And MySpace, that goes to you too.
Izzy’s got me all fired up again. Apparently Facebook has ordered photos of breastfeeding* women striken from the site.
The 350 pro-anorexia sites listed? They can stay.
Well, after reading a prompt to post about this I thought the best thing I could do is this, share these photos from Susan Blackburn, a wonderful photographer who took these as we were setting up for a photo shoot.
My breast.
My baby.
My blog.
Your shame.
*For the record, this post has nothing to do with how I feel about whether or not a woman chooses to breastfeed. In the same way that my posting this is my choice, so too is whether or not to breastfeed for each woman with each of her children.
Categories: Me
kick butt. you are awesome š
Beautiful photos — ugly topic. My babies weaned long ago (not babies anymore by a long shot, natch) but I continue to be confounded by our society's breastfeeding hang-up. Yeah, the anorexia sites are just fine, and graphic sex and violence are depicted on billboards and network TV at 4 p.m., but a nursing mother — the horror!
What will it take to end this craziness?
The commenter above me is right. Our country is fine with all manner of graphic sex and violence but breastfeeding is dirty?
Great pix and post!
Boy that is a load of bullshit. I'll bet you they allow pics of girls in bikinis which are way more revealing.
Jesus.
good for you. and shame on facebook and myspace.
I agree with the above comments. Sometimes I just want to bang my head against the wall when I see the great disparity between what is considered proper and decent.
Those pictures are absolutely gorgeous!!! Makes me a little nostalgic for my breastfeeding days… my baby weaned over three years ago!!! Oh, how I wish I had taken pictures š
Thank you for speaking up! And for sharing such a precious snapshot of a beautiful bond!
beautiful photos…and no one should ever think anything but…
if i had been able to breastfeed, you can bet your ass i would be having photos plastered all over my blog…i'd probably try putting them up on Facebook too…just to see how long it took them to sniff out the "obscene" photos!
These are beautiful photos. I have to admit though, it makes me uncomfortable to see women breast feeding their baby, say in a restaurant (saw one the other night). I feel breast feeding is normal and beautiful and should not be looked at as indecent, but, I get uncomfortable (may have to do with that I didn't breast feed any of my 4 kids). I still think women should be able to do it – anywhere – even if it does make me uncomfortable. I think it is just not commonplace in our society (like in so many others) to see women breast feeding. I still take a double-take and I'm a woman. We are so uptight about the wrong things (me included, sometimes). I think it is WRONG for Facebook and My Space to ban these sorts of pictures! I appreciated seeing yours.
you rock dude.
i just saw a mom nursing her baby on abc news tonight and was delightedly surprised.
facebook/myspace SUCK.
GORGEOUS photos!
Hey I checked out the Sarahbear basket site. That's so cool that you modled for them. How did that come about?
Beautiful pictures. Can't even believe this is an issue.
These pictures are gorgeous. Breathtakingly beautiful. I would be tempted to frame them and put them up in my home, although I admit my husband might be averse to the idea.
What beautiful photos – and it's hard to beleive that in 2007, this is STILL an issue.
I *love* those pictures!
I snapped a picture of Elyse nursing at my breast, her eyes closed, contentedly suckling away, her little hand resting on my breast. My intention was to frame it and hang it in my house, no, not above the fireplace, but somewhere where I could look at it and remember how serene it felt to snuggle, tummy to tummy, and have her drift off to sleep in my arms like that.
Unfortunately, it turned out blurry so it never made it onto the wall. I did post it on my blog, though, in August of 2006. Back then, I was just writing for an audience of one (me!) so it couldn't raise too much controversy. š
it's funny how society dictates that women's breasts are sexual and kinda forgets about that other, reproductive function (um, like, the whole reason we have them?!)…amusing and infuriating all at once.
now this is generalizing to all of the service industry, but i think it's a fair trend…does anyone else find it funny that the same restaurant that would have a problem with a breastfeeding mother ("to make sure all our patrons are comfortable," you see) thinks nothing of the barely-concealing garb (of the t & a variety) of its young female servers?
hmm. food for thought, yes?
Beautiful pictures. I posted on the same topic today. I really like how you draw the line between supporting women who breastfeed and demanding that everyone make the same choice….nicely put.
Those photos are gorgeous. Makes me really wish I had taken some like that. Also makes me very nostalgic for the breastfeeding years. Great post.
I agree with the other comments. Sex and language is a NORMAL part of regular TV now… not just cable. To turn around and tell us that we cannot provide what we feel is the best choice for us and our children is BS!!!! What drives these opinions anyway? It's all about taking away happiness and freedom. Taking God out of school, taking away breastfeeding unless you are boarded up in your house. But hey, let's promote drinking, drugs, sex with anyone and everyone under the sun, 100 lb women, EEE breast size. WTF!!!
gorgeous photos. I whipped mine out everywhere but they never looked that good! ha!
Those are fantastic pictures! I loved the part where you wrote "my blog" followed by "your shame". That sums it up perfectly.
Gorgeous photos. Simply gorgeous.
You're making me all misty-eyed over here!
I wrote in defense of public breastfeeding the other day, and how it relates to shame and our society (and our treatment of women, and decisions moms make…).
What sweet photos! I wish I had photos like that of me with Fly.
BRAVO. BRAVO.
Good for you!
Beautiful photos by the way…
Those photos are beautiful
I was a breastfeeding mommy to three of my four sons and what I used to feed my child is not or was not a sin or perverse
Screw them for thinking dirty of something precious that is an evident God given gift from mother to child
Keep fighting the good fight
These ARE BEAUTIFUL photos! You can't hear me, but I'm clapping!
Beautiful photos. Just beautiful.
Right on. And your pictures are lovely. Now I can't wait until my son is bigger to get some portraits like yours.
Nice pic! Ok, so maybe Facebook or MySpace can't force you to remove this pic from your blog, but in about 13 years time I bet I could guess who will š
Touche ifunk, touche. I suspect I will honor their wishes and remove whatever they want removed, though I desperately hope they'll see the motivation behind these many posts, pictured and not.
A couple of months ago my 2 very modest breast feeding pictures were taken down from Facebook. I received an e-mail from them stating it was considered obscene material. I was warned not to reupload the photos or my account would be shut down. I was furious but had no outlet, so I just dealt with it. Today I come home to an e-mail from betterphoto.com, where I have been an active for several years. They too have removed the photos. The reason they give: "the photos are not family friendly". I am so frustrated and angry! I don't understand how people can view breastfeeding as obscene…. I need a larger outlet to voice this issue and I just don't know where or what that is. All I know is that I am sick and tired of being told to put "them" away. I wonder why I wasted all this time, effort and painstaking frustration to be able to breast feed. I could have taken the easy way out but I worked my butt off to be able to breast feed. Myjourney started with weekly appts with a lactation consultant, drinking teas and other concoctions and taking medication to increase my milk. Not to mention the hours of painful pumping in order to boost my milk supply. All this and what for? To be constantly made to feel like it's shameful and dirty…To be looked at with disdain and horror when I discretely feed my child in hidden away corners and bathrooms? Would these people want to eat THEIR meal in a bathroom? What do we need to do to get back to basics. You know, the days when formula was suplemented to help out in desperate situation where NOTHING worked/breastfeeding was imposible and children were going to starve without it? Too many people have taken the easy/lazy way out over the years and those of us still trying to do what doctors say is best, are suffering.
I AM SO SICK OF IT!!!!!
The problem I have is that I have this huge opinion and a loud voice, but no clue what to do with it.
here is my photo:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/84726766@N00/2611088906/
Is it really that horrible?
Thanks for reading!
Coleen
[email protected]