Mom asked to leave church for breastfeeding
Breastfeeding a baby, even in church, is legal, but Tayna Ogle says that Grace Community Church didn't get the memo, because a church employee told her that she should cover up, retreat to the bathroom or nursery or leave.
Ogle was understandably upset. The church acknowledges that nursing moms are routinely approached, but only to inform them that they have quiet places to breastfeed if they wish (in other words, moms are not required to breastfeed in private).
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When WISH-TV contacted the church, the church provided the following statement:
"It is our pleasure to serve over 400 families each week at the Grace Care Center — providing food, financial counsel and other support to our congregation and local community. Mrs. Ogle has been a recipient of these efforts for the past four months. We are saddened the interaction with Mrs. Ogle escalated to the point of disruption for others at the Grace Care Center. In no way is our policy or historical pattern to ask a nursing mother to leave the premises. We not only welcome nursing mothers and their babies, but provide optional nursing amenities for the comfort of the mother and child."
Yes, breastfeeding is legal in Indiana, as it is in nearly every other state of the U.S. (specifically, Ind. Code § 16-35-6 allows a woman to breastfeed her child anywhere the law allows her to be). And for those who say that women shouldn't feed their babies in a church, I'd like to present the following images of Mary breastfeeding Jesus.
da Vinci Madonna
Andrea Solario, Madonna with the Green Cushions
Madonna and Child by Tommaso di Vigilia
Providing a quiet place for a mom to breastfeed her baby is a nice gesture, but of course, it should never be a requirement for a mom to leave a public place so she can provide nourishment for her child. Breastfeeding a baby is not a sexual act, and it is not one where a human being is relieving themselves of waste products. Nursing is providing food for our youngest family members, and that's basically it.
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As expected, the article on WISH-TV's website is littered with silly comments that have nothing to do with the fact that Ogle is allowed to breastfeed her baby at church, and the church employee broke the law by not allowing her to quietly feed her baby where she was sitting.
If you're not sure what to do about a mom nursing her baby, it's pretty simple. Just leave her alone.