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No breastfeeding in the pool
Last week an article in the Daily Mail newspaper was brought to my attention about a woman being told not to breastfeed her 4 month old son in a toddler pool. There are so many things that trouble me in the article and I have very mixed feelings about the decision to feed in the pool, but would like to start by saying, I don't consider myself to be a 'Lactivist' or Campaigner but I am a Breastfeeding Mother and I believe in every woman's right to choose how to feed their baby and be supported in their choice.
With my first child I was nervous and shy about feeding but had a level of pure determination that I would breastfeed and I would not feel like I had to hide, 18 months later with my second, I was a pro, I would breastfeed anywhere, anytime, I didn't even need to stop what I was doing, I've fed my boy, on planes, trains, buses, walking down the street, at events, the beach and in restaurants and shops, even in the travel agents. I choose to use a cover, but that's more to do with body image than hiding my feeding child. For me Breast is how babies feed and there's no discussion to be had. I have spent very little time worrying about peoples opinions on my feeding in public and have only once been asked if I would like to move somewhere else, but that was done with kindness and compassion and was for my feelings rather than that of the people around me, the doctors receptionist genuinely thought she was being supportive and that is fine with me.
I haven't breastfed in a pool and to be honest I probably wouldn't for many reasons: my cover would get wet, I wouldn't be relaxed, my children both possetted a lot and that's never nice to see hitting a pool next to your swimming children. Mostly though I would just be happier to sit in a chair nearby, but is it wrong to do it? In my opinion No its not, and to say it is indecent and comparable to urinating in a pool is insane. She was waist deep in a pool and fed her child, here are some points I have heard in relation to her choices
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Its not safe, I cant see why not, there is no difference in holding a baby whilst in the pool and holding a baby whilst feeding in a pool.
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Its indecent, No its not I have never ever seen a woman breastfeed who shows as much breast as one in certain lads mags or newspapers, in fact mostly you cant see anything at all because there is a big babies head in front
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No eating in the pool, yes this is a rule, and if this had been used as a reason to stop then the mum should have been invited to sit outside the pool not told to go to the changing room or toilet, there is only one way to say this, we should not be asked to hide away to feed our children. Feeding anyone, old, young, breast, bottle or solid food, in a toilet in unacceptable you wouldn't take your lunch break in there, take it out of you list of breastfeeding options.
If the details in this article are correct then Stephanie deserves an apology of huge proportions and the staff and management at the centre need some training in how best to facilitate breastfeeding in their centre with compassion and basic civility.
As a community we need to stop making such a big fuss about breastfeeding, it is normal it is natural and it is not offensive, new mums deserve to be celebrated however they feed their offspring, its not an easy job to deal with a new baby and being ridiculed and humiliated just undermines our confidence and self worth. Now lets not give this matter any more attention and hope that Stephanie and baby Leo happily breastfeed for a long while to come.
Author - Karen English from Adventures of a Monkey footed Mummy
