Boobie Talk *Links Added!*
(Originally posted 7/28, but I bumped it back up to the top)
I saw the cover of BabyTalk magazine the other day, I forget where. I saw the boobie. I was SHOCKED, I tell you. UTTERLY SHOCKED that they would put a NAKED BREAST on the cover of a magazine that CHILDREN MIGHT SEE. The should have at least put it in that opaque plastic that the Playboys are in. Don't they know that breasts SHOULD NEVER BE SEEN? Unless, of course, they are poking up out of a tiny string bikini on the cover of FHM. Or they are selling beer or cars. Breasts are SEXUAL, people. Let's keep them in context. No CHILD should ever be in the same frame as something so BLATANTLY SEXUAL. That's GROSS. And SICK. And UNNATURAL.
Oh. Wait a second. Wrong personality.
Now, really people. The naked spherical mass on the right of the page is clearly a breast, but it's been as de-breastified as much as a breast can be. There's no hint of a nipple. There is nothing marking it as sexual, no bra strap dangling over a shoulder, no other breast meeting in the middle to form seductive cleavage. NOTHING. Take away the rest of the picture, and it could be anything. A bowl laying on it's side. A piece of peach paper.
Is it any shock that women don't nurse longer, as the cover queries? If 25% of BabyTalk's readership (25 fucking percent!) is this opposed to seeing an airbrushed debreastified breast uncovered, can you imagine the uproar that goes on in their heads when a women whips it out at storytime? And even if no one says anything, that woman tensely trying to breastfeed is going to remember the furor over this, and she's going to know she's offending someone. Do you know how hard it is for a baby to nurse from a mother who is feeling so much tension and insecurity? Do you know how hard it is to relax enough to have a letdown when you think you're offending someone? It's damn near impossible. You might as well try to have an orgasm in front of a judge.
And if you think that picture is bad, if you think that's indecent, look at this picture. This is me, nursing as I normally do at home. Want to make a statement? Leave this indecency where your children might see it. Want to be a real rebel? Post your own indiscreet nursing picture.
*UPDATES!*
Boobs from around the net...
Jody- she also has a great roundup of relevant links.
And check out this topless news report on the subject at hand. You'll notice there are two nipples visible in this one.
**If you posted a picture and I missed you, email me and I'll put up a link. If you'd rather not have the extra traffic, email me and I'll remove the link.**
I just don't understand out society. What the hell is wrong with the US?
I, too, say fuckum and breastfeed where ever I damn well please. I'm generally discrete, but I DON'T worry about what others think and I guess I've been lucky in that I've never gotten the rude comment or dirty looks (that I've noticed anyway-maybe I'm oblivious cause I don't give a rat's ass.).
Posted by: Tessy | Friday, July 28, 2006 at 03:27 PM
Thank you. I breastfeed in public when I need to, but it is so freaking hard. I'm always embarrassed at how awkward I am, and I know it's because I can't relax enough to let down and so Annie gets impatient and unlatches and yells and then I get more tense and on and on and on. Plus, if it's noisy, Annie won't focus and will unlatch and look around, which makes me even more self-conscious.
Thankfully, I have never received a negative comment. I think I would explode if that ever happened.
And on the picture: When I saw it, my first thought was "Baby!" I'm not sure what background one would have to have to see that and think, "Gozonga!"
Posted by: Casey | Friday, July 28, 2006 at 03:44 PM
i swear to god i wasn't copying you. great photo. i only had the one of me pumping...
Posted by: afrindiemum | Friday, July 28, 2006 at 03:59 PM
I just posted about this an hour ago myself.
How come it's ok for women to bare as much of their breasts as possible for beauty and sexual attraction, but not for nursing?
I wish I had a picture of me nursing, I'd post it.
Posted by: Bethany | Friday, July 28, 2006 at 04:24 PM
LOVE this post. ADORE the photo.
