Wednesday Poll: Breast Fest

Although you may not yet know it, at 10 a.m. today several bloggers and moms will be taking part in the Great Virtual Breast Fest, posting pictures and videos on the web of themselves breastfeeding.  The Fest was organized by two "mama vigilantes" after it became known that Facebook is deleting pictures of nursing mothers--this despite the fact that Facebook apparently has actual harmful fish to fry, such as pro-anorexia groups and pedophiles using their service to seek victims.  (See more info here, an article from the Sydney Herald here, and the original deleted picture that seems to have started it all--which doesn't show any breast as far as I can see--here.)

I have (many) thoughts and theories, but in the grand Wednesday Poll tradition I'm going to shut-up and give you all a chance first.

For this week's poll:

Should Facebook be deleting pictures of breastfeeding mothers?  Is a breast always a sexual body part regardless of the context?  Any thoughts on breastfeeding in public in general?  And lastly (especially if you think the pictures are OK) would you post a picture on the internet of yourself breastfeeding?

Comment and discuss.

Comments

[Fergus' Mom]

In a very grade school way it tickles me that this follows your post on milking a goat. I think it is a little ridiculous that Facebook (or any other social networking site ~ hasn't livejournal done something similar?) would ban pictures of mothers breastfeeding especially in light of some of the other pictures they apparently don't seem to mind (and I've stumbled on the more offensive more than I've ever encountered images of breastfeeding). I heard it stated earlier this week (I think in reference to the guy who does the pics with hoardes of 'nekkid' people) that nudity in any form regardless of context is considered 'risque' and which seems so goofy considering the way some people dress for their everyday lives (which offends my sensibilities WAY more than a tastefully done artistic nude) or the way they behave (like you mentioned regarding the other groups facebook doesn't seem to take issue with).
I must admit that I think that breastfeeding in public borders on a touchy subject for me, I support their rights while at the same time think it is an intimate time between mother and child so I tend to feel intrusive whenever I come across a mom nursing in an open public area . I'm not a huge fan of women who strip to the waist and nurse with everything swinging out in the open, but also feel for the baby anytime I see them smothered under blankets. I have several friends who are quite capable of nursing a baby at a restaurant table without showing too much or smothering the baby so I know it can be done. Now will you ever see pictures of me breastfeeding (after all the other ifs have been answered ~ if I find a man, if I get married, if I have kids)? NO and that is for the same reason I noted earlier. I believe it is an extremely intimate time and couldn't abide some perv with a fetish drooling over me with my baby.

[Meryl]

FM said "In a very grade school way it tickles me that this follows your post on milking a goat."

I noticed that last night and had a little giggle over it myself. If I was clever I'd have come up with some sort of milk-related recipe and cutie-pie quote and made it a whole little theme for the week....

[StacyH]

Hmmm ... I don't think the photos should be banned as it's a free website / service and by deleting pictures of that nature they are intruding on some free speech. Especially since they don't ban underage drinking / smoking photos or those of the like.

I'm of the mind that if you don't like it, don't look at it.

That being said. I don't like it, so I won't look at it. I have my own inexperienced feeding foibles that will probably be fixed after I experience the joy / horror of having a small being attach it's self to my body and drain me of fluids.

It all seems very vampire-ish to me. :)

But it's a part of life, and nature, and it's beautiful in it's own way. And I think it's a private thing. But it's also something that new mom's struggle with. Having things to do and then having to stop everything, go home, feed their child, and then continue on with their lives. I don't think a woman should have to stay in her home for fear of no where to feed her child if she leaves the house for more than 4 hours at a time. A quiet corner booth, a small blanket, and an appropriate shirt work wonders. And I think that's what most women do.

Facebook is run by men. No doubt.

[Anita]

I have no interest in photos of women breast feeding. I don't think they should be banded. I do have difficulty with people who would get some perverse pleasure by looking at them. However, there are people who get off looking at feet, so you can't make sweeping decisions based on some minority weirdness.
Breast feeding is wrapped up in the time of life that women think they are the center of the universe and are the only person to have experienced child birth and child rearing. That was pretty much my attitude. Emotions are high and sometimes moms want validation by the rest of the world that they are a good mother. No matter what they want or feel, if they breast feed in public and don't do it modestly they open themselves up to scrutiny by others. That sometimes causes more stress then I think is necessary. There are some people that put themselves on display no matter what period of their lives and the rest of us would be better served if we just ignored it.

[StacyH]

:) Feet.

Too funny.

[Fergus' Mom]

hehehe, I had a shoe salesman once tell me I had 'sexy toe cleavage'.

[Meryl]

I've actually had a hard time with this question.

Because I really support the ultimate goal--encouraging more women to breast feed by making it less taboo to do so in public, raising awareness that women get harassed even when they ARE being discreet.

(For example:
"Wheelan recalls the June day in 2006 at a Providence, R.I., shopping mall when she sat down to nurse her 4-month-old son: 'I was in the food court. I wear nursing tanks. I try to be discreet. I don’t need people to see my business. I had a security guard come up to me and say, "People are uncomfortable with you. I’m going to have to ask you to go into the bathroom."'"
[See full article here:http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16773617/])

I mean, bottom-line, it's about a baby getting fed; it troubles me that that's something we (as a society) feel should be hidden away. And I really think that for every inch women give up, there's going to be someone who'll take a mile--e.g., if you cover up with a shirt, there will always be someone who thinks you should use a full blanket; if you use a blanket, there will always be someone who thinks you should go to the restroom; if you go to the restroom, there will always be someone who thinks you should just go home....

But (and here's where I had my big hang-up) despite all of that, when I first started thinking about this question I thought there was no way I would ever post a picture of myself breastfeeding. I couldn't really nail down why, but the idea just made me really uncomfortable.

Which in turn made me feel like a hypocrite....

But then as I was driving home last night, I had a thought: I don't think it's really the subject matter I take issue with, so much as it's the staging. A snapshot taken casually, with my shirt all scrunched up, and my recently pregnant belly showing...urgh, I can't think of many people who would like the world to see them like that. On the other hand, a pretty black and white photograph, tastefully cropped and edited...I think I could do that for a good cause.

So really, I'm not a hypocrite at all--just a tad superficial! ;)