Please vote in my poll about nursing in public. I'm not embarrassed to nurse in public, but I am concerned that at times I might be making others uncomfortable.
Kansas does have a state law that a woman is permitted to nurse her baby anywhere that she would otherwise be allowed to be present.
I always nurse in public too, and sometimes I wonder if I make other people uncomfortable, but if I didn't nurse in public I wouldn't be able to go ANYWHERE! Besides, I'm always careful not to flash people. :)
ReplyDeleteIf I could do this part of motherhood all over again-nursing would be my favorite part! Qp
ReplyDeleteI don't think I did ever nurse in public, but just because I didn't feel comfortable really. And because I put Anna on a schedule, so I could get somewhere private in time for nursing. I don't mind if others do (nurse in public).
ReplyDeleteI'm on the same page as Betsy. I knew when Ari was going to need to eat so I would plan accordingly. He also switches easily between the breast and the bottle so if we were going to be out, I'd just pump first. I've only nursed in public twice (so far) and both times we were travelling. Once at the airport and once at a McDonalds. I felt wierd the whole time. If you're comfortable with it, then by all means do it!
ReplyDeleteI nursed Phinn in public all the time. I made sure that we were always decent although not necessarily completely covered. I have no problem with women nursing in public but think that total views of the breast should be limited to baby and husband.
ReplyDeletei don't mind moms nursing in public when certain parts are covered :). i think i'm overly modest but when a woman whips out her boob and nurses without covering up a little i start feeling self-conscious - not for her but for myself.
ReplyDeletequestion- when a baby's nursing do you feel comfortable with people talking with you and commenting on said baby? i never quite know what to do. i was unable to nurse with both children so i'm not sure how mom's feel about that.
I feel comfortable carrying on a conversation while nursing. In fact, I think if a mom is carrying on a conversation while she nurses, people are less likely to even notice that she is nursing. Of course, sometimes it is hard to concentrate if the baby is having a hard time for some reason.
ReplyDeleteAbout "full exposure"... I only nurse uncovered in front of my husband and kids (if I had to cover up in front of my kids, my life would be insane), and a few close female relatives/friends. Even then, it is only while getting the baby positioned that there is full exposure. After that the baby's head and the mom's shirt covers almost everything. If anything shows it is usually less than would show with most swimsuits! Still, I understand most people are uncomfortable with the possibility that they would accidentally see something they didn't want to see, especially while baby is being positioned, so I cover up or go in another room around most people.
thanks jenny, i hope i didn't come across negatively. i truly believe breastfeeding is best and i know when a baby is hungry one isn't always in the comfort of our own home.
ReplyDeletei've never noticed anyone in our church or among friends not being discrete when nursing their baby. :)
Don't worry, you didn't come across negatively! For that matter, I hope I didn't come across like I was being defensive, because I didn't feel that way.
ReplyDeleteonce there was a lady on the worship team (at our old church) who was constantly nursing her children. a modest lady, with 7 children in 12 years, she always had a baby to breast under her shawl.
ReplyDeletei know this situation angered the guys in the band (inside ear). it wasn't that the guys thought breastfeedng in public was wrong; it was that the woman made no attempt to feed her babies before or after practice, give the baby to her husband, etc. (most of the time the baby was just using her as a pacifier anyway. if the baby really was hungry, she probably should have just stopped and enjoyed giving the baby the attention it needed.)
eventually it just became a huge distraction...like anything that continually disrupts the flow of worship.
(I'm not talking about once or twice, or like when a kid cries and has to be taken out...I'm talking about constant, ever-present, no thought to others distraction.)
the final straw fell when after so many quiet prayer times of hearing the "suck, suck gulp" in the background, disgusted, most of the guys just peacefully quit without explanation. for that reason,
i think people (ESPECIALLY guys) are completely afraid to address this highly sensitive issue.
in my humble opinion, if you have to nurse because your baby is starving or it is eating time and you happen to be in public, then nurse. if you can go somewhere discreet, go somewhere discreet...if you can't, don't worry about it. a baby's got to eat when a baby's got to eat.
Melanie, that story does offer perspective. I'm surprised this woman wanted to be on the worship team when she had a small baby! But I guess if she had 7 children in 12 years, she probably always had a small baby.
ReplyDeleteJacob had such a set schedule, it was easy to plan around. This baby has been much less predictable, sometimes going 4 hours between feedings and sometimes just 1.5-2 hours.
Last week before church I decided to pump a bottle, because he seems to consistently want to eat during church, even if I have fed him shortly before. He kind of "cluster-feeds" in the evening. But then we ran out of time and decided it was better to be on time and not have a bottle with me.
Twice I've gone to the nursery to feed him, but several other times I've stayed in the service because I really wanted to hear the sermon. At least I'm not on stage singing, I guess? It seems like most families with babies that I've seen in (any) church do bring a bottle for the baby to have during church, to guarantee that he'll be quiet during the sermon. So I guess it's not so unusual that I would feed him during church. Maybe bottle feeding moms should cover their babies with a blanket while they are being fed, too, and then no one would know if the baby was being breast fed or bottle fed and everyone could pretend all the babies were bottle feeding and no one would be uncomfortable? Just kidding! I just need to get organized enough to pump a bottle before church until Samuel's schedule becomes more set.