Breastfeeding Babies in Church
Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2007 1:46 am
They're discussing breastfeeding over on RfM and it reminded me of my experiences breastfeeding my children in the ward building. I've related these stories before on RfM so I won't get into a lot of detail about them, but I was asked by the Relief Society President not to breastfeed my daughter during Sacrament Meeting, even though I was very discreet. She felt it was a distraction and that my baby might throw her blanket off and expose my breast. I believed then, and still do, that the RS Pres., Sister Busybody, was acting at the directive of the Bishop.
She privately asked me to nurse only in the nursing area of the women's restroom. I felt like my child should be able to eat away from the always filthy and full-of-smelly-diapers wastebasket in the women's restroom. Not only did the nursing area stink, it only had two chairs and they were always full and I very often had to nurse my babies while standing.
So, I decided to rebel. I wasn't generally rebellious, but the bossy Relief Society President had crossed the line, in my opinion, so I started nursing openly in Relief Society. I didn't use a blanket, either. There were only women present, and I was still discreet, but it was a tremendous irritation to Sister Busybody, who took it upon herself after about two Sundays to remind me again to only nurse in the nursing area of the smelly women's restroom. So, I polled some of the other women to see if it bothered them that I nursed my child in their presence. Guess what? None of them had a problem with it! Only Sister Busybody had a problem. Well, I decided she was just jealous of me because she had tiny, floppy breasts so I continued right on feeding my baby in the Relief Society room, wickedly rejoicing in her icy stares. She would sigh heavily as she walked by me, roll her eyes and otherwise behave rudely toward me. Everyone noticed her behavior, but no one said anything to her, much to my dismay.
I was later called into the Young Women's program, where I continued right on nursing my baby in class.
I've nursed all four of my daughters in public - whenever they were hungry, they were fed, no matter where I was at the time, but never was I asked to stop except at church by the Relief Society President. And though most of the other women in class were aware of her snotty behavior toward me, not one of them backed me up by telling Sister Busybody they didn't mind my nursing in their midst. It was disappointing.
It seems to me that a church which promotes having as many children as possible would also actively promote breastfeeding for those women who choose it by giving them a clean, comfortable, roomy and non-smelly place to to nurse and also promote the option of breastfeeding anywhere in the church building. With the individual preferences of each Bishop and RS president, a directive from Salt Lake is probably necessary.
Of course, not every woman has a busy body for a RS President or a Bishop who is terrified of a flash of breast showing in Sacrament Meeting, or a tiny, smelly nursing area with only two chairs, but some women do. Hence, the need for some direction from Salt Lake. But I doubt that will happen anytime soon, with Salt Lake directives being given only by old men who've probably long since forgotten what breasts are for.
KA
PS - This nursing post will probably sink like a rock on this male-dominated board, lol!
She privately asked me to nurse only in the nursing area of the women's restroom. I felt like my child should be able to eat away from the always filthy and full-of-smelly-diapers wastebasket in the women's restroom. Not only did the nursing area stink, it only had two chairs and they were always full and I very often had to nurse my babies while standing.
So, I decided to rebel. I wasn't generally rebellious, but the bossy Relief Society President had crossed the line, in my opinion, so I started nursing openly in Relief Society. I didn't use a blanket, either. There were only women present, and I was still discreet, but it was a tremendous irritation to Sister Busybody, who took it upon herself after about two Sundays to remind me again to only nurse in the nursing area of the smelly women's restroom. So, I polled some of the other women to see if it bothered them that I nursed my child in their presence. Guess what? None of them had a problem with it! Only Sister Busybody had a problem. Well, I decided she was just jealous of me because she had tiny, floppy breasts so I continued right on feeding my baby in the Relief Society room, wickedly rejoicing in her icy stares. She would sigh heavily as she walked by me, roll her eyes and otherwise behave rudely toward me. Everyone noticed her behavior, but no one said anything to her, much to my dismay.
I was later called into the Young Women's program, where I continued right on nursing my baby in class.
I've nursed all four of my daughters in public - whenever they were hungry, they were fed, no matter where I was at the time, but never was I asked to stop except at church by the Relief Society President. And though most of the other women in class were aware of her snotty behavior toward me, not one of them backed me up by telling Sister Busybody they didn't mind my nursing in their midst. It was disappointing.
It seems to me that a church which promotes having as many children as possible would also actively promote breastfeeding for those women who choose it by giving them a clean, comfortable, roomy and non-smelly place to to nurse and also promote the option of breastfeeding anywhere in the church building. With the individual preferences of each Bishop and RS president, a directive from Salt Lake is probably necessary.
Of course, not every woman has a busy body for a RS President or a Bishop who is terrified of a flash of breast showing in Sacrament Meeting, or a tiny, smelly nursing area with only two chairs, but some women do. Hence, the need for some direction from Salt Lake. But I doubt that will happen anytime soon, with Salt Lake directives being given only by old men who've probably long since forgotten what breasts are for.
KA
PS - This nursing post will probably sink like a rock on this male-dominated board, lol!