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Woman told to leave pool area at YMCA - Page 2  

post #21 of 33
1/13/06 at 4:14pm
Well, you know the baby might get CRAMPS if it didn't wait a half hour after nursing.

That's really stupid.
post #22 of 33
1/14/06 at 2:40pm
The original reason the woman was asked to leave was becuase it was "distracting to the lifeguards".

Now I lifeguarded for YEARS...we had women come in sports bras (white) that would soak through and show everything...we had men come in speedos...we had girls come in practically nothing and then undo the backs to tan....how in the world is a nursing mother "disturbing" or "distracting" more than any of these?

As to the idea of the breastmilk being a bodily fluid that could contaminate the pool well...there is NO chance of any "contamination" if she is allowed to sit out and nurse her child when she needs to!!! The oly chance of accidentaly leaking or let-down would be if she isn't being allowed to nurse her baby when she needs to. So that's a bogus excuse as well.

The fact that food and drink policies weren't mentioned AT ALL until they were mentioned to the press just proves that it wasn't the original motivation...just the CYA answer once there was an outcry.

And ultimately...it isn't the state, but the federal laws that have ultimate authority here. IF the YMCA is in any way federally funded my understanding is that they cannot prohibit a mother from nursing a child in an area in which she is otherwise allowed to be. It is, according to NATIONAL law, considered discrimination. As if the lifeguard asked a black man to leave becuase he were black. The law defines the two as the same type of discrimination. Again, this would only apply if there were any national monies coming in to the Y, however I suspect there are.

The solution? Don't BAN the YMCA's....every nursing mother should take their children there and feed them poolside. My midwives successfully held a nurse-in at the mall once when a breastfeeding mother was FORCIBLY removed. Within two hours there were woman from three LLL's showing up and naked boobies everywhere!*laughing* It certainly made a point and there was a public appology for the mother and her family, as well as printed signs put up stating "Nursing mothers bench". hehehehehe

Just some thoughts as I browse the articles.
Angela
post #23 of 33
1/18/06 at 5:01pm
I just wanted to bump this as a reminder that there is a nurse-in scheduled for Saturday, January 28th, 1-2 pm in the lobby area of the YMCA. If you need more info, PM me I have a contact email. Some women from the Center for the Childbearing Year shared this at my LLL meeting this morning- from what they said it sounds like it would be OK for partners and other kids to be there as well.
post #24 of 33
1/18/06 at 7:37pm
Thread Starter 
I so want to go to this! Trying to work out a ride situation for my dd1 who has rock climbing that day.
post #25 of 33
1/19/06 at 2:10pm
There are a few of us that have been pushing for stronger laws in MI. I'm thinking about organising a carpool from GR to the nurse-in. We had one here when the county clerk tried to kick out a nursing mom when she came in to get a birth certificate. The problem, in my opinion is that while these ladies may breastfeed anywhere, they may also be harassed for it. There are no legal consequences for discouraging breastfeeding but in MI, its illegal to harass even a hunter. grrr. Anyway, hope to meet some of you in AA.
post #26 of 33
1/25/06 at 9:29am

Nurse In at the Y Saturday Jan28 1PM

Street: 400 W Washington St
City/State/Zip: Ann Arbor Michigan 48103


link to paper about bfing in pool
http://members.shaw.ca/barbstrange/P...PC-MainDoc.pdf

News article about why
http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/6005947/detail.html
post #27 of 33
1/25/06 at 11:14am
Quote:
Originally Posted by stockingup99
Street: 400 W Washington St
City/State/Zip: Ann Arbor Michigan 48103


link to paper about bfing in pool
http://members.shaw.ca/barbstrange/P...PC-MainDoc.pdf

News article about why
http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/6005947/detail.html
Excellent! I live in Iowa, so I can't attend, but sending good vibes your way!
By the way, are breastfeeding alumnae welcome, too? You know, women who bf in the past, but are now past the age of childbearing. Grandmother types.
post #28 of 33
1/25/06 at 4:03pm
I recently heard that one of the concerns the Y has is that bf'ing is too distracting to a parent who is supposed to be watching a child, and that the Y is unlikely to change their position. *sigh* So it's not even the fluids issue necessarily- very odd.

Does anyone know what positions of YMCAs around the country are on this? Is it an issue everywhere, or are some Y's OK with it? My dh is also wondering if it is a liability issue somehow, like if they allowed a mom to BF and it was OK officially and something happened to her child, they might be liable more so? (doesn't make sense, but he was wondering if they were trying to cover themselves legally.) If that is the case, reducing distractions (which I don't think bf is, but anyway) do they also restrict conversations in the pool area? Should parents be dressed and ready to jump in the pool at all times?
post #29 of 33
1/25/06 at 7:09pm
I think the "distracting to the parent argument" is another red herring. Although it probably varies from Y to Y, the one that we go to has a policy that a parent has to be *in* the pool with the child until the child is a certain rather old age (7? 8? we're not there yet so I don't pay attention) unless the child is attending an actual class, at which point parents are strongly urged to sit behind a glass wall unless the child *really* needs them there for a while.

I really wish that MI had better protections because the AA Y's alleged policy would just not be legal in some states. (I know that "wishing" is something of a cop-out, but there are reasons that I'm not marching and holding a banner at the moment.)
post #30 of 33
1/27/06 at 12:37am
I work at the YMCA in Towson, MD and one of the directors noted on an evalution form that I was breastfeeding at work and asked my supervisor if they should come up with a policy about it.
post #31 of 33
1/27/06 at 12:55pm
While I am not a mom yet.I wholeheartdly support you mama's in your nurse-in. Sending you lots of good vibes.
Nikki
post #32 of 33
1/28/06 at 3:58am
smuggling in breastmilkhttp://www.mothering.com/discussions/newreply.php?do=newreply&noquote=1&p=4439917#
lol.
the excuse that people are not allowed to bring fodd in the pool is so silly.
When breast get full, they leak. Wouldn't it be better to breastfeed baby than sqirt milk all over the pool? Of course, if your baby spits up the breastmilk- same thing. I think I will use a water wrap if I need to nurse at a pool. No one can really tell what your doing in one of those.
post #33 of 33
1/29/06 at 11:45am

Nurse In was Great


I went, about 150 people is my guess.

Interesting news footage. The director of the Y had lots of time, and said it was about safety. They showed the Nurse In but not when the room was really full. I guess they thought they wouldn't be able to find a shot without babies nursing.


Songs, speakers, we signed an email list.

She said this is a beginning, not an end.

I really enjoyed the event.
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