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Can't breastfeed at the YMCA? - Page 2  

post #21 of 38
10/20/05 at 7:03pm
Good luck with your letter and dealing with the director of your Y. We just joined the Y out here and I've NIP'd a couple times. Not at the pool though. My DD is 28 months and is too excited about swimming to want to nurse then.
post #22 of 38
10/21/05 at 8:37am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Janice in Canada
Those files are also here:

http://members.shaw.ca/barbstrange/Pools/Pools.htm
(I believe there are actually more documents on the AZlactivist site, than is posted on the link above)
Hi Janice,

Thanks for the link-however, I couldn't get the files to download. I'm familiar with Adobe Acrobat and have used it a lot, so I don't think that is the problem. Anyway, I will see if I can access the files when I get on the AZlactivist site. Just thought you might want to know so you can check to see if there is any problem with them.

Thanks so much!
post #23 of 38
10/21/05 at 12:28pm
invite sent for the AZlavtivists
post #24 of 38
10/26/05 at 8:43am
Thread Starter 
Update:

I met with Margaret Carroll, the new Aquatic Director at the Prescott YMCA, on Sunday Oct. 23. I asked her what the breastfeeding policy is, and told her what had happened the week before. She told me that her "understanding is" one can nurse in the pool area but not in the water itself because of OSHEA (spelling?) regulations regarding bodily fluids. She said one does not have to go into the locker room. She said she had only been the director a week. Then she went on to say something about being modest because some of the older people don't like to see it! Hmmm...
post #25 of 38
10/26/05 at 9:22am
Could you send her a letter asking her for her information that pertains to OSHA's standards and bfing in the pool?
I went to the OSHA site and cannot find anything
Maybe someone knows, but i think she's perhaps trying to cover her B$% with some neat-sounding abbreviation.
Good for you for meeting with her!
post #26 of 38
10/26/05 at 10:09am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by lauraess
Could you send her a letter asking her for her information that pertains to OSHA's standards and bfing in the pool?
I went to the OSHA site and cannot find anything

Good idea!
post #27 of 38
10/26/05 at 3:47pm
She says OSHA says you can't nurse in the pool. How about a nursing mom who is swimming and has a let down? I think because no one would know mom was having a let down that its ok for this breastmilk to fall into the pool because no one has to see a baby nursing from that breast.
post #28 of 38
10/26/05 at 3:56pm
OSHA does not consider breeastmilk a hazardous bodily fluid. There is a link in my thread on Church said breastmilk is a bodily fluid. Sorry no time to look know, back to work.
post #29 of 38
10/26/05 at 4:23pm
http://members.shaw.ca/barbstrange/Pools/Pools.htm

The links worked for me.

If you want the report as a Word file, email me and I can send it.

momsformilk at sasktel dot net

You could just edit it for your YMCA and give it to her.

Janice
post #30 of 38
10/26/05 at 9:49pm
OSHA classifies Breastmilk the same as sweat...is there any of THAT in the pool?
post #31 of 38
10/26/05 at 11:58pm
Janice: ahhhhh... canada is sooo cool! i read one part in the link regarding bfing in pools and it was urging that pools and such , besides being bfing friendly in so many ways, DO NOT ask moms to be discreet!

So, If the Y director is given the Canadian info will she likely blow it off as not important since it's not American?
post #32 of 38
10/27/05 at 12:34am
Quote:
Originally Posted by lauraess
Janice: ahhhhh... canada is sooo cool! i read one part in the link regarding bfing in pools and it was urging that pools and such , besides being bfing friendly in so many ways, DO NOT ask moms to be discreet!

So, If the Y director is given the Canadian info will she likely blow it off as not important since it's not American?
Well, you could edit it to take out the Canadian authorities quoted, and replace with US health authorities? I believe some of the authorities quoted are international agencies, so applicable to all.

I think the arguements stand as they are, the cultures are pretty similar.

BTW, the author (Barb Strange) was the mom who was asked to move/cover. She is an RN, IBCLC and a lawyer. And her dh is a law professor. The wrong person to mess with! Through this report, she got the municipal policy for Edmonton, AB overturned and made bfing friendly. The city did a complete flip flop. I have the documents that followed the process of this happening - they aren't on the website. The original policy and the new bfing friendly policy.

Janice
post #33 of 38
10/27/05 at 1:29am
Ok, it's late, so I just skimmed the info in the link. But did that say that we can BF in the pools here in Canada? To be honest, that suprised me. I, of course, would never want to be discriminated against while breastfeeding in any place. But if someone asked me not to nurse my child while swimming, it wouldn't even phase me. I'd just climb out and nurse him next to the pool. I guess I'm so used to "No food in the Pool" rules, that I probably wouldn't even think to nurse him there. Breastmilk is, after all, a type of food. It'd suprise me to see someone bottle feeding their child while taking a swim. Or munching on a sandwich while taking a swim. And while I agree that a little leaked breastmilk in the pool is no big deal (there are far worse things entering public pools), I also think that climbing out and sitting on the edge of the pool, or on a pool-side lounger, is also no big deal. That's what I've always done, anyway.

Of course, if someone asked me to get out and take it to the change-room, that'd certainly rub me the wrong way. I can totally understand why the OP would be upset about that.
post #34 of 38
10/27/05 at 4:03am
Yeah, I get where you're coming from Nikki, but remember- breastmilk is so much more than simply food. It's comfort too. a different kind of comfort than say, mashed potatoes , of course . To me a young child shouldnt necasarily have to wait for mom to move location to get that comfort.
Also, I'm thinking that really most other foods or drinks carry a greater chance of leaving something behind - crumbs, messes, cups, bottles- especially if Everyone could do so in the pool.
Does make ya think tho.
post #35 of 38
10/29/05 at 10:27am
Thread Starter 
Thanks, Janice, this time the links worked for me. I haven't heard back from the Aquatics Director on the OSHA standard. I sent an email and she hasn't written back. I am getting ready to go out of town so I won't have time to really follow up on it until later in November.
post #36 of 38
10/29/05 at 12:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Janice in Canada
BTW, the author (Barb Strange) was the mom who was asked to move/cover. She is an RN, IBCLC and a lawyer. And her dh is a law professor. The wrong person to mess with!
Boy is she ever! WOW!

post #37 of 38
10/29/05 at 1:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by stockingup99
OSHA does not consider breeastmilk a hazardous bodily fluid. There is a link in my thread on Church said breastmilk is a bodily fluid. Sorry no time to look know, back to work.
Could the OSHA regulation address the ingestion of chlorine? Like "users should refrain from using containers that have been in the pool water as it might result in excessive amounts of chlorine being swallowed. .... Breastfeeding mothers should avoid feeding their baby in the pool and preferably should rinse the breast before feeding"? Nah...
post #38 of 38
10/29/05 at 1:14pm
that is what freaks out my sister...she hated when I bf in the pool because of the contaminents on the breast.

V.
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