Nursing Mothers

[freeatlast]

We are living in an ever changing society and church. In fact both are changing at a very rapid pace. What would have been unheard of or improper several years ago is now considered standard today.
So I would like to hear some thoughts and why or why not on this issue. Is it proper for a mother to nurse her baby in open congregation? By the way the answer is yes this did happen at church. Some of you Pastors join in instead of waiting to see how the flow is going and explain your thoughts and how you would handle this.

 

[NaasPreacher (C4K)]

We are living in an ever changing society and church. In fact both are changing at a very rapid pace. What would have been unheard of or improper several years ago is now considered standard today.
So I would like to hear some thoughts and why or why not on this issue. Is it proper for a mother to nurse her baby in open congregation? By the way the answer is yes this did happen at church. Some of you Pastors join in instead of waiting to see how the flow is going and explain your thoughts and how you would handle this.

As long as the mother is discreet and maintains modesty I have no issue.

 

[Baptist Believer]

As long as the mother is discreet and maintains modesty I have no issue.

Same here.

Most of the time, few people in the congregation even know it's happening.

 

[Salty]

Same here.

Most of the time, few people in the congregation even know it's happening.

Key word is "few"

IMHO, mom should take advantage of the nursery.

 

[Baptist Believer]

Key word is "few"

No, not really.

It's so discreet, few people know it is happening, and those that do are not distracted by it since it is handled modestly. The baby and breast are completely covered.

You seem to have a concern that someone might "know" a child is being breastfed. Why is that a concern?

IMHO, mom should take advantage of the nursery.

It's not An either/or situation.

 

[HAMel]

I used to work in a Military Clinic and on "well-baby days" (one day a month reserved for the newborns) I couldn't believe my eyes. Perhaps one out of a hundred mothers took the time to cover themselves.

I was told that it was natural to breast feed now-a-days so there were no encouragement what-so-ever on the part of the staff to be discrete. Everything was hanging out in the open.

To me, it is normal to relieve yourself several times a day but we certainly don't do that in a public waiting room.

As for church, I've seen many women merely report to the nursery.

You know, that clinic had more deliveries (UPS - FedEx) on WBD's than any other day of the month. I was also amazed at the number of women who had 'em tattooed.

Unbelievable!

 

[HankD]

It's largely a cutural thing.

This part of the anatomy is mentioned 7 times in the Song of Solomon.

Now-a-days mothers can get a nursing tent which goes around mom and completely covers everything while giving baby plenty of breathing room.

HankD

 

[Jerome]

My sister is always talking about something called "Creative Mammaries". I thinks it's like a tupperware party? A consultant teaches women how to do it modestly, etc. and I guess they buy those tents and other apparatus there?

 

[Aaron]

Nurse the baby at home. Sheesh!

 

[menageriekeeper]

Oh, now you've gotten me started!

What would have been unheard of or improper several years ago is now considered standard today.

First off, there is nothing new under the sun and its certainly been heard of why God gave women breasts! My grandmother thought nothing of feeding her babies (all 14 of them!) whenever and wherever they needed it. She did NOT go to another room and most times didn't stop what she was doing. Baby and feeding source worked right along, side by side.

It was only with the advent of baby formula that breastfeeding fell out of favor. Why? Let me answer that question the way my mother answered it: "Only poor people breastfeed their babies. Better people buy formula."

That says it all. It was a class thing. Not even a "what's best for baby" thing, but a "rich person" thing. Afterall, you never heard of Jackie O breastfeeding her babies! It was all about class.

But guess what? It should be all about how God created humans. He gave women breasts that provide milk because He know that human babies do best with human milk. Cow milk is for cow babies!

That's not to say that there isn't a place for formula. There is. There are a number of women, myself included, who can't nurse at all or can only provide part of the nutrition a baby requires. Formula in this case is a good thing.

Can breastfeeding be done discreetly? Absolutely. When I had nurslings I fed wherever I was. Rarely did someone even know what I was doing and when someone did, it was usually a little old lady who had breastfed her own babies.

People say, go to the ladies room to do that! Well you don't eat YOUR meals in a restroom, why should my baby????? You don't eat YOUR meals in seclusion, why should my baby???? Just because you have ideas about the what breasts are for, doesn't mean my baby has to suffer because you can't control your thoughts.

