By Emma Kwasnica
(this post is a follow up response; for the full article see: Why SEEING Breastfeeding Is Important)
In solidarity with April of Eclectic Effervescence, I have posted a picture of my girls tandem nursing as my Facebook profile picture (twist my rubber arm, right? Wait! Read on!). A breastfeeding image will remain as my profile picture, every day, until change happens on Facebook -- until the act of breastfeeding is re-normalized. I encourage you to do the same.
Posting a breastfeeding image as your profile picture for one day for a virtual Mothers International Lactation Campaign (M.I.L.C.) event is, decidedly, not enough. Breastfeeding images need to be seen *every* day, and I am convinced that SEEING more breastfeeding, wherever possible, is what will change our puritanical, hyper-sexualized (yet sexually-repressed) culture here in North America. This, in turn, can only benefit BABIES. Whose voice do they have if not ours?
May I also 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?
For the sake of babies everywhere, I will not be backing down. Nor should you. :)
In solidarity,
Emma, in Montréal
P.S. If you need a breastfeeding photo to borrow, choose one here.
(this post is a follow up response; for the full article see: Why SEEING Breastfeeding Is Important)
In solidarity with April of Eclectic Effervescence, I have posted a picture of my girls tandem nursing as my Facebook profile picture (twist my rubber arm, right? Wait! Read on!). A breastfeeding image will remain as my profile picture, every day, until change happens on Facebook -- until the act of breastfeeding is re-normalized. I encourage you to do the same.
Posting a breastfeeding image as your profile picture for one day for a virtual Mothers International Lactation Campaign (M.I.L.C.) event is, decidedly, not enough. Breastfeeding images need to be seen *every* day, and I am convinced that SEEING more breastfeeding, wherever possible, is what will change our puritanical, hyper-sexualized (yet sexually-repressed) culture here in North America. This, in turn, can only benefit BABIES. Whose voice do they have if not ours?
May I also 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?
For the sake of babies everywhere, I will not be backing down. Nor should you. :)
In solidarity,
Emma, in Montréal
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
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)
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.
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).
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 ♥
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:
Why SEEING Breastfeeding Is Important
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
Facebook to Ban Breastfeeding Advocacy Group for "Obscenity"
Happy Pills! Placenta Encapsulation
Chloë's Homebirth
No comments:
Post a Comment