One of the things I am MOST looking forward to if this pregnancy works out... is nursing. I can hardly wait... I have dreams about it. Such a miraculous and loving thing it seems to me...
Fortunately, here in Canada... public nursing does not seem to be NEARLY the big deal it is in the STates.
Posted by: Manuela | Friday, July 28, 2006 at 05:54 PM
I have only been breastfeeding for 7 weeks but I figure as long as I am not 'flapping' it around and flashing the nips, people can kiss my butt.
I have not seen or heard any negative comments/looks directed towards me, but then I am usually so into watching the blissed out look on my sons face or talking to whomever I am with that I don't notice. :)
Posted by: Tana | Friday, July 28, 2006 at 06:02 PM
Unbelievable. I'm lucky that I never had any comments or nasty looks when I nursed my boys in public, though I did have a co-worker who was all grossed out by the EBM in the work fridge. That's OK, I was all grossed out by her deep fried lunches. I'll try to post a tandem feeding picture if i can find it.
Posted by: Emmie (Better Make It A Double) | Friday, July 28, 2006 at 08:04 PM
Just reading the blurbs from the cnn article made made shake with anger. I can't even start here. But I posted a pic. Wish I had something more "obscene" for you, but I just had to post what I had.
Posted by: Beth | Friday, July 28, 2006 at 10:35 PM
Obscene? Obscene is what a low rate of breastfeeding moms there are in the US, especially when there are so many that at least try it (70%). Why the drop off? Mostly because of latch problems and poor technique, but a huge part has to be the looks given that poor mom that doesn't have the fortitude to tell people to "shove it" like I do. Or simply ask them what fascinates them about the blanket over my shoulder. I'm discreet, but even in a corner with a blanket so as not to draw undue attention to myself, I get people pointing and staring. And the woman at their table is showing more boob than I am. Grrrrrrrrr!
Posted by: Gin | Friday, July 28, 2006 at 11:52 PM
I posted a picture.
I should probably look for a nursing-a-toddler (*cough*ormore*cough*) one but the decency police would definitely be after me then.
Posted by: Deirdre | Saturday, July 29, 2006 at 12:55 AM
OOOHHH! Nursing a child old enough to ask for it!! Old enough to chew steak! Why didn't I think of that? I certainly have plenty of opportunity to snap that pic...
Posted by: Kateri | Saturday, July 29, 2006 at 08:34 AM
This kind of thing makes me really nervous to breastfeed. I mean, nervous that I won't be successful. I have this attitude now, like 'I'm going to breastfeed in EVERY public place in the whole county, one by one, and the people who stare or make comments are going to get a special "GO SCREW" message just from me" but at the same time, I know those looks and comments ARE going to affect me, and I can't predict how well I'll take it. I want to think I'll shrug it off, but how hard will it be? Add to that the fact that my fiance is Mormon and very, *very* conservative about nudity-related issues. He is very supportive of my natural birth and parenting plans, yet explains that he's uncomfortable with exposed breasts, be they his wife's or others'.
I don't know, I just wish there were more societal/cultural support for breastfeeding moms. Then I wouldn't be afraid that I can't do it.
Posted by: Ernie | Saturday, July 29, 2006 at 11:35 AM
OK, I found and posted a picture of me tandem feeding my twins. It looks a little like i have 2 very round and hairy boobs, but oh well.
ernie: most people could care less if you BF in public, in my opinion. I suppose it depends some where you hang out, and people who are nasty about it suck, but you might be surprised at how few people care, or even notice. Good luck!
Posted by: Emmie (Better Make It A Double) | Sunday, July 30, 2006 at 01:52 PM
There aren't words to express the sadness really that someone is "grossed out" by breast feeding.
But there is a picture- yeah it's explicit!
Posted by: Bridget | Sunday, July 30, 2006 at 04:06 PM
I have a few pictures of breastfeeding Isaac when he was still in the hospital and really tiny, but I don't have a blog so I can't post! They are pretty revelaing, b/c he is so tiny next to my bigger boobs!
