Nursing in the chapel

[TheyCallMeMom]

Hmm I never thought about it til now

I discretely nurse my son in the chapel.. No one has ever said anything.. in fact I bet if you asked most don't even have a clue we do it..

personally I am much more offended by those talking amongst themselves, playing with cell phones, misbehaving children..... than I would be by a baby eating.. no matter if it be a breast, bottle or handful of cheerios.

[BenRaines]

I would much rather have a mother breastfeeding her infant in church that someone cutting their fingernails in Sacrament meeting. Clip, clip, clip.

I hope no one is offended when I break wind in church. It is a natural function and a whole lot of work to go to the bathroom for just a little gas. :)

Ben Raines

[Guest Alana]

We send in the Aaronic priesthood into the mothers lounge to serve the sacrament. If they have no problem with 12 year olds being around nursing mothers, then missionaries should be fine also.

[jolee65]

I thought she was covered but I guess I was wrong, my daughter sat just of the right of her , I sat right behind her , I told my daughter about the thread I started she wanted to know what everyones thoughts were, as I read my and some of yours she informed me that she didnt cover ,when we had to sing we were asked to stand and im sure the mom didnt expect that ,but my daughter had a birds eye veiw of her whole breast and the baby latched on.

I think for someone not being in that situation with having the mind set that pregnancy and child birth puts a woman in its hard to put yourself in the mothers shoes.

I think asking a person to equally compare a baby slurping on a bottle verses a breast is non sense

and to expect a persons thoughts not to go to places it shouldnt is also non sense. They didnt just give birth, there in a totally different place.

[lilered]

Hemi raised a good point: In this day and age, there are a lot of Dads who are tending to small babies who might fuss during Sacrement. If you will for lack of a better term being "mister mom". Should the

Mothers lounge be off limits to them, even though they might be bottle feeding, changing the baby, etc.? Our ward has no special place for changing babies except perhaps the couches in the foyer.

My view on mothers nursing in the chapel. I have never witnessed a mother nursing that hasn't done so. by properly covering herself from inquisitive eyes. To me, its her baby, her body, and her decision.

God bless Mothers, we need more to show up in church with their families.

[Guest Alana]

I wouldn't mind a man in the mothers lounge. I'm in there because I need somewhere quiet to feed a baby, not to hide from everyone while nursing. Though, I suppose that could be others reasons to go in there.

[jolee65]

I wouldn't mind a man in the mothers lounge. I'm in there because I need somewhere quiet to feed a baby, not to hide from everyone while nursing. Though, I suppose that could be others reasons to go in there.

I dont think a mother should hide, but I do think we (as I breast feed) should conside where and who we nurse around. because it is private and personal , its still apart of the female anatomy and should be treated as such.

[Elgama]

I dont think a mother should hide, but I do think we (as I breast feed) should conside where and who we nurse around. because it is private and personal , its still apart of the female anatomy and should be treated as such.

I guess I just don't see why nursing discreetly is private and personal anymore than feeding a baby from a bottle of course the slurping is the same its happen for exactly same reason, I did always leave during sacrament but thats because I wanted my son to nap, and personally i hate breastfeeding, I do it because its the best for baby. I still say i find it very sad that a woman in a Muslim country wearing a complete Burk ha does not think twice about breastfeeding in public, that Jesus would probably have been fed up to the age of 3 probably in company without anyone thinking twice, even as late as the early 1900s in England my Great Gran would not have thought twice, so possible Emma Smith will have breastfed without thinking about it, I don't know about American Families in the same timescale but it was the Edwardian Era here where breastfeeding a baby became something to be hidden away ,, but in a family friendly church its frowned upon??

I have to say this thread for me has been refreshing as the attitudes on a thread I posted over 2 years ago were closer to the its private, personal, shameful etc but people seem willing to speak out. The flashing of a breast can happen by accident especially with an older child, but if a person is bothered cannot eyes be averted or even them leave the room?

-Charley

[lilered]

I continually note that there are several sitting in Sacrement Meeting, sending or receiving text messages. Both adults and teens. Adults that are reviewing their lessons that should have already been prepared. Or Adults nodding off.

This to me is consideralbly more distracting and inconsiderate, than a nursing mother.

