Where are LDS women most likely to face negative cultural attitudes toward open breastfeeding at church?
Reports submitted to Let Babies Eat by the time of this website’s publication demonstrate that negative attitudes toward open breastfeeding on church property are especially problematic for women in the United States of America. Open breastfeeding is defined as breastfeeding without a cover over baby and mother. Every received report of negative attitudes has come from a woman in the U.S.A. Conversely, women from other parts of the world—Canada, Europe, South Africa, Central America, the Philippines, etc.—report positive treatment when open breastfeeding at church.
What are the laws regarding breastfeeding?
Each of the 50 states in the United States of America has some form of protection for public breastfeeding. The language of most state laws guarantees a woman’s right to breastfeed her child in any location provided that location is legally accessible by the general population. Public open breastfeeding is not a violation of indecent exposure laws, nor is it considered sexual conduct or lewd touching.
Is the church compelled to follow state law?
As a private entity, the LDS church is legally protected in making additional policies that are beyond the scope of local laws. This includes policies regarding open breastfeeding on church property. However, no such policies exist.
What is the Church Handbook of Instruction policy regarding public breastfeeding at church?
Currently there is no official handbook or otherwise stated policy regarding open breastfeeding on church property. In a 2013 article, the Salt Lake Tribune quotes church spokesman Scott Trotter as saying that "countless thousands of mothers have been accommodated in church for generations, simply by everyone observing common sense, discretion and respect." Despite this unofficial statement, some women in the U.S.A continue to experience shaming and harassment for open breastfeeding their babies at church, including informal church discipline.
Why are you advocating for a church-wide statement? What if the church releases a statement you don’t like?
Let Babies Eat asserts that only a statement of church-wide clarification or policy will establish the consistency families need. Nursing mothers deserve to know if their right to open breastfeed will be honored in all LDS meetinghouses or if they will continue to be subject to discrimination which is dependent upon the attitudes of local church leaders.
If a church-released statement indicates that local leaders are to make breastfeeding policies for their own stakes and wards, or if the Church issues no statement at all, Let Babies Eat will continue to advocate for an improved church-wide, inclusive policy.
Is a woman required to nurse her baby in the Mother’s Room?
There is no policy requiring nursing mothers to confine themselves to a particular room, nor forbidding them from entering any other. The Mother’s Room exists for those mothers who desire extra privacy or fewer distractions for their babies, but its use is not a requirement.
What if a local leader requires a woman to cover?
When this happens, a leader uses his or her position to enforce a personal preference that is not supported by church doctrine nor by church policy. Such a requirement is an exercise of unrighteous dominion and an abuse of authority.
Why can't a woman just cover up?
Nursing can be difficult, especially when a mother and baby are first learning. Some babies struggle to latch or stay latched. Some get overheated under a cover. Some grab the cover and tear it off mid-feeding. Some women prefer a cover, but for others it gets in the way. Some women require the use of both hands during breastfeeding and are unable to keep a cover in position. Insisting a woman must cover sends the mistaken message that breastfeeding is inherently sexual and shameful.
Why can’t women breastfeed discreetly?
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “discretion” as: 1) individual choice or judgment, and the power of free decision, 2) the quality of having or showing discernment or good judgment, and 3) the ability to make responsible decisions. Let Babies Eat advocates precisely that mothers be allowed to breastfeed with discretion.
Furthermore, “discreet” is defined, first, as “having or showing discernment or good judgment in conduct” and then coupled with the synonyms unpretentious, modest, unobtrusive, and unnoticeable. For those who perceive discretion as an act intended to guard sensibilities, Let Babies Eat suggests the practice of discreetly looking away.
Isn’t the church/chapel too sacred for breastfeeding?
LDS Chapels certainly are sacred places in which we participate in holy ordinances. Breastfeeding is a sacred act, too, and is appropriate for any location where an infant is. Infants are too young to conform to adult concepts of location and schedule. Pope Francis recently attended a baptismal service in the Sistine Chapel, one of the holiest sites of Catholicism, for dozens of infants. When some babies began to cry, he told parents that “if your children are crying because they are hungry, then go ahead and feed them, just as Mary breastfed Jesus.”
