Hellobee Boards

I don't, but that's because I leave LO home with my husband. I know I'm going to need to start bringing her, but I'm worried about the same things you mention. When I watch families at mass it seems like the parents can't really focus because the kids need to be looked after.

I'm so sorry that you have to deal with that! I'm looking forward to reading the opinions here, as this is something we'll have to consider when LO arrives.

I don't think it would be a problem to breastfeed in church - if someone says something about it, tell them that when they set up a nursing room for you, you'll use it! And honestly, even if there IS a nursing room but for some reason you don't want to use it... I still don't think it should be an issue to breastfeed in church. But that's me. Personally I plan on breastfeeding in church, but I am stressed about it for other reasons.

I know there will be tons of older people and kids clamoring to hold my newborn, and they are not going to be happy when I say no. I'm personally not comfortable handing my baby over to people I barely know who might be sick or whatever, and I know that will cause a rift.

I'm stressed about it, but we have a nursery. I just don't plan on putting our LO in it until he's a little older. My anxiety is rooted in the same issue as @Arden: in that I don't want people holding or touching my baby. A lot of people we go to church with think its their right to pass around a baby like a football and I hate it. My DH is one of our pastors, so add in the fact that everyone thinks they 'know' me since he's on staff and you have one anxiety ridden mama. I think I'll be staying home with him and watching the service online as long as possible.

@rattles: This is totally my plan. The Moby looks too complicated for anyone to want to mess with my baby...I can't imagine someone asking me to take it off or unwrap him to hold him. Also, if they just reach for him they'll get a big handful of boob too...so I feel like its less likely to happen

I'm Jewish, but we don't go to temple every Friday for that reason. We only go to children friendly services. Sometimes they have a live band with lots of music and singing, and we'll go to that service because I know that it'll be extra loud so it's ok if LO is loud.

Luckily we have a new rabbi who is very child friendly. My old rabbi would have yelled at us if my LO wandered through the chairs and played during services and let out loud giggles, but this rabbi just looks over and smiles. She's a toddler. She's not going to just sit still and listen quietly.

when LO was younger i was also always stressed by going to church but its getting better now

We used to be weekly churchgoers but we haven't been to church since our son was born. When he was really little, it was because of the germs. Now it's mostly because my son (11 months) wouldn't be able to handle being quiet or held for an hour. We don't have any kind of cry room or nursery and I have no idea what we would do with him during mass. I miss going to mass but like you said- I know I would get zero out of it if I spent the entire time trying to entertain him. I don't know how anyone attends with toddlers- it is way too stressful for me.

It's hard. LO is two, so sitting still and being quiet for an hour is a special kind of torture. I bring books and quiet things to do, but there's a limit to how well distractions work (and I have mixed feelings about "distracting" LO in church). There's a "family room" in our church (no nursery), but I don't care for it for two reasons:

1) It becomes a de facto playroom, so the point of church is totally lost on the children and most of the parents there because the children are involved in whatever toy/book/game they find and the parents are trying to control the mayhem. No one is really able to listen, let alone pray/reflect. My purposes in taking LO to church is to gradually impart our faith to him, not to just make it through to communion. This is my biggest complaint about the room.

2) Germs. It's a small, totally enclosed space.

My solution is to stand in the back of the sanctuary until LO can't handle it anymore, and then we retreat to the hall, where there are speakers so I can at least hear what's going on.

This is the one area of my life as a mother that has gotten harder as LO has gotten older, although I expect that will change relatively soon.

Re: BFing in church: I never did it in the sanctuary, but Mass is only an hour long, so I just worked around it. Christian ladies who need "justification" for BFing in church might note that Mary definitely breastfed Jesus and we're supposed to follow her example!

@Mrs. Pen: "Eventually I told DH it's not worth the hassle to get all gussied up and go to church if I can only attend 30 minutes of the service."

THIS exactly! I've said this exact thing to DH on more than one occasion and for a few weeks I even stayed home & just watched online.

I know that I NEED to go to service though and even though I don't get to really hear the sermon, P does usually make it through worship so I atleast get that. (I always love corporate worship) For now, I'm just going to up my teaching/sermon watching during the week and I can watch Sunday's service online on Monday.... It's been almost 11 months and I can so feel how dry I've become not being able to get "proper" teaching.

I do look forward to the day that I can start putting P in the nursery and sit through service again!

@honeybear: If we didn't have a "new moms room" that was specifically designated for nursing then I wouldn't hesitate for a second BFing in service, especially since most of the time P will nurse for 5 minutes and then sleep or sit quietly the rest of the time. Since there is a designated space though I feel like I would be disrespectful if I didn't use it.

@Weagle: "I usually end up having great conversations in the hall and nursing mom's room with other parents"

This too! Not that I like to use church as my social hour but with our hectic new mom schedules this time is one of the only times I see some of my other mommy friends.

Yes. I haven't been since her baptism because of it. Service is at 8, 9:30 or 11. My daughter normally naps from 9-10:30 or 11. It just doesn't work.

Oh, and as far as naps go, we just skip it. Although it makes for a VERY long Sunday (and sometimes Monday), we think it's worth it.

@Weagle: haha that's nicely put! I am more like "what the heck is wrong with us that for one day or our lives we can't get to church on time!" And then I silently blame everyone else. So Christlike, I know.

@Weagle: @sloaneandpuffy: @Mrs. Sketchbook: *raises hand* this is so us too! Every. Single. Sunday. And it doesn't matter how early or how on time we seem to be while getting ready, we're always walking out the door late! To make matter worse G just joined the student leadership team for his age group so he now needs to be there atleast 15 minutes (more like 30) before service!!!!

And yes I'm always stewing the first half of worship wanting to blame DH for us being late & me being mad all while knowing that's totally false & I need to give it up so I can get my heart right!

Geeze... Why didn't anyone tell us this is what moms in biblical times dealt with?! Lol

@owlmom: this is nice to hear, thank you!