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 need a childminder or the dad needs to have her that day.

A three hour drive won't be good for you baby I'm afraid

Haven’t read the full thread - and never been to uni !
But can you get the lectures online ?

Seems ridiculous you can do a live Pilates class, or a work meeting from the other side of the world but not something this important!

Dont take your new baby to classes OP

With my first I had to pump or feed every 2hrs until she was four months or so or it got painful but they're all different I suppose.

The idea that you think a new mother is stopping her life in order to look after a newborn baby instead of going to a lecture is an odd way to look at it. There absolutely should be accommodations made for new mothers in order to continue with their studies such as providing affordable childcare so they can attend lectures, providing suitable accommodation for breastfeeding / pumping or ensuring such students can access their lectures online. To think a woman can have it all - all at the same time - is disingenuous at best and harmful at worst. Should a new mother choose to put their studies on hold in order to look after their baby then being made to feel they’re ’putting their life on hold’ is very judgemental.

If only

I have adhd. And autism.

I struggled enough in lectures. Especially if people were late/there was noise. Adding a baby to the mix would have made it impossible for me to learn.

and I would have strenuously objected on the grounds that I was paying to be there and that accessing lectures online could be a reasonable adjustment for you.

Honestly, if that is progress, I hope that we are going backwards.

Yes, it absolutely was but I was in the position of no Work no eat, So it was preferable to losing our home

Fwiw, it's a newborn, not a toddler. They won't care at the slightest where they are,as long as they are by mummy

I thought when they were newborn you could only travel 30 mins in the car?

I’m not sure that’s written in law

Can you join lectures via video link at home?

I'm using keeping in touch days for university and will be getting normal maternity pay.

But you describe not doing that as going backwards. So you’re shifting the narrative somewhat.

A small child should not be shoved under a desk like a pair of shoes. That’s absolutely nothing to be aspiring to

Would you take your baby to work? Because your apprenticeship is work really isn’t it?

No it’s not but advice is that it’s bad for them?

It does sound shit. I did a normally a three hour drive with a one week old (no choice - funeral) and I had to sit on a plastic bag and keep stopping. It was grim.

3 hours in a car and being ignored when notes are taken. Lovely 😵‍💫

I'm most relieved the baby didn't suffocate!

Can you record the lectures on a dictaphone or spare mobile phone? You can set it up at the start of each lecture then collect it after.

I just think you finding childcare for that day will be easier on you and the baby tbh. Some days will go smoothly and others will be a nightmare. Imagine multiple poonamis in the middle of a lecture, and you'll have to deal with it with everyone watching. 🙈

Surely she wouldn’t be expecting to change a poonami in a lecture?? For someone like me that would be intolerable.

Most mums on maternity leave do stuff like sit and watch tv whilst holding a baby. It's not different to sitting and taking notes, is it? It's not ignoring - you realise that a baby of few weeks does not crave conversation or stimulus? They just want to be held.

That’s shocking! You can’t leave a new born baby in a car seat for that length of time FFS!

Could you employ someone locally to mind the baby while you are in lectures - and then you come out and feed during your breaks. Saves the walk to the expressing room. You feed before you go home. Or get Dad to take leave and come with you for the first six weeks or so.

Babies shit when they feel like it. The chance of other students noticing when it happens is very likely. I'm just trying to show op that doing this is going to be so stressful for her when the worst case scenario happens. I wouldn't want to deal with a newborn in a lecture. Hard enough at home when you have everything you need to hand.