Is breastfeeding sexual or pornographic?
No. Let Babies Eat soundly rejects the perverted notion that breastfeeding an infant is a sexual act. To reduce the holy work of feeding a child to something akin to exhibitionism is allowing an adversarial influence to taint something pure and of God. Humans are mammals; women have mammary glands and breasts for the purpose of feeding children. Breasts are secondary sex characteristics, just like Adam’s apples, and not sex organs.
Is it possible that some men, women, or youth who observe a nursing mother may have a sexual response, discomfort, or arousal? Yes, it's possible. However, some people may be attracted, aroused, or made uncomfortable by all sorts of non-sexual things, including feet or other body parts. The responses of the uninvolved bystanders do not change the inherently good intention on the part of the mother to feed her child. Their responses do not change her holy work into pornography. Conflating breastfeeding with modesty shows a thought error on the part of the accuser. Western culture has sexualized breasts through advertising and other media, but breasts are fundamentally non-sexual, and we should not allow worldly influences to debase the sacred act of breastfeeding.
What about the men and boys struggling with pornography?
Let Babies Eat believes that normalizing open breastfeeding may help those struggling with pornography. Seeing breasts in the context of nursing reinforces their anatomical purpose. Pornography makes breasts into sex objects to be used for the viewer’s gratification. By contrast, nursing makes breasts a non-sexual, natural tool used for nourishing children. Rather than compelling women to cover or exiling them from church meetings and activities, all church members should be taught they are accountable for their own responses and each should be encouraged to guide their thoughts, eyes, and actions toward understanding and including women rather than objectifying or ostracizing them. Jesus’s instructions to men tempted by the sight of a woman is found in Matthew 5: 27-29.
What is a male’s responsibility when he sees a woman open breastfeeding at a church event?
He should treat her like any other person he meets at church. Say hello, ask how she’s doing, chat about the Gospel Doctrine lesson. Offer to bring her a glass of water. He is in charge of his own thoughts and his own actions. If he is uncomfortable in any way, he can look her in the eyes and ignore what she is doing. He can always look away or politely remove himself.
Why can’t mothers feed their babies from a bottle (with pumped milk or formula) at church?
Mothers choose to feed their babies in all sorts of ways, and each comes with its own challenges. Pumping requires a significant investment of time. There is not a convenient way to keep pumped milk cold and safe while also immediately accessible to a hungry child during long hours at church. Formula is expensive. If a mother skips a feeding, her body still produces the milk that feeding would have required, leading to sore, engorged breasts. Her milk may let down during church, leaking onto her clothing. If she replaces many feedings with formula, her supply can start to dry up, making it harder to nurse outside of church. Other women experience complications from not expressing milk once it has been produced, leading to illnesses like mastitis and plugged ducts. Some women may choose to pump or use formula. However, the decision must remain with the mother; it is she who best understands her own needs and the needs of her child.
Are you going to sponsor a nurse-in at Temple Square?
Let Babies Eat has no plan to coordinate a nurse-in at this time. Nurse-ins are a strategy used by breastfeeding activists all around the world, and it is appropriate and useful in many contexts. However, it is not an action that Let Babies Eat will be pursuing. Our focus is on providing educational information to local, area, and general leaders, as well as church members, in an effort to counteract negative and damaging social narratives that interfere with babies receiving optimal nutrition while at church. Please read the stories in the Our Stories page to learn more or join us in taking action on the Take Action page.
Why do you think it’s your place to tell the church leaders what to do?
Let Babies Eat sees value in informing general and local leaders of the Church about the needs of breastfeeding mothers and infants, the majority of whom have never been nursing mothers. We believe that good information will likely invite revelation regarding any needed adjustments to church policy and that it helps our leaders understand what’s going on with members’ lived experiences in local areas. Equipped with good information, we believe our leaders will act with inspiration for the good of the members they serve. We invite church members to prayerfully share their stories about breastfeeding at church with church leaders. To learn more about our efforts, please visit the Take Action page.
