WWYD? "no public breastfeeding" in church bulletin

[RiverSky]

So let me tell a theoretical story. Let's say a church, and just for fun, let's say it's a church that HOSTS La Leche League meetings, well, let's just say that in their church bulletin they posted a message requesting that all nursing mothers nurse in the "crying room", and stated it's for the "comfort of all our members".

If this happened in your community, (perhaps oh, I don't know, let's say it was in your friend's church, since you don't go to said church), what would you do?

Would it be appropriate to contact the La Leche League chapter, or even headquarters to notify them of this?

Would a well-attended nurse-in be a good way to go? Perhaps with some advance notice for local media?

This theoretically could have happened in Florida, where breastfeeding is legal in all places that the mother/child are legally entitled to be and with nothing in the law mandating any sort of discretion required.

What do you think?

[ashleyhaugh]

i dont know that i would *do* anything, but i would probably ignore it and keep doing what i'd been doing

[2xand2y]

I would anonomously call the church and make up a story. . . . something to the effect of "I am considering visiting your church and have heard rumors that some local churches are not allowing babies to be fed in the service and since I didn't want my baby to be exposed to germs (h1n1 and such) I wanted to make sure I could feed my baby in their service." I would do this to see if it is OK to bottle feed in the service. If there is clear discrimination against breast fed babies then "YES" I would do everything you mentioned. If the answer if they don't let any babies eat in their service then I would just write them off as being completely out of touch and beyond help.

[RiverSky]

Well, I posted this in "Lactivism" because I think that a church telling its members not to breastfeed during services is clear discrimination against the rights of babies, and something that hinders a strong breastfeeding relationship, especially for say a new or younger mother, who might not have a lot of breastfeeding support elsewhere.

I mean, there's no way Mary didn't breastfeed Jesus out in public!! Or in any services she may have attended.

[Zan&Zav]

i would go ape ****. big time.

[LianneM]

I would go to the church office during working hours and, very nicely, talk to the secretary and bring a copy of the FL law. If the secretary were to point me to someone else, I would do the same there. I wouldn't be rude about it, just assuming they weren't informed of the law.

[ramama]

Before a nurse-in or contacting LLL, I'd call the church and present them with the applicable law and let them know that not allowing BFing during services is in clear violation of the law. I would give them the chance to correct the issue themselves. If they failed to change their policy, I would go ape*** as PP so eloquently put it LOL.

FWIW, that this church even has a room they call a "crying room" is a huge red flag to me, a place that seems as anti-family as possible, coupled with an anti-BFing policy. Just somewhere that I would not be caught dead.

[lovebug]

Originally Posted by ramama

Before a nurse-in or contacting LLL, I'd call the church and present them with the applicable law and let them know that not allowing BFing during services is in clear violation of the law. I would give them the chance to correct the issue themselves. If they failed to change their policy, I would go ape*** as PP so eloquently put it LOL.

FWIW, that this church even has a room they call a "crying room" is a huge red flag to me, a place that seems as anti-family as possible, coupled with an anti-BFing policy. Just somewhere that I would not be caught dead.

THIS! and

i would tell them that BF'ing is what God intended and that is what God made breasts for! so if they do not want me doing such Godly things that i will need to find a church that would allow my body to do what god intended!

i would be pissed!

[notjustmamie]

I'm with ramama. Planning a nurse-in should not be a first response. Save it for if/when it's really needed. I would also suggest that your hypothetical friend might get a better hypothetical response from her hypothetical pastor/church leadership than you, a hypothetical stranger would.

[lizziebits]

I would do as a PP mentioned, bring it first to the attention of the church and give them the opportunity to fix the issue.

As to the term "cry room", it's not the best term ever, but its a traditional term for a room where parents can bring children if they are in fact having a hard time during the service. It certainly doesn't suggest that the church is anti family.

[annettemarie]

Every Catholic church I've ever been to has a cry room, and they're pretty stinking pro-family. It's not a "you must be here with your kid" place, it's a "we want you in our church and we want you to have babies, so if this makes it easier, here's a place to hang."

I'd go to the church office with law in hand, as stated. And if that didn't work, I'd go to the Diocese.

[tvantol]

Wishing you a hypothetical good luck! Everyone should feel comfortable in their church including mothers and their bf'ed babies. That is the response I would give to the church. I would think having to get up and leave would be more distracting for others around you AND you miss out on an opportunity to take part in the service which is why you are there in the first place.

[RiverSky]

Originally Posted by Zan&Zav

i would go ape ****. big time.

Yes, that's my first instinct.

[RiverSky]

Originally Posted by annettemarie

And if that didn't work, I'd go to the Diocese.

Great idea, but it's not a Catholic church. It's a non-denominational Christian church. Theoretically.

[annettemarie]

Originally Posted by RiverSky

Great idea, but it's not a Catholic church. It's a non-denominational Christian church. Theoretically.

Whoops. I tend to associate cry rooms with Catholic churches. Bummer, that, because you're just dealing with the church and there's no higher ups. You also can't drag in Pope John Paul II. He was a big fan of breastfeeding.

[annettemarie]

I wonder what they think is going on at La Leche League meetings?

[Irishmommy]

My PP made a comment against public breastfeeding when dd2 was tiny. I let it go, but continued to feed her as needed.

[Bella Catalina]

I'd--hypothetically, of course--take a copy of the BFing law to the church office, and I'd also politely explain the fact that breasts were made for--gasp!--feeding infants. I would also ask exactly what the issue is--is it a matter of discretion (or lack of it), or something else--and see if we could work out a solution. I would also continue to feed my baby as needed.

[notjustmamie]

After giving it some more thought, I might, theoretically, take my baby to the church one Sunday and breastfeed in the service, just to see what happened.

[JamesMama]

I'd go ape crap, but then again I have had a BAD experience with churches and breastfeeding so I'm probably dragging in my 'issues'