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?

If it's an apprenticeship you might find that the rules around not being present in the workplace for 4(?) weeks after birth apply.

I'm not sure if the rules but I suspect you are legally employed with additional uni sessions and maternity rules could kick in quite fiercely, for yours and your baby's protection.

Your baby would not be allowed to attend at my university. A risk assessment on you as an expectant mother would need to be undertaken by the uni (and your employer) and should include accomodations such as online lectures, maternity leave for the birth and delaying deadlines around that time. Post birth there is no risk assessment that would cover bringing a newborn to lectures. Even in the case of childcare breakdown accomodations are made for student parents that don't include bringing them to sessions.

You should consider better bf/expressing facilities, maternity policy at both uni and work. You need time to recover from the birth and the 4th trimester. Not worrying about bringing your baby to lectures and seminars.

The other students could have quite a case if you find baby doesn't settle.

My uni had a nursery attached that took newborns. A fellow student used them and found it was great, they only paid for the hours they were booked in. This was mid 90s though, so things will have changed.
Maybe its worth looking into or maybe a nearby nursery.

You cant argue your case if the uni says it goes against their rules and regs sadly. If you cant afford childcare, then maybe consider deferring, I know its not what you want, but it may be your only option.
I know its not what you want to hear, but you have to put your child's (and fellow students needs) first

I think when your baby is born you'll be exhausted, often they have colic and scream for up to 9 hrs a day. Often Mum's sleep when their baby sleeps. Plus there will be appointments and things to do. If it was me in your position I'd do one thing at a time.

You cannot argue your case on this.

why should you be allowed to take a baby to a university lecture? If every parent brought their child along it would descend into chaos.

You must be a very persuasive orator if you think that arguing your case might have the effect of overriding H&S and insurance policies.

How do you propose taking part in the lecture? Taking notes, presentations, group participation, etc.

The point of university is to absorb the subject, (so putting aside the issue of taking a newborn into lectures,) and to get the best education and qualifications as a result of your studies.

As brutal as it sounds, a newborn will distract the other students, the flow of the lecture when it inevitably wails, the lecturer and you.

I'm using keeping in touch days while on maternity leave. I'll only need to attend ten times before I'm back at work in February.

How does what i said feed into the patriarchy? Some places just aren't suitable for a baby.

Op could the child's father have her on your lecture days?

No, I wish!

One of my friends breastfed her three month old at university when she went back after a 3 month gap. But she used the university nursery and went there to breastfeed. The baby didn’t come to lectures.

Is that an option? The nursery was very close to lecture theatres etc which made it easier.

Good shout, thanks. I hadn't thought of the student union.

Apologies if this has been said already but if you are on an apprenticeship you will not be allowed to attend if you are on maternity leave from work (same if you are on sick leave). This is in the government's apprenticeship regs - there is no way around it and you will need to take a break, if this is the case.
I would also imagine the uni has a policy about children on site relating to safeguarding and H&S.

Anglia Ruskin, Chelmsford campus

@Nimnuan do you have labs? Or is it just lectures?

Yes, if you can accommodate and make things inclusive without making the majority worse off it should be encouraged. This is not one of those scenarios.

Having a placid baby is irrelevant as you don’t know what sort of baby you are going to get and allowing only ‘placid’ babies is not something you can write into a policy. Taking them out each time they are disruptive is disruptive in itself. Where would the line be drawn on age? Would people be able to bring their pets in?

I am not one to cry ‘entitlement’, but this stinks of it to me. Can you imagine people bringing their children to work meetings, conferences - and they’re getting no paid to be there. These people are paying to be there! I love my children, but a university lecture isn’t the place for them and I would complain if I was a student.

You can't guarantee what the baby will be like either.

For me:
#1 slept long hours and ate well, would sit in my lap just happily playing quietly with the ends of my hair. Didn't crawl until 9 months. I could take her anywhere - and people wouldn't have known she was there.
#2, otherwise known as the revenge. She didn't sleep more than 2 hours at a time at night, and definitely never more than 40 minutes during the day. And when she was awake she was vocal. Whether that was shouting vocal or screaming vocal or anything else - it was loud. And she never wanted to stay in my lap, and crawled at 5 months.

I booked to take dd1 to a panto and then got pregnant with dd2. Dd2 was going to be 5 weeks at the panto and I checked with the theatre, who were more than happy for a babe in arms to come too. I assumed she'd be like dd1 who I'd have fed at the beginning and slept through the rest...
No. Dd2 spent the entire panto bouncing on my lap, singing (thankfully drowned by the cast - I did say to the people next to me if she got loud then let me know and we'd go) with her little head shooting so fast round to try and see as much of the lights as possible that I thought she'd get whiplash...
Although maybe that's why she's now studying Musical Theatre.

If you only have to attend for 10 days then I would honestly just find childcare for those dates. I am wonder also why the babies father can't have them for the dates you need to be in?

you need to come up with another plan, this is not realistic.

3 months realistically. I said 26 weeks because I found a policy for another university (Wrexham) that allows babies in lectures until that age. Thought it might be significant.

you can’t. Why should you be able to disrupt everyone else’s learning?

And the op hasn’t even confirmed that the “once a week” is even a full day or perhaps just a hour or so!

Yes

Could you suggest it is potentially discrimating against woman because you chose to have a baby and breastfeed? Especially more so as you're in a male dominated profession?

Someone on my course brought her child with her and I thought bloody hell she was amazing!

So 9-5?

My friend was allowed recorded lectures when breastfeeding. They might allow it for this if you agree recordings are strictly for personal use only? I think this is the better way to argue than bringing baby in which will be disruptive to others.