Breastfeeding is Beautiful.
It is the ultimate expression of femininity and being a woman. It is a magnificent, selfless act of love that nourishes one’s newborn with perfect physical nourishment and strong emotional bonds that will last a lifetime.
You can imagine my surprise when I learned about a couple of military Moms who caught some serious flack when tasteful, professional photos of themselves breastfeeding in uniform on an Air Force base began circulating online.
Washington Air National Guard spokesman Capt. Keith Kosik said that a formal military response to the photos which have gone viral since being posted at BreastfeedinginCombatBoots.com was necessary as they were a violation of regulations against using the uniform to promote a civilian cause.
I beg your pardon, Captain, but breastfeeding is not a civilian “cause”. It is the simple act of feeding your baby, something that has been performed by Mothers far longer than armies have roamed the earth in fact!
Would pictures of women feeding their babies with bottles while in uniform have gotten a “formal response” from the military if these photos had been posted online?
Ahem. I don’t think so!
What’s really surprising is that some breastfeeding Moms were also critical of the photos with one commentor on BreastfeedinginBoots.com posting the following:
“I would never nurse in uniform. I took my child to the bathroom or a private office when her nanny brought her to me …. Not because I was ashamed of nursing, nor of being a mother. All the guys knew I pumped. The military is not a civilian job. We go to combat and we make life or death decisions, and not just for ourselves but for those we lead. The same reason I would never nurse in uniform is the same reason I do not chew gum, or walk and talk on my cell phone, or even run into the store in my utility uniform. … We are warfighting professionals. Women before us have worked too hard to earn and retain the respect of their male peers. I don’t want my Marines to look at me any other way than as a Marine. When I am asking them to fly into combat with me and do a dangerous mission, I do not want them to have the mental image of a babe at my breast. I want them to only see me as a Marine. Let’s be a realistic folks. We give up many freedoms being in the military…Breastfeeding in front of my fellow Marines was one of them.”
With all due respect, but would you like to eat in the bathroom?
Nursing is not akin to going to the bathroom and therefore should not be relegated to this type of atmosphere where airborne germs and other potential threats to a nursing baby may abound.
We clearly have a long way to go in this country when it comes to understanding the role of Mom as both protector and nurturer.
A Mom nursing in uniform is a proud display of both in action and the military would be well advised to support this activity rather than reprimanding it.
What do you think? Should a Mom be able to breastfeed anywhere at any time even when on duty keeping our country safe?
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
Sources: Military Mom Proud of Breastfeeding in Uniform Despite Criticism
Breastfeeding Moms in Uniform Photos Were out of Line: Military
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{ 124 comments… read them below or add one }
That’s ridiculous. Better reprimand every cop in uniform eating a donut then.
People have this all wrong. The issue isn’t breastfeeding. That’s how God designed us to feed our babies. I breastfed in an Outback Steakhouse right at the table for crying out loud. The issue is doing it in uniform. If these women are so into their motherly rights, then why not put on a skirt and top and go nurse on the parkbench. I don’t think as many people would have a problem with that. There is something sacred about the uniform that so many have died for.
Then why don’t the servicemen in uniform doing all manner of crazy stuff on youtube get reprimanded? This IS about breastfeeding and people’s general discomfort with it in public.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: Moms Catch Flack for Breastfeeding in Uniform
I agree with 99.9% of what you say Sarah, but you are just flat wrong on this one. The whole point is they are IN UNIFORM! As an Army spouse, I can tell you that there are very strict military rules about the proper wear of the uniform. The “crazy stuff” you see on Youtube gets military people in trouble all the time. These two should be punished just the same.
It’s different standards for the men in uniform versus the women. I find it quite disturbing.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: Moms Catch Flack for Breastfeeding in Uniform
I’m curious Kris, would there have been a reprimand if these women had been bottle feeding their babies?
If those women are allowed to wear that uniform in order to die for the ridiculous reasons we are in various wars around the world, they should certainly not have to be afraid to do something as natural as breastfeed their children. The whole idea that the uniform itself is somehow sacred is absolutely ludicrous. I’ve lost respect for this country on so many levels, and this just adds to those reasons.
Nursing is natural. It is also intimate. While I believe nursing can be done anymore, I also believe it should be done modestly.
It is quite natural to feed ourselves too, but we have standards of politeness. We don’t chew with our mouths full, we sit when we eat, etc. Nursing can be done politely and respectfully to all.
Having your cleavage hanging out while nursing and POSTING that picture online is not respecting others or the military uniform/job.
Changing diapers is natural and a way we take care of our children. We don’t post pictures of that. Being intimate with our spouses is natural and good, but we don’t post pictures of that. I’m sure the children in these pictures will not be so grateful to their mothers for posting these pictures online when they are older either. I have pictures nursing my children, but I would never violate their privacy by posting them for the world to see.
I agree with you Kriss and Sarah is just flat out incorrect and sadly ignorant of the whole thing. The Uniformed Code of Military Justice clearly states that you CANNOT use your uniform to advance a cause or promote same, nor advance or promote a political issue. These two women could have changed their clothes and nothing would have been said. Now they both have been removed from service for violations of the UCMJ and Ms.Scott, the head of the group; was fired for lying to her boss and doing personal items on company time with a company van and ignoring the tasks they gave her to do when she clocked into work. This has nothing to do with breast feeding as Sarah is claiming, the two women violated the law (the UCMJ IS law in the military) and Ms.Scott stole from the company she used to work for. Now all three have to deal with the results of bad judgement.
I agree with you Sarah. This is about breastfeeding. It goes to show how backwards many people are in their thinking when they view breastfeeding as obsene. What is obsene to me is how sexualized womens bodies are – to the point where many feel uncomfortable with breastfeeding entirely! These women are brave on two counts. One, for breastfeeding in a society that largely views it as disgusting. And two, for putting their necks on the line to serve their country in times of war. And there certainly seems to be no end to these wars. God bless these beautiful women.
You’re right Sarah, the standards are different for men and women and it bugs the heck out of me…but not in the way you think. I’ve seen women in the military get away with the same acts that have ended their male counterpart’s careers. It creates a rough climate of resentment and distrust for females that want to be equal and have to prove they’re ‘one of the guys’ and not one of the women that will pull the ‘girl card’.
Oh they do, they actually get substantially harsher punishment than these two Airmen are receiving.
The do get reprimanded.
Um…that’s not the issue, either. Not in this case. The author of this article implied with their editorializing that breastfeeding in uniform was the error made by these women, but the only quote from military personnel states that the issue was “promoting a civilian cause” in uniform. And all the author had to say about that was that breastfeeding isn’t a cause. But breastfeeding in public is a cause. It’s why websites like the one the pictures were posted on exist: so women who support breastfeeding in public can try to convince others to accept breastfeeding in public. The author of this article has completely manipulated the public into reacting to something that (based solely on this article) was never even said.
You go girls. Babies need to eat no matter what we Moms might be wearing at the time!
So, I might as well use an American flag as a nursing cape. It’s sad to see that people don’t respect the symbols that make this country great!
symbols make our country great???? peices of cloth make our country great??
SYMBOLS?! Are you SERIOUS??? So, did the swastika (borrowed from an Indian peace symbol) make NAZI Gernamy great?
So sick of the uniform being pretentiously held in high regard by those criticizing these women when profound abuses in uniform are found all over u-tube as Sarah stated (including MEN), and have taken place countless ways for decades (Collateral Damage video, Abu Graib, murdering innocents, disrespecting their defeated and dead “enemies” and defiling the bodies with piss and sick props, or just plain dumbshits drunken stupidness on utube).
These women are FEEDING THEIR KIDS. NOT going to the bathroom. The uniform is NOT sacred. That’s like saying the Pope’s outfit is sacred. Really? Maybe to SOME Catholics, but really?
The soldier is NOT a AUTOMATICALLY a hero. These MOMS are heros. The woman quoted by Sarah in this article talks about what she “would never do” after women have worked so hard to gain respect of men in uniform. Psshaw!
Are ALL the MEN truly deserving of respect from that same woman? HIGHLY DOUBTFUL. What have the MEN in uniform done to maintain respect? Google some fun on utube to answer that question.
Drunken stupidity vs. Proud breastfeeding moms? NO comparison.
It’s pretty ridiculous, we need to normalize breast feeding in this country. There are moms out there that will won’t even try to breast feed because they’ve never seen it, they are told that they should be hiding somewhere, and they are told that formula is ‘just as good.’ It’s very sad and frustrating. And before people even start to suggest that mothers should pump and bottle feed, keep in mind that there are women that have plenty of milk but are not able to get milk out when they pump and that there are babies that just won’t take a bottle.
Kelly – So true, and it takes twice the time! I had trouble with my older son he wouldn’t latch properly and kept biting me, so i ended up pumping for a couple of months and fed him that way and let me tell you the last thing you want to do at 3 am is pump
But if you don’t you lose your supply. Its difficult!
To clarify, they weren’t reprimanded for nursing in uniform. They were reprimanded for being photographed with their breasts exposed regardless of the reason. Seeing as how one in uniform can’t chew gum or walk while on a cell phone while in uniform I can understand how this could be viewed as breaking an unwritten code.
@Kelly agreed. Breastfeeding is a normal activity. These Moms never would have been reprimanded if they had been feeding their babies with a bottle while in uniform. in a public place.
‘These Moms never would have been reprimanded if they had been feeding their babies with a bottle while in uniform’….Your opinion stated as fact based on what experience or research?
