Mother of a nursling, and reception of Holy Communion?

  • Thread starter Thread starter mommamaree
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
as a nursing mother of all 6 of my kids…i never nursed in public. as far as during mass…why don’t you pump or bring a bottle? or feed the baby before or after mass? it is ONLY AN HOUR!! i see woman nursing at mass and it is a BIG distraction. people all around are focused on the woman nursing which, in turn, distracts others around THEM…not to mention the young boys on the altar serving the Lord. if they are not raised in a home that promotes breast feeding, it is possible that you may be “leading them into temptation” (scandal) because they are looking at you and they know what is happening. somthing to think about, which is not meant to be a preversion of any sort. young lads with raging hormones may be lead into temptation by watching you instead of paying attention to the mass. as far as the picture of Mary nursing baby Jesus…it’s a painting. it’s an assumption. in the temple…woman were kept separate from the men. that should speak for itself. according to the catholic dictionary by donald attwater, under the definition of “scandal”…"AN ACTION WHICH, THOUGH GOOD, APPEARS EVIL TO THE ONLOOKERS, SHOULD NOT BE PERFORMED UNLESS GRAVE INCONVENIENCE WOULD RESULT FROM ITS OMISSION. let your husband get the other kids ready while you feed the baby before Mass. it is sad that you feel you should be left out. i hope the Holy Spirit gives you the guidance that you desire! God Bless You!
 
As a Sacristan, I would ask you NOT nurse in the pews, but in a private location, especially if the church is full. Also, are you OK with bringing a bottle of breastmilk instead of nursing for that one instance? In that case just feed the child and be able to participate in the full Mass.

Just my 2 centavos.
 
aileronguy said:
As a Sacristan, I would ask you NOT nurse in the pews, but in a private location, especially if the church is full. Also, are you OK with bringing a bottle of breastmilk instead of nursing for that one instance? In that case just feed the child and be able to participate in the full Mass.

Just my 2 centavos.
Click to expand...
Sorry, I see no reason not to. I’m certainly not going to tell my wife she has to pump and bottle feed just so others around us won’t be squeamish. 🤷

Not all women can successfully pump and not every family is comfortable using a bottle at all. We never even owned a baby bottle.

There are plenty of nursing blankets for mothers to nurse discreetly. We have one with a curved wire on one side so it can be draped over the baby, but Mom can still peek in and see what she’s doing. And, sure, it’s only one hour, but when you’re ecologically breastfeeding on demand, baby isn’t going to wait around patiently for an hour until you decide to feed him. So those around can either put up with a nursing baby or a crying baby. I’ll let you guess which one is more distracting. 😉

I’m all for no distractions during Mass. We never bring toys or coloring books for our kids. We have never had to take a trip to the bathroom mid-Mass. But nursing is a whole different thing.
 
aileronguy said:
As a Sacristan, I would ask you NOT nurse in the pews, but in a private location, especially if the church is full. Also, are you OK with bringing a bottle of breastmilk instead of nursing for that one instance? In that case just feed the child and be able to participate in the full Mass.

Just my 2 centavos.
Click to expand...
What is the connection between being a sacristan and asking her not to nurse?
 
I nursed my baby at church almost every week as needed until he got old enough to ask for it aloud “milk!” I tried to wear discrete clothing and sit towards the back. Honestly, I don’t think anyone every noticed or cared.
 
limbo6 said:
as a nursing mother of all 6 of my kids…i never nursed in public. as far as during mass…why don’t you pump or bring a bottle? or feed the baby before or after mass? it is ONLY AN HOUR!! i see woman nursing at mass and it is a BIG distraction. people all around are focused on the woman nursing which, in turn, distracts others around THEM…not to mention the young boys on the altar serving the Lord. if they are not raised in a home that promotes breast feeding, it is possible that you may be “leading them into temptation” (scandal) because they are looking at you and they know what is happening. somthing to think about, which is not meant to be a preversion of any sort. young lads with raging hormones may be lead into temptation by watching you instead of paying attention to the mass. as far as the picture of Mary nursing baby Jesus…it’s a painting. it’s an assumption. in the temple…woman were kept separate from the men. that should speak for itself. according to the catholic dictionary by donald attwater, under the definition of “scandal”…"AN ACTION WHICH, THOUGH GOOD, APPEARS EVIL TO THE ONLOOKERS, SHOULD NOT BE PERFORMED UNLESS GRAVE INCONVENIENCE WOULD RESULT FROM ITS OMISSION. let your husband get the other kids ready while you feed the baby before Mass. it is sad that you feel you should be left out. i hope the Holy Spirit gives you the guidance that you desire! God Bless You!
Click to expand...
Really?!? A mother who nursed all her kids saying that nursing is a distraction? Really?!? If it’s a distraction, it’s YOUR problem, not the nursing mother’s. I see nurslings all the time in our parish. It’s not a distraction at all. It’s sweet. Any time I see a mother nursing in public, it makes me smile. We need to show the world that a nursing a mother is NOT SEXUAL. Ask any nursing mother who has a human being hanging on her nipple for hours a day if it’s a sexual thing for her. 😉 Saying that it causes a scandal to nurse in public because some teenage boy MIGHT watch you instead and think naughty thought is ridiculous.
 
