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'm an intelligent woman and a Masters graduate, i'm sure I understand what it means alot more than you do and I understand/ have first hand experience of what happens in a university and lectures likely more than you do too so no need for your patronising 'know it all' tone.

Students study online too- and that isn't much of an issue. They could always get a creche or childcare for seminars if needed but for lectures- it's not an issue.

How about you pay for childcare for a struggling student then.

I’m a university lecturer. Pretty sure I do know more than you on this particular subject. Newborn babies don’t belong in lectures.

No. Not my responsibility.
I’m there to teach my students not provide childcare.

So you're speaking from a lecturers point of view, not a students. I'm speaking from a students point of view. It's not a problem.

It is. My job is to consider the needs of the whole cohort not just one individual student.
Children of any age do not belong in a lecture or a seminar. The potential for disruption needs to taken into consideration as well as the ability of the parent to engage effectively with the session.

You missed the entire point

I haven’t. You on the other hand … 🤷🏼‍♀️

If a woman wants to sit in another room and watch the lecture thats fine. You're just making excuses, perhaps you don't like children or have had ample support and not been in the position of say a single young mum who wants to better her life by going to uni living on a council estate with no support- who doesnt want to leave her newborn as its not healthy to leave them at home or with someone at a time when mother child bonding is essential to the babies health.

YABVU. Seriously.

Again, I’ll highlight the fact that many lectures and seminars are interactive. The learning is in the ‘doing’.

And unis need to find a way to facilitate young women who want to stay with their newborn children. That's the most important thing and should be worked around.

What's a Yabu please?

No they don’t. It’s not the most important thing a university should be focusing on right now. There are already policies and procedures in place to support students who need to pause their studies due to pregnancy and childbirth.

As a parent I was expected to arrange childcare when I returned work. The same applies to students.

We do have a way of doing this, the same as female lecturers have when they have a newborn. It’s called maternity leave.

@Lighttheway when I had a baby I went on maternity leave and then when I returned to work I put my DC in childcare. I didn’t expect to rock up to the office with baby in tow. OP planned this baby, it’s not a young student oops moment. You have to factor in maternity leave and childcare when planning to have a baby

Havent rtft but just wanted to say that when I was at university back in the 80s there was a mature student in one of my lectures who brought a baby in a moses basket each week. I don't remember there ever being a problem, the baby certainly didn't disrupt things. To be honest, the rest of us were 19/20 year olds to whom babies were an alien life form and nobody paid it any attention.

I realise there is a lot more health and safety and insurance red tape these days, but if the baby is in a sling or similar, I can't see the issue with it. And if the university has no creche facility surely they have to make some concession.

Yes it is, young women want a degree asap to get a good job to provide for a child without having to leave the baby with a stranger during its most vital time period. It's not the same as a woman who already has a job or house etc. These women generally have not started working properly in higher skilled jobs yet. That's why i'm saying this. Sorry for coming across rude earlier.

That's my reasoning for this. Some people say that she shouldn't have had a baby at that time, but at that age, young uni time, women are out partying, dating, falling in love or not etc, and isn't it noble of them to keep the baby instead of just getting rid of it? And it's noble to want to keep the baby with them, its noble for them to be supported in this in whatever way possible instead of pausing their studies, giving them funding which likely wont cover much and theyll likely need to pay back etc.

That's different, you had a job not a most likely struggling student who wants their degree asap to get a good job and be able to provide for her child.

The OP has a job. She is doing an apprenticeship. Her employer is paying for her to do this qualification.

But even if she was a ‘struggling student’ as you describe that doesn’t change matters. There are occasions where having a new born baby isn’t compatible with a particular activity. I’ve supported dozens and dozens of pregnant students and students with babies or young children. The solution has never been to bring the child to lectures. It’s just not practical for all of the reasons that have been described on this thread.
Students (including the Op) need to be able to focus on the lecture or seminar, they need to be able to engage with the interactive aspects of the teaching and the lecturer needs to ensure it’s conducive learning environment for ALL students - a new born baby in the classroom will be disruptive.

@Lighttheway the OP has a job, she is not a full time student. She is doing an apprenticeship with some time at university. She already has one child and a husband.

I agree with the it's disruptive part hence I suggested a separate room. An apprenticeship isn't a normal decent paid job which pays for a baby and rent/ a mortgage, I don't know what point anyone is trying to make by bringing that up.

The concession is support to pause their studies and return when they can engage in the course or for the student to use childcare.

University teaching has changed a lot since the 80’s and student expectations are much higher. Students will (and do) complain if they feel their studies are being disrupted by other students and they expect staff to deal with it quickly. A newborn baby crying or a student trying to see to the needs of a baby during lectures or seminars will be disruptive to both staff and students.

Well there must be a way to accommodate it, I mean people study online and there's no issue. Perhaps with new technology, a room at the back of the lecture hall or something could be an option- i'm sure the uni could figure something out. Anyway I have to go but good debating with you. All the best.

The Op is working in a profession and her employer is supporting her to get a professional qualification via a degree apprenticeship. It is different to the type of apprenticeship a school leaver might do.

And a separate room just won’t work. You’re imagining a lecturer talking at students for hours on end. That’s not how it works. How can the Op engage in discussions and activities if they’re in a different room?