Is breastfeeding allowed during Mass?

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ProdigalSon1211

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I was at Mass yesterday and some lady next to me I am most certain was breastfeeding her child. Is this allowed? Can a mother breastfeed her child during Mass? This is a serious question I am not trolling.
 
Yes, it is certainly permissible for a mother to nurse her baby in church. Can you imagine Jesus saying otherwise?

Try to avoid watching the other people in church, focus on the Mass.
 
I’d say yes, though if you’re in one of those Church-in-the-round kind of arrangements, where everyone faces each other, you might want to sit in the back as it might be a little bit distracting.

Beyond that its fine. The baby needs food. 🙂
 
ProdigalSon1211 said:
I was at Mass yesterday and some lady next to me I am most certain was breastfeeding her child. Is this allowed? Can a mother breastfeed her child during Mass? This is a serious question I am not trolling.
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Of course it is. Why would anyone even question that?
 
I have, and will again once my next baby is born. I am skilled enough at it now that usually nobody notices, unless they are right next to me or staring (not recommended, by the way.) When I started, there was a bit of a learning curve but I figured it out.

Pope Francis has encouraged mothers to breastfeed in church.
 
Leonhard said:
I’d say yes, though if you’re in one of those Church-in-the-round kind of arrangements, where everyone faces each other, you might want to sit in the back as it might be a little bit distracting.

Beyond that its fine. The baby needs food. 🙂
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I attend in just such a church where seating is in the round and yes there are often mother’s breast feeding their babies.It is done with such discretion that it isn’t a distraction or really an issue at all.
 
Of course! 🙂 I’d double check to make sure nothing’s flapping in the breeze so to speak but other than that it’s awesome for you and baby to be able to remain in church. And its certianly less of a distraction than a screaming baby or getting up to go to the cry room! 👍
 
I did it once at the Easter vigil. It was the only Mass we could attend that weekend, and of course it was long, and the baby started to fuss. We were the only ones in the cry room, and I turned off the light in there and covered up.

BTW, anybody who thinks the baby should just be given a bottle in church doesn’t understand that a breastfed baby doesn’t want to take a bottle.
 
ProdigalSon1211 said:
I was at Mass yesterday and some lady next to me I am most certain was breastfeeding her child. Is this allowed? Can a mother breastfeed her child during Mass? This is a serious question I am not trolling.
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Allowed? There is certainly no rule against it. Neither divine law nor ecclesiastical law prohibits it. A woman is certainly capable of breastfeeding her child during Mass, as long as she has a baby and she is producing milk, as there is no divine power that makes it impossible only during Mass. 😉

Are you asking if it is prudent?
I personally nurse my children during mass if they need to eat. Mass often falls right around morning nap time for the babies or you are so busy getting ready in the morning you do not have time to nurse the baby and be at Mass on time. I like to do it during the homily, as that gives the baby enough time to finish and not bring attention to the fact that I am nursing.

Indeed, if you could not even definitively say if she was nursing the baby, then I fail to see how it could be imprudent to quite a fussy baby by nursing them.
 
Breastfeeding is a need, not a choice. Therefore permission is not required. What is required is discretion and modesty while breastfeeding.
 
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