The Captain quoted in the post said that they were being reprimanded not because their breasts were exposed but because they were promoting a civilian “cause”. How ridiculous! Breastfeeding is not a cause! It’s feeding your baby!
Sarah, the cause the Captain is referring to isn’t breastfeeding in uniform. Everyone is getting so fixated on WHAT they are doing in the picture. These photographs were taken for a civilian organization called Mom2Mom, to be used in an ad campaign. The Captain never said they can’t breastfeed in uniform, they just can’t allow photographs of them doing so to be published. To try and illustrate the difference, imagine I was their supervisor and arrived at work to find them sitting in the grass breastfeeding their babies. Having been a breastfeeding mother myself, I would have praised them for taking the effort to give their babies the best possible nutrition. However, if I arrived to work to find photos of these two Airmen in uniform plastered all over the media because they decided to participate in a photo shoot for an ad campaign I would have reprimanded them. It doesn’t matter what they were doing in the photos, it is just not allowed. They had time to put on makeup and dress their babies in cute little outfits like most moms do for a photo shoot with their kids…they could have changed into their civilian clothes for the photo shoot as well. I feel sorry for them, because I don’t believe they did it for attention and I doubt they anticipated the backlash. I also am sure they thought it was for a noble cause. However, I can’t understand how they missed the fact that you can’t support anything outside the military with your uniform, military members are reminded of this very often. They should not have participated in the photo shoot in uniform, that’s the bottom line. I do know of males that have been disciplined for appearing in uniform unauthorized, and I bet those guys you speak of on You tube were punished. Those You tube videos didn’t receive the large amount of publicity these photographs did, so there wouldn’t be an official statement.
Very well said. And I’m a breastfeeding mom.
These days it seems the right to eat is a political cause
The right to eat anything HEALTHY is a political cause. It’s ridiculous!!
The pictures were taken specifically for National Breastfeeding Awareness Month. That is considered by most to be a cause: a cause to make it as common and mainstream as it should be. It went against regulations regardless of the normalcy of it.
Ok, without reading the entire blog, I agree that breast feeding should be allowed anywhere a mother needs to feed her infant, even if she’s in uniform. But purposely having pictures taken while doing it?? I think I see now why they were reprimanded.
Not my blog, but it’s where I heard of this story… http://crunchydomesticgoddess.com/2008/05/28/chinas-heroic-mother-and-the-importance-of-breastfeeding-in-natural-disasters/
That’s USA for you… go to Scandinavia and you’ll see women breastfeeding everywhere. Why does not USA let these intelligent people do their thing, then maybe rest of the world would believe a bit more about America being the best in the world (not that any country could possibly be the best).
It’s about a police officer in China who became a national hero because she breast fed the babies who were separated from their moms.
They are showing their breasts!! No need to do that to breastfeed! Sorry!
@Ambre I can see where some might interpret Breastfeeding Awareness Month as a cause, but I don’t see it as a cause. I see it as simple education. If these Moms had been photographed brushing their teeth while in uniform for Brushing Your Teeth Awareness Month, they would not have been reprimanded. They probably would have gotten a pat on the back.
Sarah,
I don’t understand how you can’t see that the 2 military moms are promoting a cause with their photograph in uniform.
Here is a quote from the Mom2Mom organization on their campaign:
“the photos were meant to promote World Breast-Feeding Week in August.”
Here is the quote from the Captain:
“Washington Air National Guard spokesman Capt. Keith Kosik said it’s a violation of regulations to use the uniform to promote a civilian cause.”
From one of the military moms:
“I’m proud to be wearing a uniform while breastfeeding. I’m proud of the photo and I hope it encourages other women to know they can breastfeed whether they’re active duty, guard or civilian.”
So, Mom2Mom states that the photos were ‘to promote’. The mother says she wants the photo to ‘encourage’. The Captain says ‘you cannot use the uniform to promote’. The issue is very cut and dry to me. The political cause isn’t breastfeeding. The cause is encouraging other mothers to do it, and promoting breastfeeding awareness week. Both noble causes, but a uniformed member is not allowed to participate, period. It’s in the UCMJ, therefore punishable by Court Martial. From the sounds of it they are only getting reprimanded, so how is the Air Force being hard on them? The military is volunteer, if they didn’t like the rules when they were made aware of them in basic training they could have walked away. If uniformed military members were supporting a cause that wasn’t in line with your personal beliefs would you then see the conflict?
I think the basic premise of this issue is that breastfeeding is a cause. It isn’t a cause it is a behaviour. Just as there may be a military presence at the rebuilding of an orphanage, or aiding children to learn to walk safely across the road, so their actions promote sensible and appropriate behaviour. They aimed to promote that behaviour but that does not make it a cause, it is called leading by example.
I also thought the photographs were quite beautiful, I can understand why these women were so proud of them and their dual identity of army personnel and mother.
Emmalina\’s last post: Walking the Trail
Emmalina,
You’re not getting it. The cause is not simply breastfeeding. The cause is taking pictures for a civilian organization to influence others to choose to breastfeed. That is what they did. I’m not saying that I don’t personally feel it’s a great cause, but not everyone agrees so therefore it’s political in nature and not permitted under the UCMJ. Forget for one minute that they are breastfeeding in the picture, and replace it with something you don’t support. Maybe then you can think around the emotion that is blocking you from understanding.
Here is the difference using your example of rebuilding an orphanage.
This is appropriate behavior: military members helping to rebuild an orphanage.
This is inappropriate behavior: military members in uniform posing for pictures rebuilding an orphanage to be published in an ad campaign for a non-military entity.
Make sense yet??
I am a breastfeeding mom of twins and I am SUPER supportive of nursing and think this is a great point. Most people just want to cheer the girls for promoting breastfeeding and can’t seem to process the uniform/protocol issue. I personally really like these photos from an aesthetic and philosophical point of view but some people are offended by what is a traditionally (in our society) private part being exposed, whether the photo is about breastfeeding or not. Just because you support breastfeeding doesn’t mean you should break UCMJ protocol in expressing that support. Probably tough for non-military folk to grasp.
Yeah, be sure to cover your shamefulness. lol give me a break.
“Our issue is not, and has never been about breastfeeding,” Washington National Guard spokesman Keith Kosik said. “Our issue is that the uniform was used by an outside entity to further their cause – and with all of the attention this has received, it appears that they succeeded.”
Ya, know my understanding is they were given permission prior to the shoot and it was for a breastfeeding campaign ON BASE. I absolutely believe that if it had been a bottle feeding campaign nothing would have been said. There are 100s of videos on YouTube with soldiers acting like fools IN UNIFORM and you don’t see those guys getting in trouble. My husband has been in the Army for 17 years and even he can’t believe the ridiculous outcry over this!
Christine J\’s last post: Uniform Breastfeeding
Excellent point Christine.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: Moms Catch Flack for Breastfeeding in Uniform
Christine,
Did you know any of those guys personally? What makes you think you would have seen them getting in trouble? I have witnessed the discipline end of guys appearing unauthorized in uniform, and I promise you they DO get in trouble. In fact, they get in much more trouble than the slap on the wrist these two Airmen seem to be receiving. Appearing in uniform to promote a cause is actually covered in the UCMJ. Since they were breastfeeding in the picture, which most people are supportive of, it seems to be protecting them from harsher punishment.
How is she supposed to nurse twins without showing something?? I see more boob on the beach and in magazines.
It is not for them breast feeding, it is due to military regulation. The same reason a soldier cannot attended a protest in uniform… If you are civilian making comments, please read up in uniform law… I am a lactivist…but this has been blown out of context…
What struck me is the comment they quoted from a marine mom. She said that they make life and death decisions. Well, if I’m not mistaken, feeding your baby is a life or death decision. Not to the magnitude of the military sense, but certainly in the human sense. I think the problem here really is the woman breastfeeding her twins. It is beautiful to me and women of like-thinking, but not to the general public. She IS exposing her breasts in uniform, while the other woman is not. And, I blame the TIME magazine cover mom for starting all of this. She made a poor choice in how she “exposed” breastfeeding. Ambre Sautter made the point about it being for NBAM, so it is possible that it is in violation, which means they made a poor decision to do that. But, again, I really think the issue is with the woman feeding her twins. I don’t think the other woman feeding without her breasts exposed would have gotten quite the same reaction. I’ve never breastfed twins, so I can’t comment on how it could be done differently. You can breastfeed without exposing your breasts. Very sad, our country’s thinking. May God have mercy on us all.
Knowing the military and how strict the guidelines are, I believe they would’ve been reprimanded for the brushing your teeth campaign as well. They cannot promote ANYTHING!! Never mind the military, as a civilian, I remember I had a job once that required me to wear a smock with the company logo on it. I wasn’t permitted to wear that smock outside to go home. I had to leave it at work. The company did NOT want to be connected with anything I did on my own time.
But wait, it gets worse. Breastfeeding is the least of their worries. This is a quote from the blog post (breastfeedingincombatboots.com) from which the offending photo was taken:
“Given that we are instructed that holding our children while in uniform is not maintaining a professional appearance, I never thought that breastfeeding my child while in uniform would be allowed.”
They are instructed not to HOLD their children?
I guess the people in all those videos of Marines returning from the middle east and hugging the kids they haven’t seen in months will come under scrutiny too.
I am a huge supporter of the American Military and all that they do and sacrifice for the USA. Let’s not force them to sacrifice physical affection and optimal nutrition for their babies, too. They already give enough.
