I have been asked to write a standardized educational piece on supporting breastfeeding moms. It will be made available to all local religious establishments like churches, temples, etc. so that staff and volunteers will be on the same page.
What would you include? What does your place of worship do right? Or what do you wish they had?
honeydew / 7811 posts
@grizz: I don't attend a place of worship so I can't be helpful in that regard but I just wanted to offer you encouragement, this is awesome!!! 
pear / 1579 posts
This is awesome! My church has 2 cry rooms available for breastfeeding moms to nurse their babies. I thought that was great and it's super convenient!
coconut / 8498 posts
Our church has an awesome nursing mothers room. There's a changing table, extra diapers/clothes/nursing pads, comfy rocking chairs, and Boppys. And it basically feels like being in the womb (dim, warm, etc). Plus, the service is piped in but we can control the volume. I love that room. Other than that, it's not really something that's highlighted.
ETA: It's not required to nurse in this room. I've often seen moms BF in the service or in one of the two cry rooms. I think most people use the room because it's comfortable and nice to talk to other moms.
watermelon / 14467 posts
That is so awesome! I wish more churches had a cry room or were more open to Breastfeeding during the service. I always felt like it would be better to quietly feed in your seat rather than get up and go to the cry room (if one is available).
pear / 1992 posts
I don't attend religious services either, but as a breastfeeding mom I think I would like to be certain that if I chose NOT to remove myself to a nursing room to feed my infant during services, it would be alright.
I think it's wonderful that they are availabe to those who want to use them but I wouldn't want to feel like I HAD to use them if I wanted to feed my baby and remain with the congregation.
papaya / 10473 posts
@evansjamie: @lindseykaye: YES. I plan on including an element on sensitivity and support towards mothers who stay in the service, and a piece on how to field complaints, should they get them.
papaya / 10473 posts
@MarieJ: Thats awesome! Do you mind PM-ing me which church (here or on FB) and I will add it to our list of churches with nursing rooms? Our county breastfeeding coalition put me up to this
grapefruit / 4291 posts
I think it would be awesome if a space would be available for ALL feeding mothers, not just the nursing ones
cantaloupe / 6059 posts
This is a fantastic idea.
Our church is very breastfeeding friendly and I see moms discreetly breastfeed in the service all the time. However, I know that not all moms feel comfortable with breastfeeding in a crowd like that and sometimes LOs have a hard time if they are distracted, as well.
@Weagle's church seems to have it figured out! Our church does have a nursery but it's far too small and, again, very distracting for LOs since there are babies up to 2 or 3 years old running around playing with toys. Also, there are hard wooden rocking chairs in the nursery that are not super comfortable for nursing. I think it would be nice for a church to put thought into helping moms be comfortable if at all possible.
We do have a room with couches and recliners at our church where there is a big TV showing the service. I think that would be a fabulous room for nursing moms or just moms with small babies to go, however, there are always young 20-something aged guys relaxing back there and/or sick people. Nursing in front of those guys kinda skeeves me out and I don't want my (or anyone else's!) LO in a closed up room with sick people if at all possible. I think our church (and other churches) could probably do a better job of designating rooms for specific purposes.
persimmon / 1153 posts
That's awesome!
I nurse in the front row covered or uncovered nobody cares. Our pastor does have 4 kiddos, born at home & his wife & kids are vegan, lol. Our church is very pro breastfeeding and anything you think is best for your child. Some women nurse where they sit during the service, some move to an emptier corner and others choose to go out to one of the quiet seated areas especially if their baby cries. There is no official crying room or baby room...our pastor encourages keeping babies with you during the service and says their cries and noises are their own way of worshipping The bathrooms are nice and clean with a large changing table & my husband says the men's room is always clean with a nice changing table as well. Leaders of the women's group are always sweet and offer a comfier chair/pillow or water or to help in anyway they can. I know there is also a nursery room set up with a chair for mamas as well. I 
our church!
papaya / 10473 posts
@Kemma: I will include that! Great idea.
@emg86: I love, love, love that! That's awesome. Our church isn't there yet... We have a rocking chair in the bathroom 
I'm hoping that putting this guide out, and getting them to take the mama-friendly pledge we're writing, will help nudge them in a better direction!
persimmon / 1116 posts
I didn't experience this, but a friend recently visited a local church and said they had a live stream of the service in the feeding room which we both thought was really great! That way you aren't missing anything if you don't feel comfortable nursing in the congregation.
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