nursing at church?

[Katigre]

The women who started La Leche League were all Catholic. The church supports breastfeeding and nursing during church. There is beautiful imagery in the Bible about God as a nursing mother nourishing and comforting his children. There are also numerous verses about nursing babies being present at assembies of Jewish worship. Heck, look at all the gorgeous Madonna & Child art from the middle ages that show Mary nursing with an exposed breast.

I have nursed both my kids everywhere since they were a few days old - it is so much easier to not worry about packing a bottle or scheduling when they could eat.

Nursing is not something that needs to be hidden or worked around. Use a cover if it helps you feel more comfortable - I used them a lot when my babies were newborns and before they could nurse discreetly without a cover (and I practiced in front of a mirror before going in public without a cover to make sure nothing showed).

I would absolutely nurse in the cry room - doesn't matter who is in there, that room is designed for babies and children and meeting their needs. If you wouldn't feel embarrassed to feed a baby a bottle in there, then you shouldn't be embarrassed to breastfeed in there - babies are noisy when drinking bottles too, and a bottle is an artificial nipple meant to replicate the breast (i think of them as breast dildo's ).

I personally would feel comfortable nursing during Mass - I nursed during church in the sanctuary when my daughter was a newborn. But once she got older and noiser I would go to the back to feed her instead.

[Katigre]

Here's an article by a Catholic mom about nursing at mass: Why I nurse at the Mall...and at Mass and some paintings of Jesus nursing

[maestramommy]

I'm not catholic, but I've nursed my kid during service any number of times. I usually sit towards the back, so as not to distract other worshippers (with a fussing baby), but no one has ever noticed, or given any indication that they've noticed. I've seen babies bottle fed during service as well.

[ahrimie]

Is there a nursery? Our cry room turned into the sound room when I had DD so occassionally I sat in the back of that room--I also knew the people manning the sound so it wasn't weird for me. After, they established the nursery and had a live feed on tv there, so I stayed in there for the months I BF'ed.

[elephantmeg]

I'd say nurse away and leave DH in the service if NIP makes him nervous! My DH got over it. I would also say to ask around-most churches have a nursery or a place to nurse. Congrats and it gets sooooooo much easier!

[AnnieW625]

I was not big on nursing in public when I had DD so I always took a bottle of breast milk or formula with me everywhere, even to mommy group events. I did have to BF in public a few times using DD's blanket as a cover and no one seemed to care, but BFing in public just wasn't for me. I think if you feel comfortable NIP and in church no one should say anything, but you know your church better than we do. At my Catholic church we have this guy who definitely has some mental issues and gets stir crazy anytime there is a baby his row or even in the front of the church. He'll shoot you the evil eye even if the baby makes a noise. He told us last year with DD (3 @ the time) that the church had a crying room for that (DD does way worse in the crying room than in the actual church) and it just rubbed me the wrong way. So I'd just look out for people like that and do what you think feels best for you and the baby.

[PearlsMom]

Wow, I'm kind of surprised this is still a question...but I'm still incubating my first, so I'm sure I'll be learning all about the contemporary state of NIP soon.

FWIW, I'm 30 and I grew up watching my mother nurse my various siblings through Catholic Masses -- in the crying room or right in the pews. I don't remember anyone ever commenting on it. She got so good (and I guess had quiet enough babies) that she even once gave a speech to my entire Catholic elementary school -- presenting our principal an award, I think -- with a baby latched on and no one was the wiser.

I guess it all comes down to what you're comfortable with. And if anyone says something nasty, I've found that a calm "I'm sorry you feel that way" is hard to beat. Good luck!

[ourbabygirl]

It's been neat reading everyone's responses; I wish you all lived near me so I wouldn't feel like such an outcast when I had to NIP, too!
I guess I tended to avoid going to church when DD was a lot younger... if she needed to nurse I would try to pick a mass time around it, or just not go. So I realize now that that was kind of stupid, but as a first time mom, I was just doing my best to survive! I've nursed in all sorts of strange places because our culture (at least here) isn't that NIP-friendly: mall & restaurant bathrooms (NOT fun to try to latch a baby on when there's music and lights blaring and loud automatic flushing toilets), sidewalk bench while shopping w/my mom, church library and preschool classroom not in use (but worried that someone would barge in on me and we would both get super uncomfortable), in the car, during an ECFE class (off to the side), etc., etc. It just seems like our society is so much more set up for bottle-fed babies, and I always felt like I had to go hide when around my family or friends. It's really a shame that it's that way.
Anyhow, I think you've gotten some good advice here and hope it gets easier for you soon! Ultimately you're in charge and if you feel more comfortable going out and warming up the car to nurse there for some privacy, then do that! The good thing about kids getting older is that their feedings get more spaced out so you feel like you can bring them more places without needing to nurse them in each place, but it's also harder to keep their attention & keep them latched on if they hear noises/ see people and get distracted easily!

Anyhow, hugs to you and your baby!

[mikala]

The ability to nurse anytime, anywhere is one of the many benefits of breastfeeding. I have also done it in church and no one has raised an eyebrow. I have a weekly lunch with a few other mothers with infants and at any given point at least one of us is nursing at the table. I've been surprised by how much positive feedback we've gotten, especially from older ladies who see us and comment that they wish they had been brave enough to nurse in public because not doing so restricted their freedom to go out and about while their babies were young.

My son usually fusses more when covered so I've gotten good at discreetly nursing without one. The cold air on my back and post-partum belly tends to make me feel really exposed so I prefer nursing tanks like this one from Target. When I'm not wearing a nursing tank I wear my belly band from pregnancy to keep my stomach covered.

If you use a sling or carrier you may also want to practice nursing in them. I can nurse my son in my ring sling or Ergo and people just think he makes strange noises while sleeping

Above all just remember that breastfeeding is totally normal and is more natural than bottle feeding. This photo project helps reinforce that:

http://www.ninmadison.org/

[♥ms.pacman♥]

thx for the responses. i guess the thing is, i don't feel embarrassed to NIP, but i think DH does and i also feel bad for others (mostly older folks, and men) who feel uncomfortable to see someone NIP. i've gotten to the point though that i just do not care any more, and told DH i will nurse DS wherever if need be..after all, i am just providing food for my baby. i put a nursing cover in my diaper bag so i can use it wherever. i think DH is starting to understand b/c he's starting to see how much of a hassle it is to not NIP (e.g. have to schedule everything around feedings, pumping, preparing bottles, etc). my DS will take a bottle no problem but still it's sort of a hassle to deal with..so much easier to just whip out the boob and let him nurse wherever.