Why SEEING breastfeeding is important: My personal challenge to you

By Emma Kwasnica
of Informed Choice: Birth and Beyond and Human Milk 4 Human Babies

I'd just like to talk a bit about the bigger picture here for a moment, in that by Facebook taking its stance against breastfeeding images, and by creating such arbitrary obscenity guidelines as "no exposed areola or nipple may be shown" (I have seen many, many women whose areola covers up to a third or more of their entire breast - a baby's mouth could never come close to "covering" it all!), it is stigmatizing breastfeeding women, and shaming women into thinking that their breasts are much, much less than the amazing life-giving source they are. Nipplephobia has reached epic proportions here in North America, and this is to the supreme detriment of babies everywhere.

Just think for one moment, how many more women would breastfeed, or for how much longer, if only we rid society of the harmful practice of over-sexualizing women's breasts! And how much this, in turn, could benefit BABIES. For whose voice do the most vulnerable members of society have, if not ours? Interestingly, we find cultures around the world where women's breasts are seen *only* in their functioning capacity, i.e., that of nourishing and comforting their young. I believe that we can get there, too (or at least try to find some balance), but we have to start somewhere, and I truly feel that there is never any harm to come from challenging the status quo (you're not surprised, I know ;-) ).

I've said this before, and I'll say it again : as a childbirth professional, but also as a woman, in general, it is absolutely crucial that one support ALL women to breastfeed their young. While you, personally, may have your own code of "decency" for how much skin YOU are comfortable showing while breastfeeding, it is important that you do not impose your own, completely arbitrary line drawn in the sand regarding "modesty" or "discreetness", onto any other breastfeeding mother. Period. Just like a woman who wants to cover up should be supported (and generally IS in our society....), we need to support those women who struggle --or those women who do not want, or care-- to cover their baby and their breast, and make life simpler for these women to, first and foremost, feed and comfort the baby!

Quite simply, this is about normalizing breastfeeding. The more we hide it away, classify it as obscene, shame mothers into covering up while feeding, and encourage women to retire to "private" rooms in order to breastfeed the baby, the less we see of it in public, and the less and less people are comfortable with the very idea of nursing in public. This is the sad reality, in this pathologically hyper-sexualized (yet sexually repressed...) North American culture of ours. The solution, however, seems quite simple to me; breastfeeding (and/or images of breastfeeding) need to be seen every day, and I am convinced that SEEING more breastfeeding, wherever possible, is what will change our breastfeeding culture. Re-normalize it. Everywhere in North America (in all provinces in Canada, and in every state in the USA but two) women have the right to breastfeed in public, wherever they have the legal right to be. So women should do it. And they should feel completely free to do it. Lots of it. As much as possible.

If you want to be a part of the solution, here is one, simple thing you can do, each and every time you see a mother breastfeeding her baby in public : yes, give her a great, big smile, but don't stop there --go right *up* to her, and tell her what a wonderful thing she is doing for her child. I guarantee you, that if we all did even this simple gesture every time we saw a woman nursing in public, the tides would begin to turn.

I would also like to suggest in your daily life (outside the 'net), that you get out there and nurse your children in public. And do so with a huge smile across your face. Pretty hard for onlookers to say, feel, or do something negative in the face of a beaming, breastfeeding mother --n'est-ce pas?

Breastfeeding is normal. Normal. NORMAL. Say it, do it, show it.

Will you start by doing these simple acts right today? Indeed, I challenge you.

Warm regards,

~Emma Kwasnica

P.S. If you need a breastfeeding photo to borrow, choose one here.

...sometimes, a juggling act ♥

sisters sharing a tandem-nurse together in the first hour after birth

Feb 2007
Getting the hang of tandem-nursing (all of us!)
Youngest is 5 days old

October 2008
Breastfeeding Challenge, Montréal
560 babies all latched on simultaneously!
1st daughter (who turned 5 the day before)
& 2nd daughter (19 months old)

Published in Le Journal de Montréal the following day

January, 2009
Tandem-nursing my daughters.

This is a very special photo to me. Although I did not know it, an embryo had already taken hold in my womb -- unbeknown to any of us -- another little sister for my two girls was on her way!

Incidentally, I spent the entire month of January without Facebook, as my entire account was deleted for 30 days without explanation (other than me having had "obscene" breastfeeding photos removed).

This is also the last photo I have of my first daughter nursing.
She weaned three months later.

Placenta's out, tandem-nursing to help my uterus contract down again...

8 hours post-birth --
Tandem-nursing my littles ♥

Feel free to use this image as your profile picture!

REMINDER: absolutely *everyone* can participate in this. YES, even if you're male. Even if you've never lactated. Even if your babes have weaned!!

PLEASE, for the love of babies everywhere, make this simple effort to re-normalize breastfeeding, and let Facebook know that it's not okay to delete breastfeeding mothers' photos OR delete their accounts, as they did to me and so many others!

~~~~

Additional resources on breastfeeding (books, websites, articles, videos).


Additional articles by Emma Kwasnica, or those that she is quoted within:


Exclusive Human Milk Diet Benefits NICU Preterm Babies


Reasons NOT to Send Formula or Breastmilk to Haiti or other Disaster Locations


Enfamil's New "RestFull" Formula Discourages Necessary Night-time Parenting


In Solidarity: SEEING Breastfeeding is Still Important


Facebook to Ban Breastfeeding Advocacy Group for "Obscenity"


Happy Pills! Placenta Encapsulation


Chloë's Homebirth