Mary, I am in the military and I can tell you that the statement made on that blog is completely incorrect. Nowhere in the Army regulations does it say that “holding our children while in uniform is not maintaining a professional appearance”. The military does have guidelines about public displays of affection while in uniform. However, you cannot compare day-to-day displays of affection to a welcome home ceremony where families have not seen each other for months. Usually there is a formation and after the official part is over, they are released to greet their families.
When I was in the military I had a car with a funky paint job (flowers). I was told very clearly that I was NOT allowed to wear my uniform while travelling in my car. It just sent the wrong message. Military members are clearly told the rules about the uniform, and while I fully promote our right (and duty, as far as possible) to breastfeed in public, I do agree that this publicity photo breaches their rules. And Martha Ives Feigen is right in her post about the woman feeding twins — she has far more of her breasts exposed than most of us are used to seeing when someone is breastfeeding. It actually makes me slightly uncomfortable, simply because she’s in uniform.
Women in the air force feast feed all the time with no problems, boobs showing or not. They even have regs that a new mom can’t be deployed the first 6 months (considered the standard for exclusive breastfeeding) so that the mom can feed her baby.
What the military does have a problem with is promoting a cause of any kind without permission. These women posed intentionally to take pics the NBFM. They didn’t get permission to have the pics in uniform used. If they had done this in civilian clothes, it wouldn’t be a problem. But they did it in uniform. They made their point and got their publicity, but they broke uniform code to do it.
My family is heavily military, and very into natural parenting, so I’m able to see both sides. The military supports breastfeeding as much or more than other employers- they just don’t want their uniform used to promote causes. I can understand and be okay with that.
As a Army veteran, and a mother who has fully breastfed all 4 of my children, I will tell you that being a mother in uniform is one of the hardest jobs in the world. I ended up not re-enlisting after my 6 year contract was over, just so I could stay at home with daughter #2 and nurse instead of being deployed to Afghanistan (since the Army will send you regardless if you are nursing) Natural living and eating in the military- is literally non-existent- and you really have to be your own advocate. I could go on about all the things that are not to be done while in uniform- yet are done everyday! I still remember having my husband bring my daughter to drill so I could nurse in the car on my lunch break. Being in a field with manly men, boobs are sadly looked upon as sexual objects. To get slack over this picture just shows me the ignorance of people. Anyone who knows the facts will know that breastfeeding is the best thing for a baby and saves lives. I commend these girls for taking and publishing this picture, and I would have been right there beside them if I had the opportunity!
I understand your point, and I’m all for breastfeeding, but please do not post such immodest pictures on your blog. There is a way to nurse discreetly! Thanks!
Sorry you were offended. I truly find that photo beautiful!
Too much showing? What about the beach? The Victoria Secret ads on prime time TV? The way BRATZ dolls are dressed? When people bring such bias to the table, it is time for a pysche eval to determine why they are so hung up on breasts. I remember seeing them on the front cover of Nat Geo when I was a kid. At times while nursing, I have had quite large breasts. Especially, the older the child, it aint easy to keep those things covered. Yes – there are ways to nurse discreetly, but it is not always realistic nor possible. Read about that this was a preapproved photo shoot ON BASE.
Maggie,
I could care less how they breastfeed their babies, but I very much disagree with the part in your comment about it being a pre-approved photo shoot on base. Pre-approved by whom? By the photographer? Unless you can tell me who approved them to participate in this, it’s not a valid point. Just because it took place on base doesn’t make it right. I’ve sat on a Court Martial for a crime committed on base. Being on base makes the photos even worse, because it draws the Air Force even further into looking like they promote something!
Vanessa,
Looking like they promote something? Like feeding BABIES, perhaps?
There is a HUMAN law in my mind that makes your nihilistic battle over what violates the “military rules” look like what it is – knocking your own head incessantly against a wall without even stopping to consider WHY you are doing so.
Black and white perspective can look like a personality disorder against the landscape of HUMAN RIGHTS.
Yes – it is a WOMAN’S HUMAN RIGHT in the eyes of nature to breastfeed her child, naked or clothed, ANYWHERE. A.N.Y.W.H.E.R.E.
Only society has usupred that BASIC RIGHT under the guise of civilization (you know, where civil people drown their kids’ chances at a long, healthy life according to the prescriptions of big pharma, big ag, and big industrial complexes (including the MIC).
We look nothing like Mother Nature today. Just look at us – as a society, we are so disconnected from our own “Mother Earth” (others can insert God, Great Spirit, Reason, whatever your creed or value system) that we don’t even look like her offspring. We are a bunch of plastic-wrapped, diseased, zombified, convenience-whipped do-do birds (or lemmings, in many cases).
But, when a mom can wear a uniform and cross multiple lines of context, addressing multiple stereotypes, she is a greater HERO to me than any “uniform” refusing to bend “the law” (see: Human Rights, Mother Nature!) out of “principle” for not breaking rules for rules’ sake (WTF?!).
Until black and white thinkers open their minds to higher value reasoning, they will continuously bang their head against the wall BEYOND reason.
No Maggie,
Promoting the Mom2Mom campaign, not feeding babies. Have you even read about this anywhere but this blog? This Human Law you mention…what would that be, I’m curious. Yes, I am certainly knocking my head against the wall because no matter how I try and illustrate what the problem with this picture is, some people can’t get past what this blogger has manipulated you into believing. I fear how this inability to see past media sensationalism will impact your voting on issues important to this country. The military has stated clearly in their official statements regarding this matter that they have no problem with the two moms breastfeeding their babies in uniform. So who then is taking away their ‘womans human right’? Using complex words does not make you sound smart if you use them incorrectly, it actually has the opposite effect (nihilistic, usupred?, context). If you’re going to use an uncommon acryonym (MIC) please share with us what it stands for! Why oh why are there periods between all the letters of “A.N.Y.W.H.E.R.E.”?? That is a writing style I have to say I have never before seen. The reason we are, as you call it “plastic-wrapped, diseased, zombified, convenience-whipped do-do birds” is because many people believe the first thing they hear and then vehemently defend an opinion with no facts to back it up. You have demonstrated this. Oh, and one last thing…where would I find “Human Rights, Mother Nature!” the reference you provided. Sounds like a good read.
I think that the photos are the problem, not breastfeeding itself. The military is pretty picky about the uniform. If you have an untucked shirt or a button unbuttoned, you’re basically out of regulation. While babies have to eat, the photos probably shouldn’t have been taken where the ladies were pretty much out of regulation with their uniforms.
Brooke Allen\’s last post: The Last 11 Years
I love reading this blog for all things nutrition and health related. This topic, however, borders… something else, the military code of conduct. I have 2 sons and I am currently still nursing my 1 year old. I very much agree that we need to normalize breast feeding in this country. “I” believe all women should be able to breast feed in public or where ever they are comfortable.
HOWEVER…
I served 6 years in the military (and my husband 22 years) and I can tell you unequivocally the rules/laws that govern those in uniform are clear and concise. They are not the rules granted to our free civilian friends and family. We make the choice when we take the oath and choose to enter the military to adhere to these separate and more stringent laws. We can type and blog until we are blue in the face arguing what is “right” or how things “should be” but when it comes to the military, all the banter will equal nothing. The rules are the rules, case closed. I agree with the person above who stated these airmen got in trouble for showing their breasts not for breast feeding. I’ve known countless women who’ve breast fed while in uniform. That is not the issue here. The issue is that they exposed themselves WHILE wearing the uniform AND it was photographed/publicized. Regardless of what we may think of breast feeding, anything that even remotely casts any sort of negative light on the military is not tolerated. The gum, cell phone and many other seemingly trivial rules are not being exaggerated. Kissing, or holding hands, things known as “PDA” (public displays of affection) are not tolerated either. This is how the military works. In fact, it was so ingrained in me that to this day, I still will not hold my husbands hand or kiss him in public. This is just a fact, not something to argue the validity of.
As for “breast feeding being the ultimate act of femininity”, while this may be true, please realize that the military is not comprised of “men” and “women”. It is comprised of airmen, sailors, marines and soldiers. So while some may construe these actions/reprimands as anti-family or anti-feminist, realize that first and foremost, they are anti-sexist. In being so, this will inevitable deny individuality and uniqueness (be it due to sex or color of skin or anything else) BUT this IS the beauty of the military and why it functions as well as it does. I truly believe that one of the pillars of why the U.S. military is the greatest in the world is because it is what we NEED it to be despite what we may WANT it to be.
With utmost respect,
Sofia Grogan
Thank you for such a thoughtful reply Sofia. Very interesting perspective.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: Moms Catch Flack for Breastfeeding in Uniform
I breastfed my babies everywhere and anywhere I needed, luckily all I got was support and kind looks from people.
I just put myself right out there- middle of the mall, airplane. Wherever! This is the childs source of nourishment! Nobody is telling me not to feed my baby when she needs it. And NO I am not going to go hide somewhere where nobody can see me, Moms deserve comfort when breastfeeding!
There is no regulation against women nursing in uniform. Just putting that out there. And I know the military order is supposed to be branch, unit, family, but when you become a mother, that shit gets thrown out the window whether you want it to or not. From the moment that baby takes its first breath, he or she is your MOST important priority. Not your job, not your government, not your country. Your child and its health. That is what matters.
