Breast feeding.

[ilovejcsog]

Considering the exposure of breasts for breast feeding IN PUBLIC how do you think God would feel about it. There are many scriptures concerning modesty, etc.

 

[MariaJLM]

I don't see it as an issue. It's simply breasts being used for what God actually intended them for.

 

[mina]

God created breastfeeding. Jesus was most likely breastfeed. I think it would sadden Him that a baby was denied nourishment over trying to appease pervs that would stare at a women that is breastfeeding a baby. And quite honestly, you don't see anything at all unless you are staring and waiting for the few seconds that a baby latches and unlatches. What kind of creep stares at a woman breastfeeding a baby waiting to see something?

Most mothers are discreet and have special clothing for it: I have breastfed and have been around lots of other moms that do it and have never ever seen my mom friends' breasts.

 

[Sabertooth]

When we were that age (1980s-90s), most of the breastfeeding moms that we knew had a way to cover that "transaction" with specially-designed tops. One included a "hammock" for baby. I don't recall ever seeing a new mom pulling her "girls" out in broad daylight.

I agree that it's natural and baby needs to eat, but everybody I have ever known has always been discreet.

 

[SkyWriting]

When we were that age, most of the breastfeeding moms that we knew had a way to cover that "transaction" with specially-designed tops. One included a "hammock" for baby. I don't recall ever seeing a new mom pulling her "girls" out in broad daylight.

I agree that it's natural and baby needs to eat, but everybody I have ever known has always been discreet.

Some females will do it on purpose in front of men. It's a power thing I think. It's very hard to generalize motivations.

 

[ilovejcsog]

Its doing it in public that I wonder how God feels. There are so many scriptures on covering, modesty, etc. I wondered on this from another forum on whether a person should be hugging, etc if it might cause discomfort sexually for some. I can't imagine there is not one man in the world that might be affected by this in public and are we tempting anothers.....
Hi Saber

 

[ilovejcsog]

When I was a teen or younger, many hundreds of years ago my cousin breast fed her baby at a family get together and I was embarrassed, that was a first for me.

 

[Sabertooth]

I can't imagine there is not one man in the world that might be affected by this in public and are we tempting anothers.....

I would certainly notice. That just hasn't been my experience.

 

[SkyWriting]

When I was a teen or younger, many hundreds of years ago my cousin breast fed her baby at a family get together and I was embarrassed, that was a first for me.

One time, I'm sitting on a friends couch relaxing, I open my eyes and his sister is sitting across from me exposing her entire chest to the baby! What her motivation was, I have no idea. It wasn't that small of a house.

 

[Jonaitis]

Don't we have the kind of tech to transfer a woman's breast milk to a bottle? This can be an alternative when you go out on public if it creates a problem.

If it is wrong in God's eyes, because of immodesty, I don't know but I think we should be as respectful as we can be regardless of how another culture in another age did it. It wouldn't hurt to wear that cover someone mentioned if they must.

 

[Sabertooth]

Breastfeeding Hammock/Carrier

 

[Paidiske]

I think those who have not breastfed are not in a good position to understand (or restrict) the logistics of it. Not everyone can express. Not everyone can manage "discreetly" as easily as some. (Some babies get distressed with a wrap, some become active and refuse to stay latched, some women need to hold their babies differently for an effective latch etc etc etc).

On the whole, I think we can trust mothers to be sensible about meeting their babies' needs appropriately. Anyone uncomfortable about a glimpse of breast might well ask himself how uncomfortable he would find the wailing of a hungry child, because out and about there aren't always great alternatives!

 

[worshipjunkie]

I breastfed seven children. I had squirmy babies and despite all my efforts at modesty (and yes, I used a wrap- not like the picture, but another kind) sometimes more would be shown then I wanted to. I was always extremely embarrassed when that happened...99.9 percent of women don't want to be seen anymore then you want to see.

Alternating with bottles can sometimes give a baby what is known as "Nipple confusion", where they have trouble going between the bottle and the breast because the bottle is easier for the baby. So then they are fussier with nursing or even begin to refuse. Some babies are very prone to this, others can switch back and forth and not care. My seventh was a preemie and it was a grueling three months getting her to nursing full time. When we did the lactation consultant (a health care professional who specializes in breastfeeding) told us not to give her the bottle for a couple of months if at all possible to solidify the new nursing skills. So things happen.

Breastfeeding has so many physical and emotional benefits for both mom and baby that it's worth it trying to tweak modest public nursing. There's a reason that they will pay for donor breast milk in the NICU while a mom is getting nursing established. God really designed something amazing there.