Hamel said, "well baby days were an explosion of uncovered breasts". Well why were you there if you knew you had problems with the sight? A waiting room full of new mothers is naturally going to be full of nursing babies and folks discussing their issues. Avert your eyes and flee from temptation!

Nor does a tatoo contaminate breastmilk. If it wasn't on your wife you had no business complaining or even looking. Find somewhere else to put your eyes.

It isn't the place of the medical community to teach modesty. If you want a breastless waiting area, then get together some women to go volunteer on well baby day to go help out.

OF course WBD's had more deliveries and it wasn't cause the fedex guys wanted to gogle the women, it was because those days the women were given this sample and that sample because the companies that make baby supplies give to clinics in order to be seen as charitable as well as for marketing purposes. I didn't go to a clinic that had WBDs and I got all sorts of stuff handed to me when we went in.

There is nothing dirty or sexual about nursing a baby that should cause a woman to run hide in shame during the act. I'm not going to take the time to set up a tent when I have a squalling baby either. A recieving blanket and clothing made for nursing does well enough.

 

[Crabtownboy]

It's largely a cutural thing.

Yes, it is cultural. Breast feeding is a natural function. It can be done discretely.

I remember reading about various cultures and what part of the body is the most embarrassing to be exposed if you are a woman. In one culture it was the knee. Now in our culture exposing the knee means nothing. So, culture definitely plays a part.

 

[HAMel]

Have you an ax to grind, menageriekeeper?

I was in a Clinic as that was my place of employment. Couldn't hardly walk away. It's normal for men to be moved, if you will, by the sight of a woman's breast.

Some of the women today bare themselves simply because they have "the right". Nothing to do with what Grandma did, but simply because they have "the right" and many were just waiting for someone to say something.

There is a thread started about Fairness & Justice. When the right of one impacts negatively on another..., I mean, come on. Where do you draw the line? If my after shave is offensive to a co-worker I'll take necessary steps to curb the offense. To me, that's just being polite. If 35 women are sitting in a waiting room bare chested it's hard not to notice.

 

[Salty]

Yes, it is cultural. Breast feeding is a natural function. It can be done discretely.

Discretely is the key word. Unfortunately that is often the problem - it is not done discretely.

As Hamel previously said its about "its my right because it is a natural function", and as he said, there is another natural function that if I did in public, not only would I be arrested, but put on the se&ual offenders list.
Wait a minute, if a woman breast feeds her baby in front of a 14 year old boy that is okay, but if a non-mom was to open her blouse the same way - well she would be on the same list as me.....

Come on folks, just listen to Hamel "When the right of one impacts negatively on another..."

Ecc 3:4 tells us "A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;"

Loosely translated, a time and place for everything

Excuse me I have to burp like really, really loud.....:smilewinkgrin:

 

[Baptist Believer]

I used to work in a Military Clinic and on "well-baby days" (one day a month reserved for the newborns) I couldn't believe my eyes. Perhaps one out of a hundred mothers took the time to cover themselves.

Since it is in a medical setting, there’s probably less concern about covering up since most people there are medical personnel and/or women.

I was told that it was natural to breast feed now-a-days…

It’s always been natural, since the beginning.

Formula is a modern invention and is unnatural, but it has it’s place.

…so there were no encouragement what-so-ever on the part of the staff to be discrete. Everything was hanging out in the open.

Well, it is a medical clinic. The clinic exists to care for the human body.

To me, it is normal to relieve yourself several times a day but we certainly don't do that in a public waiting room.

The public waiting room is not designed for that function. You don’t need a special room to nurse.

As for church, I've seen many women merely report to the nursery.

And then they miss out of the activities of Sunday School, worship, or whatever else is going on. Why should we banish them from our presence because they have the audacity to have children and want to provide the best nutrients and immunity for them?

If they want to go to the nursery, fine. If not, that’s fine too as long as they use wisdom. (By the way, in our church, men work in the nursery too (married couples usually work together), so they are not necessarily leaving the company of men.

You know, that clinic had more deliveries (UPS - FedEx) on WBD's than any other day of the month.

As someone who sends and receives packages through FedEx and UPS very frequently, I’ve noticed a funny thing… The pick-ups and deliveries are initiated by people other than the delivery drivers. They don’t get to control their schedule, so it is silly to insinuate that the drivers are somehow coming by to check out women breastfeeding.