I breastfed both of my children and have done it in public. However, I do think moms need to be aware that there are freaks, or perverts or who knows out there…some people just dont feel comfortable with someones boobs hanging out…and regardless of whether or not you’re breastfeeding…they are still boobs. If you are going to breastfeed in public I just think the boobs should be covered. Even when we would have company over I would feed my kids but stay covered. I think theres a fine line there. You cant just have your boobs hanging out no matter how natural it is. I think the girl on the right looks fine. Noone bash me please just my opinion
Hahaha, love the request not to be bashed
I always covered up when breastfeeding – I often got comments as I pulled the little dude out that they were surprised to see a baby there! I personally feel uncomfortable showing too much of myself in public, which I think is because I lived in the Middle East for 5 years and anyone showing skin was leered at.
I also ended up breastfeeding him in the car after he reached about 12 months (feed until 21 months). He’s really big for his age and even at 12 months I was receiving funny looks from people that made me feel self-conscious. It’s bad that I felt the judgemental stares, but good that I continued anyway and was able to find a place that worked for me in public.
Now that we’re planning number two I guess I’ve got all that to look forward too again!
I agree with Alexis. As a mom of 3 sons, I think modesty is key. I would not want my sons to see exposed breasts, like the lady on the left…that is a little much. Breastfeeding can be done with showing that much boob. Just my thoughts…..
*without*
Sorry, but the one on the left looks obscene; not like a breastfeeding mom.
The other problem is that mens army clothes and breastfeeding kind of, clash, if you know what I mean!
how can it “not [look] like a breastfeeding mom” when it IS a breastfeeding mom. Uniform aside… who are the breastfeeding police that say that is the wrong way to feed a baby, let alone TWO babies?
Maybe it’s because the one on the left looks obscene..
I’m not surprised at all. Remember this is the same military mentality that send mothers away to war at 6 weeks postpartum to leave their babies with family. Traumatic for the baby? You bet! Attachment issues- most likely.
You mean six months? The Air Force was the shortest at four months, but recently they too have gone to six months. Where did you get six weeks??
Maternity leave is six weeks. Your name goes on the deployment list after 6 months,
While I support breastfeeding as the only natural way to do it, the activity can be performed tactfully and with discretion. It is immaterial what you think about breastfeeding. These two young U.S. Air National Guard Sergeants willfully violated the Uniformed Code of Military Justice on several counts and should be charged with at least an Article 15.
These pictures are beautiful! Brought tears to my eyes
I don’t know the specifics of this situation but when joining the military there are certain cods of conduct that you agree to. If you can’t adhere to them then you should reconsider joining. However on the other hand there should be reasonable accommodations for this specific, unique, situation. Breastfeeding is something to be celebrated and encouraged.
I am a woman in the military and while I do not have children, I do have plenty of friends who are also in the military who breastfeed, but with a bit more decorum. This controversy is all about this activity while in uniform. Sorry but it makes me uncomfortable to see her breasts while in uniform because this uniform is more than a personal job, but also represents the military as a whole. As someone mentioned above, when we join the military we have to adhere to a code of conduct, and that includes the wear and appearance of the uniform. We cannot wear the uniform to promote any cause, and this obviously was as they were posing as part of the National Breastfeeding Awareness Month. Bottom line, by wearing the uniform as part of this campaign, they are indirectly officially linking the military with the campaign too, even though this is a personal decision by them.
i agree, breastfeeding is a beautiful thing. a pure, life-giving bond between mother and child.
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Gorgeous photos. I look forward to the day when photos like these don’t even get us to lift an eye or make a comment. I get there is more to it (the promotion of the cause thing), but from the comments already on this page we have already stooped to the “Why are they showing their breasts?” “You can breastfeed discreetly” rubbish. I’m sure this wouldn’t even make the news if we had some soldiers photographed for a ‘sexy’ calendar or something!
I think the picture is fine, and of course they should be allowed to nurse in uniform where they want to whether that is in the privacy of their office or home or in a public place. When they are in uniform, let’s remember, they are at work. So, though I certainly do not think any woman should ever be sent to the bathroom to nurse, I also understand an employers desire for a woman not to be greeting customers in the waiting room while doing it, whatever that means for any specific job. There are a lot of beautiful things in this world that don’t need to be done with an aire of voyeurism to them! A safe & quiet place is best for the woman, the baby, and then also happens to be preferable to employers.
I have never been, nor never plan to be, in the military. But having had several friends in the military I did get one different perspective that we can moan and groan about all day long, but it is very real. The woman in the military who commented on the photo mentioned it in her response. When they are in combat together, men and women, that is tough in part because men are by nature designed to protect & defend women (I realize there are more and more deviants from that norm, but that isn’t the point). So, men in the unit have to put that aside to fight with the women and not give them special treatment or go to any extra lengths to protect the them than they would do for the other men in the unit. I could guess, for some men, that could be a constant mental battle. But if a soldier protects one member of the unit in a special way, it could cause others to get hurt (same reason a couple who is involved should not be fighting together). So, I am guessing, that having all the men you fight with see you nurse a baby would not make it easy for them to see you as just “one of the guys.” Perhaps the women in the picture don’t work in a capacity where that is important. But let’s not crucify a woman in the military who, on her own accord, feels it necessary to separate her mother role from her soldier role (or in ANY role where she feels she needs to compartmentalize). Our soldiers have enough to worry about without adding guilt from us for making a female soldier feel like she isn’t the right kind of mom! Sometimes I think when we (nursing supporters) stop making as big a deal about nursing, so will the opposition! For one reaction there has to be an equal and opposite reaction. And that goes in both directions. This picture may be beautiful, but I question if a motive behind the picture was simply to incite a reaction. Well, they got it, whether or not it was the one they wanted.
Colleen,
Your explanation of the female Marine Captain’s response is right on the dot. It’s hard to imagine an environment you’ve never been in, but you have done it with such eloquence and insight it’s hard to believe you were never in the military. The two Airmen in the picture are supposedly Xray technicians, and the Marine Captain sounds like a Pilot that has flown in combat. They come from two very different walks of life in the military. An Xray technician in the military is a very similar job to an Xray technician in the civilian world, and it’s very likely that these two Airmen have not seen combat nor led many men. A Pilot in the military is also an Officer, so they fly aircraft into combat but they could also be in command of a large group of other military members. The career field is also very dominated by men, so the female Pilot probably has a good grip on how letting those men see her breastfeed her baby will affect her leadership over them. That leadership dynamic is something that someone who has not walked a day in her boots can’t understand. I know of a female Air Force Pilot who pumped milk during her deployment, even during long combat flights, and sent the milk home to her baby. That is truly amazing to me, and she would go into the bathroom to do it so her male counterparts wouldn’t see for the very same reasons the Marine Pilot stated. That is her choice, for good reasons, and it doesn’t make her less of a mom.
I find the picture beautiful – especially the twins!! The commitment of these moms is amazing, considering the job they have. Kudos to them for BF!!!
It’s a shame they are getting so much backlash. I appreciate all the comments about uniform protocol (I had no idea!!). I’m sure these moms were not thinking about this when they were taking this picture – they simply wanted to show that BF is possible and it’s beautiful, no matter what type of job the mom has. All the best to them!!
They where reprimanded for using their uniforms to promote something not afiliated with the military it has nothing o do with the breastfrrding if these women had photographs of themselves in uniform meant to promote autisim or or diabeties awareness you bet there would be an issue if they never recived aproval from the military
Here’s something new that was brought to my attention. There now was NO reason these ladies had to pose for this photograph in uniform. Go to link:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/01/breastfeeding-photos_n_1563183.html#s=1039772
Scroll to the bottom where there is a gallery of the Mom2Mom campaign photos, and look at #14 & #16. It is the same military mom who was breastfeeding her twins in the controversial photo…ONLY, she’s in civilian clothes in these two. So why were the photos in uniform necessary? It wasn’t a matter of babies having to eat right that second…they had other photos to use. It was just poor decision making on the military mother’s part.
Sarah, the commenter you quoted in your article is a shining example, to me, of the loss of femininity our society has experienced. True femininity. She has sacrificed it for the sake of appearing to be ‘nothing other than a marine’. God created us male and female. Who says she must obliterate her womanhood to get the respect of her peers and subordinates? Good soldiers would proudly follow a LEADER into death, no matter if that leader is a man or woman.
Megan,
It’s not the loss of femininity, it’s the loss of identity. That’s part of being in the military, you put aside your personal beliefs and opinions so that everyone can function as a cohesive unit towards a mutual objective. A man with long hair must ‘obliterate’ his hair if he wants to be in the military. A Muslim service member is not permitted to wear their religious dress in the military. Are they less of a person because they aren’t participating in every portion of their religion? It’s a sacrifice those in the military have chosen to make. The things one must do in the military just happen to be stereotypically masculine: shooting a weapon, handling heavy equipment, weight training, whatever. The women in the military that try to maintain femininity that is outside the regulations are destroying what true feminists have fought for: our equal place in the military. They are causing division, and dissent. For example, makeup….it’s very feminine and highly flammable, so in an environment where you are apt to be exposed to combustible materials, explosives, and fire should we wear it just for the sake of femininity? It’s also corrosive to the plastics used in flight masks, so it causes damage to government property. Despite this, I know of women who insisted their femininity wouldn’t be taken away and they wore foundation & mascara…which put everyone in the flight crew at risk. I know of a female who refused to remove her jewelry, and on an obstacle course her belly button ring caught and was ripped from her abdomen. Expecting the guys to carry your pack because you’re a woman and they should treat you as such isn’t being an equal, and I have seen this happen. How is that conducive to a cohesive unit? You have to carry your own weight. When I check into a new unit and have to sit down with my Commander to talk about the programs to protect me against sexual harassment, we are failing. I asked him if the men get this brief, and of course the answer was no. So I told him, that in itself is harassment based on my gender then because I’m being treated differently….BUT, I totally understand why he is doing it based on some women I encountered who go out of their way to be treated like a woman and therefore as an individual. Yes, good soldiers would proudly follow a leader into death, but a leader is someone who leads by example…..not someone who expects special treatment and exceptions to the rules. The Marine Captain knows her environment better than you, and if she feels her choices were necessary to maintain her authority, good order, and discipline of the unit then she at least has the selflessness to put her personal desires aside for the greater good of her Marines. Which in my opinion makes the strongest sort of leader there is. The military is volunteer, and if you’re not able to separate from your personal life then you shouldn’t join. Loree below put it very well, and she has a great deal of maturity to realize her role in life had changed such that she no longer could fill her military obligation. From the sounds of it, she took her position as a Captain in the Air Force very seriously and was probably a very good leader. It also now sounds like she is a devoted mother who is going above and beyond for her children. Clearly, she did not ‘obliterate her womanhood’, she just put it on hold for a later time in life so that she could be devoted in her service to her country. She did what she could to make a difference in her children’s freedom and future before even becoming a mother. That’s womanhood!
