boobs. breasts. bazoomas. melons. cans. tatas. juggs. hooters. knockers. fun bags. jubblies.
they are all the rage this season.
seriously.
what do you think when you see this picture? besides the "ouch" – for god’s sake that looks like it hurts!! or what the hell is wrong with photographers?
do you think:
a) Good for Maggie. Whip ’em out, Woman! I’m all for public breasfeeding.
or
b) Get a room, Maggie. put those mamas away. Breastfeeding should be done in private.
??
hmm…
So…Maggie’s boobs aren’t the only ones causing a stir these days.
Karen Speed, a Canadian mom, had her breastfeeding photographs taken down because Facebook has a user agreement that includes a ban on "pornographic" pictures from their site. Apparently, her "obscene content" was enough to get her account banned:
"After reviewing your situation, we have determined you violated our Terms of Use. Please note, nudity, drug use, or other obscene content is not allowed on the website. Additionally, we do not allow users to send threatening, obscene, and harassing messages. Unsolicited messages will also not be tolerated. We will not be able to reactivate your account for any reason. This decision is final. Thanks for understanding."
This, unsurprisingly, has caused an uproar. Many moms are joining petition groups on Facebook (see the:"Hey, Facebook, breastfeeding is not obscene!" group), and many moms are deleting their accounts altogether.
and then there was the whole Bill Maher thing…which caused more mom to be more uproarious (new word? i like it!)
I guess i’ve kind of been avoiding this whole can of worms (get it…cans? hahahaha!) because you just know someone’s going to get offended. you are pretty much screwed no matter what you say…but i thought since this is Hot Topic Friday and we are always up for some healthy discussion…i thought that we could open the floor.
to me…breasts fall into two categories. functional and non-functional. personally, i take notice of the non-functional variety. i notice the nice ones, the not so-nice ones, and the ones that could use a little more coverage. i’m a boob-judger. i’ll admit it. (and you know i’m always comparing everyone’s to my own…because i’m insane like that. ask my husband how many times i’ve said "are hers nicer than mine?" only to get an eyeroll out of him…because really, is there a right answer?)
but the functioning kind? the kind that are feeding babies….i don’t really even notice, to tell you the truth. Because most women, whether they are covered or not, are not parading their boobs out for all of us to see. To a breastfeeding woman, there’s only one person who needs to take a peek.
and it’s not me, i can assure you.
it’s the hungry little person. (see…it’s about EATING. not about flaunting your boobs.)
see…in the end, i NEVER nursed in public. because it just wasn’t for me. i nursed at home. with a nursing pillow. for a total (including all three kids) of 17 months. i raced home at feeding time…or got desperate a few times and used a nursing room in a mall somewhere. I, personally, wasn’t comfortable with the whole process. i didn’t want other people seeing my boobies. i didn’t want other people to be uncomfortable. i don’t even want to talk about the time i tried to feed my first-born on a airplane. yikes…there were boobies flying all over the place. it was NOT a pretty sight.
but that was me.
i don’t and have never judged another woman. ever.
i saw this somewhere last week and i can’t for the life of me remember where, and i apologize for that…but i thought it was pretty great:
If a woman breastfeeds with her whole breast out of the shirt, there’s someone in the room wishing she would pull the shirt down a little more.
If she pulls her shirt down a little more, there’s someone in the room wishing she would put a blanket over her side boob, or cleavage.
If she blankets her boob, there’s someone wishing she would put the blanket over the baby’s head.
If she blankets her baby, there’s someone wishing she was in the corner.
If she moves to the corner, there’s someone wishing she would face the wall.
If she faces the wall, there’s someone wishing she would leave the room.
Can’t please ’em all, so do what feels right to YOU, I say. But regardless of how you do it, keep nursing, ladies.
now, i’m certainly not a breastfeeding activist, and i wouldn’t personally ever put pictures or videos up online for someone else to see…but that’s me. it’s not comfortable for me. but, there are women for whom this IS comfortable. and i’m okay with that. and now, i’m certainly not a "go get a room" time – and i don’t think nursing is obscene. so, i probably lie somewhere in the middle.
A woman should do what’s comfortable for her – – – but also be aware of her surroundings.
so, what say you??
yes this is a new free CHATROOM also ein neuer chat unter http://www.coldtube.com/chat.php
IHAT IT IN PUBLIC PLACE
keep up the good job baby had to eat
i HATED that i had to nurse in public today!!!!! more on that on my blog — when i have two hands to type with already!
i struggled with this issue myself with my first child, running to breastfeed in dark corners and secret rooms. then, i realised that what i valued more than covering my boobs was my freedom and mobility. i wanted to be able to go anywhere and do anything with my baby and if that meant nursing in public…but, i also appreciate that it’s a deeply personal issue, and a very individual one – to breastfeed or not breastfeed; to nurse publicly or privately – these are a woman’s issues and only she should decide freely with no judgement. thanks for posting this!
