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Another mom is talking about how Facebook has removed her breastfeeding photos, calling them "obscene" and "sexually explicit." Mom Emma Kwasnica of Vancouver says the photos were of her nursing her daughters. I believe breastfeeding should be seen as a child eating and a beautiful thing, but not everyone feels that way, leading them to click that little "Report This Photo" button on the image, essentially calling the Facebook cops and whining how the photo scarred their eyes and they will never be able to look at breasts in the same way again.
Or whatever.
Women who post breastfeeding pics that get taken down by Facebook should actually direct their anger to their friends. Because if the profile is private and the settings are so only friends can see photos, it's one of their own that reported the photo. We need to remember that it's not always strangers that are uncomfortable with us breastfeeding -- it could be the people closest to us.
The thing about breastfeeding though is that it isn't a showy act. I believe that. That's how any mom who breastfeeds feels. But the way you feel about your breasts when you are breastfeeding is very different than when you are 22 and single without kids. Something changes. Pulling down your top to feed your baby is no big deal. But to some, just the pulling down the top part is too much. There will always be some people who are never going to like the sight of it. And that's got to be okay. There are things I don't like the sight of that are "normal" and "natural." Like spiders. They freak me out. So I choose to avoid them as much as possible. I don't visit them at the zoo and I ignore them if they are hanging out in the corner of my bathroom.
Which is what our "friends" should do on Facebook. Ignore. Don't look. It's a fact of life and we need to get on with it.
Months ago I was alerted by Facebook that they removed a photo of mine for the same reason mom Kwasnica got. I have no idea what photo it was (there are far too many), and while I do have photos of myself breastfeeding, I don't know for sure if it was one of those. But I also don't have any sexual photos of myself on there either. Who reported me? Was it my elementary school friend that I reconnected with? My old high school boyfriend? That former co-worker? One of my close friends? I have no clue, but my photos are on lockdown so it had to be someone I knew and clearly didn't like what I was doing on my own Facebook page.
I really wish that person would have just defriended me. If one of my photos offended them that much, then why be friends with me? Or they could have just blocked me from their feed and never visited my page again. Don't like the sight of a breastfeeding mom -- don't look! We don't want you looking! The same goes for people who get annoyed with what their friends say or do on any social media site. Don't like it? Delete friend. It's that simple. But instead, some go the passive aggressive route, choosing to tattle to Big Brother instead of confronting the person themselves. I guess it's kind of like getting your husband to kill (or humanely remove) the spider you are afraid of. Spider probably thinks, Really, lady? You send him to do your dirty work, you coward!?
Sure it's not cool that Facebook has this policy. But it's also unfortunate friends are reporting friends. Maybe these friends need to just ignore, look away, go troll another person's page who only posts images of kittens. And maybe I need to grow up and stop being afraid of spiders. I'll do that if friends stop reporting breastfeeding photos. I promise.
What do you think of women who post breastfeeding photos on Facebook? Have you posted any of yourself? Does anyone in your circle of friends disapprove of seeing you breastfeed?
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