Danielle Dezort said her treatment by lifeguards as she breastfed at the St. Laurent pool was 'absolutely devastating.' (CBC)

A woman who was asked to cover up while breastfeeding at an Ottawa pool has received an apology from the city.

Dan Chenier, manager of parks and recreation, said asking mothers to cover up is not a City of Ottawa policy, and breastfeeding is allowed at all city facilities, despite Danielle Dezort's experience at St. Laurent pool last week.

Dezort's three-month-old son, Liam, was hungry and became fussy while the two were at the pool watching Liam's older sister take swimming lessons. When Dezort opened her shirt and began feeding him, a young female lifeguard approached her.

"She said, 'You need to cover up — there are children around,'" Dezort recalled.

The other lifeguards took turns staring at her, she said, and she felt humiliated.

"It was absolutely devastating — like this shiver of, 'I've done something wrong' — and shame went through me."

When she got home, she thought about it and concluded she shouldn't have been ashamed.

"This is very natural and should be really supported by the community at large."

Staff reminded of policy

She fired off an angry email to the city's Health Department and her city councillor. She has since received an apology from the city that she has accepted.

Chenier said the lifeguard who asked Dezort to cover up was inexperienced and didn't understand the city policy on breastfeeding.

Following Dezort's complaint, staff have been reminded that breastfeeding is allowed at all city facilities.

"In fact, we welcome it," he said, "and have asked our staff to specifically accommodate parents that have any baby needs — breastfeeding, diapering, all of those things."