Opinions please, re NIP (long)

"xkatx" wrote in message

Well, if I were in your position, I would be kind of offended.

I was

You were told it's a family place. Is your son part of your family? Is a
son, in general, not part of any family? What, exactly, does nursing your
baby have to do with families, anyways?

I KNOW!! That's what I didn't get!

I could maybe see if you sat in the pool waters or something feeding and
the argument was that there's a rule that applies to all about
eating/drinking while in the pool.

I was on the steps going into the pool, half submerged (my legs and DS's
butt was under). I don't really know about the eating in the pool thing - I
know you can't have gum in there!


I would see nothing wrong with sitting on the edge of
the pool or on the pool deck to nurse my baby. I would NOT go hide off in
the change rooms or something to feed a baby, and I would ask that
director if he eats under a wet, thick towel in an assumably warmer and
humid environment, as most swimming pools tend to be.

lol, yeah, good one!

If there was a rule (and
this was used as a reason and argument) about food in the pool, as that's
really what you were doing - feeding your baby - then I could understand
that, MAYBE. I don't see how offering a year old baby a breast to nurse
or a sippy cup or bottle is any different, and if you sat there with a
bottle or he sat with you with a sippy cup, would it be the same?
Probably not.

I highly doubt it

Babies get hungry often. I do believe, though, that some places are more
appropriate to openly feed than others - I, personally, would probably
excuse myself to nurse my baby in a place like a wedding reception or in
the middle of a funeral, but, mind you, if I didn't have to, I wouldn't
attend an event like that with an infant... But other than that, park,
pool, restaurant, mall, whatever, I'd be fairly put off if I was asked
"nicely" or not, to be 'more discreet'

Yes, I am tempted to cancel my membership, but it's the only pool for miles
and we still have months of the sun yet! And my DD goes to the preschool
there until September.

Write a letter! Worst case scenario is that your letter is ignored and
tossed into the garbage. I'd complain about being asked to pretty much
not feed my baby in a place where some people walk around with their boobs
and butts nearly hanging out anyways. You weren't off showing off your
sexy body and breasts to the swimming pool crowd, you were feeding your
baby while his big sister had a swimming lesson...

My thoughts exactly - and it probably woulda been different if I'd had the
post baby body of Gwyneth or Angelina. Instead I am more like Roseanne!!!

If any of that made any sense
at all (it's 2 minutes to midnight here and I've been doing laundry
non-stop tonight and last night with little sleep lol)

It all made perfect sense! Thank you!

CY,

Earlier this year, after a staff changeover due to the death of the beloved
preschool director, I got a memo at my kid's gymnasium Mommy and Me
policies that suddenly included breastfeeding discreetly since there were
"fathers and children present"!!!! I went to the owner, who was not aware
that a memo had even been issued, with the state law. They put out a new
memo with a full page (few words but large font) dedicated to breastfeeding
rights in the interest in maternal and child health. The new staff, who had
issued the memo not knowing what else to do, expressed gratitude that they
had been liberated from having to respond to the complaints of a few
parents.

You'd think the Y staff would like to know about the laws so that they can
be liberated from dealing with complaints in the future.

Dagny

"CY" wrote in message
news:i9rjg.1020110$xm3.273729@attbi_s21...
I was at our local YMCA today and in the pool when my 1 yr old son became
hungry. My daughter was having a swimming lesson at the time and I didn't
want to leave the pool to nurse him, because she was having a stressful
lesson today.

I sat on the steps into the pool, pulled up my nursing bathing suit (not
easy to find, let me tell you!), exposed less flesh than some of the
ladies there were showing with their bikinis, latched him on and he nursed
for about 5 minutes max. During the actual nursing session no flesh could
be seen. He pulled off briefly, exposing my nipple for about 5 seconds.
I thought nothing of it, carried on a conversation with another mom and
after the lesson was over, played in the pool with both kids.

While I was minding my own business, one of the directors approached me
and asked me very "nicely" if next time I had to nurse if I could be more
discreet, not do it in the pool and go to the deck where I could cover up
with a towel and nobody would see what I was doing. He went on to explain
that they've been through this with all the "Y"s (I don't know what he
meant by "this", but whatever) and this was a family place and he wanted
to ask this before he received any complaints from anyone. WTF? At the
time, so bowled over was I by this request, I just nodded dumbly and said
"OK", and that I didn't know what the laws were in this part of the state,
I just assumed it was like all the other places which protects bf'ing
mothers. At that point he back-tracked and said "Oh, no we don't mind you
doing it, but just be more discreet". It has been bothering me all day and
I feel like I should respond but don't know if I am totally over-reacting.
He made me feel like I was doing something illegal or obscene, when all I
was doing was feeding my baby.


