Mum left shocked after being told to stop breastfeeding her baby by water park staff

Kat O'Connor

Breastfeeding in public is something mums should be able to do without judgement.

However, there is still a lingering stigma attached to it. One mum had a very disheartening experience while recently breastfeeding her child.

She was visiting Rigby’s Water World with her family when the staff told her she could not feed her 11-month-old son.

“Like I do every visit, I got in the lazy river to nurse him to sleep. He likes motion to sleep so he will also sleep in the lazy river.”

As she was feeding her son, the lifeguard turned to her and said she cannot breastfeed in the lazy river.

She wrote about the ordeal on Facebook.

“I kind of laughed because I thought he was just making a joke in very poor taste. Then he got on the radio and had a lady come and tell me I wasn’t allowed.

“I was trying to pull the baby off but when baby is latched, he’s latched. I asked her if it was posted somewhere and she told me that it was posted in the rules out front so I got out of the lazy river, and I went to read the rules.”

The mum checked the rules and there was nothing about breastfeeding. She then went to the manager, who told her that “it’s as a courtesy to other people that I can’t feed my son”.

The manager then told her food and drink isn’t allowed in the water to which she replied, “So my boobs aren’t allowed in the water?”

“Imagine all the bodily fluids being excreted into the water but they’re worried about breastmilk.

“My breast was out of the water, and the milk was only going into baby’s mouth.”

The mum said what really bothered her was the comment about her making guests uncomfortable.

“I left crying because I was told I couldn’t feed my child which by the way it is against the law to tell a mother they can’t breastfeed their child. But sure let’s worry about offending people by feeding a child.

“Somehow I made people uncomfortable by doing the most natural thing I could do for my child, while just trying to let him nap.

“I’m just so upset and appalled and wanted to give a heads up to all the other moms out there that this is how breastfeeding moms are treated at Rigby’s Water World.”

The heartbroken parent said she is devastated following the incident. She wanted to remind other mums that breastfeeding in public is normal. And it is also something that should be encouraged.