I served in the Air Force as a Capt for many years and separated when I became pregnant with my first child. There was no way I would have been able to be the mom I needed to be (prepare nourishing and traditional foods, nurse at least two years, practice attachment parenting) and serve in Air Force at the same time which included shift work, on call constantly, 12-14 hour work days, the looming threat of deployment and the mission: Service Before Self….
What separates the Military from civilian jobs is that the Military HAS to be your number one priority — that is why we sign the papers. It is also in our motto: “Integrity First, Service Before Self, and Excellence in All You Do.” Someone who joins the service can not expect to have divided priorities and that includes God and Family. It is just the way it is and has to be given the type of career it is: Training for War. The military services do their best to help service men and women and accommodate their families and religious preferences, but in the end it is always Service First, then family/self/God second.
Conduct while in uniform is very strict and people do get in trouble all the time for conduct unbecoming or acting inappropriately while in uniform: this includes any physical affection such as holding hands, hugging or extreme emotion such as skipping, jumping, being too loud, drunkenness. It also includes eating at certain restaurants (a sit down place) shopping at a civilian store, etc. Service members can also be kicked out of the service for committing adultery. Women are only allowed to where certain kinds of make up and jewelry and hair pieces. Men can only where certain styles of jewelry as well. It make perfect sense conduct unbecoming while in uniform would also include lifting a shirt in public — neither men nor women are allowed to expose themselves while in uniform and this includes taking off the uniform jacket and exposing the uniform undershirt.
Across the board – the solution needs to be to have nursing rooms for women in every bathroom. I nursed my child for two years and always felt uncomfortable nursing openly in public and would seek out a quiet spot for me and my baby – b/c is it very distracting for baby and me to nurse where there is a lot of traffic. I was always so dismayed to never find a nursing chair or room near any bathroom. I think all restaurants, churches, work places, sports arenas, movie theaters, etc, etc need it install nursing rooms for women with babies. I am a huge advocate for breastfeeding well into toddler years for various reasons (security for child, bonding, immune protection, the natural ‘vaccine’), but even I still get uncomfortable when women think it is okay to just whip it out with no sense of modesty.
I do not think women should have to nurse in a dirty cramped bathroom stall (I never wanted to and would rather be outside too), but we do need to demand more appropriate accommodations in the work place and men everywhere need to be more supportive of this.
I would also like to follow up on Sarah via Facebook – it is true: promoting anything other than military duty while in uniform is seen as conduct unbecoming – this means anything political such as protesting or advocating a charity campaign.
Service men and women are not even allowed to do this at all while serving (except for voting) – even when wearing civilian clothes. The places where they can volunteer are also very limited. And service members can also be kicked out for general conduct unbecoming even when off duty and in civilian clothes which includes: drunkenness, adultery, joining a cult, joining a local country club (that is what the officer’s club is for), attending certain dance clubs or bars, attending any sort of political rally or campaign, etc, etc….
Also — please excuse my misspellings, etc above….. But I wanted to add — I agree 100% with the marine pilot’s comment as quoted in this post. I think unless you have actually served in a military environment, taking issue with women breastfeeding publicly while in uniform would be hard to understand.
Please note too that the military did not reprimand the women for nursing, (even though there are UCMJ (Uniform Code of Military Justice) specific guidelines for this too, as with everything) instead they were reprimanded for publicly supporting a non-military organization. This is in extreme violation of the UCMJ while in uniform and even out of uniform. No service member is allowed to show public support for any cause or organization, and those who do get in trouble.
Successfully tandem nurse multiples and then you have the right to critique her technique. Feeding my babies came first; discreetness for you and your body hangups came a distant forty second.
I do tandem nurse multiples and I critique not breastfeeding or her “technique” but the UCMJ violation.
I don’t care or want to get involved in the military aspect at all. That’s why I’m not commenting on anything military. I just take issue with moms on this board and particularly breastfeeding moms judging this twin mom for feeding her babies and suggesting that she’s exposing herself. And that it’s obscene? Please. I weep for their husbands, truly.
My husband was in the Army for 5 years and he is super, super pro breastfeeding…I talked with him about this the other night. We both are pro breastfeeding. (In fact, I’m writing this while pumping at work.) He took the side of the military in that it is against the code. Soliders are required to put everything second when in uniform…this includes their families and their families needs. I absolutely think it is amazing these women are able to nurse. I would like to see the military have rooms on their posts, and in different buildings where active duty woman can pump or nurse. I fully realize women should not be required to only nurse in certain designated areas, however, if they’re (the military) going to put up a big stink about it, they should find a solution. Despite what is stereotypical, I haven’t found the military isn’t necessarily a family friendly environment, it’s definitely defense worthy but that’s because that is it’s sole purpose. The dependents bond together (sometimes) but they’re not the soliders and, thus, have different rules and supports.
So many mixed emotions here! What’s the real issue. Moms nursing in uniform? I can see why this would be uncalled for according to some but….I’m not sure that’s the matter at hand.
I fully support breastfeeding and in uniform……..I don’t see an issue with this, but I do understand why some officials would. But …..nursing with yourself exposed……well…that’s crossing over into another territory.
Uniform or no uniform, I don’t think exposing oneself is necessary. Isn’t this the real issue and why this went viral?
Cortney,
You’ve hit the nail on the head. The way the author misrepresented this story has got some women on here so spun up that they’ve got emotional blinders on. I don’t know if they’ll ever figure out how manipulated they’ve been. I’m wasting my time trying to help them see past the distractions. Media sensationalism wins again….
I am always surprised at the discomfort even some of my friends have towards breastfeeding in public. Seriously-they’re breasts, they produce milk, they feed my baby when she’s hungry. I refuse to nurse in a bathroom or any other “private” place as if I’m doing something wrong or indiscreet. Maybe these mothers wanted to help other military moms feel more comfortable, maybe they wanted to show that you can be a mother, a person and a soldier. Maybe they did it because they are proud of their bodies, and they love their babies. Maybe they wanted to encourage other military moms that you don’t have to resort to bottle feeding if you don’t want to. As an example of giving others permission by our own actions…I was at the zoo yesterday, we had been there for awhile, my 14month old was tired and hungry, so i nursed her. My sister at first was aghast! Which made me laugh at her.
But then 15 minutes later I looked over and she was nursing her son. So, both babies were nurtured and nobody else there cared. What’s so ridiculous to me is that this shouldn’t be an issue. It’s a perfectly natural part of our physiology and who cares if other people are uncomfortable with my baby being fed.
Sara,
I was active duty when I had my son and pumped and breastfed him without any problems. I didn’t need these two Airmen to help me feel like I could breastfeed my son by supporting a civilian ad campaign and violating the rules. There were also six other military women in my workplace that had recently had a baby, and I don’t know of a single one that had any problems breastfeeding their child. Some even pumped in flight, lots of strong mamas I knew! Not a single one of us would have dreamed of doing what these two Airmen have done, because you receive constant reminders about staying out of pictures in uniform that support non-military organizations. So the only thing they have done to help anyone in the military is set an example of how to effectively destroy your career. It sounds like the Air Force is already planning on using their bad decision making as a case study on ‘what not to do’.
I am in the military. I have been proudly serving my country for 29 years. I am all for breast feeding. However, it is illegal to use the uniform to promote a personal or privite cause. All uniform members know that. We are given the mandatory training every year. Breaking rules are wrong. If the two women were in civilian clothing when they took the pictures it would not have been a problem. I would never do what those two young women did. No one is above the law. When you sign up to join the military every member knows the rules. Every member has the right to get out of the military if they call no longer abide by those rules. If you think a rule should be changed. Go about doing it the proper way. Do no direspect those of us who proudly keep the rules while serving our country.
Wow, 29 years! Thank you for your service.
If the women were promoting anything while in unifrom even “bottle feeding” they would be in violation of the same regulation! That is the point. The rules are the same for every one. Putting it on you tube for all to see does not make it right. Most civilians do not know the rules. The main reason these rules were put in place is to avoid the controversy I am reading in this blog. If they had followed the rules they knew they were breaking this conversation would not be taking place.
I disagree with wearing a helment while riding a bicycle but I do it because it is the law. Should I be above the law just because I post a video of myself breaking the helmet law on Youtube and just because other people agree with me?