nursing in a public place is a different story… but nursing in a place of worship to our Lord where it should be holy and sacred and PURE for ALL who attend is something that should be respected by nursing mothers. i am sorry that you fail to see the repercussions of your actions and words. when you lead others into temptation…knowingly or not…no matter “how sweet the act is”…it is something that should be avoided in a place of worship where innocent “curious” children (amongst others) can be led astray and you will have to answer for that. private body parts should not be handled and fondled and disrobed during a mass in the House of the Lord. private is private no matter what. you can say all you want about it being “sexualized.” if you expose yourself…others will notice…that is the way God created us whether you like it or not… whether you agree or not. . the fact is the fact. just because YOU CAN nurse…doesn’t mean YOU SHOULD nurse for that one hour of mass. there are several options a woman can choose instead of nursing. saying that you can’t pump or find another alternative like using a bottle is simply showing a lack of willingness to solve your own problem. Heaven helps those who help themselves!
 
I’m sorry, but saying that a nursing mother not pumping and using a bottle to feed her hungry child is showing a lack of willingness to problem solve is sometimes just not true and, quite frankly, rather rude. I nursed my child, and despite multiple attempts to get him to take breastmilk in a bottle, the kid just wasn’t interested. So, if he got hungry during Mass, I wasn’t about to let him starve. And I’m sure the people in Mass with us were happy that I wasn’t just letting him cry.

Also, the way God created us was to feed our children in this manner. If a nursing mother is discreet about nursing and someone has a problem with it, that’s their problem, not the nursing mother’s.
 
limbo6 said:
nursing in a public place is a different story… but nursing in a place of worship to our Lord where it should be holy and sacred and PURE for ALL who attend is something that should be respected by nursing mothers. i am sorry that you fail to see the repercussions of your actions and words. when you lead others into temptation…knowingly or not…no matter “how sweet the act is”…it is something that should be avoided in a place of worship where innocent “curious” children (amongst others) can be led astray and you will have to answer for that. private body parts should not be handled and fondled and disrobed during a mass in the House of the Lord. private is private no matter what. you can say all you want about it being “sexualized.” if you expose yourself…others will notice…that is the way God created us whether you like it or not… whether you agree or not. . the fact is the fact. just because YOU CAN nurse…doesn’t mean YOU SHOULD nurse for that one hour of mass. there are several options a woman can choose instead of nursing. saying that you can’t pump or find another alternative like using a bottle is simply showing a lack of willingness to solve your own problem. Heaven helps those who help themselves!
Click to expand...
That us ridiculous and cruel! To suggest that a nursing mother is fondling a private part during mass is plain ignorance. To say that it impure…ridiculous! I agree that if it done it should be done discreetly, but trust me it is entirely possible to nurse a baby without showing a millimeter of skin, and without anyone knowing what you are doing. There is nothing wrong with discreetly nursing a baby during mass. And you might want to think about how hurtful your comments can be to others.
 
nobody is being rude. i am trying to enlighten people to think about what they could possibly be doing to others in a place of worship. if you can’t and won’t accept the insight…then i guess it will be up to God to decide whether your actions were worthy at the cost of another’s soul. whether skin is shown or not…people are not dumb as to what is happening. i guess for the people who refuse to consider their options…i pray that they will keep the activity in the back of the church so others can practice their faith w/o distraction. if a kid cries…you can always take him/her out to the crying room or to the back of the church. it’s common sense and common courtesy. i did it for 15 years and nobody died. must be a miracle!
 
