An outraged mother has claimed she was asked to leave a swimming pool and left freezing on the side after she began breastfeeding her toddler in the water.
Natalie Forester was taking part in a baby swim session at the Dimensions Leisure Centre in Stoke-on-Trent when her 18-month-old son, Josiah, began crying around feeding time.
Seeing her son was hungry, the mother-of-three walked further into the pool and away from the group of five other families before turning around to discreetly breastfeed.
But she claims she was approached by the swimming instructor and told to leave the pool as under the centre’s food and drink policy she was not allowed to breastfeed in the water.
Mrs Forester, from Sneyd Green, Stoke, was left angry and confused at what she claims is an ‘outdated’ policy and believes that it goes against the Equality Act of 2010 which states, ‘a business cannot discriminate against mothers who are breastfeeding a child of any age’.
Natalie Forester, 30, was left furious after a swimming instructors asked her to leave the pool for breastfeeding her 18-month-old son Josiah in the water (pictured together)
Mrs Forester was taking part in a baby swim session at the Dimensions Leisure Centre in Stoke-on-Trent. Their policy is to discourage mothers from breastfeeding in the pool to avoid babies vomiting
She said: ‘I have breastfed all my three children and all of them have used the centre for swimming lessons over the years.
‘I know all the staff as I go so often, so I was completely baffled when I was approached and asked to exit the water, I’ve been breastfeeding for the last eight years and never had any comment made to me before.
‘Josiah is a real water baby but on this particular day he really wasn’t happy and didn’t want to join in, I could tell that he was probably hungry and so discreetly took myself away from the group so no one could see.
‘When the instructor asked me to leave the water I was so shocked I just did as I was told. I could feel Josiah was getting cold sat on the edge but by the time we had finished the lesson was over.
‘It takes around three minutes for him to feed and he would have been fine.’
The pool was closed to the public for the baby swimming class which teaches youngster from newborn up to two years of age.
After leaving the council-run swimming pool the 30-year-old mother, who ran a local breastfeeding support group for 18 months, asked to see a copy of their breastfeeding policy, which fell under the food and beverages rules.
But Mrs Forester claims that the policy is at odds with the Equality Act of 2010 which states a mother is protected to feed her baby in a public place without any age restriction
It stated the centre actively encourages mums to breastfeed at the poolside but says it is ‘discouraged’ in swimming pools ‘for the health and comfort of the child and to avoid the risk of the child regurgitating or vomiting in the pool’.
But she claims that the policy is at odds with the Equality Act of 2010 which states a mother is protected to feed her baby in a public place without any age restriction.
Mrs Forester said: ‘The policy is outdated. No matter what age you are, the water has a calming effect and babies thrive on being fed in the water.
She said: ‘If they are worried about cross contamination, breast milk is sterile, and swimming pools are full of more harmful bodily fluids that I would not like to mention’
‘If they are worried about cross contamination, breast milk is sterile, and swimming pools are full of more harmful bodily fluids that I would not like to mention.
‘They told me that it is to stop babies being sick in the water and so I responded by saying that they should not have a cafe alongside the pool.
‘When breastfeeding, babies could need feeding at any time, so to encourage breastfeeding and then not allow that to happen means the policy makes no sense.
‘If that had happened to a first-time mum if could have completely ruined their confidence. I could tell the instructor felt uncomfortable telling me but she was just following the policy.
‘I have received a lot of negative comments since sharing my experience but it just shows how uneducated people are on the subject.’
Councillor Anthony Munday, Stoke-on-Trent City Council cabinet member for greener city, development and leisure, defended the authority’s policy.
He said: ‘We have many areas at our poolside where breastfeeding can take place and actively promote and support this, although we do ask that breastfeeding doesn’t happen in the pool.
‘We take on board the feedback from mums and will do more to work with them to understand their views and consider if this is something that needs to change for the future.
‘We are sorry if this has caused any distress to any of our pool users.’
Mrs Forester breastfed all three of her children and all of them used the centre for swimming lessons. She was ‘baffled’ when staff asked her to leave the pool