As a general statement, I don’t see what years of experience in the military has to do with anything, here. We all have years of experience in something. Military experience exalts no more than any other life or professional experience. First hand experience doesn’t matter. I have been breastfeeding for almost 5 years, but if I can’t make a valid point within the context of a discussion, what does that matter?
Being on the “inside” for x number of years does not qualify anyone to a more informed opinion. Plenty Men/Women “of the cloth” devote their entire lives to their faith and gospels, but many have no more to offer in value in terms of an opinion than a horse with BLINDERS does about it’s surrounding landscape. One could expound on this angle, but hopefully the point is clear.
The Airmen are in military uniforms in the photo, so the military has everything to do with these photos. Someone with many years of experience in the military can provide a great deal of applicable information related to this discussion. First hand experience doesn’t matter? Does this apply to everything? So anyone can be an expert on anything regardless of their experience? Well Maggie, I hope a man doesn’t walk up to you one day and tell you that you’re breastfeeding all wrong; based on what you’ve said he knows just as much as you do about the subject, and your five years of experience doesn’t count for anything. Don’t let your emotion bar reason. Take a deep breath, and go read about this elsewhere to gain alternative perspective. Try to stop seeing breastfeeding in the picture for a second, and replace it with something you don’t support. Imagine military members in uniform being photographed getting vaccines or taking prescription drugs to support an ad campaign for ‘Big Pharma’ since it sounds like you’re passionately opposed to this. Is it only okay when it’s an organization Maggie approves of, or are military members free to bend the rules for any organization they personally want to support?
Here’s a link to the Mom2Mom campaign photos, you know….the ad campaign they took these photos for:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/01/breastfeeding-photos_n_1563183.html#s=1039772
Scroll to the bottom where there is a gallery of the Mom2Mom campaign photos, and look at #14 & #16. It is the same military mom who was breastfeeding her twins in the controversial photo…ONLY, she’s in civilian clothes in these two. So why were the photos in uniform necessary? Did those poor babies have to wait for mom to get into her uniform before they could eat? It certainly paints a different picture than the initial response by some that “well of course they had to breastfeed in uniform, everyone knows a hungry baby won’t wait”.
Vanessa, you’re amazing!! Thank you for indefatigably being a voice of reason on this thread!
Before the Army and the “uniform” existed there was breastfeeding. How can we give such importance to a uniform over life? We NEED to promote breastfeeding because the number of breastfeeding mothers is MUCH lower than it should be. Clearly this rule should be altered.
Can’t we have both? Can’t women in uniform nurse modestly? Can’t they refrain from posting pictures online with their cleavage showing? That’s just basic professionalism in any job.
As a female member of the armed forces, I can understand your outrage sentiments (from a civilian standpoint) however I can tell you that what these women did is against policy/code of conduct. Military members are not allowed to their uniform promote civilian causes, and as much as some commenters would like to believe that this is an attack on breastfeeding its not. If these women would have shown up at a political campaign in uniform or posed for a PETA campaign they would (or at least should) receive that same reprimand.
This is another excellent reminder of why women should have very limited roles in the armed forces in our country. When a woman isn’t in the Army, she can breast feed her baby anywhere, anytime in any attire.
There is no reason to limit someone based on their race or gender, capabilities should be the only qualifying factor. Some women in the armed forces are more capable at their jobs than their male counterparts, to limit them would be to limit our military’s resources. Since you make a broad statement about the ‘armed forces’, and then refer to just ‘the Army’ it’s clear that you haven’t been in the military and have no idea what you’re talking about. You probably made this general and therefore ignorant comment just to ruffle feathers and garner attention.
There is a lot more value to traditional living that just traditional healthy foods. I have not served in the military; however, I have plenty of friends and family who have.
The idea that limiting female participation would “limit” our military resources is ridiculous. The US Military got by well and fine from the birth of this nation all the way through WW2 before the feminist movement started deceiving men and women into believing that men and women are the “same.” Obviously, men and women aren’t the same; women can have babies, and men can’t.
A pregnant women, while a blessing to her family and society, is a massive handicap and liability to any military operation.
I don’t need any attention. I’m happily married with two children, a 3-year-old girl and a baby boy. My wife enjoys this blog and shared this post. The sooner that more women understand and appreciate the value of gender specific roles, the better off our society will be.
I simply cannot imagine ever encouraging my little girl to join the military and go fight and die in some foreign land; and sacrifice her true value on a battlefield. How sad.
Joshua,
Friends and family don’t give you first hand experience. You have no idea what you’re talking about…does my sister being a CPA qualify me to make statements about filing tax returns?
Of course our military got by just fine before; it has always gotten by with only a small percentage of the population. I’m not saying that by limiting ‘female’ participation we are limiting our resources, again I’m saying that limiting ANYONE’s participation is limiting our resources. The more people we have competing for a position in the military, the better skill sets we’ll have in that position.
I can illustrate this with my own experiences. When I was active duty I could outrun all but a handful of a 100+ person unit (about 99% male), my shooting score was the highest in my class, and I was considered one of the most reliable flyers because I never had down days. In fact, I spent far more days deployed and doing my job during my time in (including the time I was off for my pregnancy) than many of my male counterparts. Some of them spent over a year out of the cockpit with stature-related spinal injuries, which I didn’t suffer due to my petite 5’6″ frame. Some were dealing with DUIs, and other issues that kept them from their job. So who was the ‘massive handicap and liability’?? 3 of my deployments were extended to cover a male counterpart having to go home early. On one deployment, I had to quick turn to fly a mission with my crew that two other aircrew members refused to fly (they so happened to be male).
The point of all this, is that some people are a better fit than others and can better perform their job regardless of race, gender, or religion. I can guarantee you that not a single one of the men I worked with would question my participation in the military because of my gender; they considered me one of them, an equal, which reflected in the way they would talk to me. I’m still in touch with many of them, they will always be my brothers.
What I find truly sad, is your close-minded discriminatory attitude. I feel sorry for the women in your family. Your wife must not be allowed to vote since that’s a freedom that the ‘feminist movement’ deceived the country into giving her. What breaks my heart most of all is your young daughter…will she even be allowed to go to school since her true value is just to make babies? If she tells you one day that she’d like to be a doctor, an astronaut, or the president…what will you say to her? “No dear, your only purpose in life is to raise babies”? What if by circumstances she is unable to have children, what sort of identity crisis will she then suffer because of what you’ve told her?
I’m sad that your wife and daughter won’t be able to enjoy the full freedoms of our country. Maybe it’s your wife’s choice, and if so I fully respect her choice…but what if that’s not what your daughter wants? If either your wife or daughter want the freedoms this country has to offer, and you are barring them from those freedoms then I think you’re an oppressive person. I wonder what life experiences you have had to lead you to have such a controlling nature.
I believe and love in the freedom this country stands for so much that I would have gladly died in a foreign land defending them, for anyone….even you. I’m proud of my service, and I’m even more proud of being a mother. I feel that my time in the military has given me leadership and life experiences that make me a stronger mom, and I’m so proud of my son and the compassion and strength he is already showing. He has a bright future, with NO limits.
“Friends and family don’t give you first hand experience. You have no idea what you’re talking about…does my sister being a CPA qualify me to make statements about filing tax returns?”
Oh please. I have plenty of an idea. Do you think everyone has to graduate with a college degree in some specific field to know anything about it? Does our blog host here, or the many families who are switching to a traditional, healthy diet, need to get a degree in nutrition, or agricultural sciences?
“I’m saying that limiting ANYONE’s participation is limiting our resources.” So I guess you’re OK with children serving in the military then?
“The point of all this, is that some people are a better fit than others and can better perform their job regardless of race, gender, or religion.” I totally agree. Women, in fact, are 100% better and superior in every way to have babies and be mothers than men are.
The problem here, is that the feminist movement has corrupted the minds of millions of men and women. Your knee jerk reaction is that I’m oppressive. Yeah, that’s it. I’m an oppressive evil man. I’m sure my SAHM wife thinks I’m oppressive. How intolerable her life must be! She gets to stay at home, raise our two wonderful children (two so far), prepare healthy food for us, read about nutrition and healthy living and provide tremendous benefit to our family. We’re a young couple. We have to young, healthy and beautiful children. We have a roof over our head, food on the table and love in our hearts.
How terrible! I’m glad you feel sorrow for my beloved and cared for wife, daughter and son. How cruel of me to encourage my daughter to marry and raise and healthy family.
“I’m sad that your wife and daughter won’t be able to enjoy the full freedoms of our country.” What are these freedoms you’re talking about? Voting? Military service? We’ve had 200+ years to vote this country into the ground, and military service has killed a lot Americans and foreigners since 1776. Is that the freedom you’re talking about?
Unlike you, I actually value women. I value who they are and what they are exceptionally created to do. I value their compassion, their loyalty, their tenderness, their beauty, their ferocious willingness to protect their children and family.
Anybody can vote. Anybody can pull a trigger. Only a woman can create another person.
Joshua,
You don’t have to graduate in a field to know something about it, but I DO think that people have to hold a specific degree, or have life experiences to know enough to make a credible statement about something. You obviously don’t know ‘plenty’ about it to make a statement like ‘Anybody can pull a trigger’…that’s not true, I’ve seen it. As far as our blog host, I do feel she should get a degree in Nutrition or atleast spend some more time researching. This isn’t the first blog post she’s written that makes sensational claims about a topic that she’s failed to provide facts for. Go read her ‘Green Smoothies Will Kill You’ post, I’m confident most college students could provide more fact based research to support their claims. I think it’s completely irresponsible to take personal opinions and throw them out there as though they are fact.