Ok. I apolgise for calling you rude. I was emotional and I should know better than to post when I’m emotional, I tend to be more defensive than I should be. I understand what you are saying; if a mother’s got it hanging all out there exposed for people to see, then yes, that is a problem in a house of worship. But mother who is feeding her child in a descreet manner should be able to participate in Mass and should not be held responsible for that lack of self control of the thoughts of other people. That’s all I was trying to say. Women who bottle feed their children get to sit in the pews while they do it. Breastfeeding women should get to, too.
 
limbo6 said:
nobody is being rude. i am trying to enlighten people to think about what they could possibly be doing to others in a place of worship. if you can’t and won’t accept the insight…then i guess it will be up to God to decide whether your actions were worthy at the cost of another’s soul.
Click to expand...
I guess its good you are so dedicated to your beliefs, but just because someone does not agree with you, does not mean that they “can’t and won’t accept the insight”. You are so certain you are right you are just plain rude to everyone who has a different opinion. Have you considered that you might be wrong?

According to your logic, a person must avoid ANY action that MIGHT cause someone else temptation. I should wear garbage bags lest someone think an impure thought at the sight of my modestly clothed body. Men should not use public restrooms for fear that a man who struggles with same-sex temptation catch a glimpse of him “fondling” his private parts and be lead to an impure thought. Better yet, a man should not be seen entering into a public restroom because I might see him going in there, and knowing why he is going there, be lead to think about him handling his private part, and have an impure thought.

Obviously not. You have to use some common sense. It is your opinion that it is not appropriate, it is others opinion that it is OK. But just because we don’t agree does not mean that we have no concerns for how our actions might effect others. Its all a balance, and where one draws the line might be farther than were you draw yours, but it doesn’t mean you should judge them so harshly and speak so negatively of them for doing so.
 
hey average joe…if you read my first post…you would know the answer… honour…i appreciate your feedback. i am still only talking about in the House of the Lord…not anywhere else. people do whatever they want anywhere else. i am just trying to give some “food for thought” to woman who might be contemplating “to nurse” or “not to nurse”. that’s all. if they still want to nurse. then…that is up to them. i am just saying there are other issues at stake.
 
limbo6 said:
hey average joe…if you read my first post…you would know the answer… honour…i appreciate your feedback. i am still only talking about in the House of the Lord…not anywhere else. people do whatever they want anywhere else. i am just trying to give some “food for thought” to woman who might be contemplating “to nurse” or “not to nurse”. that’s all. if they still want to nurse. then…that is up to them. i am just saying there are other issues at stake.
Click to expand...
😊 I was confusing you with aileronguy. Sorry about that. :o
 
How many sacred pictures do we have of the Blessed Mother nursing her Infant? Surely we would not throw out sacred art over the centuries. If that’s appropriate to depict in our churches, surely a nursing mother is appropriate!
 
DarkLight said:
How many sacred pictures do we have of the Blessed Mother nursing her Infant? Surely we would not throw out sacred art over the centuries. If that’s appropriate to depict in our churches, surely a nursing mother is appropriate!
Click to expand...
Good point!
 
I have 4 children that I nursed. At first it was difficult to nurse in public or at Church, but got easier as I got more practice. I remember getting much better at manipulating the blanket over my shoulder!
Also, I’ve noticed with some of the younger moms, they have special nursing blankets that have a loop that goes around the mom’s neck, holding the blanket in place conveniently. I’ve remember thinking that I wish I had had one of those when my children were babies (especially when they would kick their legs, it would take quite a lot of effort to keep the blanket in place) Something so simple would have made it so much easier.
One of my friends uses one and says it makes nursing much easier than it was before she had one of those special nursing blankets. Any children’s store ought to have them. Why don’t you give it a try? I hope that helps.
Congratulations on your precious baby!
 
Those who have an issue thinking women who nurse in church are somehow doing something that is not pure or is sexual in some way need to remember: It is by God’s design that women nourish their young from the breast.

I would rather feed my child through the breast that God gave me to feed him with, the breastmilk that He designed. and NOT through a man made bottle. I do not see this as impure or improper to do in church. If anyone is offended by God’s design for the feeding of infants…

Although LO has always slept straight through Mass so I have never had occasion to need to…I was prepared last Sunday though!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top