

If the uni has even a half decent marketing department, they’d have picked this thread up.

But if you bring your kid then it means that anyone with a child off school or fallen through childcare could bring theirs? It they break the rule fir you they gave to for all - imagine half term????

That’s a good point actually

If they say yes
it sets a precedent to any parent of a new born
or indeed any parent of a dependent ie I absolutely need to bring my 18 month old because her father has an operation and so won’t be able to care for her for next fortnight, and she has serious attachment issues and can ONLY be left with myself or her father and still breastfed for breakfast and lunch due to allergies….

that kind of scenario.

if the uni say yes to this, it will set a precedent and open them up to so many similar requests

Yes, I don’t think OP should be given that level of support anyway given she has a supportive husband/family and lives with various other supportive adults in the family. I expect a single mother for example to be given extra support. But not someone casually planning their family and having multiple children during the course of their degree, most normal students have to make the decision not to have children when studying. Given OP is married, her husband shares responsibility for childcare and needs to act himself, not the university needing to accommodate babies on campus.

Read the thread - the DH is an alcoholic

I can see why the op wants to get a qualification in the circumstances that she is in.

Im just really not sure the wisdom of doing what she plans with a newborn.

Also, who’s going to mind the toddler while the op is away all day til bedtime? Not the alcoholic I hope?

Oh I missed that. This poor OP.

Sure. But OP explicitly said he is supportive, that she has no concerns about leaving the children with him, and that her mum would look after the baby. So what’s your point?

There’s a wide spectrum of alcoholism, this man isn’t by default a danger. OP said he is working. My point was, most students have to balance work and family planning around their degree - as opposed to the university having babies on campus.

Alcoholic + parenting will never = “supportive”

This.

If you’re not going to take the OP’s posts at face value then what is the point of posting? I can see OP wasn’t happy that others were trying to drag in alcoholism to this thread, so it’s fairly disappointing to see that posters won’t let it go. I imagine OP doesn’t find this to be supportive.

Yes, I agree, @ChangingWeight . She's made arrangements she's happy with. The other issue isn't part of this thread.

Where does the op say he’s supportive?

I am taking the OP’s posts at face value.

The husband is an alcoholic. So I was just picking up the post saying essentially… no biggie because he’s supportive.

30/09/2025 23:47