Breastfeeding in swimming pool

Hithere unsurprisingly I’ve dealt with many a toddler tantrum when they didn’t want to do something whilst juggling other children too and as only one of us in that situation is an adult if I say ‘out the pool’ out the pool it is !

I am not in the least offended by mothers breastfeeding so I’m not sure where you got that idea . All I’m saying is I see no earthly reason to breastfeed IN the water ! Sit on the side( as one poster mentioned) - fine . Apart from a dozen other reasons I believe if you are breast feeding your baby in the water you can be distracted from watching your other children whose safety them comes into question .

I breastfed my three on demand in the 1980s, the youngest till he was over a year old, on the advice of the sainted Hugh Jolly - there's nothing new under the sun! So on trains, buses, in shelters, parks, and yes, public toilets, wherever I needed to (but not in a pool, that I can remember ). I felt totally at ease with it and it didn't seem to bother anybody around me back then in the dim and distant past. Why should it now?

Bibbity

Standing applause

GrandmainOz: ....also because of the risk of the baby spitting up, or worse, doing its business after the feed, which often happens.
A very good point. How do all these pool-feeding mums deal with what comes out the other end when they're in the water? You cannot control that. Most unpleasant for the other swimmers, which takes us back to my point of being inconsiderate to other people.
I CAN therefore I WILL (stamps foot) and sod all you other swimmers, your feelings don't count.

Dr Spock was the bible when mine were babies. Relax!

DD got in a fret over Gina Ford's rigid recommendations so I told her to bin it.

Swimming nappies. All babies and toddlers that aren’t toilet trained wear a swimming nappy.

FYI all the urine flows out of the nappy and into the water. It only holds poo

Fancy that, swimming nappies.
Who'd have thunk it.

I am shocked by the number of posters who think that breastfeeding mums are making a statement. If you are making comments like that I wonder if you need to examine your own views about breastfeeding.

Making a statement? Perhaps the mum and baby are more relaxed in the pool, perhaps they feel less exposed in the pool, perhaps it is warmer in the water than on the side, perhaps the baby just needs a quick snuggle to settle themselves. Why wouldn’t you feed in the pool. All the arguments against are ridiculous. Babies take in more water when they are swimming. Mum’s might be watching other children.

The amount of negativity on the thread is shocking. Support breastfeeding mums don’t slate them.

Some changing rooms feel dirtier/less inviting etc than the pool

Ridiculous suggestion to go to the cafe - unsettled baby - mum and baby get dressed while baby is screaming. Poor baby!

What about very runny poo?

If you are a woman in a swimming pool, there's guaranteed to be a creep leching at your boobs anyway. May as well do something useful with them and upset the creep at the same time

Very true muffin!

Oopsminty, baby poo seems a minor worry compared with everything else that's likely to be in the pool!

what about very runny poo

Ugh, yes, have dealt with some that escaped even the best nappy!!

Mind you, it's only baby poo.

I just can't understand why so many people enjoy being in the chlorinated soup of bodily fluids - yuk. My pool is salt water, much better.

Hetty It astonishes me that people who worry about babies crawling on their own floors are happy for them to accidentally swallow others' bodily fluids and chlorine.

I bf all the time in public. No shawl, but I'm definitely not an exhibitionist. I wouldn't bf in a pool. That's weird. A) standing B) chlorine C) uncomfortable.
Plus, a lot of young babies tend to poop or pee right after. I wouldn't want that even if they are wearing a swim diaper.

Doesn't the UK have one of the lowest rates of breastfeeding in the world? I wonder why. I'm into my 5th month of exclusive breastfeeding and can't understand why someone wouldn't do it if they had the time, the energy and thr milk!

I could never understand why so many people would choose the work, expense and inconvenience of bottle feeding - oh and the opportunity to eat an extra 500 calories a day!

(and miss the opportunity)

I don't think most people actively choose to bottle feed Hetty58 (some do of course). It's very often due to seemingly insufficient milk production. Then they start mixed feeding and so it goes from there.

Each to their own and all that. I really don't see a need to feed a baby in a swimming pool, however, other than to make a point! "It is my right".

Years ago when I had my first baby a lot of mums went for a special session of mother and baby swims. Some babies as young as 2 weeks (although was advised to wait until first lot of inoculations). Most of us were breastfeeding our babies but I don't remember anyone having the need to feed in the pool? I wouldn't have done it anyway...nothing to do with needing privacy as I was not shy about it, more to do with my comfort!

I did laugh though when on an all inclusive holiday and a woman was constantly breast feeding her daughter by the poolside. Daughter was approximately 5 years of age and in between 'feeds' was off swimming on her own and ordering ice creams/drinks for herself. When she wasn't attached to her breast one day a holidaymaker remarked "She's probably at the bar ordering a lager".

Sometimes I feel people make issues for the sake of making issues if you know what I mean? Which goes for those objecting to bf in public as much as those insisting on 'their rights' Common sense eh?

Each to their own and all that. I really don't see a need to feed a baby in a swimming pool

Well luckily its not compulsary and nobody will be force latching a baby onto you in the laps lane... so its all good!

It's very often due to seemingly insufficient milk production

Its very rarely due to a physical inability to feed. A tiny percentage.
Its almost always due to a lack of good breastfeeding support.