I have to say, you jump to some bizarre conclusions. I am not saying that children should be in the military. I’m saying that anyone of age who wishes to and meets requirements by law should not be limited from being in the military just because some people think they should. Imposing your personal opinions and beliefs on others is incredibly immature, and makes you nothing short of a fanatic. What do you care what I want to do with my life as a woman? Do I tell you what you can and can’t do with yours? I’m a SAHM right now too…this isn’t about attacking a particular lifestyle. I’m defending my right, and other’s rights to make choices for their own lives and families.
Just because ‘women are 100% better at having babies’ doesn’t mean that’s all they can do with their lives. Some women have physical limitations that prevent them from being able to have children, do they have no worth in your world? What are they to do, you’ve still avoided this question. You also haven’t elaborated on why women can’t have babies AND do other jobs of their choosing.
You say “The feminist movement has corrupted the minds of millions of men and women”, really? How is that? You need to re-read my post, I did not call you an ‘oppressive evil man’, I called you an ‘oppressive person’. See you’ve got this idea in your head that I’m some raging feminist, which could not be further from the truth. Let me try and be clear again, this is not you ‘The Traditional Man’ vs. ‘Me the Raging Feminist’. Really, you’re being incredibly immature and emotional. I do find you oppressive, because anyone who tries to limit another human’s free will and tell them how they must live their life is to me highly oppressive. Like I said, I am also now a SAHM, my husband is still in the military, we live on a small farm where we grow some of our own food, and we eat a ‘Traditional diet’. I probably lead a very similar life right now to your wife, which is in fact a good life…..IF that’s what the individual wants. Again, here’s what I said: If either your wife or daughter want the freedoms this country has to offer, and you are barring them from those freedoms then I think you’re an oppressive person. I didn’t call you evil actually, that’s just you hung up on the idea that I’m a ‘feminist’ who thinks all men are evil again.
Speaking of, you really need to crack open your history book and read about what the feminist movement actually was about. I don’t consider myself a feminist, just a passionate defender of freedom for everyone regardless of gender, race, & religion. I do remember my history though, and you seem to have a very irrational hatred for the feminist movement. Hatred, which stems from fear….so what are you afraid of? Would it totally irk you if a woman did your job better than you? You also haven’t answered me, does your wife vote? If she does wouldn’t that make your wife a feminist? I agree that there are some extremists out there in any movement, but I feel the extreme of feminism would border more along the lines of placing a woman in a position she is not qualified for just because she’s a woman. What I think everyone is entitled to is equal opportunity, and freedom over their life choices.
So that is the freedom I have been referring to….getting to make your own choices in life and for your family, not being told by the government or ‘Joshua’ what you can and can’t do with your life. How would you feel if the government came in and told your wife that she must now feed your children pre-packaged government manufactured meals, because the FDA can’t quality check her cooking? We, as Americans have to band together to protect individual rights and you aren’t helping that by expecting others to live by your ideals.
I think you only value who women are in relation to one application, bearing children. If you could really value their ‘compassion, their loyalty, their tenderness, their beauty, their ferocious willingness to protect their children and family’ you could see how those character traits could make one incredible military member. The military has actually conducted studies on how typical female traits have highly benefitted their leadership and their organization. I’m sure you already knew that though, you’re an expert through friends & family right? It’s very interesting, like I said before, our human differences (including between two men) are our strengths in an organization.
What really disappoints me about people with your mentality Joshua, is that it’s a ‘my way or the highway’ mentality. That is exactly the mentality that the first Americans were trying to escape when they set sail from England.
I don’t care what you do with your life as a women. But the issue here isn’t solely about what you choose to do with your life.
This is a common mistake. You speak as though we’re all just free people going about our business choosing what we want to do with our lives. Except, we’re not. We’re tax payers, who have to fund the military (Well I am at least.) The government takes a portion of my income away from me and my wife and daughter and son, and gives it to you. Sure I get to vote about it, but the vote doesn’t change anything.
Now, I actually do support a strong military that defends our country. And since I’m paying for it, I imagine I should have some say in how it’s run, don’t you? Or, do you think the military should just get my money and spend it however they/government wish?
“You also haven’t elaborated on why women can’t have babies AND do other jobs of their choosing.” There are obvious reasons why I, and many other men and women, think women should focus on having babies and RAISING those babies. When you have a baby and then try to have the “job of your choosing,” you rely on strangers and the government to raise your children.
But, here are a few elaborations:
1. Strangers working in daycare don’t love your children.
2. Children get sick in daycare, all the time.
3. Daycare workers abuse children
4. Public School teachers are constantly getting charged with crimes against children.
5. Children in public school commit crimes against other children.
6. Public School teaches your child what the government wants your child to believe about God, Mom, Dad, family, etc.
Like most people, Vanessa, you seem to have a reading comprehension issue. I didn’t say that all women could do is have babies. I also never said I would, or even could, force my wife and daughter to do anything. I think everyone has the right to make any choice the wish.
Of course, our choices have consequences. The decisions we make as individuals and as a society impact us all. The decision by many women to use birth control and stop having babies is going have an impact on my children and your children. The decision our government leaders are making to continue killing people in foreign lands are going to impact my children, and your children. The decision to let the State form the opinions of children via the public school system is already having a major impact on this country.
Of course, most people don’t pay enough attention or consider the long term consequences of any of their decisions because the are very focused on themselves and getting that job of their choosing.
So, I say again, we should limit the role of women in the military, and encourage young men and women to create traditional, strong families, and start making some babies. Who else do you think is going to grow this food, and take care of us all as we get older? The government? The nursing home staff, who is doing such a fine job? The Chinese?
More than likely, we’d agree on a whole host of issues. But, a majority of today’s women have bee programmed to flail their hands and gnash their teeth when anyone brings of the idea of proper gender roles and the positive effect of proper gender roles on society. But, no matter. Reality will assert itself, and people will once again realize that, hey, there are really good reasons for women to have babies, stay and home and strengthen their families.
A few more wars, and a lot more women getting killed in combat will help people see the error of our ways (getting killed alongside men mind you, because we’re all equal). Maybe we’ll get to see some videos of pregnant women getting killed in combat. Or maybe, we’ll get to see an all women SEAL team in action! That would be sweet.
(Oh, and your female challenges to my “manhood” are about as effective as saying “Your ugly!” “….so what are you afraid of? Would it totally irk you if a woman did your job better than you?” ” incredibly immature, and makes you nothing short of a fanatic.” Really? Is that all you got?)
Vanessa,
“As far as our blog host, I do feel she should get a degree in Nutrition or atleast spend some more time researching. This isn’t the first blog post she’s written that makes sensational claims about a topic that she’s failed to provide facts for.” — Then stop reading it. Please, I beg you.
“I think it’s completely irresponsible to take personal opinions and throw them out there as though they are fact. ” — You really should take your own advice.
“You need to re-read my post..” — Seriously? Who has the time? It clearly states “Leave a Comment”, not a rough draft of your novel.
“What really disappoints me about people with your mentality Joshua, is that it’s a ‘my way or the highway’ mentality. That is exactly the mentality that the first Americans were trying to escape when they set sail from England.” — That is exactly what I will be escaping when I close this page.
In case you weren’t aware, people are allowed to have their own unique opinions. You don’t have to agree with them. However, it would be nice if we were allowed to state them on here without you, Vanessa, jumping down our throats each time we said something you happen to disagree with.
Sara,
I have stopped reading it, I’m over on Mommypotamus’ blog now; she’s quite the researcher, I’m very impressed. Everything is fact based and professional. I’m still receiving e-mail alerts for this post though, so don’t worry when those stop I’ll go away.
I do take my own advice, I’ve provided first hand experience and facts to back up my statements. Something you still haven’t learned considering you are asking me to take my own advice, without providing references to what statements I’ve failed to support with evidence.
Here’s the definition of novel: a fictitious prose narrative of considerable length and complexity, portraying characters and usually presenting a sequential organization of action and scenes.
Here’s the definition of comment: a note in explanation, expansion, or criticism of a passage in a book, article, or the like; annotation; explanatory or critical matter added to a text.
Given those two definitions, it’s pretty clear I’m complying with the requests of this page.
If you shut this page you escape the close minded ‘my way or the highway’ mentality? Isn’t this page your blog? You must have replied in a hurry, I won’t probe too far on that one. (I did get a good chuckle though.)
People should absolutely have their own opinions, I just really feel that it’s best for all if they form them consciously with some research and by looking at all sides of the topic.
Instead of hastily posting a knee jerk reaction to a media article, experts could have been consulted, regulations could have been referenced, etc. all for the sake of getting a factual piece out there and maintaining your credibility.
A wise person will take criticism well and embrace an opportunity to grow. Instead of taking offense to the things I’ve pointed out, maybe you can reflect on how you can improve your blog. Your blog has great intent and potential, but without supporting evidence to back claims it can be detrimental to folks.
Sara,
I wrote her off as a troll a long time ago. Let her have the last word. You have class and it shows in stark contrast to her transparency.
Keep up the good work!
