Picasso via Lexi, too!
Today I woke up and checked my Facebook. Ye gads. My friend Lexi was a bit upset. Rightly so. Overnight she'd been called some pretty nasty names on FB by people she doesn't even know.
Why? She'd posted an image on Facebook of a woman breastfeeding her baby. Standing on her head, yoga-like. In the nude. Facebook deemed the image offensive and removed it. It also removed any images that other people reposted of the nude headstand mumma. Hm. What the? It was actually pretty cute and funny, in my opinion. Others begged to differ...
If you click over here, you can read more about what happened. I wrote a piece about how I feel about breastfeeding. 'I'm not really a mummy blogger.' But I am a mum. And I know about breastfeeding. I think it's rad. I think boobs have baby nourishing super powers. I was lucky enough to be able to breastfeed all my kidlets. I'm all for the Mumma Milk Bar. Yesiree.
What do you think? Do you have super powers? Is breast feeding important to you? Or is it something you could not do... or even chose not to do? I think all mums are rad, breastfeedy or not. Booby or not. Nude or not. I think all mums try their best.
xx Pip
PS : I decided not to post the image here, because I am all trolled out on this blog. But you can see it on my JustB post!
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No I didn't - managed to starve all my three kids in my passion to breastfeed :(
ReplyDeleteOwee. It can be difficult and painful, the old booby milk caper. Good on you for trying to tough it out, spunk rat. xxx
DeleteI tried too, and had nothing to feed my poor little bubba and had to give up after five weeks of breast / bottle / expressing nightmare. Cried for a week, took a long time to get over it. Felt like the only person in the world who couldn't (there isn't much help out there for those whose bodies can't produce much milk - and mummy internet forums were just full of remedies that don't work, and die-hard breast feeders who made me feel crap).
DeleteGo the boob if you can, I say. And if you can't, just know that you did your best.
You are so so so so right, Lyn! Just do what you can, and that is enough. I think we try so hard to be so so so super dooper good at the mummy stuff... sometimes we are a bit hard on ourselves, I think. I think we don't realise the great job we are already doing! xxx
DeleteThat got pulled?? What the? It is 2012 right? Pip i loved your response! Boobs or bots lets get the bubbas fed! jxx
ReplyDeleteBoozie power! Woot!
DeleteWow. If only I could've breastfed and practiced yoga at the same time.....fabulous :) i don't understand at all why this got removed. Bizarre!
ReplyDeleteI don't get it either! Wack. Totally wack.
DeleteYour article was spot on Pip! Sadly, I encountered many of these anti bf internet trolls during my time on parenting forums as a breastfeeding mum. Very few in real life, mind! Same old "cowards hide behind the anonymity of the screen" thing again. My very favourite one was the woman who denounced breastfeeding as "unnatural". Still has the power to make me chuckle, that does :-D
ReplyDeleteHope your friend is ok, being attacked online like that can be hard to take.
Rachael x
I think she will be a-okay. But it's pretty crappy to be attacked on your FB page. It's just mean and not necessary. I don't get that kind of behaviour. No need for it at all. x
DeleteTwas horrible to read and made me feel really sad that it is still so controversial. Boobs are there for a reason peeps and just quietly, mine have fed two little girls, are comfort cushions for my partner when he's had a crappy day and are still looking fabulosa (except when I'm playing "just dance", not so hot then). I think that the people writing negative comments were clearly out to start trouble which speaks lengths about their character. PMM is awesome pants. As are you toots x
ReplyDeleteI guess we are all different... and I suppose the people who dislike the image are having all kinds of complex feelings triggered? I do not know. I hope they are okay ;)
DeleteI struggled to breast feed my first born was consumed by guilt when it I decided to switch to the bottle at 7 wks. I felt like a failure, like I was doing him harm & that everyone was judging me ( I was only just 21, looked 15 & people were already judging me on that alone, Im sure of it). He THRIVED on the bottle & my guilt eased...slightly. When number two came around & things did not go well from the get go a lovely, kind nurse in hospital äsked if I was OK. I told her I would keep trying but maybe Id put him on the bottle too once I got home.She said "lets do it now so your not stressed, bubs wont be stressed & you'll go home happy & confident". Those words meant the world to me & yes I still felt guilty but not like the first time around.
ReplyDeleteI get it that breast is best for bubs but its not always best for mums & the pressure should really not be put on them. Its not necessary. Do WHATEVER you feel is right is what I say!
I have 3 kids. They are quite big now. Not once have they said to me 'perhaps you could have breast fed me for longer' or 'why why why didn't I have a water birth' or 'that time you let me cry while you had a shower, it scarred me, mum!'
DeleteI tried super hard. I had really good births and really healthy babies. I breast fed them all for quite a long time very successfully. I was lucky. BUT I know now that I worried TOO MUCH about being the perfect Mumma. I should have eased up on myself a bit. My kids are great and I have done a good job and I have done the best I can as much as I could.
Perfect mumma is not what I want to be anymore. Happy mumma is much more important. Breast, bottle, stay at home, go to work, controlled crying, co sleeping... we do what we can. We do the best we can. And that is all we should expect of ourselves. xx
You are so right Pip, happy mumma is much better ( & more realistic) than perfect mumma. Its different for us all & we should support each other & also give ourselves a break....