Reports submitted to Let Babies Eat by the time of this website’s publication demonstrate that negative attitudes toward open breastfeeding on church property are especially problematic for women in the United States of America. Open breastfeeding is defined as breastfeeding without a cover over baby and mother. Every received report of negative attitudes has come from a woman in the U.S.A. Conversely, women from other parts of the world—Canada, Europe, South Africa, Central America, the Philippines, etc.—report positive treatment when open breastfeeding at church.
What are the laws regarding breastfeeding?
Each of the 50 states in the United States of America has some form of protection for public breastfeeding. The language of most state laws guarantees a woman’s right to breastfeed her child in any location provided that location is legally accessible by the general population. Public open breastfeeding is not a violation of indecent exposure laws, nor is it considered sexual conduct or lewd touching.
Is the church compelled to follow state law?
As a private entity, the LDS church is legally protected in making additional policies that are beyond the scope of local laws. This includes policies regarding open breastfeeding on church property. However, no such policies exist.
What is the Church Handbook of Instruction policy regarding public breastfeeding at church?
Currently there is no official handbook or otherwise stated policy regarding open breastfeeding on church property. In a 2013 article, the Salt Lake Tribune quotes church spokesman Scott Trotter as saying that "countless thousands of mothers have been accommodated in church for generations, simply by everyone observing common sense, discretion and respect." Despite this unofficial statement, some women in the U.S.A continue to experience shaming and harassment for open breastfeeding their babies at church, including informal church discipline.
Why are you advocating for a church-wide statement? What if the church releases a statement you don’t like?
Let Babies Eat asserts that only a statement of church-wide clarification or policy will establish the consistency families need. Nursing mothers deserve to know if their right to open breastfeed will be honored in all LDS meetinghouses or if they will continue to be subject to discrimination which is dependent upon the attitudes of local church leaders.
If a church-released statement indicates that local leaders are to make breastfeeding policies for their own stakes and wards, or if the Church issues no statement at all, Let Babies Eat will continue to advocate for an improved church-wide, inclusive policy.
Is a woman required to nurse her baby in the Mother’s Room?
There is no policy requiring nursing mothers to confine themselves to a particular room, nor forbidding them from entering any other. The Mother’s Room exists for those mothers who desire extra privacy or fewer distractions for their babies, but its use is not a requirement.
What if a local leader requires a woman to cover?
When this happens, a leader uses his or her position to enforce a personal preference that is not supported by church doctrine nor by church policy. Such a requirement is an exercise of unrighteous dominion and an abuse of authority.
Why can't a woman just cover up?
Nursing can be difficult, especially when a mother and baby are first learning. Some babies struggle to latch or stay latched. Some get overheated under a cover. Some grab the cover and tear it off mid-feeding. Some women prefer a cover, but for others it gets in the way. Some women require the use of both hands during breastfeeding and are unable to keep a cover in position. Insisting a woman must cover sends the mistaken message that breastfeeding is inherently sexual and shameful.
Why can’t women breastfeed discreetly?
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “discretion” as: 1) individual choice or judgment, and the power of free decision, 2) the quality of having or showing discernment or good judgment, and 3) the ability to make responsible decisions. Let Babies Eat advocates precisely that mothers be allowed to breastfeed with discretion.
Furthermore, “discreet” is defined, first, as “having or showing discernment or good judgment in conduct” and then coupled with the synonyms unpretentious, modest, unobtrusive, and unnoticeable. For those who perceive discretion as an act intended to guard sensibilities, Let Babies Eat suggests the practice of discreetly looking away.
Isn’t the church/chapel too sacred for breastfeeding?
LDS Chapels certainly are sacred places in which we participate in holy ordinances. Breastfeeding is a sacred act, too, and is appropriate for any location where an infant is. Infants are too young to conform to adult concepts of location and schedule. Pope Francis recently attended a baptismal service in the Sistine Chapel, one of the holiest sites of Catholicism, for dozens of infants. When some babies began to cry, he told parents that “if your children are crying because they are hungry, then go ahead and feed them, just as Mary breastfed Jesus.”
