I was feeling quite content with the originality of the title of my first blog post, that is until I began some cursory research (aka googling action) and discovered that the originality of my title was being challenged by the presence of at least one facebook site of the same name… not to mention other blog posts on parenting sites all over the web.
Ahh the recurring lesson of humility in the painful truth of ecclesiastes that there be nothing new under the sun.
And yet here it is: the unfortunately common title to herald the loss of my blogging virginity.
Although perhaps there is something original, even unusual, in the personhood of the blogger posting said title. I am no yummy mummy and my breast’s have never lactated. So why on earth would I, a mere heifer, to use farming terminology, speak the language normally reserved for cows? What right have I to partake in this maternal militancy?
Because, yes, I know the title will invite the ‘oh no here comes another militant hippy breast-feeding mother rant’.
Except I am not a mother, but I can’t promise there won’t be militancy in my words. After all I am an evangelical.
I write here as a child of God and a child who was breastfed. And on those rights alone I write these words.
It is not unknown to those who know me well that I love breastfeeding. I have been known to collect the appropriate helpful information from my breastfeeding guru mama and send it out in large brown envelopes to willing pregnant couple recipients. So far all of them have gone on to breastfeed with delight and gratitude for the information.
There are many organisations in Ireland whose diligent volunteers are committed to a labour of love in supporting mothers and families on their breastfeeding and child rearing journeys. La Leche League and Cuidiu are two with which I am familiar.
As I have journeyed in life as a breastfed baby growing into a child and now an adult who remains appreciative and in awe at the wonders of breastfeeding, I have wondered at the seeming lack of appreciation and celebration of this most obviously God designed feeding and bonding apparatus amongst followers of the Designer Himself. It baffles me that breastfeeding is associated most often with those who don’t give glory to the One who created their bodies to do this amazing thing. ‘Mother Nature’ (whoever she is when she’s at home) sweeps up all the credit in my experience. Which brings us onto the afeared cliche of the New Age hippies who all sleep together in one big bed and home school their kids. I can testify to the popularity of breastfeeding amongst those who are also interested in New Age forms of spirituality, and as for co-sleeping and home schooling well I’m not opposed to either actually but that is another conversation for another blog.
The fundamental question is, why do Christian’s seem so shy of breastfeeding? Surely of all people on earth Christians should be breastfeeding with freedom and joy. We celebrate and preach passionately about other gifts from God but when it comes to breastfeeding, well we squirm uncomfortably and if we do feed our babies with our own bodies we make sure we drape a big cloak over them in church. God forbid someone saw a baby suckling from a breast in church. Who are we listening to? God or popular culture? Culture tells us that breasts are purely objects of sexual desire but God made them to be that and so much more! Are we ashamed of how God made us? Are we afraid of letting others see God’s gift in action in public? Are we afraid that we may actually be leaders in challenging cultural norms? Are we worried that our children might begin to see breastfeeding as normal and play breastfeeding their dolls rather than sticking a plastic bottle in their mouths? Christians are so concerned with not embracing certain cultural norms and yet when it comes to bottle feeding we don’t really see it as ignoring an opportunity to celebrate God’s creation. Sometimes I think Christians are more prudish about the way God made our bodies to work so wonderfully than those pagans who seem more liberated to enjoy the fruits of the Almighty's Creation, without acknowledging it as the works of His hands. Wouldn’t it be amazing if women in Ireland knew that to nurse their child amongst Christians was to nurse amongst accepting and supportive people who believe that breasts were designed for feeding children?
Yes I know I could quote bible verses, but you can look them up for yourselves, the bible is FULL of breastfeeding, I don’t need to convince anyone of that, it is there for all to see. Plastic and silicone obviously were not available in biblical times, but now it is the norm in Ireland, and it concerns me when Christians think it normal to choose these methods over what God has designed and provided.
So as Ireland celebrates National Breastfeeding Week I want to call out to anyone who will listen that supporting and encouraging the most natural and God ordained way to nurture new lives is not something to be left to breastfeeding mothers alone. This is a call to those in Ireland who call themselves followers of the living God who made ALL things, including milk producing breasts, and called them GOOD. It is a call to my fellow brothers and sisters who seek to follow a most definitely breastfed Christ to use your minds, bodies and voices to glorify God in every way possible.
A caveat. I am not here to bulldoze anyone into anything, or to arouse guilt, but I do write this as a loving challenge to Christians to question their motivations and attitudes towards breastfeeding, especially attitudes towards doing so in public and with babies over six months old. I realise that the topic is part of a larger web of Christian attitudes towards the body, many of which I believe are in sincere need of examination in light of the Bible’s view of all things physical. I too am a learner in this field of bringing my attitudes in line with those of Christ Jesus.
Finally, for any conservatives out there who are still fearing the breast, turns out John Calvin was a bit of a Christian Lactivist, so to make my words seem gentle, I will leave the last hardcore words with him:
John Calvin, in commenting on Genesis 21 verse 7 states:
". . .the Lord does not in vain prepare nutriment for children in their mothers' bosoms, before they are born. But those on whom he confers the honor of mothers, he, in this way, constitutes nurses; and they who deem it a hardship to nourish their own offspring, break, as far as they are able, the sacred bond of nature. If disease, or anything of that kind, is the hindrance, they have a just excuse; but for mothers voluntarily, and for their own pleasure, to avoid the trouble of nursing, and thus to make themselves only half-mothers, is a shameful corruption."
