Apology for pool breastfeed ban

A city council has apologised to a mother who breastfed her baby at a swimming pool and was told it broke a poolside ban on food and drink.

Laura Whotton, 26, from Nottingham, was asked by an employee from the John Carroll Leisure Centre to stop feeding her baby as it was "a public area".

In a letter she was told the practice broke the leisure centre's policy which bans food and drink at the poolside.

Nottingham City Council has since apologised to Ms Whotton.

In a statement, the council said: "The city council actively encourages and supports nursing mothers to breastfeed in all our centres and was one of the first local authorities to provide guidance in support of a mother's right to breastfeed.

"It's not the same as eating a sandwich at the side of the pool, it's feeding a baby"
Laura Whotton, breastfeeding mother

"We have sent Ms Whotton a full apology for any distress and embarrassment she was caused and to help make amends, we have refunded the cost of her family's visit and given the family free passes to the leisure centre.

"We have also reviewed and changed the policy at our leisure centres to make it absolutely clear that someone breastfeeding should not be treated the same as someone who is eating and drinking in the swimming pool areas."

Ms Whotton said she was pleased the council had reviewed its policy but said the whole situation was "ridiculous".

"I thought it [the letter] was ridiculous as it's not the same as eating a sandwich at the side of the pool, it's feeding a baby," she said.

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