Let me just say that I appreciate the female form, including the parts being discussed here, but nursing is not (at least to me) erotic in the least. I wonder if the idea of nursing at church is more provocative than the act itself.

 

[NaasPreacher (C4K)]

There is nothing dirty or sexual about nursing a baby that should cause a woman to run hide in shame during the act. I'm not going to take the time to set up a tent when I have a squalling baby either. A recieving blanket and clothing made for nursing does well enough.

Maybe I am a weirdy amongst men. Maybe it because my wife nursed six kids in all kinds of situations. But I agree 100%. I am a guy, 100%, and I deal with lust like any other man. but the sight of a nursing mother does NOTHING for me in that regard.

Much ado about nothing. Why should a mother 'run and hide' and displace herself just because a baby is hungry. Just be aware of others and maintain modesty and all will be fine.

BTW, my wife never used any fancy stuff either - the right clothing and a receiving blanket was always enough.

 

[annsni]

Oftentimes I've nursed my babies in church. It was less distracting than for me to get up. I never once heard anyone say anything. I always sat in the back of the church, off to the side and used a lightweight blanket to cover baby - plus my clothing covered anything else. I've nursed directly in front of people from start to finish with them never knowing what I was doing so I was pretty good at it. Honestly, a baby has to eat and if it's OK to give them a bottle, it should be fine to breastfeed them as well.

In our church, if a mama needs to feed baby, feed them!

 

[mandym]

We are living in an ever changing society and church. In fact both are changing at a very rapid pace. What would have been unheard of or improper several years ago is now considered standard today.
So I would like to hear some thoughts and why or why not on this issue. Is it proper for a mother to nurse her baby in open congregation? By the way the answer is yes this did happen at church. Some of you Pastors join in instead of waiting to see how the flow is going and explain your thoughts and how you would handle this.

Nope, it is not dirty, sexy or any other adjective. However, doing it in a room where one cannot be seen is not "running and hiding". It is appropriate and needful. There is just no good reason to do that in a room full of people. And honestly I do not understand why one would want to.

 

[Baptist Believer]

Oftentimes I've nursed my babies in church. It was less distracting than for me to get up. I never once heard anyone say anything. I always sat in the back of the church, off to the side and used a lightweight blanket to cover baby - plus my clothing covered anything else. I've nursed directly in front of people from start to finish with them never knowing what I was doing so I was pretty good at it.

Absolutely.

One of my pet peeves in church are people who go in an out of the service to take care of every little thing, like they're at the football game or a movie theater. It's distracting.

I'm guessing that the people who are most concerned about women nursing in church are people who have never known that women are nursing in church. I'm a very observant person and the only way I know that a woman is nursing is when a notice that a baby in the service is suddenly covered.

It's not like the women make an announcement or make a lot of noise in preparation to nurse. It's no more disruptive than reaching for one's Bible and quietly turning to a passage. Furthermore, when a baby needs to eat and is denied, they start crying... and that gets disruptive.

 

[NaasPreacher (C4K)]

Absolutely.

One of my pet peeves in church are people who go in an out of the service to take care of every little thing, like they're at the football game or a movie theater. It's distracting.

I'm guessing that the people who are most concerned about women nursing in church are people who have never known that women are nursing in church. I'm a very observant person and the only way I know that a woman is nursing is when a notice that a baby in the service is suddenly covered.

It's not like the women make an announcement or make a lot of noise in preparation to nurse. It's no more disruptive than reaching for one's Bible and quietly turning to a passage. Furthermore, when a baby needs to eat and is denied, they start crying... and that gets disruptive.

Good balanced view and echoes my sentiments - thanks for posting so clearly

 

[Baptist Believer]

Nope, it is not dirty, sexy or any other adjective. However, doing it in a room where one cannot be seen is not "running and hiding". It is appropriate and needful. There is just no good reason to do that in a room full of people. And honestly I do not understand why one would want to.

Is your concern that a woman nurses in a way where the breasts cannot be seen (I think everyone is for that in church) or that no one comprehend that a woman is nursing her baby?

I can understand why people would not way a woman to expose her breast in church (and I don't think anyone has advocated that), but I don't understand why is would be a scandal for a woman to care for her child by nursing (covered) in a public place.