Nursing at Church - Page 2

[Qestia]

I NIP everywhere, restaurants, mall, parks, museums, during meetings at DS's preschool...with an active 3 yo I can't just duck away someplace when DD wants to eat, but for some reason I just don't feel comfortable nursing in the pews.

[hrsmom]

Our room for babies is much more comfortable. There's a sign that says it's for fussy babies, and I always mention to whoever is listening that she's not fussy but we're going in there anyway. (I'm a weirdo at times.) My babe was never a gentle, quiet nurser, and we always have random "quiet listening for a word from the Lord" time and I didn't want to be nursing my wiggleworm during that time. The first Sunday I went to church with my babe, I nursed her in the couch and almost fell asleep myself, and I thought that was a pretty good set-up!

[tabasco]

I've done both. I'm very comfortable nursing in the pews when the baby is little. But once they start getting easily distracted and pop on and off, then I usually go to the mothers' room.

Oh, and early on, DS went through a stage when he would pass tons of loud gas when he started nursing. He sounded like a grown man! I did go into the mothers' room for that phase, because I thought the other congregants deserved the opportunity to listen to the sermon without being distracted by my son's gas.

[lwuertz]

I didn't vote... here's why:

For the Sunday morning service at our church no children under 8 are allowed in the main sanctuary. Our church has a mothers room similar to what you describe, but it is only for mothers and infants. There is also an overflow/family room that anyone of any age can be in. My husband and I usually sit in the family room together on Sundays and I have no problem nursing her in there. If, however, he is helping to lead worship that day I usually hang out in the mothers room because I don't want to sit in the family room all by myself. I've also put DD in the nursery on occasion and then if she cried brought her back out to wherever I was (mothers room or family room).

If our children were allowed in the sanctuary though I would totally just do it in the pews. But there are a lot of other rules in main sanctuary on Sundays to try and eliminate distractions (for example you aren't allowed to come back in if you leave in the middle of the service to use the bathroom or something). I understand why they do it because even in the family room now and in the past before they had the mothers room and family room there were often parents that would just let their kids scream/cry it out, run up and down the isles, people getting up a bunch to use the bathroom, etc. and it was very distracting.

On Wednesday nights it is a different story though because they only have worship/music in the sanctuary and then everyone breaks off into classes. So they aren't as strict about comings and goings or babies and stuff. I usually stand in the back with DD in the sling. If she starts being noisey (she's been very vocal lately, not crying but seeing how loud and high pitched her voice can go) I step into the musicians room to quiet her down.

I actually don't really like being in the mothers room or the family room at all because people think that since they aren't in the room with our pastor they can just talk and stuff during the sermon which is really distracting too. The mothers room is the worst for this at our church. The moms will just sit and gab, gab, gab. Ugh!

[doctormom]

Your mother's room sounds awesome, and I would personally choose to nurse there, only because my 12-month-old spends a lot of time vocalizing and might distract others in church. However, I believe babies have a right to eat anywhere, and that includes in the pews during a church service.

[thetnpreacherswife]

I nurse in the pew without a cover...all the time.

[JessicaTX]

My church when i had nurslings didn't have a mother's room. I nursed in the pews if I was wearing something easy to nurse in, or in the nursery if I had to half strip to get boob access =D

[dex_millie]

I wish I could choose both answers. I have done both, sometimes it depends on the church I am in. One church has a nice nursing room where it is just like sitting in the back just with a wall and a big window, so I usually go in there. Other churches that don't have a nursing room like that I just sit in the pews and nurse. Except for the church I grew up in that type of nursing room but there are usually alot of "older toddlers/children" in there making noise and it distracts the baby too much it is just easier then to sit and nurse in the pews.

[1babysmom]

....

Edited by 1babysmom - 3/15/13 at 8:54pm

[Therese's Mommy]

I nurse my kids in the pew regardless of age. My priest is incredibly pro breastfeeding, I know he would never give me any flack. If any of the parishioners did, I am sure he would have a talk with them about how important breastfeeding is. I can't imagine anyone in my church saying anything, though, they are so gaga over any kids they don't really care what they do.

[Attached Mama]

I've used both but voted in the pews. I nursed dd there discreetly many a time with noone ever having a clue what I was doing. They just thought she was sleeping up against me lol.

[JamieCatheryn]

Both, so I won't vote. If my babe is being loud or distractable we go to the mom's room, to nurse, rock to sleep, or play. If he was just laying quietly in my arms to nurse and go to sleep he'd be in the sling in the sanctuary.