That's really not on. Write a letter of complaint to someone preferably in
upper management for your wider area - since this appears not to be an
isolated incident - and cc. it to your local Y. Attach a copy of the
relevant laws. I would expect a written apology for suffering such an
indignity - if the pool is a family friendly area, breastfeeding should
be -encouraged-!
Good luck, and let us know how you get on. If you don't get satisfaction,
promom.org might be a good option to get publicity. I know I'm on the other
side of the world, but I'd email them for you.


--
Amy
Mum to Carlos born sleeping 20/11/02,
& Ana born screaming 30/06/04
http://www.freewebs.com/carlos2002/
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/a/ana%5Fj%5F2004/
My blog: http://spaces.msn.com/members/querer-hijo-querer-hija/

crackers isn't it! I'd actually have a lot of sympathy if they said they
didn't want eating IN the pool, but if they are giving discreetness reasons
that's not on.

It also occurs to me that in the pool is a lot more discreet because people
just think you are cuddling your baby, whereas if you get out, find a towel,
find a seat, calm your other child etc, it's so much more obvious even if
you can't see anything and for most people it does actually seem to be the
very fact you are doing it, not what they can see that is the problem.

I think this time I wouldn't feedback, I'd just be armed ready for next
time, I think they are likely to be prepared to overlook it for a few
people, but if you started writing and making things official they might
actually start specifically banning it because of the eating side of things.

Cheers

Anne

they are discriminating against your right to bf. In Australia, this
would
fall foul of our anti-discrimination laws (I always think "If I were
bottle-feeding, would they still ask me to move?").

proberly they would actually in this very specific situation, I wouldn't be
that happy with someone bottle feeding on the steps of the pool, my
experiences with bottle feeding haven't been the neatest of things, so I
wouldn't want it dripping in the pool.

Anne

"CY" wrote in message
news:Hytjg.1020278$xm3.918556@attbi_s21...
**snort** I *hope* you meant APPROPRIATE! You're supposed to be on my
side, woman! LOL!

Sorry! It was appropriate, uhmmum, very much so. *emphatic nods*

Had PT yesterday. Am *really* sore/tired today.

So when're we doing the nurse in?

Jess

"CY" wrote in message
news:Eztjg.777376$084.289697@attbi_s22...
Yeah, I thought you had, but I couldn't let the opportunity pass by
without mentioning your name, now could I?

Aww. Warm fuzzy type feelings.

Sowwy

Good. Now C's getting ready to move too. *sniffs*

But I think we all need to get together anyways. Sproglette has turned into
Teh Cuteness.

Jess

"CY" wrote and I snipped:

Yes, I am tempted to cancel my membership, but it's the only pool for
miles and we still have months of the sun yet! And my DD goes to the
preschool there until September.

Well, I am offended on your behalf. That's horrible. But, your statement
above made me think. If it was me, I wouldn't be likely to follow through
with a letter, however well-intended. It would be easier to nurse DS during
DD's next swimming lesson. Without a towel! If someone had the audacity to
ask me to move a second time, then I'd be armed with all the arguments I
couldn't think up the first time.

Good luck,
-Patty, mom of 1+2

"PattyMomVA" wrote in message
...
"CY" wrote and I snipped:

Yes, I am tempted to cancel my membership, but it's the only pool for
miles and we still have months of the sun yet! And my DD goes to the
preschool there until September.

Well, I am offended on your behalf. That's horrible. But, your statement
above made me think. If it was me, I wouldn't be likely to follow through
with a letter, however well-intended. It would be easier to nurse DS
during DD's next swimming lesson. Without a towel! If someone had the
audacity to ask me to move a second time, then I'd be armed with all the
arguments I couldn't think up the first time.

I think I'd do this, too. Knowing that I was well within my rights to do so,
I would just ignore that director and feed my child right at the pool if he
was hungry. Not only would I be ready with what to say if anyone approached
me again, but I would also have printed copies of the law to hand out.

Mary

Anne Rogers wrote:
they are discriminating against your right to bf. In Australia, this
would
fall foul of our anti-discrimination laws (I always think "If I were
bottle-feeding, would they still ask me to move?").

proberly they would actually in this very specific situation, I wouldn't be
that happy with someone bottle feeding on the steps of the pool, my
experiences with bottle feeding haven't been the neatest of things, so I
wouldn't want it dripping in the pool.

Anne

Here at the local pool, they have a no food policy on the pool deck
(and it'd be tricky to get to the pool by by-passing the deck). I
wouldn't be psyched to have anyone eating *in* the pool, whether
nursing or just drinking coffee...

Caledonia