The crazy thing about this is that since I am not breastfeeding (really long story, baby in hospital for 3 1/2 months, NO milk supply despite pumping a thousand times per day and taking Reglan, and quitting pumping and initial breastfeeding attempts after 3 months), I worry about getting negative comments for feeding a bottle! I live in a very liberal town, and we take him to the local Farmer's Market every Saturday -- lots of alternative types, hippies, etc. I always imagine what I will do/say if someone tells me I should be breastfeeding!
Of course, I know that people get lots of negativity for breastfeeding in public -- I am a HUGE defender of this and would gladly breastfeed ANYWHERE if I had just been given the opportunity to be able to have that gift . . .
My reaction to the picture on that magazine was that it was a really nice picture of a baby with his mama -- oh well!
Erin
Posted by: Erin | Sunday, July 30, 2006 at 07:02 PM
Love your post. When Zoee was born I quit breastfeeding her at 4 months, I couldn't handle being in public, I was afraid to get the looks and comments. Now I could care less, Emma has every right to eat where she wants. I don't care anymore. I posted a picture of Emma breastfeeding.
Posted by: Breanna | Sunday, July 30, 2006 at 07:50 PM
i am just getting all the info, but RIGHT ON, MAMMA!! i have posted a few pics on my blog and i would be proud to have it linked from here! i only wish i had a few of the later breastfeeding years, as those moments were hilarious!
i just hope that as more mammas proudly do what nature has designed (those who can, of course - no judgement for those who cant), the prudes will be outnumbered and their voices wont matter as much.
Posted by: kenya | Monday, July 31, 2006 at 01:15 AM
I showed my 21 month old son the magazine and he said: Baby Drink--He then made slurping sounds. Priceless. I am shocked that people are even making this into a big deal. The magazine is FREE. Do they want their money back too! CRAZY foke I tell you!
Thanks for this post! You and all the ladies who have posted ROCK!
I still b.feed my 21 month old and I get unsolicited comments that I need to wean that boy! WHATEVER!!!! is what I tell them. ;)
Posted by: tanyetta | Monday, July 31, 2006 at 04:00 AM
Kateri, you can add Rasing WEG to the list if you want to.
Posted by: Lilian | Monday, July 31, 2006 at 11:42 PM
Out of the 3 colective years I've nursed, I only have a handful of pics of me doing so? How is that possible? Maybe it says something about it... Maybe it says that I am perfectly comfortable doing it wherever and whenever (and I am. I usually preface it in front of new people with "sorry if I flash you, but she doesn't like to be covered") but I'm not so comfortable being photographed? Hmmm...
I will say that I saw a commercial today for Pampers. It showed a baby of about 2 months old nursing (discreetly) and ended up saying something about how their diets are mostly liquid in the first year yadda yadda. Anyway. It had a picture of a woman nursing on a major ad campaign, is my point (and not for selling breastfeeding as a way to feed your baby). Step in the right direction!
Posted by: Tracey | Tuesday, August 01, 2006 at 12:04 AM
This is so great! Alas, I have no pics of me nursing Noah scanned and I don't have a scanner. I wish I did because this is a great meme!
Posted by: Dawn | Tuesday, August 01, 2006 at 12:24 AM
I posted mine, too.
Y'all rock!! :)
Posted by: Leah | Tuesday, August 01, 2006 at 12:37 AM
http://tracey-justanothermommyblog.blogspot.com/2006/07/nursing-pictures.html
I posted some pics!
Posted by: Tracey | Tuesday, August 01, 2006 at 07:34 AM
I posted some pictures this morning!
Posted by: Ally | Tuesday, August 01, 2006 at 08:15 AM
This is the part of American culture that leaves me as a a european clueless. Completely and utterly clueless. We have had naked people in a childrens dancing tv show and no debate at all. and I mean breastfeeding is more functional then dancing isn't it?
Posted by: mijk | Tuesday, August 01, 2006 at 11:29 AM