Lifeguard demands mother, 20, stops breastfeeding her son at public swimming pool because she is breaking the ban on food and drink
- Imajica Gilroy was in Jacuzzi at Cambridge's Parkside Pool with son Riley
- Started feeding 19-month-old when he became upset - but was told not to
- She says male member of staff told her not to feed within pool area
- Miss Gilroy, of Cambridge, is now planning a breastfeeding protest at pool
- Pool spokesman says breastfeeding is fine anywhere except in the pools
Imagica Gilroy says staff at Parkside Pool in
Cambridge told her not to breastfeed her son Riley, 19 months, as it was
against the rules
Many mothers have run into opposition when they have breastfed a child in a public place.
But Imajica Gilroy was particularly taken aback when she was told to stop breastfeeding her son at a public swimming pool ... because it broke the ban on food and drink.
The 20-year-old hairdresser said she started feeding nine month-old Riley in the whirlpool bath to calm his nerves on his first visit to the baths.
She said: ‘I noticed I was being watched by a female member of staff. She then told a male colleague who came to me and said, “You are not allowed to feed inside the pool area”.
‘I told them I knew my rights that it was against the law to stop me feeding, and they didn’t say anything else but it made everybody stare at me. I felt annoyed and intimidated.’
Miss Gilroy later posted a complaint on the Facebook page of the Parkside Pool in Cambridge.
She is still unhappy and plans to protest by staging a ‘nurse-in’ opposite the council-owned pool next month.
She said: ‘I’ve had quite a lot of support on Facebook already. Everyone is welcome, even if they’re not feeding.
‘I want to show Parkside Pool that breastfeeding is a wholly natural thing, and women should not feel awkward or segregated while feeding their baby.’
Colin Deans, general manager of Parkside Pool, said: ‘One of our lifeguard team spoke to a customer regarding breastfeeding in the pool which is in line with the training they have been given and our policy where no food or drink is to be consumed in the pool, which applies to customers of all ages.’
Staff at council-run Parkside Pool in Cambridge said they supported breastfeeding anywhere except in the pools
‘We do support breastfeeding at our sites wherever possible. We apologise for any inconvenience this has caused.
The Equality Act 2010 made it illegal to discriminate against a woman for breastfeeding in a public place.
