Why is breastfeeding still even an issue?

I've tried really hard to avoid talking about this. In fact, I've started and deleted this post several times over the last few months because it wouldn't come together, didn't convey what I wanted and sounded unintentionally a little judgey towards non-breastfeeders (which I'm not judgey! promise!).

But I just can't resist.

Boobs are all over the TV. They're in magazines, flaunted all over the beach, on billboard ads and video games. According to our society, it's fine. They're boobs and they're sexual and who doesn't like a nice rack?

But then all of a sudden you put a baby next to those "fun bags" and whoooa, whoa, whoa! Everybody starts having little hissy fits and gets offended. As if a woman can't use her boobs the way nature intended. And people are like, "how dare you nurse that child like that WITH YOUR BOOB in front of me [or in a restaurant, or on a bus, or hanging out in the mall]!?"

Time magazine's article didn't do us nursing moms any favors. If anything, everyone else probably thinks we're whack jobs planning to breastfeed our children into their teens to show that we're "mom enough." I'll fully admit that I'm not mom enough for that; I'm just trying to do what's best for my children.

But today I heard about the controversy around this picture:

via

The backlash is shocking [but then again, not really]. Frankly, I've seen more cleavage in a Carl's Junior commercial. The article from Hollywood Gossip sites some quotes from military moms that have heard people call this a "disgrace to the uniform" and that it is comparable to "urinating or defacating" on it. The Air Force is apparently not very happy about this photo either. As if these women should have changed their clothes for 20 minutes so they could feed their babies. Seriously? I get there's all of this hooplah about not doing anything offensive while dressed in a military uniform, but come on.

I don't care what you're wearing. You could be covered in green paint, wearing a snuggie, hanging upside down from the rafters [although I'd be really interested to see how that would work]. Feed your baby in a boat, wearing a coat, next to a goat. Whatever. When a child is hungry, a child is hungry and whether it's with a bottle or boob, feed the baby!

I was recently in a restaurant with my husband and Jonas started fussing because he wanted to eat. It was supposed to be a quick in-and-out so I didn't bring in a large blanket to cover myself with [which I normally do], just a little burp rag. He nearly had a heart attack when I steathily started nursing him uncovered and called for the check. We were in the corner and all that was visible was the top of my boob, something that would have shown in a bathing suit or sexy shirt, but because my child was nursing, it was a big fat deal.

I'm just horrified at our entire country. For the judgement, for making women feel like they have to formula feed [or for feeling bad if they choose formula], for making breastfeeding difficult. In Europe, women have their boobs out all over the place, breastfeeding or otherwise.

The annoying thing is that it isn't just about the Air Force or Time Magazine unintentionally making a mockery of the rest of us. It's that we're still having this conversation after all of the research and studies showing how advantageous it is to breastfeed. If you choose to use formula, that's fine too, but I shouldn't feel like the "weird" one because I have chosen to use my god-given resources.

I mean, we are in the 21st century, people. It's extremely beneficial for the child. It's easier for the mother. It's financially responsible. It helps fight a gillion different diseases and boosts the immune systems for both mom and baby.

Go fight childhood obesity or cancer or something. Leave us breastfeeding mamas alone! Judge that mom who gave her daughter chicken nuggets every meal for fifteen years. Or the people who put their kids in a washing machine.

And yet, breastfeeding is offensive. Please.

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