Mom Forced Out Of Church For Breastfeeding

[apple1]

During church I always went into the nursery to breastfeed, they had comfy rocking chairs in there just for that purpose. The also had speakers so you didn't have to miss the sermon, if that was important to you.

It's strange to me that the church in the article didn't have a place to nurse besides the bathroom. Every church I have ever been to has had somewhere you could sit in a nice environment and nurse your baby.

I also have never been in a church (even very small churches) that did not have a similar place for moms to BF.

[Third]

Why should the church have to find a place for her to nurse why should nursing mothers be banished to another room if they are comfortable nursing where they are?

Even a nice room if you are expected to leave it can feel like you are being banished.The nursing room at my church had bad speakers and they kept the heat at 50 in the room because I was the only one to use it. So I stopped using it and still got flack for nursing in the NURSEry.

When I first read about this it was said they told her a man with a former porn addiction was stumbling because of her. She suggested a accountability partner\help for the man in question and then it turned out they lied or they didn't actually have a member with a porn problem it was just an example of the 'problems' with NIP. They also told her her milk was inadequate apparently the Pastor's wife has a gift for knowing these things.

[HijabiLady]

You know, this is amazing. I have nursed my daughter in a MOSQUE while listening to the huktbah (sermon.) Granted there is a separate section for women and men so the only other eyes were small children and females but still....not one word or look directed at me.

[mnb357]

Shortly after my daughter was born, I was nursing her, (discretely) in church during the Eucharist. The chalice bearer (female) noticed, mentioned it to the priest, and they brought communion to me in the pew. And THAT is just one of the many reasons I LOVE my church.

[Dinaberries]

Why should the church have to find a place for her to nurse why should nursing mothers be banished to another room if they are comfortable nursing where they are?

Even a nice room if you are expected to leave it can feel like you are being banished.The nursing room at my church had bad speakers and they kept the heat at 50 in the room because I was the only one to use it. So I stopped using it and still got flack for nursing in the NURSEry.

When I first read about this it was said they told her a man with a former porn addiction was stumbling because of her. She suggested a accountability partner\help for the man in question and then it turned out they lied or they didn't actually have a member with a porn problem it was just an example of the 'problems' with NIP. They also told her her milk was inadequate apparently the Pastor's wife has a gift for knowing these things.

Wow, the people at that church are real pieces of work. It makes me so angry that this woman was treated this way. Here she was, going to church, and providing her child with breastmilk, and she's being attacked for it. I have a two-month old baby, and I have learned how pressing the need to feed a hungry baby is, so I can really emphasize with her.

I agree that even going to a nursing room can make you feel like you're being banished. My baby hates having his face covered, so I don't do it, and he also doesn't have a very strong latch, and he's fussy about his positioning, so he feeds best when I can see him and he can see me. If we're in public, I will go to a nursing room because I know that people can be nasty and prudish about a breastfeeding mother (especially if she isn't using anything to cover). But if I'm at home or around friends, I will usually breastfeed where everybody is (except when we're around people who are extremely conservative, and then I'll go into another room). I'll just announce that I'm going to feed my baby, and I usually will go to a more quiet area of the room and feed him. I really don't care if people see, but most people just look away. I like it that way, because I can still carry on conversations with our friends/family and be social. I've even breastfed my son in the same room with my father in law, while having a conversation with said father in law. He just sat in a chair with his back to me. When I have to go and hide away in a room, I feel pretty lonely and I think that my baby and I both don't enjoy it as much. I really don't know what the fuss is, because breastfeeding is using your breasts in their most natural way, and there really is absolutely nothing sexual about that. But then, I've always had a pretty open attitude about nudity, and I don't see nudity as inherently sexual anyway.

Shortly after my daughter was born, I was nursing her, (discretely) in church during the Eucharist. The chalice bearer (female) noticed, mentioned it to the priest, and they brought communion to me in the pew. And THAT is just one of the many reasons I LOVE my church.

Your church sounds wonderful! That's the way to make people feel welcome and encourage families to feel at home.

[DistantStar]

I simply can't wrap my mind around the idea of feeding a hungry baby being somehow an indecent thing to do.

[Feberin]

Why should the church have to find a place for her to nurse why should nursing mothers be banished to another room if they are comfortable nursing where they are?

Even a nice room if you are expected to leave it can feel like you are being banished.

This! I always whenever possible fed my son wherever we happened to be when he got hungry. I used a cover when he was really little and was less sure about my ability to be discreet but stopped after he got older and hated the cover and I was a nursing pro at that point anyways. I nursed him for 19 months and know I wouldn't have lasted that long if every time he wanted to nurse I had to be banished to a back room alone. The only exceptions were in crazy crowded places like a mall when I really appriciated nursing rooms since otherwise he'd be too distracted to have a good feeding. But if the nursing room was in use (once by some people with older kids that were just sitting there talking while their kids were playing) I'd find a bench and nurse. I nursed him in various Catholic churches (like five churches) and never had problem. Only thing I ever heard was how quiet he was during mass (of course he was he had a boob in his mouth). I even nursed while going up for communion once when he was an itty bitty baby and couldn't wait.

After a year I almost never nursed in public though since he only nursed in the morning, before nap and bedtime. I was also scared nursing a toddler and the reaction people have to extrended breastfeeding.

[genericJname]

Why should the church have to find a place for her to nurse why should nursing mothers be banished to another room if they are comfortable nursing where they are?

I totally agree. A cry room might be nice if that helps a particular family be more comfortable, but it seems pretty ridiculous that there is an expectation not to nurse in the service.