 

[mina]

When you go out in public there are likely several moms breastfeeding (or even pumping!) and you'd never notice. I find outrage over moms breastfeeding in public a little silly. If a woman is sitting in the open totally topless; then that might be a cause for concern, but I've never ever seen that in regards to breastfeeding in public, even at La Leche meetings.

Anyways, Mary had to travel to Egypt with the infant Jesus so I'm sure there were inconvenient times that he was hungry in public and she just fed Him. It was a normal part of life. The Bible mentions Moses' mom nursing him and breastfeeding is used metaphorically to describe care and nourishment in Isaiah (I think!) and Paul uses it in 1 Thessalonians. Readers and hearers (men and women) would be able to relate to a familiar comfortable image. It was just a normal image and part of life in Biblical times. and there is a verse somewhere about how nursing mothers take care of their children's needs to describe gentleness; so the bible does give positive imagery towards breastfeeding and doesn't mention only doing at home. It was likely mothers nursed whenever and where ever their baby was hungry.

 

[Archivist]

First, public breastfeeding is legal in 49 US states. There is no requirement that women be discrete when doing so in most of them. Since Christians are to obey the laws, wouldn’t it be wrong for a Christian to tell a woman that she needs to cover up?

Second, when the Bible speaks of modesty it addresses overdressing not underdressing. It says that women shouldn’t wear jewels or braided hair but says nothing about breastfeeding.

Third, nudity was much more common in ancient times. Breastfeeding in public would have been common just as it was common for fishermen like Peter to fish on the nude.

 

[ilovejcsog]

My concern is how God feels about it. I am sure before A and E brought sin into the world it would have been perfectly alright. Personally, I see no reason why they can't drape a scarf or clothe over it. I agree with one poster, it borders on exhibitionist. JMHO even if it isn't needed.

 

[Archivist]

My concern is how God feels about it. I am sure before A and E brought sin into the world it would have been perfectly alright. Personally, I see no reason why they can't drape a scarf or clothe over it. I agree with one poster, it borders on exhibitionist. JMHO even if it isn't needed.

Why would God object to it? It is what breasts are for, feeding the young. If you are offended when you see a woman breastfeeding then by all means don’t look.

 

[mina]

Yeah, I don't understand why anyone would continue to look at a woman who is breastfeeding if it offends you. There are a million other things to look at. And as previously stated , the window for seeing anything offensive (or salacious) is quite small so unless you are laying in wait for something to happen, you are probably not going to see anything other than the back of a baby's head. And if a woman does cover up, a wiggling or thrashing baby might expose the mother . I guess if you really want to know what God thinks about it then search the Bible for what God does say about breastfeeding and what the verses about modesty actually pertain to and speak to a pastor. Babies don't care where you are, if they are hungry they need to eat. Waiting until you get home is neglect, staying at home all the time is not feasible, going into a bathroom is gross and not healthy for the baby, and even the most well meaning covering up can go a different way so I guess babies are co partners in exhibitionism. God created women to be able to feed a child literally anywhere and it's not a sexual thing.

Personally, I don't know where you are seeing women totally topless feeding children; all my experiences as a nursing mom and as a friend to other nursing moms has been women do try to wear covers or special clothing that covers things or makes things easier and comfortable for mom and baby without feeling exposed; and people will still say ignorant things even if no one saw anything remotely private. Even women that don't have covers are hardly out there exposing their breasts to everyone around them. If it's happened once to you , then it's probably out of the ordinary and doesn't mean that all breastfeeding mothers should not feed their babies when they are out in public.

 

[ilovejcsog]

You're missing the point of the op. How does God feel about women exposing themselves while breast feeding. terms on modesty are through out the bible. It is an easy thing to cover them up. I guess it is not important how God feels about it to some.

 

[mina]

I'm not trying to argue with you; it's just a topic with some interest to me.....

People have answered you that they think God supports a woman breastfeeding because He invented it and it's the purpose God made women's breast specifically for. That doesn't mean they don't care what God thinks; that's a big jump. To see what God thinks you must go to His word and look at the entirety of Scripture..... Do you think a woman breastfeeding who doesn't have a cover but isn't showing anything but a shoulder is sinning or not honoring God? I don't think the heart of the average breastfeeding mother is to expose herself for pleasure or creepy onlookers; it's to feed her child whom God has given to her to care for. Is God happy for a child to be fed by it's mother even in public? It's not a black and white issue where you can measure out who wants to please God by doing or not doing what God has literally created them to do and the system He created them to do it by.