Mother told to stop breastfeeding baby at public pool

A new mother has been told to stop breastfeeding her baby at a public pool, leaving her shocked by the order and determined to help other women know their rights.

Yolanda Shipley uses breastfeeding to soothe her seven-month-old — a motherly instinct that saw her publicly shamed.

“Somebody came over and told me that I was not allowed to breastfeed her in the water. Being, you know, approached and told that I wasn’t allowed to be doing that, it’s very embarrassing,” Shipley said.

Shipley had all five of her children swimming at Blacktown Leisure Centre in Sydney’s west on Saturday. Leaving the pool to feed would have meant abandoning the other children in the water. She was fully clothed at the time.

“A part of me wanted to push the matter further there and then, but it was my daughter’s sixth birthday and the last thing I wanted to do was upset my daughter,” she said.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Blacktown City Council apologised for any hurt or offence caused to Yolanda. But it stood by the decision to ban breastfeeding from the pool itself, calling it a safety and hygiene issue.

“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,” the council stated.

Yolanda wants other women to know their rights — and the law appears to be on her side.

“As long as you’re not posing any risk to safety, to yourself or to anyone else, you can absolutely refuse that request,” human rights and discrimination lawyer Prabha Nandagopal said.

“You can feed your baby wherever, whenever you want,” Shipley added.