London Olympics: Breastfed newborns need to have tickets?

The organizers of the London Olympics caused a big controversy after breastfeeding mothers found out that their babies would need their own full-price tickets for some of the games. Some of these moms, complaining on the popular forum for British mothers mumsnet.com, bought tickets before they even found out they were pregnant! The London Olympic organizing committee (LOCOG) is trying to appease angry moms only after they and the internet were flooded with complaints.

Some moms, who telephoned the ticket office to inquire about the rules for their breastfed infants, were told that they could resell their ticket or get an additional ticket for their babies (if, that is, tickets were still available). According to the rules, infants will need to have a ticket to gain entrance into the relevant venue, even if they are too little to even sit, and thus to take up space.

After all the complaints, including voices that said "forcing" postpartum mothers to pay for in-arms babies constitutes a human rights violation, the LOCOG has stated that it wants families with young children to come to the games... and a spokesperson has mentioned a new ticketing policy:"We want families and young people to come and enjoy the Games, which is why we created Pay Your Age tickets at a third of sessions.

Of course, we understand that some new mums may want to take their babies to events they have tickets to and we will look at what we can do when the remaining tickets go on sale in April. "Interesting turnaround, isn't it? Of course, as a former nursing mom, I feel solidarity with the moms who were told they'd need to pay double the price they were intending to, just to bring in their infants who don't take up any space at all.

The policy is silly, and ill-thought out. But it's hardly a crime (or a human rights violation), either. After all, the LOCOG people didn't say babies couldn't come in, they just required tickets. Which may or may not happen in other venues as well. I didn't really see this as discrimination against breastfeeding mothers... more as ignorance; ignorance that will hopefully be corrected now that it has been brought to the organizer's attention. By the way, when the Olympic Games first started up, women weren't allowed in at all (and all the participants were naked). The world has changed a little, since that time.