[BenRaines]

Elder Oakes said in his talk at Oct Conference that a person sleeping in Sacrament meeting is less disturbing than talking in Sacrament Meeting. I add: As long as they are not snoring :)

Ben Raines

[Hemidakota]

I do see that on many occasion on whom is sleeping and who is 'jaw jacking' while someone is speaking.

[jolee65]

Well im not muslim and didnt live back in the time of Jesus Christ or Emma Smith , were talking about here and now, not other nationalities or what Mother Mary was doing with the Son.

Nobody said hide or be ashamed, but be mindful of your surroundings, and no people not breast feeding in the chapel should have to leave.

[MorningStar]

I can't stand the mothers' lounge, but it's too awkward nursing in sacrament for me (unless I have my nursing pillow). Also, my daughter tends to fuss loudly until she latches on, so sometimes I just feed her on the couch in the foyer instead. We have a very small lounge with two chairs in it. Sometimes there will be three women sitting on the floor nursing and they're lucky not to get hit by the door as other women come in to change their toddlers' poopie pants that easily stink up the whole room because it's so small. I wish there were a separate poo room. I usually end up in there for at least half an hour because of how long my daughter nurses and on average, about three people will come in to add to the waste pail full of poopy diapers. Not exactly the most relaxing environment.

I have no problem with women nursing in sacrament meeting. I think people who are staring at them instead of listening to the message are about as lame as those who look during sacrament to see who's not taking it (I know someone who will ask me if everything is OK with so and so's husband because she noticed he didn't take it. None of her business!)

Most women nurse very modestly. For Pete's sake, you see a lot more skin just walking into a high school these days.

[Elgama]

Well im not muslim and didnt live back in the time of Jesus Christ or Emma Smith , were talking about here and now, not other nationalities or what Mother Mary was doing with the Son.

Nobody said hide or be ashamed, but be mindful of your surroundings, and no people not breast feeding in the chapel should have to leave.

Just because a culture says something does not always make that culture right, sometimes its the society that needs to change. I think it was Mark Twain that said when you find yourself on the side of the majority its time to stop and think.

why should the person who is feeding their baby leave? why shouldn't the one who is ultimately transgressing or struggling be the one or are you suggesting the Mother breastfeeding in the chapel is in anyway sinning? Not that many people are bothered and for you its clearly something that does. And of course its nationalities in case you haven't noticed the church isn't American its worldwide, these days the church in the US should realise that because you are going to get women from other cultures nursing in your chapel for whom it has never been an issue and who being told to hide will make them feel ashamed. The more women that do feed as and where the less of a problem it will become like it has here, or in the other cultures I mention.

As a mother it is difficult enough to feel the spirit without having to be up and down and in and out of every service and class, I need sacrament and right now it can be hard enough to feel the spirit and concerntrate on whilst I am sitting in sacrament, also i think constantly taking children and babies out when they can stay sends the wrong message to them....

-Charley

[jolee65]

Have you ever thought of feeding your baby before you get to church and maybe you wouldnt have to deal with a fussy baby, and i dont think im the majority but this is how i feel so arguments havent changed it any, it just gave me some insight.

Also children staring arent lame , there children.

[Islander]

Well im not muslim and didnt live back in the time of Jesus Christ or Emma Smith , were talking about here and now, not other nationalities or what Mother Mary was doing with the Son.

Nobody said hide or be ashamed, but be mindful of your surroundings, and no people not breast feeding in the chapel should have to leave.

I have one of those fussy babies too. I am early always because of meetings but my wife arrives 10-15 mins before sacrament and feeds the baby in an empty room.

If you have to get up you can always sit in the very back and still listen to the speakers. An yes, it is as much a cultural as familiar issue. In my native island I never saw anybody nursing in public, more or less, while in the US I realized in certain families it is a common practice. Hispanic sisters in the ward, according to my wife, feel very uncomfortable in public and would only nurse in the designated room.

It is the most natural thing in the world and nobody should be ashamed or worried of nursing where and when necessary if they take steps to be discrete and modest about it.

[Elgama]

Have you ever thought of feeding your baby before you get to church and maybe you wouldnt have to deal with a fussy baby, and i dont think im the majority but this is how i feel so arguments havent changed it any, it just gave me some insight.