[Joyster]

The pews aren't actually very comfortable to nurse, I once watched a mom bend over her baby to nurse her. There is a rocking chair at the back of the sanctuary which is way better. My minister made it VERY clear that if I wanted to nurse in the sanctuary, that I should. There is a fellowship room which is used as the nursery for kids who want to go, the chairs are comfier still. So while I can nurse in the pews and might be inclined to do so during the sermon, I'd probably go off to the nursery purely for comfort.

[jocelynr]

I wouldn't go to a church that made me feel uncomfortable nursing in the pew. It is so important for me for Christian women to breastfeed their children that I will always do it right there in the service. I did take dd to the nursery a couple of weeks ago b/c she wanted to get down and play, and I wasn't going to let her do that in the service. Someone even mentioned to me that they love hearing her chat during the service, so that made me feel great. (I've only been to this church a handful of times, and I think I'll keep going)

[FondestBianca]

definatly the nursing room for me. I DO NOT feel comfortable nursing in the presence of men (aside from dh). I just don't. I've done it and I hate it. Although I don't attend church service I'd definatly head for the nursing room if I did. I also use a shield and ds spits up a lot so I have lots of gear when I BF (cloth diapers I use as spit up rags, a little tubberware cup for my shield, nursing cover, and usually a rolled up blanket or coat to help with positioning). I like room for all of my junk. I'd likely feel too cramped. Also, due to all the junk I have to organize ds gets fussy and sometimes cries between switching sides and that would be pretty disruptive in an otherwise quiet church.

I do go to a mom's bible study group once a week and always BF during our meet. I feel comfortable doing so there so long as I can stay concealed. I just move to the floor behind the couches out of the way but still part of the group (instead of the couch I share with someone else) so I can focus less on keeping all of my bitts covered. However, every now and then the pastor happens to be wandering and pops his head in the room... at which point I become uncomfortable. It's not him, it's simply that he is male.

[musiclady]

I've been a PK- preacher's kid all my life. This is an interesting thread.

I will nurse in the mother's room. Simply because it is soooo peaceful- there's a crib, bottled water, crackers for moms, a tv and sound system to watch the sermon- and when I'm done, I'll go back and play the piano. If she falls asleep, there's a crib in there, and I can leave her with the nursery worker next door.

With as rambunctious as I get playing the piano sometimes, I seriously doubt she'd be able to hold on while I nursed. not to mention that I have to sit on the stage- and there are cameras... So, although it might make the sermon DVD count go up, I seriously doubt anyone needs to see my boob.

HA HA HA HA HA

But, I'm a kind of modest person about NIP- I wouldn't look down on anyone who does- I just dont' need to have my breasts on the DVD. That's a *whole different kind of thing* and I think they tend to frown on that in church.

Now I hope you read that with the humor that it is intended to have.

[hanno]

A teeny tiny can be nursed in the regular sanctuary part but a wiggly kicking toddler should go to the side room or a less distracting area.

[Hesperia]

Originally Posted by hanno

A teeny tiny can be nursed in the regular sanctuary part but a wiggly kicking toddler should go to the side room or a less distracting area.

Should?

[Sagesgirl]

Originally Posted by hanno

A teeny tiny can be nursed in the regular sanctuary part but a wiggly kicking toddler should go to the side room or a less distracting area.

Yeah. NO. As I said before, I picked my service because it is the more laid-back one that my church offers. This is the church I grew up in, but I would not hesitate to leave it if necessary to find one more welcoming to children/nurslings. I've chosen churches based on this issue in the past. I've found, generally speaking, that the Christians who are OK with small children are not the ones with sticks up their butts otherwise.

For the Sunday morning service at our church no children under 8 are allowed in the main sanctuary.

Wait...Suffer the little children to come unto me? Didn't Jesus chide his disciples for that?

[NaturalMindedMomma]

I am supposed to start attending a new assembly this Sunday. They are a HUGE congregation and they have nurseries seperated by ages. Parents CAN take kids into the service with them, but service is upwards of 2 hours and my toddler would be so bored. From what my neighbor downstairs tells me, they give you a pager that lights up and buzzes if your babe fusses. They will call you as much as you want them to. Now my toddler is not nursing, but I am pregnant and I am not sure how I will feel. If there is a secluded area to nurse in, I most likely would. DD was a tough nurser and I am modest about other men than DF seeing my breasts or even *thinking* they *might* see my breast. I'm sure no one really cares other than me, but I am anxious to see how it goes.