About breast feeding during church events: yes, why not. A few weeks back I was presenting reports and plans in our constituency meeting while breastfeeding and no one noticed. It CAN be done quite discreetly.

If you want to be an active part of public life while breatfeeding, you have to be ready to do it almost anywhere and anytime. Otherwise you have a crying baby in your hands… Thank God for breatfeeding clothing that frees mothers and babies to participate in life outside home if they so choose!

As someone who has experienced a rise in interest about my bodily functions while pregnant, I stick to a simple, “I feel fine.” And that is basically true, thank goodness. I don’t add details about the few things that are annoying me. I just handle those as quietly as possible.

Thanks for adding the qualifying note about breast feeding in public. I’m still pondering if I will do that during church events.

[This sounds like a sad situation, Clergy Spouse, and I’m sorry. But I’m glad this person has you. What do you mean, “JUST the spouse!!??” You are trusted by this person — you are not “just” anything.
Are the over-sharings of a personal, medical nature or emotional details you’d rather not be burdened with? I’m thinking that because of your proximity to the pastor, this person may trust you in a special way — perhaps your Pastor Spousal Unit seems too inaccessible or “he/she wouldn’t care, anyway.” When you pray about this situation, do you just get ickiness/boundary violations feelings or a mix of care and exasperation? If the latter, I’d say hang in there. If the former, I’d advise that you ask your Speece how to handle it. I wonder if humor would work at all, as in “Barbara, I love you, but I’m not sure even your doctor needs to know that much personal information!”

I have been simply amazed at how much about my parishioners bowels, blood cell count, rectal itching, tumors, oozing post-surgery sores and other very intimate details I’ve been privy to over the years. Not to mention how many medical updates I’ve received, how much I’ve learned about a whole host of terrible diseases, and how many times I’ve had to pray that I don’t faint during hospital visits because the sounds, sights or smells were so … human. I breathe through my mouth during those times and suck a mint LifeSaver, which helps calm the tummy. Being in intimate relationship does take us to those bodily places. I think you’re probably a God-send to this woman. Bless you in your discernment in how to deal with this. - PB]