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?

Also, taking A newborn to class is one thing, bit even if they did allow it, how would you cope as the baby starts developing?

People are being unfairly harsh, but you need someone else to do the caring. Even if that means paying someone.

La leche league might be a good place for support. We had someone on our degree with a baby and they occasionally brought them.

Does the Uni have a crèche?

I just don’t think it will work. For you, the baby, the other students paying thousands in tuition fees, the lecturer.

That would be ideal but I don't believe it will be allowed. Worth asking again though, thanks.

I was an academic in my previous life, and I've had babies in my lectures (and IME, newborns are much less disruptive than older babies).

I would start by pushing for an answer on rules and regs.

But I would also contact any and all staff who might be sympathetic, and asking them for help. Your student union might also be a good port of call.

Often it works fine.

Exactly, and it's going to be a distraction even if the baby doesn't actually cry.

You've decided you don't want to defer because it's inconvenient, but what about the inconvenience caused to all the other students?

It's just completely inappropriate.

You would really need to look at the regulations / policies the university have said it contravenes before anyone can help. What university is it?

One just re-read. You’re planning to do this until the baby is 6 months old?!

Is it safe for the baby to be around so many people? I’d worry about the disruption and risk to them

Oh, don't be ridiculous! I remember a student who brought her newborn to lectures, and most of my other students didn't even realise it was there! Admittedly, she had a very sleepy baby, but even so. You think about everything that goes on in an average lecture theatre.

Other than asking for a more reasonable place to express than the toilets, just don't argue your case because it's ridiculous....

For a full day?

Why would it not be safe for the baby?

You need to get your partner or friend to hold the baby in a campus cafe during your lecture.

Other students may be paying tens of thousands of pounds to be there; you’re not going to get away with it. There’s no legal challenge. Just selfishness. it’s not discriminatory to say you can’t bring a baby to lectures just as you can’t bring a baby to work.

Mumsnet doesn’t work like that, thankfully

There is no chance of your baby not distracting other students who have paid many thousands of pounds to attend. I don't think you would be able to argue it because the other students would likely complain. It's the sort of thing you see in movies, but it's not very practical in reality. A baby doesn't have to be screaming to cause a distraction,

You’ve pretty much been told that you don’t have an arguable case. Because this idea is totally unreasonable.

It’s not fair on the baby or the other students.

You have a lecture once a week that you need to attend, the lecture lasts what? An hour, an hour and a half ? You need to find someone, another student perhaps, who is willing to mind your child on campus for that period of time for a reasonable payment. Saying you would take the child out of the lecture hall if it was crying isn’t good enough, the disruption has already happened .

Ah thank goodness for the OU ❤️

two issues to unpack

1. appropriate place to express, I think it’s reasonable to ask uni for an appropriate location
2. baby in lecture, no. It’s unfair and disruptive to other students. Can you get an online link, copy of someone else notes?

Do you have labs?

I'm afraid its not a reasonable ask op.

That said, in my lectures we did have a rather extraordinarily bulky-looking lady in a burka.

One day the burka started crying and it was obvious she had been bringing the baby in for weeks. She was asked to leave - and next day she appeared sans burka and looking comparatively rather svelte. Baby needs kudos for keeping quiet on so many occasions though!

@Nimnuan i had Elvie breast pumps you wear them under clothes and go about your normal business. Wear them anywhere.