Let me give some detail and sorry if its all jumbled. I have a lull in kid duties/needs right now and want to get this out while I can. 
Okay, our church has a parents lounge. You can go there with your children and watch the service on tv if they are being loud or not wanting to go to childcare. Our D(2) won't (and never has) let us leave her in childcare so we have been in the parents lounge almost every sunday for the past two years. The parents room is actually two rooms with a door in between. Both rooms used to have toys and chairs, comfy couches, etc. I would see nursing moms often in BOTH rooms. Often with other children or sometimes with a DH. Sometimes just them and baby. Both rooms are usually packed with people at both services we have attended (9am and 11am). Parents on all chairs, and lots standing or sitting on the floor.
Recently church remodeled both rooms and turned one into a nursing mothers room (only chairs no toys or anything) and the other into the parents room. Great they are supplying a place for the moms who need a nursing room or a quiet space but here is the problem. NO dads allowed!!! And apparently other kids either as they have no toys in this room anymore. What about the moms that are bringing a toddler in with them and also need to nurse their babies.
Today I was in the parents room and there were 14 other people (7 adults, 7 kids) in there. It was PACKED! THe nursing mothers room was empty. A couple walks in and I can tell she is needing to nurse her baby. There were no seats and she looked unsure of what to do so I told her the room next door is completly empty. She said thanks and her, dh, and baby (maybe 3 months old) went in there. They left the door open and as I was standing there bouncing and nursing DD (7 months) at the time I could see right in. SHe kept trying to get the baby latched but was having trouble with the baby, the blanket, etc. So her DH holds up the blanket and helps situate the baby and he latches right on and starts nursing happily (YAY DAD!!). Well not 5 minutes later a person from the church comes in and tells the dad that he has to leave as this room is for nursing mothers only! He says okay and grudgingly leaves the room while his wife is left there with a shocked look on her face and was all alone in there. He comes in to the other room and the church lady shuts the door so he can't even see/hear his wife if she needs anything. My DH said something to him and he was REALLY upset about it. Well I went in there to talk to her to ask her if that was okay with her and she was very upset. I told her I was going to go talk to someone about it and left that room. When I returned (maybe 5 minutes) she was in the other parents lounge with her husband standing there bouncing the baby. She was not nursing anymore though the baby was happy but it had only been 10 minutes so maybe he was done or maybe she did not want to be in there all alone so she came into the other room to be with her DH and chose to just give him a little milk till later when she could nurse in a better environment. I don't know. I did not talk to someone as I was getting irritated and riled up on the way to the desk so I just asked for an email address of the person in charge on the parents lounge.
I suck at writing letters. I get all mad and spit out a bunch of crap that is just sure to piss someone off. Help me write a clear, concise, non nasty letter to get my church to change this.
Okay, our church has a parents lounge. You can go there with your children and watch the service on tv if they are being loud or not wanting to go to childcare. Our D(2) won't (and never has) let us leave her in childcare so we have been in the parents lounge almost every sunday for the past two years. The parents room is actually two rooms with a door in between. Both rooms used to have toys and chairs, comfy couches, etc. I would see nursing moms often in BOTH rooms. Often with other children or sometimes with a DH. Sometimes just them and baby. Both rooms are usually packed with people at both services we have attended (9am and 11am). Parents on all chairs, and lots standing or sitting on the floor.
Recently church remodeled both rooms and turned one into a nursing mothers room (only chairs no toys or anything) and the other into the parents room. Great they are supplying a place for the moms who need a nursing room or a quiet space but here is the problem. NO dads allowed!!! And apparently other kids either as they have no toys in this room anymore. What about the moms that are bringing a toddler in with them and also need to nurse their babies.
Today I was in the parents room and there were 14 other people (7 adults, 7 kids) in there. It was PACKED! THe nursing mothers room was empty. A couple walks in and I can tell she is needing to nurse her baby. There were no seats and she looked unsure of what to do so I told her the room next door is completly empty. She said thanks and her, dh, and baby (maybe 3 months old) went in there. They left the door open and as I was standing there bouncing and nursing DD (7 months) at the time I could see right in. SHe kept trying to get the baby latched but was having trouble with the baby, the blanket, etc. So her DH holds up the blanket and helps situate the baby and he latches right on and starts nursing happily (YAY DAD!!). Well not 5 minutes later a person from the church comes in and tells the dad that he has to leave as this room is for nursing mothers only! He says okay and grudgingly leaves the room while his wife is left there with a shocked look on her face and was all alone in there. He comes in to the other room and the church lady shuts the door so he can't even see/hear his wife if she needs anything. My DH said something to him and he was REALLY upset about it. Well I went in there to talk to her to ask her if that was okay with her and she was very upset. I told her I was going to go talk to someone about it and left that room. When I returned (maybe 5 minutes) she was in the other parents lounge with her husband standing there bouncing the baby. She was not nursing anymore though the baby was happy but it had only been 10 minutes so maybe he was done or maybe she did not want to be in there all alone so she came into the other room to be with her DH and chose to just give him a little milk till later when she could nurse in a better environment. I don't know. I did not talk to someone as I was getting irritated and riled up on the way to the desk so I just asked for an email address of the person in charge on the parents lounge.
I suck at writing letters. I get all mad and spit out a bunch of crap that is just sure to piss someone off. Help me write a clear, concise, non nasty letter to get my church to change this.
: to what PP has to say. I do think it is well-intentioned and probably to protect moms who don't want to NIP around menfolk. But it sounds like some other alternative could be arranged.
