Breast feeding in church

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I'm sure she was not saying that Jesus would take any offense. I swear, some people on here are just so rude. It's offensive to some that a mother would whip out her breast and start breast-feeding right there. I think of my body as something that should not be slung out and shown to the world. I don't mind people breast-feeding if it's all covered by a towel over the shoulder or something. Why deny people their right to be comfortable? If this is how some feel about it, they have their reasons?? I think it's crazy that people breast-feed up to a year or two old. It shocks me.

Oh good grief--it was a joke--ha ha--funny funny...and yet TRUE! It's called sarcasm to lighten the mood b/c regardless of location and discretion--it always turns into a debate of how some are just heebed by the idea and those who don't have a problem with it (along with whatever thing that helps them not have a problem with it).

It's a no win--but I'm glad the law lets nursing mom in all 50 states have rights to decide for themselves what they want to do.

 

[yeartolate]

Jesus comes down from the heavens and comes to your church. Jesus sees a woman breast feeding her child and a parishioner looking at disgust at the breastfeeding child/mom....who do you think he is gonna have a problem with?

 

[Marseeya]

Isn't it amazing how it is perfectly fine to fo around with your jeans down to your bikini line, and a shirt exposing all that is possible, but feeding a baby makes people uncomfortable? It seems pretty silly to me. If you don't want to see something, simply turn away.

I just don't get how a breast is so offensive when it's being used for its natural purpose, yet we see more revealing cleavage than that every day and it's perfectly fine.

Why are people threatened by something so natural and beautiful?

 

[leighe]

I personally will not BF in church but I would also try to avoid bottle feeding as well. But I am one of those mean people who thinks babies should be in the nursery during church anyway.

 

[msdznyduck]

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.

My feelings exactly.

 

[Kermit]

I personally will not BF in church but I would also try to avoid bottle feeding as well. But I am one of those mean people who thinks babies should be in the nursery during church anyway.

I think this should be the biggest issue. In some churches, it's not expected that people will have babies in the service. We don't like to put our babies in the nursery, so we intentionally picked a church where it isn't expected. If a baby is welcome in the service, then there shouldn't be an issue with nursing that baby.

I don't even see the point about talking about how much women normally reveal with their clothes. The OP didn't mention the woman flashing anybody as she nursed, so I'm assuming she didn't. Most women who nurse their babies in public do so without allowing people to see anything that isn't showing when they're not nursing. Nursing without exposing your breast isn't hard. I worry more about exposing my tummy.

 

[In a hurry]

I worry more about exposing my tummy.

I would risk exposing my breast over my tummy any day of the week, having just delivered baby #2 at 43! I don't remember my tummy looking this way 6 years ago!

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Only if served in the bakery of a grocery store.

Maybe we should discuss breastfeeding at the grocery store...

 

[WDWMom]

Not a problem. I BF both my boys in church and so no problems with it. I was discreet and kept a blanket over me. I thought it was less of a distraction than getting up in the middle of mass and walking out.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

You know, I hear all the stories about the non-discrete breastfeeders, and I have to admit I've just never seen one. And I'm in the Northwest which is pretty liberal about it.

I'm from the Northwest and I can't say I recall a person who was not discreet there. Maybe since I didn't have children when living there I just didn't notice.

Most people who I see in public are discreet, but I have seen some that totally unbutton a shirt, pull it open, unlatch their bra, and nurse away. That's fine in their home, but not in public. The only time someone would have gotten a flash of skin with me was if the baby suddenly let go to look around--that's hard to anticipate.

Normally, I wore a nursing bra, lifted my shirt up from the bottom, making a tent around the baby. The baby covered my belly, so no skin showing there. Latching on too a little practice, but it wasn't hard to do without showing no skin. But for some people just the thought of someone "doing that" is what they have a problem with.

I think that the only reason to not allow someone to nurse a baby in public would be that it would also be inappropriate to give the baby a bottle in that location. I think it's disgusting to spend anymore time in a restroom than need be, with all the possible germs there (and I'm talking more than just cold virus germs...). So that's the last place I would expect to see a nursing mom.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

RYAN840---I never said anything about wishing mothers would use formula. Don't put words into my mouth. I think breast-feeding is important.

If you are shocked that a mom would breastfeed even until 1yo, then you are saying that they should be using formula.

There is no magic age that a child should be weaned. It's personal between the baby and the mom and I would be the last to judge. Most of my kids weaned at around 1 1/2 years old (3 of them), but one at 2 1/2.

 

[Ranatra]

I have no problem with a mother feeding her baby anywhere.
I nursed all 3 of mine until 12 months of age, and yes, even in church very quietly and discretely.

I'll never understand why anyone would be offended by a mother simply feeding her baby.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I will always feel the immediate needs of the child trump the comfort of the person who can easy look away if they cannot 'turn that off'.

And if they truly can't "turn it off" then why would he REALLY mind catching a glimpse.

 

[hugsquared]

I just don't get how a breast is so offensive when it's being used for its natural purpose, yet we see more revealing cleavage than that every day and it's perfectly fine.

Why are people threatened by something so natural and beautiful?

