A new mom in London has been forced to fight for her right to breastfeed her newborn baby after returning to classes at the prestigious Central Saint Martins art school, part of the University of the Arts London. Prior to giving birth, Jasmijn Toffano, 29, was told that she would be allowed to bring her baby to class with her, but just days before her return, the school reversed that decision.
Now, Jasmijn is on a mission to get universities throughout the city to commit to providing spaces for mothers to care for their babies on or near campus, according to The Guardian. She is in talks with the school in the hopes of coming up with a resolution, but if Central Saint Martins does not allow her to nurse her baby while on campus, Jasmijn fears she will have to give up breastfeeding altogether.
The new mother is faced with an impossible decision.
Central Saint Martins is an incredibly prestigious school, where the likes of Stella McCartney, John Galliano, and Alexander McQueen studied. It's quite significant for Jasmijn to be studying there.
If Jasmijn's daughter is not allowed on campus with her, she's faced with having to choose to either quit school or hire a nanny, because the baby is just 2 months old so not old enough to go to a nursery.
"I need to breastfeed only for a few months until my daughter can join the nursery full-time. So it would be pointless to take a whole year off just for a few months," Jasmijn wrote on Change.org.
The university claims it's a safety issue because of the equipment used on campus.
"Currently, our health and safety policy and insurances do not allow infants or children on campus except for short exceptional visits. This means that the university isn’t able to facilitate access for children and babies on a regular basis as we cannot guarantee their safety," the university noted in a statement, according to The Guardian.
"We have apologised to Ms Toffano for the conflicting information she received in the first instance and the time it took for her to gain clarity on the matter," the statement continued. The school also said it has offered Jasmijn a private room where she can pump and store breast milk.
"Our priority is to ensure Ms Toffano can complete her course and we are in touch with her to discuss what adjustments can be made to support her," the statement asserted.
She hopes to 'make a change.'
"What I would like to see in the future is that students who have children do not have to drop out of university because of the lack of support … I believe we can make a change, and it’s not impossible," Jasmijn told The Guardian.
"I went through this situation in the 1980s, heartbreaking to think that you are facing this challenge now. Wish you the best of luck with changing things for the better," Karen Westcott commented on Change.org.
Jasmijn and her husband have offered up possible solutions.
Jasmijn and Riccardo Mangiapelo have suggested that a long-term solution would be for universities and other institutions of higher education to either create on-campus nurseries or work with nearby child care facilities to offer affordable child care options.
"This should be a standard for all universities and should be supported by the government to help universities and students and staff cover the costs," Jasmijn said.
Jasmijn has launched a petition in support of new moms and their babies.
In addition to communicating directly with the school, she has created a petition on Change.org, asking supporters to sign to help "stop the ongoing unfairness," "push the University into deciding on this matter"
"support new moms' breastfeeding rights," and "not have to force mums to choose between career and family." At this time, the petition has just 47 signatures.
