Breastfeeding At Mass

[Noel's angel]

Maybe I was a bit blunt in what I was saying. I understand that attending Mass as a family is very important to many people. Maybe because I've never had that tradition, I don't put as much emphasis on it. As a child, my father would take us to Mass now and again, but from the age of 14 I have gone alone.
My father only brought me to Mass from about the age of 4, when I had started school and was able to sit quietly for an hour. Babies and young children cause a lot of distraction to others, especially when parents allow them to scream constantly the whole way through Mass. This of course isn't the child's fault, yet the parents insist on bringing their screaming children and allowing them to scratch the pews with their car keys and wander around the church.

On the other hand, I have seen parents with babies who are well behaved every week, so I'm not on a rally against babies.
I am of the opinion that if you can keep your children under control, bring them to Mass. If not, it is best not to disturb your own prayer, and the prayers of others around you. A lot of families where I live take it in turns. The mother will keep small children at home and the father will go to one Mass, then they will swap roles. Again, maybe it's a cultural thing.

Edited July 8, 2008 by Noel's angel

[Deb]

I have no problem with women who breastfeed their children during Mass. I do wonder though about the one lady who sits in the very first pew and does it? Hmmmm.

I have to say that in my church, if a parent has a screaming child, they get up immediately and remove them from the church. Mass can be heard beyone two different sets of glass doors so that they do not miss the Mass itself and can return when the child has quieted. Children always seem to want to scream during the consecration or the homily. Maybe I only notice it then. Usually, I don't even notice that the church has people in it.

Edited July 8, 2008 by Deb

[XIX]

IMO, the graces associated with going to Mass (even if you don't know what's going on) are more important.

I find that it is a lot easier to focus on God whenever babies are around. Even if they aren't behaving. I'm sure not everybody reacts the way I do to a misbehaving baby, but I know for a fact that a lot of people do find it easier to focus on God when they are in the presence of a baby. A baby is literally a sacrament--an outward sign of God's love.

If one are worried about distractions, one can take one's baby outside for a few minutes when it acts up. I'm okay with that. But there is no way that someone should have to flat out stay home for Mass in order to keep others from dealing with a distraction.

If a crying baby is enough for me to take my eyes off of the prayer, that's my fault.

[picchick]

[quote name='Noel's angel' post='1595373' date='Jul 8 2008, 06:29 PM']Well, I don't like to see people letting their children eat in church anyway, and I'm against breast feeding too. If you want to do it, go somewhere private. It does make people feel uncomfortable. Maybe it's a cultural thing (coming from a rural Irish area).
I wouldn't like to see a mother give her 2 year old crisps and juice during Mass either, though. (Edited as I re-read this last line and realised it was much to blunt!)
(Prepares for backlash)[/quote]

Babies need to eat every few hours. They cannot wait like a toddler can. They need to eat when they need to eat. It is also part of their developmental stage. Their needs need to be met.

I think that it is important to start taking your children to Mass as early as possible and teaching them how to behave in Church. My mom and dad would not bring a newborn to Church until things were settled...which would be a couple of weeks. That is fine especially depending on the weather. However, I think that if you are going to raise a Catholic family you need to teach your family about the Mass. What better way than to bring them. I understand that babies do not undertand what is going on but as a family, the family should attend.

There is a way to breastfeed withoutmaking a deal out of it. You put a sheet over your shoulder and waa laa! Instant wall. They make things now that cover the whole front and the back where you are feeding so NOTHING shows at all. So I think that it can be done anywhere. I am not a fan of just pulling up your shirt and start feeding there...I think that for your own privacy (meaning that even though the breast is used for feeding it is still a breast) you need to do some covering.

Meg

[HisChildForever]

[quote]If a crying baby is enough for me to take my eyes off of the prayer, that's my fault.[/quote]

When the crying baby screams very loudly that you can not even hear the priest, then I find it to be a tremendous problem, especially when the parents wait a good five minutes before taking the child out

[rizz_loves_jesus]

People, when a baby's gotta eat a baby's gotta eat. What's the mom supposed to do, sit there and listen to the poor kid scream??

I dunno about you, but I'm pretty sure Jesus said "let the little children come to Me"

Edited July 8, 2008 by rizz_loves_jesus

[friendofJPII]

[quote name='picchick' post='1595426' date='Jul 8 2008, 06:25 PM']Babies need to eat every few hours. They cannot wait like a toddler can. They need to eat when they need to eat. It is also part of their developmental stage. Their needs need to be met.

