There was outrage when Facebook banned pictures of breastfeeding moms, porn-star and activist Madison Young was criticized for breastfeeding as performance art, and the cover of Time magazine last month ignited heated debate over “attachment parenting” when it showed a 26-year-old mother breastfeeding her three-year-old, who she intends to keep breastfeeding until five.
Now it’s military moms in the firing line – after pictures were released of two Air Force mothers breastfeeding their children while in uniform.
Taken by breastfeeding advocate Crystal Scott, herself a mother of three and married to a serviceman, the pictures were meant to raise awareness of the importance of breastfeeding – but have received heated criticism instead.
On Crystal’s Facebook page, Mom2Mom Breastfeeding Support Group, one woman even posted: “Those two [women] disgust me to no end. They desecrate our uniform by doing this in public. I hope they were punished for this. It's just as bad as that woman who posed for playboy in her uniform. They do not respect what we stand for and they are completely unprofessional to do this.”
But are they? Although there are strict rules about what military personal can and can’t do in uniform, there are currently no regulations about breastfeeding – and there have only ever been two cases of military personnel being disciplined for posing nude in or out of uniform.
And is that even a fair comparison? Most people would argue that posing nude for a men’s magazine is very different from breastfeeding a baby.
But one of the problems many breastfeeding moms face is that America seems to “sexualize” women’s bodies to such an extent that even a natural, beautiful and healthy activity like breastfeeding is somehow seen as “wrong.” Like America’s continuing obsession with justifying infant circumcision, puritanical Victorian attitudes continue to be pervasive.
What do you think? Should these military moms be disciplined for feeding their babies in uniform? Or should they be applauded for it? Tell us in the comments section below.
Now it’s military moms in the firing line – after pictures were released of two Air Force mothers breastfeeding their children while in uniform.
Taken by breastfeeding advocate Crystal Scott, herself a mother of three and married to a serviceman, the pictures were meant to raise awareness of the importance of breastfeeding – but have received heated criticism instead.
On Crystal’s Facebook page, Mom2Mom Breastfeeding Support Group, one woman even posted: “Those two [women] disgust me to no end. They desecrate our uniform by doing this in public. I hope they were punished for this. It's just as bad as that woman who posed for playboy in her uniform. They do not respect what we stand for and they are completely unprofessional to do this.”
But are they? Although there are strict rules about what military personal can and can’t do in uniform, there are currently no regulations about breastfeeding – and there have only ever been two cases of military personnel being disciplined for posing nude in or out of uniform.
And is that even a fair comparison? Most people would argue that posing nude for a men’s magazine is very different from breastfeeding a baby.
But one of the problems many breastfeeding moms face is that America seems to “sexualize” women’s bodies to such an extent that even a natural, beautiful and healthy activity like breastfeeding is somehow seen as “wrong.” Like America’s continuing obsession with justifying infant circumcision, puritanical Victorian attitudes continue to be pervasive.
What do you think? Should these military moms be disciplined for feeding their babies in uniform? Or should they be applauded for it? Tell us in the comments section below.
I really don't know what the regulations are about what you can do in uniform. Does it mean you're 'on the clock' and so shouldn't be engaging in personal activities such as child care? Or does it just mean 'don't be a jerkface and make the service look bad'? If the latter, then I don't see why breastfeeding should be a problem. If it's allowable to bottle feed an infant while in uniform, then breastfeeding should be treated the same.
its not lik having sex in a uniform don't see why they have to make a big deal about it. It is not disrespecting anyone they are taking care of their family
breastfeeding is the way nature intended it to be done and there is nothing dirty or sexual about it. i applaud all women who do whats best for their babies.
I believe the military mothers in question weren't actually "on the clock" but just in uniform. AKA dressed for work.And no, they shouldn't be punished for it. I'm sure military wouldn't even try to punish them b/c they know they don't want to open that can of worms. I've breastfed my children, sometimes in public, but I personally don't feel comfortable exposing myself and opening myself up to the unwanted attention it would bring, so I always use a cover and try to be discreet. I believe all mother deserve to be able to feed their children whenever and wherever they need to, but I also feel that they should be discreet about it, and sensitive to the people around them as well. I feel too many breastfeeding enthusiasts use their ability to breastfeed in public as a tool to shock and make everyone around them uncomfortable to make their point, which kinda misses the whole point. The point is to feed your kid, not to shock strangers.
I was a breast feeding mom. Now I have two children in the Army and one will be breast feeding very soon. For me when breast feeding it was very important to be discreet. I always covered with a baby blanket before popping it out in public. But, there is always the infamous but, I totally agree with the Military mom’s photos. Awareness needs to be brought up, especially in the Military where woman are thought of and treated like men. My daughter says many Army moms’ feel guilty if they try to breast feed. They are trained to be warriors, not moms. There cadre look at them as if they are trying to fit into a man's world. Breast feeding does not fit into the mold of Military life. The women are not suppose to be woman and mom's they are suppose to fit into the man's mold. Therefore, it is very difficult to get male NCO's to even let you have special rights due to pregnancy. For example, my daughter is 7 months along and still they have her working on the cell block as a guard. What? She's expecting. I know, right. You would never see that in the state prison system. Once a guard is expecting they will move her to a safer job. No, not the Army. She is supposed to fit into the man's mold. So I say thank you to these brave woman who broke the mold and stepped out to say, "Hey, I’m solider 100%and I'm a mom 100% and." Were the photos of partial bare breast shocking for some? Yes, I can see how that would be. But shocking is what they need to draw attention to the subject.
If you are in uniform, you are a representative of the United States Military and are to act like it. It doesn't matter whether or not you are "on the clock". In uniform=acting like a soldier. You aren't allowed to walk around with your uniform half taken off because it's unprofessional. I think the real issue people have is accepting that people in the military aren't considered civilians. They have sacrificed that right (and it's a huge sacrifice). People treat this like it's just an extension of whether or not civilians should be able to breast feed in public, and it's not. The key here is that it's a soldier IN UNIFORM. I think it's disrespectful to be photographed in a uniform in a state of undress whether it's posing nude or to breast feed your child. It isn't about fitting into the role of a man, it's about fitting into the role of a SOLDIER. If you treat women soldiers differently than male soldiers just because they're women, you're just perpetuating double standards which I thought we were trying to get RID of.