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By now you've probably seen the photo of "Naked Yoga Breastfeeding Mom," aka Daughter of the Sun blogger Amy Woodruff and her daughter Naia. The picture of mom doing a headstand while baby suckles at the breast has gone viral. It's everywhere. Everywhere, that is, except Instagram.
Welcome to the new battleground for breastfeeding rights. First it was Facebook. Now Instagram has begun banning moms for daring to share their proud nursing moments.
Amy Woodruff's Instagram account was suddenly suspended late last week, just as the whole world was really getting hip to how cool her viral photo was (it wasn't a set-up ... it happened naturally!). According to the Huffington Post, the photo website explained the suspension happened because:
We followed our usual protocol on this occasion and took action on content that broke our community guidelines.
It's not the first time a breastfeeding photo has caused a rumpus on Instagram. The Leaky Boob also had its account suspended for similar content earlier this year. They were reinstated, something Woodruff hopes will happen for her as well.
What's troubling is why this is happening. What about a woman breastfeeding is such a problem for a site like Instagram?
Is it because of the root word, "breast?"
Should we just label 'em all nursing from here on out, so no one has to get icked out by the technical term?
Yes, that is sarcasm.
I know full well that the problem isn't the word. If only it were that simple.
As if the site of a breast -- in the midst of being suckled by a youngster -- is the worst thing anyone might run across?
Like the similarly anti-breastfeeding Facebook (which owns the photo site), Instagram does little to police the inappropriate photos put up daily by teenagers -- from beer can pyramids to scantily clad tweens to outright threats (one mom I know tried to get Instagram to take down a photo that listed her daughter's home address and urged people to go beat the girl up ... the site refused to do so without a police report).
What message does that send to breastfeeding moms? That we're more dangerous, more inappropriate than cyberbullies and underage drinking?
With bans like these, that's the message society is being sent -- it's OK for a 14-year-old to drink a case of beer and brag about it on the Internet, but OMG, don't you DARE feed your child with your boobies!
And we wonder why the breast vs. formula wars continue? Why mothers still feel like they have to defend their means of feeding their children? We're being put up against true societal problems and cast as the villains!
What do you think of the photo? Is this inappropriate content?
Image via Daughter of the Sun
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