Breastfeeding Discrimination

[MIVA]

Just wondering if anyone has had a similar experience or can give me any advice on being discriminated against for breastfeeding as a university student?
I'm currently in my second year of university, studying childhood studies.
I thought that especially because of the course I'm doing that I would receive loads of support from my tutors and uni however this has not been the case.
When I first informed the uni I was pregnant they failed to do a risk assessment until I was 2 weeks away from giving birth and at this meeting I was asked how I was planning to feed my baby when she was born. when I explained I wanted to breastfeed it was agreed that they would allow me to bring my daughter in to my lectures and seminars so long as she was not causing a disturbance.
I attended 1 lecture and 1 seminar in which the tutor didn't even notice I had my baby with me until just before the end of the seminar but after received an email to say they were putting me on home study and I wasn't to come back into uni until my daughter was of age to go into childcare. They said it was due to health and safety- not wanting loss of reputation or public condemnation but did not even offer the chance for me to discuss my options.
I said I would attend and express but the university don't offer any breastfeeding facilities and don't even have a breastfeeding policy or anything to do with breastfeeding unless your staff.
Can anyone help???

[MIVA]

No life isn't fair and I honestly completely understand about the laws and health and safety but they are legally required to provide facilities to accommodate breastfeeding which means that any insurance would therefore have to accommodate children on the premises.
Had they created a breastfeeding policy or actually followed any legislation then they would have already made the correct adjustments

[Wolfiefan]

It’s not about breastfeeding. It’s about bringing a tiny baby onto the campus. No vaccinations etc.
They should provide you with somewhere to BF. But You can’t realistically bring your baby to college as they start to become more mobile and vocal. You need to work out a plan. You can BF there but can’t expect to be a full time student and a full time mother.

[MIVA]

So then your saying no student has the right to breastfeed which is completely discriminatory and completely against the Equality Act 2010.

[BowBeau]

had I have been working I would still have been on maternity leave
If you’d requested the equivalent of maternity leave the university would have granted it. You could have taken time out, it’s not their fault that you refuse to do so.

she literally slept most of the time
That won’t be the case in a few weeks time. The university doesn’t want to set a precedent for your baby being permitted in class because it will become increasingly problematic. You wouldn’t be allowed to take a baby to work so you shouldn’t expect to take one to university.

Bottle feeding is completely different because the baby doesn't need to be with you in order to feed
So express and get the babysitter to bottle feed your breast milk?

I basically shouldn't be so selfish as to breastfeed my baby
Of course you can breastfeed your baby. In your own time. Not on university premises and definitely not in classes. What’s selfish is you insisting that you have to bring your baby into class and inconvenience others, instead of staying at home with your baby and inconveniencing yourself.

[Wolfiefan]

No. You can BF.
You do need to arrange some form of childcare that allows you to complete your course. Can’t you see the difference?

[MIVA]

Also it's in my university's pregnancy policy that they need to return to university with normal attendance after 2 weeks so whatever uni you go to clearly is more accommodating for new mums just not breastfeeding ones

[PennyMordauntsLadyBrain]

No one is doubting that you’re coming at this in good faith, and you’ve clearly shown a lot of dedication to the course by going back so early etc.

But it’s the same as if you had chosen to go back to work at 4 weeks pp- there’s very few employers that would jump for joy at a staff member bringing their newborn into the office, with all the complications that that would involve.

The university have to consider not just you but the impact on every student on the course, as well as setting a precedent for future cases.

Really hope you get sorted with the facilities for breastfeeding, but you’re barking up the wrong tree by claiming discrimination because they can’t facilitate you bringing the baby to class.

[recreationalcalpol]

Thing is though OP, if they say that you can express in their facilities (which would be sufficient to prevent discrimination) do you have someone who can look after the baby whilst you are at university?

[PennyMordauntsLadyBrain]

Also it's in my university's pregnancy policy that they need to return to university with normal attendance after 2 weeks so whatever uni you go to clearly is more accommodating for new mums just not breastfeeding ones

That’s not correct.

[BowBeau]

You can’t take a baby to work and you can’t take a baby to university. They are required to facilitate pumping and that’s all. They’re not required to let you bring your baby to work or university with you. If that doesn’t suit you then take a leave of absence.

[MIVA]

No I don't have anyone who can look after my baby for me whilst I'm at uni which again is why the uni OFFERED for me to take her in, so long as she wasn't causing a disturbance and none of the other students had any objections (which they didn't) we've got foster cares on the course who bring their children in with them(some newborn, some older) and that has never been an issue.
They haven't offered any facilities for me to express in, I actually offered to express so that I was able to return to uni but they couldn't offer any facilities for me to do that in.
Each university has a different pregnancy policy so considering I haven't actually stated which university I am attending I'm unsure as to how you can say it's wrong??

[MIVA]

6.0 Attendance and leave of absence
 
6.1 Other than short term absences of the kind that might be taken with (for example) minor illness, students who are engaging with study are expected to meet the University’s attendance requirements.  If attendance requirements cannot be met then the student should take a leave of absence.  If a student does not take leave of absence, but also does not attend over a period of time, then the University’s policy on non-attendance will have to apply. The student must consider whether her circumstances will allow her to engage with study with appropriate attendance: if they do not, then a leave of absence should be taken.
 