But don't you get that your statement is exactly what the problem is? We have breasts thrust in our face every day from every angle screaming "look at me, I'm sexy, sexy, sexy" and in 2 minutes we're supposed to go from that to the same breast being used for nourishment. Humans just aren't designed to switch gears that easily. I still say there is absolutely nothing wrong with breast feeding your child. Its your right, and great for them. But if we as a society continue to put the sexual emphasis on the breast that we currently do, it will always make lots of people uncomfortable. Maybe that is their problem. And for those who say look away, well, the offense has already happened by the time you know to look away. Again, I'm trying to see all sides of this. Where do one persons rights stop and another begins? Its a question that will be around for ever with out a doubt. I would never really think twice about seeing a mother discreetly feed her infant, but along with seeing entirely exposed breasts while others BF, I have also sat in on a job interview where this womans 4 yo son (who had been playing in the waiting room right outside my office) ran in, pulled up moms shirt, took out her breast and went to town. Now at 4, you're no longer giving nourishment or providing immunity. Its a problem when the child can over and do it all himself without moms assistance. Again, yes, BF is natural, but so is throwing up, peeing and lots of other things that I chose to do in private. There is a fine line and while some folks know where that line it, many do not and are more thrilled to be making a statement of "I can do this and there is nothing you can do about it". Again, JMHO.

 

[tobias sampson]

So, because society is screwed up, a baby shouldn't be allowed to eat when necessary? It is about babies eating, not others being offended by a breast, IMO. By the way, babies pee and pooh in public all of the time too. Those are natural behaviors for infants wherever the need occurs. It isn't about the adults, it is about meeting a child's needs.

 

[hugsquared]

So, because society is screwed up, a baby shouldn't be allowed to eat when necessary? It is about babies eating, not others being offended by a breast, IMO. By the way, babies pee and pooh in public all of the time too. Those are natural behaviors for infants wherever the need occurs. It isn't about the adults, it is about meeting a child's needs.

Good, so we disagree. No biggie. I have my thoughts and you have yours. Makes this earth a wonderful place doesn't it?

 

[Toby'sFriend]

Maybe that is their problem.

yep, pretty much

Where do one persons rights stop and another begins?

Where exactly is it written ANYWHERE legal that a person has a right not to be uncomfortable at the sight of another person?

I have relatives that are "offended" at the sight of interracial couples. Should all those couples be obligated to not walk around holding hands while my relatives are around to see it?

same difference

But in this instance, in nearly every state in this nation a Mother and Child have the legal right to breastfeed in Public.

If anybody is "offended" by that then I think they are just gonna have to learn to deal with it.

 

[DisneyPhD]

Now, if it were my first son, I would have never even gone to church for fear that this would happen and be scared that someone would be mad at me. He wouldnt take a bottle and ate very frequently. But now, if I had a baby and it were hungry, I probably would feed them in church.

Unfortunately, I wasn't met with alot of support on my decision to bf my first son, and I was really a nervous mom because of it. We stayed home for much of his first 6 months, and even limited outings for the first year, as I didnt want to 'offend' anyone. I was the first one of our friends to become pregnant and bf. My mother never bf, so she was skeptical of the whole idea.

Many of our friends have now had their first children, and have chosen to bf as well. It is so funny how self consious of it I was, now that I see them do it all the time, and dont even realize what they are doing! All of the guys that were nervous and twitchy and didnt know where to look during a conversation 2 years ago are now fine with being in the same room. I was eating with a friend a few weeks ago, and we went to pay and leave, and I said "dont you need to feed isabel before we leave' and she said 'I just did like 5 minutes ago". We were talking and I didnt even notice! It really isnt noticable at all in most cases, it just looks like cradling a baby. Before I bf ds, I would NEVER see anyone doing it in public, now I see them all the time, just because I did it and now I know what to 'look for'. I have seen many people bf now, and I dont think I have even gotten a really vivid 'shot' of the mom, with the only exception being visiting my very best friends in the hospital with their newborns as they were learning to latch on.

I am so looking forward to having another child and being a mom for the second time around. Now I realize that I dont owe anyone an apology for feeding my child, and I hope to be able to get out and enjoy my baby in public a little more and be able to feed them without stressing out so much.

Really, we are just moms, trying to give our babies what they need. Give us a little support please. For every mom who has the strength to feed their child in a public place, there is another mom at home, missing church, for fear of being judged.

wow, thank you for sharing that post. That is such a good point that I think people who judge bf moms need to hear. Good for you for feeling more secure about it it now. I wish it had been easier the 1st time. Both my DH and my parents are very suportive of breast feeding and that has helped me emensily.

My oldest DD was nursed until she ws 27 months old. after around 18 months it was very rarely in puplic (emegrancys only) and the rule was you had to be in yor pj (so morning and night) She was too distracted to feed in puplic other wises and mostly I could give her something else instead (there was the one time we were at the hosptial, no food, hurt baby..... another story.)

Now I am breastfeeding an almost 14 month old and I get questions about it all the time. (not so much in puplic.) but because she has food allergies and for be to be able to breast feed her I can't have any milk or eggs. Most people can't belive I would be that commited to it. But for me it is a no brainer. The benifits are worth the sacrafice any day.

 

[Oh Kay!]

Jesus comes down from the heavens and comes to your church. Jesus sees a woman breast feeding her child and a parishioner looking at disgust at the breastfeeding child/mom....who do you think he is gonna have a problem with?

AMEN!

 

[staci]

Jesus comes down from the heavens and comes to your church. Jesus sees a woman breast feeding her child and a parishioner looking at disgust at the breastfeeding child/mom....who do you think he is gonna have a problem with?