Every time I see
a breastfeeding image in a magazine or a newspaper, I think that helps.
Is Wilde's Glamour
breastfeeding image the commodification of fantasy - style mother - child moments or is it a small step towards telling mothers that they deserve to be seen and that their stories matter?
The Facebook vs. Breastfeeding Alliance is conducting a survey to explore the issue of self - censorship of
breastfeeding images on Facebook.
So, with that in mind and in the hopes of combating the unrealistic expectations of
breastfeeding these images evoke, here are some examples of breastfeeding depictions in the media that moms, or at least this mom, absolutely hate and could definitely do without:
Of course I know logically that I don't see
breastfeeding images anywhere, but until you listed the bottle - imagery placement it hadn't clicked intellectually or emotionally.
Siew, Susan IMAGES OF BREASTFEEDING WORLDWIDE WABA, 1999 A unique collection of black and white
breastfeeding images from around the world compiled by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action for use by anyone interested in breastfeeding promotion or education.
9 x 12» document folder with two
breastfeeding images and the theme of this years» World Breastfeeding Week
Cornell shared her own
breastfeeding image among her breastfeeding support group and the idea became popular among other mothers who wanted to create artsy «brelfies,» or breastfeeding selfies.
Sharing
breastfeeding images is important in offering recognition.
Sharing
breastfeeding images is important in rehumanizing.
Sharing
breastfeeding images is important in celebrating.
Sharing
breastfeeding images is important in offering normalization.
Sharing
breastfeeding images is important in offering information and options.
Sharing
breastfeeding images is important in offering encouragement.
Sharing
breastfeeding images is important in offering support.
Why do you think people may have issues with witnessing breastfeeding or encountering
breastfeeding images?
I can only take so many types of
breastfeeding images here in San Diego.
I understand that
breastfeeding images are supposed to be allowed on Facebook, but they didn't pull a 1976 Cosmo cover showing nipple that I had posted for a comparison, so I am left to understand that it is the open breastfeeding, and not the nudity, that Facebook is taking issue with.»
Over the years there have been countless stories about mothers having
their breastfeeding images removed from Facebook.
Not exact matches
So I just don't get the «too much pressure to
breastfeed» when all around me are
images of bottles, ads for formula telling me a happy feeding makes a happy mom, bottlefeeding moms, moms and doctors and nurses telling new moms that formula is «just as good» and «not to feel guilty», women getting «the look» for nursing in public, or feeling weird about doing it (I sure did)-- to me, any pressure out there is NOT to
breastfeed, or do it as little as possible (not if it's not immediately easy or you don't love every minute, not past 6 mos, not in public, not around male relatives and friends, not around children, not if you ever want to go out alone sometime...)
On the cover of most motherhood - based magazines, chances are you're going to find a serene
image of a new mom curled up over her bundle of joy, maybe covered in a blanket, maybe exposed,
breastfeeding with a longing look of love and affection on her face.
Does this
image help normalize
breastfeeding or promote the commodification of mother - child moments?
It's interesting that whoever admins the page has chosen Facebook as their medium, since Facebook is notoriously (and needlessly, in my opinion) difficult about
breastfeeding photos, but it doesn't look they've had any trouble displaying
images of actual
breastfeeding mothers, although the page has been reported as offensive a number of times.
In fact, the
breastfeeding experience portrayed in her
image it isn't even reality for her on most days.
She embodies the public
image that has become ubiquitous in the world of celebrity mothers: that not only can you be both a mom and a glamazon, but you can do so while effortlessly
breastfeeding your infant.
Every time we see
images of a celebrity
breastfeeding her child, I think that helps (although sometimes I think it would be better if the
image stood on its own without their words to go with it... take note please Gisele Bundchen).
Photographer Esther Edith, whose beautiful
images can be found in many of our posts, shares her own
breastfeeding story with us.
Special thanks to Leilani Rogers of the Public
Breastfeeding Awareness Project for the
images in this post.
Rather than addressing the real reasons women don't
breastfeed - reasons that range from histories of sexual abuse and body
image issues to economic and physical constraints - the campaign «portrays anything short of exclusive
breastfeeding... as a sign of moral corruption and bad character....
Roanna Rosewood, Ashland, OR, USA
Image: Literary Tandem by Ketzia Schoneberg Restaurant exhibit celebrates
breastfeeding through colorful paintings of tandem nursing.
Motivated by fear, I allowed myself to present a picture of my
breastfeeding journey and an idealized
image of «successful»
breastfeeding that simply wasn't true.
By intentionally keeping that part of my
breastfeeding journey quiet, by not sharing
images of my baby receiving a bottle, by just sharing
images of my babies feeding only at my breasts, and by neglecting the real life bottled - up aspects of the
breastfeeding journeys of others, I perpetuated a romanticized myth of what constitutes successful
breastfeeding.
I came across an
image boldly making this statement recently and I've seen others like it and in the infant feeding support group I run on Facebook I was accused of not really supporting
breastfeeding because we don't permit formula bashing or shaming and discourage the use of the phrase «breast is best» (a marketing tool developed by formula manufacturers, no less).
The early days of
breastfeeding are a far cry from the idealized
images in
breastfeeding pamphlets.
When I see
images of women
breastfeeding, I still feel a tinge of jealousy and pain, but am also happy they are able to make it happen.
Natural
Breastfeeding: For an Easier Start includes more than 100
images and more than 60 short videos.
It was because of this
image and because of the ease with which my mother seemed to nurse her children that I just didn't realize that
breastfeeding doesn't always just «happen» in some magical or mystical way.
Geddes, DT et al Frenulotomy for
breastfeeding infants with ankyloglossia: effect on milk removal and sucking mechanism as
imaged by ultrasound Pediatrics 2008; 122 (1): e188 - 94.
Dasie's breast or «boob», which was inspired by news of Facebook taking down
images of women
breastfeeding
It seems to me that the one situation in which the media use
images of
breastfeeding is when reporting on developing countries.
Of course, the Pathways
image is much more fitting of Jamie, her family, and the act of
breastfeeding than the far more controversial and confrontational TIME cover (which Jamie didn't choose — see her article in the new issue of The Attached Family).
By comparison, 27 per cent in the US, 35 per cent in Norway, 44 per cent in New Zealand and 92 per cent in India are
breastfed until they are one year old (see the full list of countries in Table 4.2 in the Annex to the papers here — the
image below is in the Lancet paper).
Clever slogans, striking
images, giving free samples or supplies, and many attractive gifts have been used to persuade mothers, health professionals and health workers that bottle feeding is as good as
breastfeeding.
You probably have these
images because that's how we often see
breastfeeding portrayed in photos and movies.
Who would have thought that a rosy
image of a
breastfeeding mother could be «spiked» with a link to a Nestlé promotion?
If you're expecting your first baby and are planning to
breastfeed, you likely have
images in your head of lovingly nursing your newborn in your new cushy glider as he drifts off to sleep and you gaze down in awe of your little miracle.
We need to work to reverse that
image and let new mums and young mums know that
breastfeeding is not only good for their health and that of their babies, but it has immediate benefits, such as helping them lose their pregnancy weight much faster, as the hon. Member for Glasgow Central said.
The point about
images and showing the world what
breastfeeding looks like was interesting.
The effect gives the child a magical visual
image of the Mother and baby bond of
breastfeeding!
We did a
breastfeeding photo session and these are the
images.