[snarkbillie]

At work the other day a woman asked me where she could nurse. I said "anywhere you want" but then she kinda looked at me funny and I realized she already knew that but was looking for a nursing room. I directed her to our nursing area but on the way walking with her I explained that I forget it's over there because we really don't care if you nurse anywhere in the building.

[CelticGoddess]

I nursed at the communion rail once. My pastor just gave me communion and kept going. He didn't bat an eye. I also nursed in the pews. No one could see anything but they knew what I was doing. I guess I just went to a very liberal church. I think it's ridiculous that a church, which you'd think would be family friendly, would pull this shit.

[Witsec7]

When I worked for the state of Boregonia we had nursing rooms at the capitol. These were used by new mothers to express milk and not open to the public.

I worked for a progressive company when my DD was born and she came to work with me. I nursed her in my office. I always resent the folks who think women should nurse in the restroom. I mean really, would you like to eat your dinner in a room where someone was taking a crap?

[ilovetchotchkes]

I'd always nurse my son at shul, but we sat in the back row. And when he got wild and pinchy and flail-ey we stopped nursing in public pretty much.

I've also nursed him on the women's side at an Orthodox shul.

[Mokek Kwe]

Wow, time to find a new church! How ridiculous. I'd organize a nurse-in, complete with passed-out picket signs with different pictures depicted Mary nursing baby/toddler Jesus. Before I found another church.

[3 is enough]

When I had my two oldest baptized at a Catholic church, they had a rocking chair near the altar, and the deacon told me to feel free to use it if the baby got fussy or if she/he needed to be fed. They even had a shawl draped over the chair for me to use.

[Third]

I stopped nursing my son in public around 15 months or so. When he was 6 weeks old someone gave me shit even if I was covered with this huge blanket. After that I decided why bother - making us both uncomfortable and hot when people will still complain. After that I did nursing tank under a tee...the tee covered the top and the tank covered my belly etc. I kept a blanket handy to cover myself if he popped off. Most people didn't know what I was doing until they'd come to pet the head of the sleeping baby!

[2xx1xy1JD]

I'd walk out of a place of worship and never come back if they pulled that on me.

We choose synagogues by how baby-friendly they are. My old Orthodox synagogue was very hippie-ish. We'd be breastfeeding in the pews of the women's section all the time.

[SealFan1963]

Why should the church have to find a place for her to nurse why should nursing mothers be banished to another room if they are comfortable nursing where they are?

Even a nice room if you are expected to leave it can feel like you are being banished.The nursing room at my church had bad speakers and they kept the heat at 50 in the room because I was the only one to use it. So I stopped using it and still got flack for nursing in the NURSEry.

When I first read about this it was said they told her a man with a former porn addiction was stumbling because of her. She suggested a accountability partner\help for the man in question and then it turned out they lied or they didn't actually have a member with a porn problem it was just an example of the 'problems' with NIP. They also told her her milk was inadequate apparently the Pastor's wife has a gift for knowing these things.

The church in the article reminds me of the church we attended when my son was very young and at our first visit as I walked into the sanctuary with my son in my arms one of the members pointed out that they have a very nice nursery where all babies could stay - um no. Needless to say we didn't stay at that church very long.

At our other church you could nurse where you wanted, but I always went into the nursery because my daughter was not a very discreet breast feeder, especially as she got older. She hated to have her head covered and would often take breaks from feeding to look around, and I didn't feel comfortable sitting in the middle of church with my boob hanging out.

We also had a lot of nursing mothers, so you were rarely alone in the nursery and had lots of other moms for company.

I don't understand why a church would be so against breastfeeding, do they think Jesus was bottle fed?

[celestial]

OMG, that Tumblr is cracking my shit up! And the nipple beanie! :lol:

But seriously, that church is lame and needs to get over itself. Since that clearly isn't happening, I hope she's found another church to call home.

[OnceModestTwiceShy]

I wonder how the people who insist that you cover up the nursing baby with a blanket would enjoy eating with a towel over their face.

[JemimaPuddle-Duck]

That is so disappointing to me that her church behaved that way. I remember when we first moved up here, the first thing that I loved about our church was the three nursing moms in the service. I felt so comfortable which was a huge difference from where I had come from down south. And I am one of those nursing with no cover, though I do wear a cami underneath my shirt b/c I don't like tummy chub hanging out for all the world to see. There is a nursery downstairs and I know some women feel more comfortable not nursing in the sanctuary, but no one should HAVE to leave the sanctuary, it's completely ridiculous.

[MrsKay]

That tumblr is killing me!

"The Duggar Family: Renaissance Edition"

http://uglyrenaissancebabies.tumblr.com/post/13599008790/le-christ-benissant-les-enfants-the-duggar

[JesusFightClub]

The babies are doing gang signs??? :D

[LastChance]

One of the top things on my list of an acceptable church was that nobody cared if I nursed in the service. At the church we go to the only times anyone has even noticed has been if they've come up to talk to me and try to touch the baby's head (and even then some don't notice, I've been nursing so long I'm pretty good at being totally descrete) and nothing negative has been said ever, its only ever been oh didn't realize you were nursing let me get my hand out of your space type comments.

I appreciate places with nursing. Mothers rooms for when a baby is at that age when they get distracted by everything but I see them as more a nic thing for people who feel like using them because it makes their life easier, not as something one should be expected to use

[ChickeyMonkey]

The babies are doing gang signs??? :D

"WESS-SI-EED!" :lol:

[apple1]

I appreciate places with nursing. Mothers rooms for when a baby is at that age when they get distracted by everything but I see them as more a nic thing for people who feel like using them because it makes their life easier, not as something one should be expected to use

This is what I think.