Also children staring arent lame , there children.

who said the child was lame? personally I don't think either of mine would think twice about seeing a breast at 5 and 2, they certainly wouldn't be uncomfortable by it. And like I said I would have explained to my daughter baby was being fed and not made big deal about it. She thinks babies/toddlers being breastfed is normal. I am not sure if you are in the majority or not, but I guess I do struggle a lot with the idea that there is anything wrong with it, I understand you need to teach your children the way you feel they need to go, I would just rather my daughter was like the lady you first posted about then someone who felt she needed to hide.

And my son fed before church and every 2 hours up until he was weaned at 16 months church is 3 - for me sacrament is the third hour, right now its not a concern I stopped feeding him 6 months ago, but my new baby will be fed on demand and if they are anything like my son I suspect I will need to feed them 2 or 3 times during church for the first 6 weeks. Sacrament last is always a convenient naptime as much as anything else. But I will not be going in the classroom set aside this time with my son it was different there weren't so many children now they are its the timeout, angry parent room not exactly conducive to the spirit.

It's fine to feel the way you do and conduct yourself appropriatly but I can't see anything wrong with someone feeding their baby in sacrament either and for them the decision should be what they feel comfortable with

-Charley

Edited January 22, 2009 by Elgama

[tanuvasamama]

I have a two week old, my fifth child so this topic is very fresh in my mind. I don't think a nursing mother should be asked or even encouraged to leave sacrament. I do however think she should do her best to be covered. Nursing noises are so small in comparison to those talking and being irreverent, that it shouldn't even be an issue. I think she should cover herself because by the church we have been directed to keep our bodies covered. Her garments would normally cover her boobs when not nursing, so that's an indication that it's not a part of the body the lord wants us exposing.

I agree that the mother's lounge isn't always the best choice because it is sort of a hang out and chat room...not always a place where you can listen to the speakers.

[GingerGolden]

I nursed my two and let them wean themselves naturally.

Personally, I think that this is one of those:

What Would Jesus Do?

Moments...

For any onlookers or room sharers...

[Elgama]

I nursed my two and let them wean themselves naturally.

Personally, I think that this is one of those:

What Would Jesus Do?

Moments...

For any onlookers or room sharers...

^_^he'd have probably been 3 or 4 before he weand but not sure I see him nursing his kids

[RachelleDrew]

Keep in mind, for some people who have a ways to travel to get to meetings, feeding your baby prior to church may not be an option. It wasn't for me, by the time we got to the meeting he was hungry again, and that was with me feeding him right before we walked out the door.

For very young babies, I was recommended by the lactation consultant to feed on demand, it takes a while to get a schedule going. My son wasn't one of those every two hour eaters until he was nearly four months old, it was more like every 45 minutes.

I'm kind of surprised by the lack of understanding going on in this thread. It's very disheartening.

[GingerGolden]

For very young babies, I was recommended by the lactation consultant to feed on demand,

more like every 45 minutes.

Yep, and the only real way anyone who's never personally fed a child by natural means is to do it. Most can never really understand what it's like to have an infant ready to tear off your clothes cause they are hungry and they know where the meal is...

As far as I'm concerned, it is a natural means of nutrition, babies eat and they want to eat when they are hungry. It's not we'd just whip em' out for the whole world to see, but babies can make for some fine little wrestlers when they want to fill that place in their tummies.

It's a natural process, nothing to be ashamed of and well, there weren't any glass or plastic bottles around, what prior to the 1950's, I think.

Edited March 6, 2009 by GingerGolden

[Wingnut]

...and well, there weren't any glass or plastic bottles around, what prior to the 1950's, I think.

There were bottles, though. Probably glass early on, however, if you tour the Whitney home in Kirtland, you'll see a lead baby bottle that would have been used at the time that Joseph and Emma were living with the Whitneys.

[Elgama]

There were bottles, though. Probably glass early on, however, if you tour the Whitney home in Kirtland, you'll see a lead baby bottle that would have been used at the time that Joseph and Emma were living with the Whitneys.

if a wet nurse could not be found for a Motherless baby they fed directly from the cow, sheep or goat :) that was how it was handled before bottles

-Charley

[Berean]

I wouldn't nurse a child at the age of 2 but that is just me...I woldn't go too far past one year. And there are blankets, I will not bother with fancy hiders although I am sure they are great.

And unless you were getting naked in sacrament I think they ought to chill.