Would you NIP at a wedding? - Page 3

[Amila]

In most cases I would probably try not to bring my DD to the ceremony part of a wedding, but if I did, I would nurse her in the church if that is what it took to calm her down/keep her quiet during the nuptials. It is the reception that I would try to find a quiet place at. However, if I had only two options- at the dinner table or the bathroom- I'd take the dinner table in a second.

[Irishmommy]

When my sister got married I was still nursing my 3yo. She was a flower girl, and I was up on the altar too with my parents. She wanted to nurse, so she did. We couldn't have been more visible, and no one said a word. My sister had no issue either - I raised her right.

[luckymamato2]

I would absolutely nurse my child at a wedding, or whereever I was. I would probably be too nervous to attend the ceremony because my kids aren't that quiet

[WNB]

Originally Posted by ckw

I disagree. I think that in rare instances, it is important to be "considerate of other people's sexual hangups about women's breasts." If you can avoid creating tension at an event like this by using a cover or finding a private place (thereby making sure your child is happy and well fed), then I think it is a reasonable compromise to make. Someone's wedding is not the time to prove a point or change the world if it will cause unpleasantness, and there is an alternative that will not cause the mother or baby any hardship.

A wedding isn't a "rare instance" -- it is an event, albeit a special one, that happens with great frequency. Moreover, a wedding is the celebration of the decision of two people to unite as a _family_. I think it is entirely reasonable to expect that this celebration of FAMILY accept and expect breastfeeding as part of the normal course of life in a family.

As I said, the OP should do her utmost to keep her son happy and well-fed. If doing THAT is aided by using a cover, or retiring to a secluded location, then by all means, use that approach. But if doing so would add undue hassle and not improve her son's feeding, then fuggedaboutit.

If certain guests or even members of the wedding party were offended by, say, men who had beards or long sideburns, I think anyone would be appalled if it were suggested that the men shave in order to attend the wedding "out of consideration for the other guests". Expecting women to cover up or significantly alter their nursing practices in order to attend a wedding is just as ridiculous, in my estimation.

[myjulybabes]

Would, have, whatever. Heck, it was a black tie wedding and I was wearing a wrap front dress that the bride helped me pick out knowing that I'd need to nurse. I just slung a burp rag over my shoulder to cover my breast down to ds's face (not over his head, ew), and went at it. Noone said a word, except my own mother, who was mortified, but I take her opinion on it with a grain of salt since she never nursed longer than 2-3 wks. It may have helped that the groom and some of the guests were doctors (surgeons mostly), so seeing a woman NIP was the least graphic thing they'd seen in awhile, but there were plenty of people who weren't.

Now, the one and only time I ever "hid" to nurse was the time I was a bridesmaid. You know how those dresses are. : I had to unzip it halfway down the back and darn near remove my strapless bra. THAT was a little too much exposure for my comfort. Luckily ds was over a year old and happy to be put off with a sippy of water and some goodies from the buffet and only insisted on nursing once during the reception.

So yeah, bring a sling or put a blanket over your shoulder if you feel like it. Heck, go sit in a corner if it makes you comfortable. But if your ds isn't used to bottles, he's likely to just get fussy, which is way more disruptive to a wedding than NIP.

[BelgianSheepDog]

Weddings are a celebration of sex, all the archaic etiquette is just a giant hooter hider for our discomfort with that fact.

[loudmama]

I'm the woman of honor at my sister's wedding when my DS will be a year. While I don't think he'll nurse a ton, I made sure we found a dress that was somewhat nursing friendly. Won't nurse during the wedding, but will other times.

L

[PrettyBird]

Yes! Nursing a child is not about making a point or political statement or whatever. It is about meeting your child's needs. I can't imagine the screaming or the mess if I tried to give DD a bottle of EBM at a wedding ceremony! I would, however, make sure I picked a nursing-friendly dress where I did not have to take the entire top off to nurse.

[RedPony]

In a heartbeat. Go, enjoy, and nurse that baby!

[Malva]

I can nurse very discreetly so for sure I would. I would just make sure to pick an outfit that allows for discreet nursing.

[BelovedBird]

Yes, I would, I have.

[DreamsInDigital]

Might I point out, since ckw seems so insistant that a cover would be a good idea, that covering your baby with a blanket draws MORE attention to the fact that you're nursing, not less.
And I would nurse my baby any time, any where and have a good comeback ready for anyone who would dare to tell me not to nurse my baby.

[BelovedBird]

Just wanted to say most most bridesmaids and bridal gowns show more breast than almost anyone I've ever seen while nursing. I think you should bring an extra shawl or scarf and offer to give it to whoever complains to cover up the boobs of whoever is showing more than you are while you are nursing, if exposed breast bothers them.

[NYCVeg]

Originally Posted by Parker'smommy

I would nurse....but then I don't give bottles to my babes, so that wouldn't be an option for me. My kids MUST nurse, they aren't bottlefed. ( and they wouldn't take one either)

Yup. I'm going to a wedding in January (dd will be 8 months) and she doesn't take a bottle, so...NIP it is! That said, at the reception, I will likely find a more secluded place to nurse, because, like a PP, I have a VERY distractable nurser. If I nurse in her in a room full of chatty people, music, etc...I'm just gonna end up with a whole lot of bm running down my clothes and no milk in the baby.

Originally Posted by UUMom

The question is more like "How many times have I NIP at a wedding"? lol The other question might be, 'How many times have you nursed a flower girl at a wedding?"

You rock.

Originally Posted by Amila

In most cases I would probably try not to bring my DD to the ceremony part of a wedding, but if I did, I would nurse her in the church if that is what it took to calm her down/keep her quiet during the nuptials.

Not all weddings take place in a church.

[djinneyah]

i was the last-minute matron of honor at my friend's surprise halloween pirate wedding. i nursed dd (5 months) in her mei tai while they said their vows.

i nurse when and where the baby needs to.

[Nan'sMom]

I have NIP'd at a wedding. It was no big deal. Tandem NIP at a wedding was a little more tricky though! Most people don't realize what you're doing anyway.

[weeirishlass]

I have. It was no biggie. It was BILs wedding. It wasn't *during* the ceremony, though. The wedding was on a yacht, so I nursed her before the ceremony on the couches around the bar, then after the ceremony in the same spot, then during dancing while she was in the sling. I was standing around talking to the cousins and I don't even know if they knew she was nursing! Everyone else was eating and she had to eat. I saw no other option.

[leafwood]

I nursed dd at a wedding when she was an infant. It wasn't a big deal and I was pretty discrete (it was during a church ceremony).
Now she is 2.5y and she hasn't been to a wedding she can remember. I'm sure she would be much more interested in the bride than nursing, but one never knows!

[weeirishlass]

FWIW, I did cover up while nursing dd, at least one of the times. H's family is very conservative (read: repressed) and I want them to view bf as something beautiful and natural and not something that makes them feel vaguely uncomfortable. For them, I feel that flashing boob, even a bit, is more likely to make them feel uncomfortable and unaccepting of bf. I don't feel that alienating people by making them feel uncomfortable is the way to further our cause. But that's JMO.

[rmzbm]

Originally Posted by RedPony

In a heartbeat. Go, enjoy, and nurse that baby!

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