No food in the pool area!

[arkess7]

Why not just walk to the locker room or lobby? Why does she have to insist on BFing by the pool when there are other areas where she could do so without any potential for confrontation? Why should there be an exception to the no food or drink around the pool rule?

I agree.

I used to wait tables and several times had women feeding in the middle of the dining room...I'm sorry but that is going to far as some find it disgusting while trying to enjoy their meal---and it hurt my tips.

Yeah, another good point. While I never waited tables myself, my sister did when she went to UCF and tips are VERY important to any waiter/waitress. Most waiters and waitresses get less than minimum wage from the restaurant they work for, it's the tips that allow them to make a living, more so than the salary.

uh yea ........i know ...........

[CajunMama]

I bf'd my kids but would i do it out in public? No way. To me this is something that just needs to be done in private. Bf'ing to me was a very private and special time between me and my baby. Going out? Use a breast pump ahead of time and bottle it.

[Terrell]

I bf'd my kids but would i do it out in public? No way. To me this is something that just needs to be done in private. Bf'ing to me was a very private and special time between me and my baby. Going out? Use a breast pump ahead of time and bottle it.

I agree with you. I've always wondered that, when it comes to those who insist on BFing in public when the method you mention is perfectly viable.

[gtalum]

You're the parent, your child has to do follow the rules you lay down, and you have to enforce them.

ROFL!

[gtalum]

Sometimes I can't believe how puritanical we can be in America, even in the 21st century. Amazing.

[Terrell]

Sometimes I can't believe how puritanical we can be in America, even in the 21st century. Amazing.

How is this puritanical? It's not like raiding a swing club and arresting people for adultery, or busting into a private bedroom and arresting people for engaging in sodomy or homosexuality. This is about whether or not a no food or drink around the pool policy at a private organization (the YMCA) is fair or not when you also apply the policy to breastfeeding, especially when there are other areas where the orginization allows BFing.

[vbhoutex]

Taking any morality issues out of this(I don't think there are any), the woman was breaking a rule at the club(at least sort of). Since there were other areas that were provided for breast feeding, I do think she was in the wrong. My wife breast fed both of our children and there were times when the best laid plans didn't work out. She always had a blanket available and was as discreet as possible so as to not make others uncomfortable. We never hid it from our other child or the family, but never was it flaunted either.

[george_r_1961]

That's just sick, especially for a young kid.

She should've at least gone somewhere else or hid in the corner while she was doing that.

Are you serious??!!! Really, when I breast feed my younger one, my older twins that were 4 at the time saw it all. It was a little uncomfortable at first, but I think there is no reason why they should not know how a baby is naturally feed. It is not a big deal. I told them it was her bottle. Don't children see dogs and other animals nursing their young? I mean this is the most natural and healthy thing that you can do for your infant. And I agree with brunota2003, if you have older ones swimming and baby is screaming to eat, you feed them, plain and simple. I don't want to see another womans breast either, but if I hear a baby screaming and see a woman holding them start to pull up her shirt I think I would look away and let her get the baby situated, and then 99% of the time they, including myself, put a blanket ontop of baby. It is people like you that make good mothers feel threatened in public, like they can not feed their babies. Like they can never leave their home. They need to be feed every 2 hours at least as infants. And yea if you have one kid maybe you could drop everything and go into a private room and do it. But when there is other kids involved it is hard to do that. And imagine feeding twins. I never left my house when they were nursing because there was no way to cover up with both hands full. I just think this whole thing at the Y went way too far.

Animals also take care of bodily functions in the open. Sorry I just do not understand why a woman would want to plop her boob out in public to nurse their baby. Nursing is a natural act; its also an act that should be done in private.

[coriolis]

The club rule about no food in the pool area is to prevent food, spillage, wrappers, and containers from ending up in the pool. If the mother is not getting in the pool, then there should be no problem from that perspective. (That apparently wasn't an issue here, but a lactating mom should not get into a public pool for a lot of reasons)

The entire issue here is how to enforce the rule, and where to draw the line. If you allow BF'ing, what about bottle feeding? (slightly greater chance of spillage). What about a sippy cup. What about feeding a baby out of a jar. What if the baby burps and throws up? From the management's perspective they have to draw the line somewhere. It's safest to make the strictest interpretation of the rule. I don't think that this has anything to do about the appropriateness of it, just a question of how the rules have to be enforced.

I have to believe that bf-ing can be done discreetely enough that no one would even notice. If you can do that, then it will never be a problem.

You could have the same arguement about changing diapers. When my kids were little, I would always go somewhere to change diapers. Some parents will not. They'll do it right out wherever. That shows a lack of consideration.

And as for animals, don't they usually have a private place where they keep their babies? We've had many litters of puppys. The mother would always go into the closet or wherever to feed the pups. She wouldn't do it out in the living room. for animals, they're vulnerable when nursing. It's probably an instinct thing to go to a safe place.

[wxmann_91]

That's just sick, especially for a young kid.

She should've at least gone somewhere else or hid in the corner while she was doing that.

Are you serious??!!! Really, when I breast feed my younger one, my older twins that were 4 at the time saw it all. It was a little uncomfortable at first, but I think there is no reason why they should not know how a baby is naturally feed. It is not a big deal. I told them it was her bottle. Don't children see dogs and other animals nursing their young? I mean this is the most natural and healthy thing that you can do for your infant. And I agree with brunota2003, if you have older ones swimming and baby is screaming to eat, you feed them, plain and simple. I don't want to see another womans breast either, but if I hear a baby screaming and see a woman holding them start to pull up her shirt I think I would look away and let her get the baby situated, and then 99% of the time they, including myself, put a blanket ontop of baby. It is people like you that make good mothers feel threatened in public, like they can not feed their babies. Like they can never leave their home. They need to be feed every 2 hours at least as infants. And yea if you have one kid maybe you could drop everything and go into a private room and do it. But when there is other kids involved it is hard to do that. And imagine feeding twins. I never left my house when they were nursing because there was no way to cover up with both hands full. I just think this whole thing at the Y went way too far.

If that was directed at me I think you misunderstood. Poor choice of words by me, I meant children old enough to understand what the meaning of "boob/breast" (maybe 8 to 13 year olds) is and watched total strangers breastfeed their children, that is wrong. It doesn't matter, you just don't show yourself at a public place. It's like if you have to pi really badly and your children (that are 5-6 years old) are in the pool, what do you do? Well obviously you don't go in the pool and pi and you don't just take off your clothes and pi.

[arkess7]

You could have the same arguement about changing diapers. When my kids were little, I would always go somewhere to change diapers. Some parents will not. They'll do it right out wherever. That shows a lack of consideration




yes i agree............and oh boy.........a whole 'nother subject...........whew.......

[Skywatch_NC]

And on the subject of diaper changing...at least nowadays many public restrooms have diaper changing stations.

Eric

[gtalum]

Breastfeeding is not disgusting like changing diapers or relieving yourself in public. There's no smell. The worst you see is a breast. Give mothers a break.

[Pburgh]

Obviously many of you don't know how long it takes to breast feed a baby. It's not a 5 or 10 minute project every 4-5 hours. It takes quite a while for each feeding and newborns are normally fed every 2 hours. How much time do you think that usually involves during a given day?????

You don't have a clue, right? These breast feeding moms need to be commended - not ridiculed or offended. "Go to the corner???" are you serious or just insensitive?? Breast feeding is a special gift of love and a great deal of time that these new mothers give to their newborns. Most of these moms are very discrete and try not to offend any "sensitive" onlooker. Those of you who are offended - get over it!!!!