DeleteWell my first just about ripped my boobs to shreds so bottles there and this second one well I was sure he would be the same but no- awesome breastfeeder so I have seen both sides of the coin. But I don't always agree with the slogan that breast is best! It isn't always best, this saying near drove me insane with my first due to "well meaning" people. I say do what ever works, however it works!
ReplyDeleteWow! Amazing how different babies can be! I bet they are both wonderful, breasty or bottley!! x
DeleteSimilar story here, except the first one took to it fine, we and breastfed as long as I could until back to work. The SECOND baby, well he took the skin off both nips within 2 days- ouch! After that I pumped and fed him with bottle, and we were all much happier. I couldn't imagine my distress if that was the FIRST baby, and I would have had so much guilt about it possibly being my fault. Way to hang in there Debbs.
DeleteHow astonishing - maybe it is because only sexualised virtually-naked images of women are not considered objectionable and the baby feeding one was too confronting for fb bwecause it was not about a woman being objectified?
ReplyDeleteToo cynical?
I couldn't breastfeed because my daughter couldn't attach, which affected my supply. So after two months of combining expressed milk with fomula I only gave formula. I cried heaps about it but now I refuse to feel guilty. I have a happy, healthy toddler and that's all I care about.
ReplyDeleteI do feel like I missed out on something special though. I hope I have better luck next time, but I'll be taking bottles with me to the hospital just in case.
Yesterday a 6 year old said to me "Your feeding your babies fake milk" I said "well...yes my breasts didn't work" to which she replied "you just didn't want them to work; that's what my Mummy says". It was a deflating moment (no pun intended!). I think all Mums do their best and whatever that is its not for anyone else to judge xxx
ReplyDeleteAmy, you should have told that 6 year old to pull her head in. Better you feed the baby than bloody starve it ... Pip, I don't get the whoo haaaa from Facebook. I am sure there are a lot more distasteful things on Facebook everyday than a woman in a g-string upside down feeding her baby ....
ReplyDeleteI had no trouble breastfeeding 2 babies with tons of milk and massive boobs! But I was a twin baby and I was brought up on sunshine milk! From the can! Because S26 was not invented yet! My twin brother is a very successful businessman and I am in the final stages of a PhD/Masters- My opinion on breastfeeding is do it if you can but if you can't don't worry, put your efforts into being a the best parent you can be. I agree Pip our bodies are marvelous wonderlands aren't they? Growing new people and just getting through our lives-it amazes me!
ReplyDeleteBTW I can't believe that you have trolls- you are a wonderful positive vibey joy in my life. Thanks!
Breastfeeding is fine; don't care about those images. But a nude/naked lady is not allowed on Facebook, period. That's just their policy and for if she's using their website, she needs to respect that.
ReplyDeleteWell yes, in this particular photo the woman is totally nude so you are right. Haven't they also pulled photos of breastfeeding where the woman is not nude and you don't even really see any boob because it's in the babie's mouth?
DeleteI'm still breastfeeding our first at 17 months and wondering when I'm going to start getting the judgy looks from people that think my baby is too old to still be nursing. Maybe I won't, I haven't had any negative reactions so far.
ReplyDeleteI really don't see what is wrong with breastfeeding. It is natural and you are feeding your baby. I think it is stupid that the photo got removed.
ReplyDeleteI just wonder how manny of the complainers were breastfeed themselves!
ReplyDeleteHi Pip, I tied breast feeding with my first child and found it to be very difficult, so I gave up after 6 weeks. However I'm totally for it and believe that its comes down to your individual choice. No one has a right to judge one another!
ReplyDeleteNicky Singh.
My question is who exactly complained. If your friend has her posts set to friends only then it would have to be someone she knows. If she has it set to public then, well it's crappy that some people get so bent out of shape about something like this, but if you have your posts open to everyone then I guess you have to expect some level of disagreement. I thought FB only pulled photos if a nipple was showing and I looked really, really hard and I couldn't see a nipple. Maybe I'll try an experiment and post the photo and see if it gets pulled. Maybe we should all post it on mass and see if FB goes into nudie melt-down.
ReplyDeleteThat photo is HILARIOUS and awesome. I feel better about the world that some gal a) is in the habit of going out of a morning for a bit of a nude headstand b) her baby has gone 'woo! time for a snack' and just ambled on over, I'm thinking, does he know to do that every morning? Is that their routine?! Shine on you crazy diamonds!
ReplyDeleteEuch, Facebook gives me the irritts for a good many reasons, here's one more. Bunch of wowsers!
It was a funny photo and you don't actually see anything that you wouldn't want to see. Although the woman was naked it is hardly a shocker. I enjoyed your write up and agree with all your points.
ReplyDeleteSadly when it comes to the question 'to breastfeed or not to breastfeed' women are in a 'damned if you, damned if you don't' situation. I tried to breastfeed, and I really wanted to, but I couldn't make it happen. Thankfully a plan B [formula] was available to me. Sadly I was frowned upon by a few members of society for my decision. I bumped into a midwife who said "I remember you. You're the one who wouldn't breastfeed". This comment was shortly followed by an uncomfortable silence, as the woman realises what she has just said, and makes a quick exit.
On the flipside I've heard/read stories of women who are successfully breastfeeding and being 'advised' by family members to stop and switch to formula. Excuse my French but WTF?
Though here's where it gets confusing for me: People take offence to a breastfeeding woman [whether she is naked and upside down, or upright and fully clothed], but no one raises so much as an eyebrow when a celebrity is pictured in a magazine with her boobs exposed in a purposely sexualised way.