Is breastfeeding sexual or pornographic?
No. Let Babies Eat soundly rejects the perverted notion that breastfeeding an infant is a sexual act. To reduce the holy work of feeding a child to something akin to exhibitionism is allowing an adversarial influence to taint something pure and of God. Humans are mammals; women have mammary glands and breasts for the purpose of feeding children. Breasts are secondary sex characteristics, just like Adam’s apples, and not sex organs.
Is it possible that some men, women, or youth who observe a nursing mother may have a sexual response, discomfort, or arousal? Yes, it's possible. However, some people may be attracted, aroused, or made uncomfortable by all sorts of non-sexual things, including feet or other body parts. The responses of the uninvolved bystanders do not change the inherently good intention on the part of the mother to feed her child. Their responses do not change her holy work into pornography. Conflating breastfeeding with modesty shows a thought error on the part of the accuser. Western culture has sexualized breasts through advertising and other media, but breasts are fundamentally non-sexual, and we should not allow worldly influences to debase the sacred act of breastfeeding.
What about the men and boys struggling with pornography?
Let Babies Eat believes that normalizing open breastfeeding may help those struggling with pornography. Seeing breasts in the context of nursing reinforces their anatomical purpose. Pornography makes breasts into sex objects to be used for the viewer’s gratification. By contrast, nursing makes breasts a non-sexual, natural tool used for nourishing children. Rather than compelling women to cover or exiling them from church meetings and activities, all church members should be taught they are accountable for their own responses and each should be encouraged to guide their thoughts, eyes, and actions toward understanding and including women rather than objectifying or ostracizing them. Jesus’s instructions to men tempted by the sight of a woman is found in Matthew 5: 27-29.
What is a male’s responsibility when he sees a woman open breastfeeding at a church event?
He should treat her like any other person he meets at church. Say hello, ask how she’s doing, chat about the Gospel Doctrine lesson. Offer to bring her a glass of water. He is in charge of his own thoughts and his own actions. If he is uncomfortable in any way, he can look her in the eyes and ignore what she is doing. He can always look away or politely remove himself.
Why can’t mothers feed their babies from a bottle (with pumped milk or formula) at church?
Mothers choose to feed their babies in all sorts of ways, and each comes with its own challenges. Pumping requires a significant investment of time. There is not a convenient way to keep pumped milk cold and safe while also immediately accessible to a hungry child during long hours at church. Formula is expensive. If a mother skips a feeding, her body still produces the milk that feeding would have required, leading to sore, engorged breasts. Her milk may let down during church, leaking onto her clothing. If she replaces many feedings with formula, her supply can start to dry up, making it harder to nurse outside of church. Other women experience complications from not expressing milk once it has been produced, leading to illnesses like mastitis and plugged ducts. Some women may choose to pump or use formula. However, the decision must remain with the mother; it is she who best understands her own needs and the needs of her child.
Are you going to sponsor a nurse-in at Temple Square?
Let Babies Eat has no plan to coordinate a nurse-in at this time. Nurse-ins are a strategy used by breastfeeding activists all around the world, and it is appropriate and useful in many contexts. However, it is not an action that Let Babies Eat will be pursuing. Our focus is on providing educational information to local, area, and general leaders, as well as church members, in an effort to counteract negative and damaging social narratives that interfere with babies receiving optimal nutrition while at church. Please read the stories in the Our Stories page to learn more or join us in taking action on the Take Action page.
Why do you think it’s your place to tell the church leaders what to do?
Let Babies Eat sees value in informing general and local leaders of the Church about the needs of breastfeeding mothers and infants, the majority of whom have never been nursing mothers. We believe that good information will likely invite revelation regarding any needed adjustments to church policy and that it helps our leaders understand what’s going on with members’ lived experiences in local areas. Equipped with good information, we believe our leaders will act with inspiration for the good of the members they serve. We invite church members to prayerfully share their stories about breastfeeding at church with church leaders. To learn more about our efforts, please visit the Take Action page.