Breast feeding in church

[mrsstats]

On Sunday, a woman was breast feeding her baby during service. I found this most uncomfortable and felt she should have taken the baby into the nursery. You can hear the church service from there. What is your opinion on this?

 

[Planogirl]

Should anyone eat during a church service? Other than that I see no problem assuming that she was discreet.

 

[Wish I lived in Fl]

On Sunday, a woman was breast feeding her baby during service. I found this most uncomfortable and felt she should have taken the baby into the nursery. You can hear the church service from there. What is your opinion on this?

I am an ardent supporter of Breastfeeding but church is one place i never did. I guess because I wouldn't think of eating or drinking in church. (Other than the sacraments)

 

[katerkat]

Jesus was breastfed.

I've done it both ways - fed him once in the back of the church, once in the nursery. I go with wherever is easiest - which right now would be the nursery or an unused classroom because he's so very distractable.

 

[Jenn Lynn]

I have done it.

Flame away!

 

[Beth76]

I don't like breastfeeding in public no matter how "discreet" one claims to be. So, of course I would say no to breastfeeding in church as well.

 

[glass-slipper]

It wouldn't bother me. I breastfed in public.

 

[Blondy876]

I've done and and say good for her. Nobody would be questioning feeding a baby in church with a bottle.

 

[djkeenan]

It's a wonderful distraction for a boring sermon!

 

[Lyn5]

I BF both my children, but I do believe in being discrete since others may not feel as comfortable. About two weeks ago, I took DS to soccer pratice and a few of the moms and I were talking. A woman started to BF her 18 month old son, very openly...in front of the dads, 4/5 year old soccer boys and the other moms and kids. If she had been somewhat discrete I wouldn't have minded and I would have been able to carry on the conversation with her. But in this case, well, it was too much. On the otherside I have seen my DSIL do the samething in front of my in-laws and I, but this was at my DMIL's home, so I thought it was o.k.

 

[DVCLiz]

Hmmm, I breastfed (discreetly) in public but there's no way I'd do it in church. But I'd never take a baby into church anyway - mine always went to the nursery or we stayed home.

 

[Bashful2]

I think she should have gone to the nursey. Public breastfeeding makes me uncomfortable.

 

[justhat]

Wouldn't bother me at all, but probably cause I breastfed my daughter in many places till she was about a year. After that age though I thought she was too old to nurse in public (we were weaning anyway) so we limited it to when we were home. Before she was born I thought BF moms should find a private place to nurse, but once I became a BF mom I realized that's not always so convenient and started to nurse her wherever I was. I always wore nursing shirts so you couldn't see anything, and most of the time people didn't even know what I was doing and they'd comment on how cute she was 'sleeping' and touch her head. We were rarely in a church when she needed to be nursed, in fact I think the only time was her christening when she was 6 months old. I planned ahead for that though and pumped and thank gosh I did cause she got hungry during the baptism ceremony and I had to give her the bottle on the altar-now that would have been an awkward place to breastfeed!

 

[luvmydogs]

I never breastfed, but am very supportive of women who do so--in church, in the mall, wherever. I look at it as nothing more than women feeding their babies, and since I bottlefed my ds in church, I'd certainly extend mothers who breastfeed that same courtesy and convenience.

 

[6_Time_Momma]

Allright....who's got the popcorn??? Pass it this way!!

 

[Toby'sFriend]

I have a bag of Okie Dokie Cheese Corn - will that do?




We have about 3 rows in the back of the church that the parents who choose not to use the Nursery use. I suppose somebody back there could be breastfeeding, I've never turned around to look. It really doesn't bother me if they do, keeps the kids quiet.

 

[Peter Pirate]

Breastfeeding in church? OF COURSE NOT! God would surely be embarrassed.

 

[LoveWDW]

I did once. I was on the end of the pews and against a wall, very discreet.

That Christmas my baby, who was 8 months old at the time, was the baby in the live nativity scene in front of the altar on Christmas eve. I remember hoping he wouldn't get hungry then. He got a little fussy. The minister remarked that the fussy-ness was a good lesson to us all that Christ was actually a real baby who fussed and squirmed.

 

[graygables]

Mine wouldn't latch on, so I would actually go out to our van and pump during the service, then give DD the bottle when I came back in. The worst (best?) moment came when I was patting her back during a real snot's piano concert and during a dramatic pause, the little 2 week old darling let out the loudest belch! He was quite unhappy, but we were all

I don't see a problem with it as long as it is discreet, but I do think that it would be appropriate to at least attempt to plan ahead for a visit to the nursery.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

well in Florida.......


Anywho--where they do it doesn't matter. However--after an embarassing experience....I'll be limiting what I do in my church from then on!!! (related to breast feeding--and noone "would have" been the wiser--but alas!!!).

Thankfully the laws are not written for the comfort of others--but more how mom and baby feel. (and no--I'm not talking about those who claim that women let it all out for all to see--nor the women who actually do this...tends to be a very small minority anyway that are actually guilty of this).