A furious mother is suing her local leisure centre for allegedly preventing her from breastfeeding her baby in a swimming pool.
Abbie Stocker, 27, rowed with staff at the
Pendle Wavelengths pool in Nelson, Lancashire, when she fed her
eight-month son Eric in the water while the wave machine was on.
She reportedly declined the offer of using a
chair and later decided to take legal action for £20,000 against the
swimming baths. She claimed the incident had not been handled in a
positive way.
Speaking
to the Sun, a source said a lifeguard had suggested the mother might be
more comfortable sitting in a chair because the wave machine can be
quite powerful.
“The staff member thought the baby may become upset and was only trying to help,” they said.
One
anonymous member of the leisure facility said breastfeeding in the pool
could be a health risk, adding: “If the baby had been sick, the pool
would have had to be closed, drained and it would have been shut for
days”.
The centre is run by Pendle Leisure Trust, which confirmed to the newspaper that they were facing legal action.
It is the second time Ms Stocker has
complained about her treatment when breastfeeding her children. Two
years ago Burnley General Hospital apologised for suggesting that she
breastfed in a private room rather than in the waiting area.
According to the Equality Act 2010 it is unlawful for any business to discriminate against a woman because she is breastfeeding a child.
In 2014, mothers protested outside Claridge’s hotel in central London after a woman was told to cover herself up with a large napkin while breastfeeding at the five-star establishment.
Lou Burns was given the napkin by staff when she fed her baby while having afternoon tea with her family.
Post a Comment