A Sydney mother has hit back after being asked to remove herself from a baby pool at a council leisure center due to the fact she was breastfeeding.
Yolanda Shipley’s six-year-old daughter begged to go to the pool for her birthday and so the 32-year-old took her family to Blacktown Leisure Centre Stanhope Gardens.
“I had decided I didn’t want to go into the water because I have body confidence issues so I was standing there, watching the kids play, and they were begging me to come in,” Shipley told news.com.au.
“So I decided to swallow my pride and jump into the baby pool with them.”
Shipley’s seven-month-old started to get hungry so the mom, who also had her four-year-old daughter in tow and was trying to keep the child within arm’s distance, sat in the shallow water with nothing but her legs in the pool to feed her infant.
The mother of five noticed a lifeguard looking at her from across the pool but she knew she had every right to be doing what she was doing.
In Australia, it is illegal to discriminate against a person directly or indirectly on the grounds of breastfeeding under the Sex Discrimination Act 1984. This means, for instance, a woman can’t be asked to leave a cafe if she’s breastfeeding. The Australian Breastfeeding Association’s website also states that breast milk does not pose any issues to swimmers.
“The Australian Breastfeeding Association supports breastfeeding at swimming pools, as breastmilk does not pose a risk to other swimmers in chlorinated pools. Australian law protects a mother’s right to breastfeed in public, including at swimming pools, ensuring mothers can feed respectfully, comfortably and confidently, a spokesperson from the Australian Breastfeeding Association said.
“ABA’s Breastfeeding Welcome Here program was relaunched as Breastfeeding is Welcome Everywhere in 2023. ABA is pleased to be working with Blacktown Leisure Centre to achieve Breastfeeding is Welcome Everywhere recognition.”
Businesses are able to have rules on appropriate conduct inside the venue however these rules must be reflective of legislation.
“But sure enough, the lifeguard came over to me and said I had to get out of the pool because I wasn’t allowed to feed in the pool,” she said.
“When I asked why, their reason was in case my milk goes into the pool or in case my daughter vomits in the pool.”
She tried to assert it was discrimination.
“They were like, ‘That’s just our policy. Sorry, but you’re going to have to get out of the pool and feed your baby somewhere else’,” she said.
The group decided to pack up and leave the leisure center, with Shipley feeling “embarrassed”.
Shipley decided to go home and research if she was in the right and after feeling secure that she hadn’t done anything wrong, she called the leisure center directly, which is operated by Blacktown City Council, to speak to them about the policy.
“I spoke to the duty manager and told her what had happened and said I just want to be more aware of your policies and what’s the deal,” she said.
“She said that’s just our policy, you’re not allowed to feed in the water due to risk of contamination. I tried to educate her and told her all of the information that I had read.
“She did not want to hear it. She kept talking over me and dismissing me. She said if I don’t like it, I could send an email and somebody might get back to me.”
Shipley said that breast milk is not a biohazard and it posed no threat to anyone in the pool, adding that nursing mothers often “leak” anyway and so there was likely already breast milk in the pool.
A council spokesperson responded to Shipley’s complaint when contacted by news.com.au about the incident.
“Blacktown City Council acknowledges a customer has raised concerns about an interaction with a staff member at Blacktown Leisure Centre, Stanhope,” the spokesperson told news.com.au.
“Staff saw the mother breastfeeding while sitting in the pool. She was not asked to stop breastfeeding, only to step out of the water for safety and hygiene reasons. When she sat on the pool edge instead, staff again asked her to move a little further back to help keep the pool clean and safe for everyone.
“Council is sorry for any inconvenience or offence caused, but our staff are required to ensure the health and safety of all patrons. Breastfeeding while in a pool can create risks, as a baby could slip from a parent’s arms, swallow pool water, or vomit milk into the water.
“Council encourages parents to keep children within arm’s reach while in the water, but feeding a baby in a pool presents a different kind of risk. We understand the mother was also supervising another child in the pool. However, feeding a baby while sitting in or at the edge of the water presents different safety concerns that staff are trained to address. This wasn’t about supervision; it was about maintaining safety and hygiene for everyone.”
The spokesperson continued: “Our staff acted responsibly and with genuine care for everyone’s safety, comfort and wellbeing.
“Blacktown City Council is proud to be part of the Australian Breastfeeding Association’s Breastfeeding Welcome Here program, and there is no policy restricting breastfeeding in any of our centres.”
Shipley argued her baby would have been in more danger if she was walking around the pool, trying to supervise her other children, while breastfeeding.
“It’s been a lot and it’s been really upsetting that I’ve had to go through this. I’ve read stories of other mothers going through this in the past and I just don’t want anybody else to go through this or feel the way I did ever again,” she said.
The mother-of-five said something like this happening to her had always been her “biggest fear”. She said she is yet to hear from council directly, but she’s also launched a complaint with the anti discrimination board.
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