breastfeeding and studying on campus

[jessgray]

is it possible?i applied for a corse on campus and the campus does have child care but i dont know if i can get spots for ds1 and 2 there. i breast feed ds2 so how have other studying mums gone about this?

[clarebear1983]

From what i know (some of it from personal experience) you will have to talk to someone within the faculty that you are studying (like a student support officer) or student services (Equity and diversity people) and they will help you decide whats best.

Then you will have to get permission from the individual lecturers and tutorial leaders if you want to take your kid with you to breastfeed. Some lecturers are all for it and some are against it and some have individual "rules" about it (such as leaving the classroom if the child is disruptive).

I tried to organise to keep going with my course this year and breastfeed and it all seemed to be ok until I found out that the only lecturer that would let me do it was a class that i couldnt attend due to other parameters which was annoying. I approached another lecturer about it and she discouraged me from even attempting to study.

I would try and get your children into the on campus childcare centre so you can go there and breastfeed but not have to organise taking a child to class. If you cant do that then perhaps they may provide somewhere for you to express milk and store it???

So give your university a call and ask to talk to someone about your options because every uni and every lecturer is different.

Goodluck with it and i hope you have better luck than what i did!

[jessgray]

thanks i'm still waitying to gear if i got in or not.:thumbsup: i'll call the uni.

[bigglet]

All unis and the like should have parenting rooms so you can breastfeed in private. Just ask the campus and they will direct you to them.

[jessgray]

thanks :D:thumbsup:

[mama2cierra]

last time i took my DD into class with me (im doing a summer semester) she was really gassy and farting all over the shop!! it was quite embarassing, but she was a very good girl and didnt make much noise...just only from her rear end!!!

:laughing:

[aardvark]

I went back to do 3rd year when #1 was 6 weeks old. They had a room on campus where you could make a booking and employ your own babysitter.

I tried mostly to get night classes so that DH could babysit, but when I had to take day classes, I organised a babysitter.

I arrived early enough to give her a good feed before I went to class, left about 60ml of EBM, and fed immediately I came back again.

[moreboys]

hi i took both my ds's to classes with me til they were about 3-4 months old as i was also bf. then i found they became to disruptive (sp?). then left them with mum for the 3 hours as i expressed. none of my lecturer's had a problem i sat the the back for easy exit if they cried often fed before so they just slept through otherwise just fed during class and hung a sheet over my shoulder. also there was a mothers room you could go to so that may be something to lokk into. :thumbsup:

[Shanaynay]

Hi Jess,

I have DD in the Uni daycare and go back between classes to breastfeed her.
When she was a newborn I took her in the lectures with me.

[1+1=5]

hi jess,
i'll be taking ds with me to class until hes old enough for me to feel comfortable with im being away from me. i don't see why they should have aproblem if the bubs is not being disruptive.

[OJandMe]

bubs 3 is due second semester, and I'm definately bringing him/her with me. I took the boys a few times, and they were great. None of my lecturers had a problem with it... and I just went out if they got 'fussy'. There were a lot of other Mums bringing Bubs too... so I'm sure you won't be alone. :)

[jessgray]

:thumbsup: thanks guys. i saw baby change rooms and parent rooms round the place in the admin building aera so i am guessing there is more where you would go do classes. if i get in i'll ask the faculty if its ok to bring ds2 with me into classes otherwise i'll see if i can get him into the oncampus childcare. there's no way i'd take ds1 he's a nosey bugger and likes to steal peoples pens:laughing: :rolleyes: