Modest Breastfeeders- We are Not Ashamed, We are simply Considerate. A Biblical Defense

Yesterday, on social media... I was blasted for my views that we should be able to breastfeed in public uncovered but we should be considerate of those around us. I am a breastfeeder. I have overcome most obsticles including stitches from a bite. So, when women say that they can't breastfeed modestly it makes me a little irritated and the thought, "You simply haven't put forth the thought on how you could." Yes, it may take extra steps and layering clothing may seem like a pain. The current breastfeeding movement has become more than just the right to breastfeed in public. It has become a right to expose your whole breast just in the name of breastfeeding. Women yell, "it is my right" or "it is my baby's right to eat".  This is compared to the homosexual movement and how rights should be upheld. I want to start this off with an understanding...

Breastfeeding is very natural. It is God's intended purpose for a mother's breast to produce the most amazing milk for little babes! This milk has the power to give immunities, clear rashes, heal pinkeye, and frankly any mom who has breastfed knows you can do amazing things with it! :) Our youngest was born at 32 weeks, I fought like crazy to have milk for her those first two weeks. Working with a pump is not the easiest thing. I worked so much at it that I got an oversupply that amazed people but was annoying to me. I leaked all the time, I sprayed, they were huge. That is what I get for demanding milk every two hours for 5 weeks (our NICU stay) from a pump. It is true that my Rock Star NICU babe, Kennedy, loved to latch and was awesome at nursing. This was our miracle baby, after losing Jonathan at 4 days from being born at 24 weeks and pumping to donate his milk for months after losing him... I do not feel bad for stating that Kennedy and I had an amazing nursing relationship! 

To compare this to the homosexual movement is like comparing apples to oranges. One is very natural. A woman's body produces milk for their child naturally after giving birth. A vagina + a vagina or penis + penis is not natural. So, it can not be used to compared to all natural breastfeeding. But our society has been taught that breasts are sexual. We would be lying to ourselves if we did not admit this to be true. Some cultures have not sexualized them. Women, in those cultures, do not cover them up even though they cover their bottoms. But here in our culture, we have always covered them as a "private part". I am not stating this is to be true or to not be true, I am simply stating history. 

With that, our society has an idol of sex. You see it from VS photos, porn, every other celebrity woman with fake breasts because breasts "sell", and to normal women getting procedures done to enhance their breasts. To be honest, part of me thinks that men should just be able to look away. They should be able to not be affected by this. But then, I have talked to and interviewed men (Christian men) who admitted an addiction to porn. (I'm not stating names because it is sensitive, if they want to add to the comments and claim it themselves they can.) Example being, a brother in Christ, fighting a porn addiction, is sitting in let's say the Target cafe. I am needing to feed my child. We are well in the law to sit down and nurse. Now, I have always been a modest feeder but some women are not so lets assume for this that "all is hanging out". You get a good view of boob! Now some say, that it is not our responsibility to do anything to make it easier for this man not to look. It is not my problem that he has a porn addiction. It is not my fault that a view of my breast may send him straight to viewing something he is fighting. 

The Holy Spirit brings one verse directly to my mind. "But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block for the weak" (1 Cor 8:9). Some will say this verse does not apply to this situation but it does. You should read 1 Corinthians 8 , if you have time, an excellent read! Here is a little commentary out of my Bible on this...

“ Christian freedom does not mean that anything goes. It means that our salvation is not determined by good deeds or legalistic rules, but by the free gift of God (Ephesians 2:8-9). Christian freedom, then, is inseparably tied to Christian Responsibility. New believers are often very sensitive to what is right or wrong, what they should or shouldn’t do. Some actions may be perfectly all right for us to do, but may harm a Christian brother or sister who is still young [or struggling] in the faith and learning what the Christian life is all about. We must be careful not to offend a sensitive or younger Christian or, by our example, cause him or her to sin. When we love others, our freedom should be less important to us than strengthening the faith of a brother or sister in Christ.” (The Lockman Foundation 1960).


It is our Christian responsibility to be willing to be inconvenienced. To go extra steps to lead to Christ or to mature others. Christ was inconvenienced to take the nails and the cross for us. Our Pastor, from New Hope, and I discussed this very topic about alcohol. Some can drink and not get even tipsy or drunk... some cannot and it is a huge temptation for them. So, it is our responsibility to not tempt or to not wave it in their face. But to be considerate and helpful. There will always be people saying, it isn't my problem that they can't handle it. But a Christian is called higher. We are called to a life of service and love. Above it is stated, "when we love others, our freedom should be less important to us than strengthening the faith of a brother or sister in Christ" and may I just say we should also be reaching for the lost as well. 

The breastfeeding movement needs to focus on educating the nation before just flipping it out for all to see. They think that by showing it off they will "help awareness" but what we are really doing is just making them offended and making them hate it more. Our country needs to see the breast as a non sexual item first. That means not having places like Hooters, porn, and other things that flaunt the breasts as sexual items.  That means proper education on the breast is needed. Now, by breastfeeding modestly we are showing the world what the breast is for but we are doing it in a way that allows men, teenage boys, and others to view it as not sexual. 

This will be blasted. I know it will. But I don't care. I want my daughters to be able to breastfeed fearlessly when they are moms but I also want my daughters to respect others needs as well. I want them to know that we help people whenever we can. I want them to pick up their cross and follow Jesus. I think if Jesus was here today and would speak about this issue. He would be perfectly fine with breastfeeding. He was breastfed. But I think, Jesus also knows the idol of sex and the war it rages in so many minds around us today. He would want us fighting to aid others to not sin. 

Modest Breastfeeding for the WIN! 

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Bibliography

 The Lockman Foundation. Life Application Study Bible - NASB. La Harba, CA: Zondervan, 1960.