I’m a publilc nurser- but I’m also a well covered nurser. Move along folks, there’s nothing to see here.
I just don’t GET why this is still an issue.
Sorry, but that’s what boobs are FOR, and if someone has a problem seeing boobs being put to their proper use, well, then, that is THEIR problem.
I nursed #1 for 19 mths and #2 for 2.5 years, and never felt ashamed nursing in public. You can see no more of Maggie’s boob in that picture than you would of any other star any day of the week in a bikini, or at a topless beach. And many stars unabashedly show off their other private places with less uproar than this.
Weird.
Miranda would not feed in public, but I have no problem with it at all. Boobs = food, only men have turned it into a sexual thing.
It is completely illegal to ask a nursing mother to leave an establishment here in Oz.
I’m living in a very pro-breastfeeding community – small town vs big city. It’s amazing the difference in attitude. I’m like you Ali, I breastfed both of my kids, but could never get comfortable so always had to be on my couch, with the pillow. I did feel more comfortable with my second (wouldn’t do it in front of my father-in-law the first time around, didn’t care the second time). It’s one of the most natural things, so people should just look somewhere else if it bothers them. The Facebook thing is ridiculous.
I think that photo looks fake. The angles and skin color are all weird and her boob is in the middle of her chest.
you had me at boobs. 😉
instead of repeating myself, I’ll just put a link to a post I wrote a couple weeks ago:
http://mommyblogstoronto.typepad.com/daditorial/2007/09/whats-really-of.html
i cannot believe that in 2007, this is still an issue. drives me crazy that breastfeeding is considered controversal. boobs are everywhere and yet when one is used for feeding a baby, people complain.
Geesh. I just don’t even get why this is anyone else’s business. If you are comfortable letting it all hang out when your are nursing, SO WHAT?! That is what they are there for! Boobs have a purpose. I didn’t care when I was nursing. Although I did try and be discreet and respect those around me but I was first thinking about my baby’s needs.We have sexualized breast as a society which definitely makes it more difficult but it shouldn’t mean that when they are nurturing and feeding a child they should be considered obscene.
This whole argument just seems so petty and rediculous. If you are comfortable nursing in public and your baby is hungry then do it. Facebook is rediculous for calling those pictures porn. Ugh. This whole thing is just silly.
I didn’t BF in public, mostly because my nosey monsters would get too distracted and be on and off, on and off, thus leaving my naked nipple for all to see, which isn’t really my thing. I was much more comfortable taking the kid out to the car or to a private area. However, I have no problem with other women breastfeeding in public… the more that do it confidently, the more mainstream it will become.
I think feeding a hungry baby is way more important than what anybody thinks or says. People against breastfeeding? I just don’t get it…having said that I do think exposing your whole boob will make some people uncomfortable but if you’re o.k with it so be it. I was not comfortable doing it in public but was o.k with the nursing rooms they have in malls now. To each his own.
Honestly, of all the breastfeeding posts, yours is the one I can relate to the most. I 100% support breastfeeding women and I did it for 19 LONG months (and at the end it was at bedtime and it was a bitch to wean). It was very personal to me.
More power to Maggie for being that open – if Lil Kim can go to awards shows with a little sticker over her nipple (remember that?) then by all means Maggie and all mothers should feel free to nurse like she is.
Having said all that, I’m not even sure I’m nursing with my 2nd. I haven’t quite decided.
they are after all my BOOBS and i will do what i want with them
well i’m with the whip it out and feed your baby crowd.i’ve nursed in public on numerous occasions.i’ve had rude comments about breast-feeding in public directed to me.but do you want to listen to my baby screeching and crying for food or should i just nurse her/him and then they will be quiet.
Personally, I think that woman looks lovely. I can’t believe that in this day and age it is still such a big issue…especially in North America. As long as breast feeding is done with taste (no pun intended!), in my opinion it is fine. It creates a bond between mother and child that will continue throughout life. If people want to concentrate on obscene and what is wrong and right with adult/child relationships, use your energy stop pedophiles and leave something natural and beautiful, like feeding your baby alone. Honestly, breast feeding should be a non-issue.
I think as long as you are not being obscene about it it’s o.k. I don’t think moms should be running around with their whole boob popped out. As long as you are discrete I see nothing wrong with it. I understand what’s like to be out in public and have a starving baby. I nursed Laurel out in public on a couple of occasions. I think once at the mall and once in a restaurant. I always stayed completely covered and I really don’t think it was obvious what I was doing. I don’t know about other places but here it is illegal to ask a nursing mother to leave the room.