6.2 Students should not return to study within two weeks post-partum, in alignment with the statutory restriction of the same duration for women in employment. This period will not be considered as an absence by the University in its recording of student attendance.
 

[Wolfiefan]

Pregnancy policy?
You’re not pregnant.
You can’t take a baby to college for the foreseeable future. I can’t see how on Earth you think this would work.

[Wolfiefan]

Erm. They’re not saying you can’t have longer than two weeks off. They’re saying you can’t be at college within two weeks of having a baby.

[BowBeau]

If attendance requirements cannot be met then the student should take a leave of absence

This is what you must do if you’re not ready to return to university at two weeks post-partum. It doesn’t say you must return after two weeks. It says if you choose not to return after two weeks then you must take a leave of absence.

[BackforGood]

I agree with everyone else.
The fact that everyone on this thread - on a PARENTING website - is telling you that the University isn't being discriminatory, and that it is you that is being completely unrealistic in thinking it is reasonable to take a baby in to lectures, and seminars etc with you, should tell you something in itself.
If you choose to have a baby during your studies, and then choose to breastfeed, then you need to take 'maternity leave' from your studies. It isn't the University's fault that you live so far away, or that you don't have anyone to take care of your baby, or that you are insisting of coming back to your studies so soon after the birth, but it isn't fair on the lecturers / tutors or other students to have a baby 'at work' with them.

[Rhynswynd]

I took my baby to uni with me. I have taken my children to uni with me on school holidays that were different to uni holidays.
We had a parents room and changing facilities.
My baby was welcome to all lectures and classes. Uni started when she was 3 months old and she was always quiet. I did put her in daycare after a month as I figured out the best routine and dh changed jobs so could pick her up.

Op sit down with student rep and course coordinator and ask for a comprehensive chat on their policy to comply with equality legislation regards breastfeeding and allowing children in to classes if other parents and carers are allowed.

Sounds like your lecturer was being a twat.

[shouldwestayorshouldwego]

I don't think it is legally covered because your baby is not authorised to go onto the campus. You can't be stopped from breastfeeding in a shopping centre because both mother and baby are permitted to be there. You can be stopped from breastfeeding in a nightclub because you have to be over 18 to go into the nightclub so the baby is not allowed to go in there so you cannot feed it. It does sound as if they have been giving conflicting advice and inconsistent in the past so it might be worth asking them to clarify the position.

[PennyMordauntsLadyBrain]

face palm

You can take a leave of absence after childbirth without being at a disadvantage- similar to maternity leave in employment.

Can you chat to your uni’s Student Advisory Service? They should be able to be clear about what your rights are in this situation but also set reasonable expectations of what the college can do to help.

[Rhynswynd]

Failing that sir in class and express milk as is your legal right.

[Sleeplikeasloth]

This doesn't make sense. You complain they don't have facilities for expressing, but you say that you've got no one to leave the baby with anyway, so what's the point in expressing?

And if you say that they are acting against the law and 'against the legislation' in not offering the facilities, you better be able to back that up with precisely what section of the equality act you say they are breaking...

For what it's worth, if your pump is quiet enough, a distant section of the library should work fine, if they won't give you a room, put the milk in an insulated bag with a freezer pack in it. Or, if you are travelling 40 miles frequently, I'm guessing you have a car, which you could sit and express in. But that seems all rather academic, given you say your baby will need to be with you anyway

[BowBeau]

My baby was welcome to all lectures and classes
That’s at the discretion of the university and/or the lecturer though. They aren’t required to permit you to bring your children. If they say no then it’s tough.

[PennyMordauntsLadyBrain]

I did put her in daycare after a month as I figured out the best routine and dh changed jobs so could pick her up.

I think a potential issue with the OP’s situation is that this isn’t going to be a short term measure, but one that is going to go on for the foreseeable future.

[greatbigwho]

That pregnancy policy says you're not allowed back within two weeks of giving birth, not that you have to return after two weeks …

[mammytoo2]

This is a hard one but to be honest I feel pretty sorry for you that you've asked for advice and you've been shamed for trying your best to breast feed- we still live in a day and age where people clearly think when someone's having a hard time it's their god given right to make it worse by trying to show you up.
This is a NEW MUM, with a 4 week old baby and everyone's having a go at her for trying to do right for her child- why aren't we celebrating the fact she's actually trying to improve other student mothers facilities and trying to give her daughter a good start in life? No instead we rip her apart.
I know plenty of people who take their children into university some of them aren't even breastfeeding!
If the baby isn't disturbing anyone and no ones complaining then what is actually the issue- your clearly only wanting to breastfeed your child and by what you've said you have tried to look at all options including expressing even though you don't have anyone to look after your child, but as a legal requirement your partners employers are required to accommodate his work situation if you are breastfeeding therefore enabling you to leave your baby at home. But not everyone knows that as they haven't gone through trying to breastfeed.