Breastfeeding during tribunal hearing?

[StarlightMcEggsie]

I have a tribunal to attend wrt my ds' SN shortly. It is going to be scheduled in one of the six weeks after I give birth. I do not want to be separated from my baby on this day but will have to attend.

The tribunal cannot be delayed as every week that passes without matters resolved costs us a considerable amount of money.

Many Tia!

Not allowed to bf in a training workshop? That is ridiculous. And illegal. And fucking shocking.

I agree re the sleeping/feeding. Newborns really aren't that distracting. May have to nip out if s/he does a poo, apart from that it should be fine, and your baby won't be the only one needing 'comfort breaks'.

I know Mavis. I was given the option of not attending or postponing but the company were mainly providing to 'professionals' and I was a fee-paying parent.

The recent tribunals I've have been to have utilised court buildings (magistrates' courts) in a bid to reduce the overheads of the tribunal service, so thinking about it, that may go against you, although there is no rule that children cannot be in the precints of the mags court.

I do agree with mumblechum that most judges would be annoyed if a baby or child were brought to court, and those occasions when I have been at court and they have been allowed has been to a certain amount of huffing a puffing from the clerk/usher, if not the judge.

But again, my experience of 'SEN tribunal' hearings is that the bench is a bit more informal,especially where the child the subject of the proceedings attends - but of course it depends on your tribunal/judge.

I do think your best bet will be to have your husband attend with you so you minimise disruption - baby can sleep on him outside room when you are not feeding.

FYI 40 min feeds every hour might not necessarily be the case for this baby,my subsequent babies fed less frequently and more quickly.

Good luck

So what is the solution?

It isn't just bfing tbh. I don't feel that mother and baby should be separated that soon after the birth. Babies need their parents to settle and I co-sleep etc.

I wouldn't even ask.

I'd go, assuming I could bf a tiddly, tiny newborn and God help them if I was stopped.

Whilst I'd absolutely agree mum and newborn shouldn't be separated and you should be able to bf, I also think (pragmatist here!) you may have to consider the bigger picture here in terms of your family as a whole and accept that your dh may have to have the baby, maybe wrapped up in a tshirt of yours, feeding ebb from a cup. Worth it in the longer term .

I have never been able to express though, and I'd need to feed for my own comfort/safety woukdn't I?

You can have comfort breaks and express what you can then. There are others with much better advice about expressing.

All I'm saying is (and I don't know your backstory), look at the bigger picture. You and newborn will survive a day apart, and be back to normal with a few days of feeding/cuddling, but pissing off the judges and being even sligthly distracted at the tribunal could have long term repurcussions for all of you.

I can express a bit, but expressing takes more than twice the time it takes to feed. I can't see that working at all. Unless I was allowed to express during the hearing, which I'm sure would be much worse for me and everyone.

I have bf in total for 3.5 years if my life so if expressing could be cracked I'm sure it woukd have been.

I think that is my biggest worry tbh. That people are ignorant to the reality and just assume solutions that aren't there and think me deliberately difficult. It will go against us in a tribunal.

Sorry, I don't have any useful knowledge, but just wanted to wish you the very best of luck.

What do you want us to advise? You say you don't want the hearing adjourned and won't leave the baby.

Therefore, it seems to me your only option to avoid a possible adjournment of the case is to write to the tribunal and indicate you will be bringing a small ebf baby but that someone (e.g. your husband) will attend to look after said child whilst you are in the hearing and not feeding baby, but you will need frequent breaks to feed the child, and you hope they will facilitate this, being all Equality Act compliant.

Either that or you take the risk and turn up on your own with the baby, which will either a. lead to them letting you hold/feed baby during hearing or b. result in them adjourning the case to another day when you have childcare. Which course they take may depend on what the tribunal thinks of babies at hearings/how quiet your baby is/what level of disruption (if any) is caused by small child.

If you cannot express and/or will not allow a bottle fed your options are limited, and whilst you might get what you want-being at hearing with baby and feeding whenever necessary, you might not get that, sorry.

And - whatever venue they pick, ask them to make sure there are facilities for you to feed the baby/express in private, as they must supply them.

I went back to work when all my babies were still bf and I expressed (slowly and somewhat unsuccessfully) at courts/tribunals etc. I asked for a private room, and they always found one for me, even if they were not forewarned.

I suppose I don't get the feeding the baby in quiet thing.

If I were to do that, then the level of disruption would be huge and very very costly for us as the tribunal would without doubt overrun simply because I was being bannished to feed elsewhere.

From everything I know about babies of that age (and it is limited to my 2) it is distressing for both mother and baby to be seperated.

I suppose the advice I am after is what, if any, legal argument can be used to ensure that the baby and my breastfeeding that baby is accepted during the hearing in the room of the hearing at the time of the hearing.

Anything less would mean disruption of the breastfeeding wellbeing of both mother and baby and potentially financially penalise me which MUST be illegal.

I am not chosing not to bottle feed by the way. I am following WHO recommendations for my own and my baby's health.

Perhaps you should contact LLL and see what they say, because, believe me, whilst I am very sympathetic, I cannot think of any law or persuasive argument which will ensure you get what you want.

If you are presenting your case yourself without a lawyer/advocate a baby will be distracting to you, even if not to anyone else. How can you do justice to your other child if you are faffing about with latching on etc? Or changing a nappy?

Sometimes something has to give, and if that means a break in your attachment parenting/ebf for the sake of your child with SN, so be it.

I mixed fed mine from 3-4 months, because I was crap at expressing at work and they did not die or become malnourished. I left them with their father (and occasionally with others) younger than 6 weeks and they have not been irrepairably harmed.

I don't think I can say any more so good luck whatever you decide.

I hate the separation between almost any kind of public life & motherhood. It's so unnecessary. I really doubt there'd be much 'faffing'.

I think it's a really persuasive argument that a mother wants her 6wk baby with her at all times, and that the baby should be entitled to ebf (if the mum's happy to) - I wouldn't criticise any individual for ff; our culture makes it almost inevitable. But a judge should support the right of a baby to be fed according to WHO guidelines, if that baby's mother's prepared to do so.

I agree with yesmaam

You don't have a legal right to BF during a tribunal hearing.

Instead of trying to turn a moral argument into one with a legal basis you'd be better off spending your time and efforts ensuring an alternative practical solution is in place.

Good luck

What happens if this baby isn't as content as your previous ones to just stay in a sling and feed? Some can be screamers even when you you are doing all the 'right' things.

What will happen when he/she needs a nappy change? Or if he /she throws up all over you?

Icecream, babies in countries where they are kept with their mother and bf on demand don't cry. They feed approximately every 24 minutes day and night.

Why should my baby have to cry?

Sarah what practical solution woukd you suggest?

Having a crying baby outside the room and the tribunal stopped every 24 or so minutes?

Yes I know that starlight but are their mothers sitting still in a potentially stressful and unfamiliar situation?

I don't have any easy solutions for you and I think your plan of having the baby with you is the the best idea but just suggesting potential difficulties so you can plan for them in advance.

Yes I know. I'm really not getting at you or anyone on this thread. Just trying to figure it all out.

I'd not be able to understand my position or argument if everyone came here saying 'you have every right and if you're not allowed then sue the bastards' etc. that woukdn't be helpful at all.