I think that it is important to start taking your children to Mass as early as possible and teaching them how to behave in Church. My mom and dad would not bring a newborn to Church until things were settled...which would be a couple of weeks. That is fine especially depending on the weather. However, I think that if you are going to raise a Catholic family you need to teach your family about the Mass. What better way than to bring them. I understand that babies do not undertand what is going on but as a family, the family should attend.

There is a way to breastfeed withoutmaking a deal out of it. You put a sheet over your shoulder and waa laa! Instant wall. They make things now that cover the whole front and the back where you are feeding so NOTHING shows at all. So I think that it can be done anywhere. I am not a fan of just pulling up your shirt and start feeding there...I think that for your own privacy (meaning that even though the breast is used for feeding it is still a breast) you need to do some covering.

Meg[/quote]

As long as nothing is showing and it is done discreetly, it's fine.

Edited July 8, 2008 by friendofJPII

[picchick]

[quote name='friendofJPII' post='1595435' date='Jul 8 2008, 07:33 PM']As long as nothing is showing and it is done discreetly, it's fine.[/quote]

Agreed...there are some people out there who are ok though with just being all out there with it...that is totally not acceptable. If I do not want to see it at the beach I do not want to see it before you feed your baby. Be discreet... that is my plan

Breastfeed on the sly

[havok579257]

This is fantastic, lets not bring our babies to mass. Lets not bring our young kids to mass. Lets spilt up family's so they get in the habit of not praying together. What next, not bring old people because they're to much of a hassel?

I can not even fathom how some said don't bring babies to church. Heck, maybe we should just let adults to church. For anyone else, well their just out of luck when it comes to our Lord an savior.

Simple as this, God made babies, he made them so they cry. To banish a child because they cry is going against God. How can anyone think like this?

[rizz_loves_jesus]

[quote name='havok579257' post='1595454' date='Jul 8 2008, 07:42 PM']This is fantastic, lets not bring our babies to mass. Lets not bring our young kids to mass. Lets spilt up family's so they get in the habit of not praying together. What next, not bring old people because they're to much of a hassel?

I can not even fathom how some said don't bring babies to church. Heck, maybe we should just let adults to church. For anyone else, well their just out of luck when it comes to our Lord an savior.

Simple as this, God made babies, he made them so they cry. To banish a child because they cry is going against God. How can anyone think like this?[/quote]

iawtc

[Noel's angel]

No one said to banish children who cry. Babies cry, yes, but that doesn't mean everyone else's prayer has to be interrupted because of it. I'm not blaming the children, but the parents who sit right at the front, centre, and let their kids cry their eyes out and screech for an hour. Everyone will allow for the fact that young children can become restless, and I have no problem with a kid asking their parents the odd question or whatever, but if the parents don't control their children, then it's unfair on the people around them.
I don't find breast feeding at Mass to be appropriate, but that's a personal thing. Would I go up and chastise someone who did? No. It's their choice if they want to do it.

I love how people grab one small (retracted) comment and make it the basis of the whole discussion, ignoring every other point.

Edited July 8, 2008 by Noel's angel

[XIX]

I do think it's wise for a family with a baby to sit towards the back.

[Noel's angel]

Agreed.
I'd like to point out that I have nothing against children at Mass. What I do have a problem with however are parents who insist on bringing children who don't yet understand how to behave during Mass.

[Deb]

When I was a kid, we knew better than to even open our mouths once we entered the Sanctuary. It was always preferable to stifle ourselves than incur the wrath of the parents. Mass was not a place where you acted misbehaved. We could do that many other places and know we could "maybe" get away with it. Not in Mass.

Can you tell that I was born before time outs? Our time outs involved a spanking and being tossed in our room, missing dinner, mouth washed out with soap, grounding and a myriad of well thought up punishments.

[Noel's angel]

I'm sure most of us here were brought up knowing when it is appropriate to talk and when it isn't. Nowadays though, people think it is fine for their kids to run around the church, shouting and crying. Recently, a family let their child wander off, then realised she was nowhere to be seen. Luckily an elderly woman found her at the entrance to the church and kept her there until the parents came for her.

I applaud all parents who bring their children up well, and as we all know, kids can be unpredictable. So I have complete understanding when a normally well-behaved child is restless now and again. My beef lies with the poor parenting, not the children.

Edited July 9, 2008 by Noel's angel