Breastfeeding and Church

Following my previous post on this this topic I have received the following comments (I have decided to use initial only, even though they gave their names):

L: "Preparing to feed our 2 month old I was 'invited' to use the ladies' toilet to save the
Embarrassment of those around me. When I got there it was a room with a loo and a sink! I retreated to the car and fed there before leaving. Our family of four hasn't been back."

J: "When I was feeding our youngest after a service the Vicar came and asked whether we were warm enough. He also made sure someone brought me a cup of tea (and choccie biscuits) and treated it all as if it was an everyday occurence. This was a deciding factor in our remaining in that church. That said, I have experienced people who tutted and made a fuss. Perhaps that was why they were full of old folk who wondered why their church was empty and dying."

I find it sad that some twenty years on Church still appears to be variable on this issue. Personally, I don't have a problem with it and have never found those who do breadtfeed to be anything other than discrete and the whole thing to be rather beautiful and right.

I am not that much in favour of baby or bteastfeeding rooms as they tend to isolate or exclude the very people who need to be included (having had four children I know how isolated young families (especially Mums) can be - and midweek groups are no substitute for Sunday services.

Pax

Thanks to L & J