Is Facebook's Breast-Feeding Ban an Attack on Breast-Feeding?
Facebook Removes Breast-Feeding Photos, Moms Protest
I'm all for breast-feeding, and I don't care where a mother does it as long as she takes reasonable steps to be discreet. I don't find breast-feeding obscene by any stretch of the imagination, but I also don't want my kids seeing a stranger's boobs when we go to the mall, even if they are exposed for good reason. Likewise, I really have no desire to see my friend's fully-exposed breasts on Facebook.
Has Facebook gone too far in expecting that breast-feeding mothers not reveal a significant portion of their breasts on the website? Are the breast-feeding mothers going too far by viewing Facebook's removal of their photos as an attack on breast-feeding? I'm leaning towards siding with Facebook on this one.
Breast-feeding is natural and healthy, but so are a lot of other things. Few Facebook users would protest if photos of someone using the bathroom or having sex were removed from the site. These activities are also natural and healthy, but that doesn't mean the whole world has to see them on Facebook.
I remember the heated breast-feeding/bottle-feeding debates that I witnessed on pregnancy message boards during my pregnancies. While most mothers are perfectly satisfied making their own decision for or against breast-feeding, and allowing other mothers to do the same, some mothers are not so laid-back regarding the nourishment of their children (and the children of others).
Many breast-feeding women on these message boards couldn't wait for an opportunity to attack another mother for her decision to bottle-feed, and they were always talking about how someone had offended them in some way or another because they weren't allowed to fully expose their breasts in public.
I am not implying that all breast-feeding mothers think like this, or even that all of the angry Facebook breast-feeding mothers are "Breast-feeding Nazis", as many of the mothers on the message boards called these overly-preachy women, but there are some women who seem to always be looking to get offended.
There are those who will complain about the sexualization of breasts, and say that they were meant for nourishing children and they should be exposed freely. They will argue that it is not at all unusual for breast-feeding mothers in other parts of the world to keep their breasts exposed.
I'm by no means a prude, and I do realize that we have pretty conservative standards here compared to other parts of the world. However, I accept that women are expected to keep their breasts covered here, and while I know many men who would disagree, I'm perfectly okay with that.
Nobody's saying you can't breastfeed. Yes, you are doing a wonderful thing for your child, and no, it is not obscene. But a breast is a breast, and there's really no reason to show everyone on Facebook your entire breast, whether it's in the context of breast-feeding or otherwise.
Hey, it's not so bad. If you really feel the need to show a boob to all of your friends, family, and acquaintances, you always have e-mail!
Published by Shannon Cotton
Shannon Cotton is a freelance writer living in Texas. After nine years of writing for a print publication, she has taken her love of writing to the web. She writes about parenting, lifestyle and a variety of... View profile
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- Facebook is removing photos of mothers breast-feeding their children from it's site.
- Mothers are protesting Facebook's actions, saying breast-feeding is not obscene.
- Breast-feeding is not obscene, but I have to agree with Facebook.
12 Comments
Post a CommentOf course this article fails to mention that most of the pictures on the pro breastfeeding facebook pages that have been locked, have women that are not covered up! I have no problems with breastfeeding, I did it with my own child...however...I did it somewhere private,and if I knew I was going out and my child would be hungry...I pumped a bottle. For those that can't pump, just cover up! I swear half the women that refuse to cover up do it because they can, as if almost daring someone to say something to them or even look at them funny. If you want me to respect your right to breastfeed in public, respect that I don't want to look at your exposed boob.
I am a pro-breast feeding mother, who breast fed two of my own but i do not understand women who feel the need to push the issue about our breasts being seen as sexual objects. as much as the le leche leaugers do not want to admit it - men like BOOBS too! So why make yourself the object of lust for some man in your sight? Why make someone uncomfortable with your tatas visible for all the world? In public or in your facebook pictures. I had a facebook friend put their breast feeding pictures on facebook and turst me I was uncomfortable seeing them, and I was uncomfortable with the fact they were visible to my husband. And how awkward for him!? Sure in the amazonian jungle women are walking around letting it all hang out, but we are americans, and that is not our culture. Seriously this should be a no brainer. Same thing with the birthing photos.
Sherry, I just think that if women have to breastfeed in public without covering up and being discreet, they have more on their agenda than feeding their baby, I mean you can put milk in a bottle if you just have to be in public at feeding time.
Great article! I think some Moms forget that breasts have a dual function: breastfeeding AND sex. It's just how women were made and how men react to them.
What Erin said. I'm definitely on the conservative side, but breastfeeding isn't porn, for crying out loud. :P What a joke. And to jmc - maybe I don't want to see YOU eating in public, either. Take yourself to the restroom and eat there. :P
I agree with Erin, great job!
Come on now, find a quiet private place for breastfeeding, never in public and never on film..
Ironically, I just discovered some natural birthing/mothering-type Facebook groups with photos - and even text - that some people may find shocking. If you're going to ban breastfeeding photos, why not ban birthing photos as well? (I'm not condoning the ban, just questioning Facebook's logic.)
Americans are just so uptight about boobies.
I think pictures of a woman breast feeding are repulsive. Any woman who would allow their picture to be taken while breast feeding has to be some kind of exhibitionist.