As a soldier myself, an army wife, and mother I would just like to say that this is whole “controversy” is being twisted. It’s not even about whether it is a “cause” or not. The fact is they are in the military, period. Whether you think the uniform is sacred or not, I guess is now a matter of personal opinion. However, maybe some people in this country don’t realize the difference between being a civilian and being in the military. Let me just give you a few examples regarding the uniform along: I cannot walk and chew gum, I cannot walk and talk on the phone, I cannot hold my husband’s hand (or technically any sort of public display of affection to ANYONE), I cannot step outside my car even to walk to my front door without putting my cover on (for those not in the military a cover is our beret, patrol cap etc), this list could go on and on. When you decide to join the military (since as of now its now a forced occupation) you join it knowing you are sacrificing freedoms that everyone else has. Can you go to a political rally straight from work without having to change? Can you drive 100 miles away from your home without filling out paperwork, asking and then receiving the government’s permission? No one has anything against breastfeeding (especially not me, I breastfeed my children).
Joshua,
Yes you do have a say in what the government does with your tax money, but unfortunately for you we live in a democracy where majority rules. Therefore, what the majority wants is what we have. I get that you don’t want me in the military because I’m a woman, but I still can’t wrap my head around why…you haven’t given any reasons that apply to me and you certainly haven’t provided any fact based evidence. Did you know military members also pay taxes? So, I too had a say in how our military was run.
Something I hope you can clarify, because I think you’re having a hard time being clear which is causing my ‘reading comprehension’ issues, is whether or not you think women should do anything outside of raising babies. In paragraph four of your last post you state, “There are obvious reasons why I, and many other men and women, think women should focus on having babies and RAISING those babies.” Then in paragraph six you state, “I didn’t say that all women could do is have babies.” Those two statements contradict each other, because what are women to do besides focus on having & raising babies according to you?
The only reason you give for why women should ‘focus on having babies and staying at home to raise those babies’ is because otherwise strangers & the government will raise them.
In my experience in the military, not my child or any of the children of my female counterparts (there were six of us on active duty w/children) were raised by strangers or the government. I didn’t end up needing childcare for my son, but the other women in the unit paid our male co-worker’s stay at home wives (who became some of our close friends) to watch their child while they were at work. In this sharing of care scenario, people that are like family were caring for our children…people with the same beliefs and values. Also, stay at home military spouses were able to earn a small income instead of that money going to a day care. See the military is like a big family, with traditional family values and I think it’s a great place to raise kids into responsible adults.
Now in paragraph six of your last post you say, “I think everyone has the right to make any choice the wish. ” Then why are we even having this conversation in which my place as a woman in the military is in question?
I agree that some of our personal choices affect our society as a whole, but I’m not seeing how my role in the military has had any negative effects on my family or society. I am homeschooling my son, so you can rest assured that the ‘public school system’ isn’t going to influence his opinions. I feel I have been able to give back to society through my military service, and I think many people agree based on the thanks I receive.
So, is the only reason you think women shouldn’t be in the military because you feel it impacts their ability to have babies? The average military family seems to have more children than the average non-military family. Most of the active duty women I know have had several children, and they are great kids with values very similar to what you seem to desire for your two children.
Your statement that ‘a majority of today’s women have bee programmed to flail their hands and gnash their teeth when anyone brings of the idea of proper gender roles and the positive effect of proper gender roles on society’. Can you elaborate on what ‘proper gender roles’ are to you? It sounds like you’re a man of faith due to several of your references, so I did a search on gender roles in the church and I came across an interesting blog post. It’s by a Christian man with a BS in Biblical Studies. According to him I can be a helicopter pilot and still be biblically feminine…how appropriate : ) Does that meet your criteria?
http://theveritasnetwork.org/2010/05/27/raising-kids-with-proper-gender-roles-why-boys-should-not-paint-their-toe-nails/
As far as women getting killed in combat, what is better for society as a whole. A father drafted into the military and getting killed in combat, or a young single woman who volunteered to be in the military losing her life? Maybe one day it will come down to that, and having been a young single woman in the military I would not have hesitated to take a bullet for a man that I knew had a family. I love children, and I could not bear the thought of a child losing their Daddy. Good luck finding pictures of pregnant women getting killed in combat; a pregnant woman is not even allowed to deploy, let alone go near a combat zone.
You know, maybe we will see an all woman SEAL team and it might actually be pretty sweet. They would certainly have the advantage of shock over the enemy, the enemy would be dead before they realized they were facing a SEAL team.
Lastly, I did not challenge your ‘manhood’, I questioned your confidence as a person, because your strong opposition to females doing what you consider a man’s job makes me wonder what underlying insecurities might be causing these fears. And no, that’s not ‘all I got’…why don’t you meet me at the playground, at noon. Hahah, wow…I’m still in my 20′s and I feel old responding to that last spat of yours kiddo!
Once again we women are pitted against each other over an issue the should in many ways unify us. I’m a former US Marine (well, once a Marine, Always a Marine)….the issue is that Yes! These service we should be in an uproar over any service woman relegated to breast feed in a restroom; but, when a man or woman signs up for service he or she enlists into the last form of indentured services in this country (and as a woman of African descent I do NOT use this ideal/term lightly)….& I counted the cost with every enlistment and reenlistment. I gave up certain rights in order to wear a uniform and defend my country (these women wer NOT drafted). I agreed that the good of the whole would over ride my individual rights. This is what is required for a combat ready force and unless you have a military background (spouse, service member or former, etc) you have a limited understanding of what this truly requires. This women not only put that in jeapordy, but that usurped their command by not requesting authorization to participate in this campaign. What of the rights of the service member who wants to wear his uniform to participate in a anti-Semite protest or a KKK parade? Is THAT right protected? Under the constitution for each of you, YES! But a service member abdicates that PERSONAL right in order to protect that right for the whole nation (& YES to possible die for a right that they protect but have WILLINGLY abdicated!). This is the heart of the principal of sacrifice….it’s what be a mother is about….isn’t it?
My point is not to sway your thinking but to expand your concept of how dedicated a man or woman IS who commits to a life of service to country that extends beyond themselves and YES…beyond their children at times. I gave up my beloved Corp to embrace (with JUST as much dedication) my role as mother. I am NOT intimating in any way that these woman must choose as I did! But I AM saying this, they must choose to be women of integrity to THEIR pledge of service to country OR hold on to their individual rights as civilians.
You as an individual might not believe in these standards, ideals, and symbols……that is not required for you to enjoy the benefits of the shed blood and lost lives of the men and women who have gone before and continue to embrace them, live for them, are wounded for them, abdicate personal rights for them, and some die for them. But it is required, yes…necessary for those who choose to wear that uniform! It is the reason WHY there is NO higher form of service! They do not just lay down their life for a friend…..they do it for the men and women who would easily grasp their personal right and spit in their uniformed face as they return from war whether it be because of the color of their skin or the uniform they are wearing. That service member abdicates his right to even retaliate.
Men and women of character, conviction, who are loyal, principled and deserving of honor…..this is not antiquated or out-dated….at leat NOT in the minds of those who follow in the traditions of what this country was built upon.
Rhonda Whitney
USMC
Mom to 7 of the most wonderfully people I’ve ever met….
Ok for all the women who are complaining there is nothing wrong with this picture, you really need to get a grip. First off these two women swore to follow the rules of the military when they joined. Nothing in the oath said anything about “following the rules till they decide they know better and the rules no longer apply to them.” If they dont want to follow the rules they agreed to, then they can just leave the service when their time is up. But they dont have to worry as according to the Air Force Times, BOTH were given a field grade Article 15 which means they will not be allowed to reenlist. They also were busted clear down to Sgt with a loss of pay and benefits. They were lucky, as I have seen men get a dishonorable discharge for failure to follow the UCMJ during my time in the Military (started with 101st Airborne 22nd combat and finished with the 160th SOAR-The Night Stalkers…look them up) Therefor if the men must follow these rules, then so do the females no matter if they have children or not. What all of you non military women MUST understand is the US military is NOT a social program that you can change to fit your needs for that day. We are a highly trained set of people who kill others and break things when called upon to do so in defense of our country. We are the ones on the wall that make sure you can sleep safe and snug in your bed at night. We write checks for our bodies and our lives for your defense and we do it willingly for love of country. IN fact ask any wounded or disabled Vet if they would do it again knowing what would happen and damn near all of them would say yes, in fact if they could these Vets would reenlist and go overseas just so one of the others could come home.
How DARE ANY of you non military make a slight against the ones that have done their duty by demanding something so stupid as for us to change the rules that these women agreed to, just to make you happy. men are already put upon because of women like you. We have to register at 18, you dont. We get the tougher tours because even though women are soldiers, the Generals are too scared to place them in a front line unit so we men die while women are safe. Now if a woman can go through the training the same as a man and pass it the same as a man, I have no problem with her being in the same foxhole as I was in. That means pulling a 200 pound man with 80 pounds of gear if he gets shot. But if I have to hump my gear and protect you at the same time, then get to the rear and stay there.
In short you non military ladies….huff and puff all you want but get over yourselves as this is NOT going to change in your lifetime and I see no reason for it to change as I take pride in my uniform up to and including my Silver Star medal. And I know I cannot use my uniform to promote a cause because that would be a slap in the face of the brave men AND women who served before me. These ladies knowingly broke the rules and now they have been punished. Even Ms Scott (the head of this breastfeeding group) was fired because she clocked in and then stole company time as well as a company auto to go do personal things dealing with this group instead of doing her work, and then not only lying to the boss but tried to take a sick day when she was using a company auto to speak to reporters according to the GPS in the auto she had.
These three women got what they deserved.
I breast fed all 3 of my kids, and my husband has been in the military for about 10 years now, so I have a good understanding of military life and expectations on soldiers. I don’t think the photo would have been a big deal if it had been done differently. The woman nursing the twins has two giant boobs busting out the front of her uniform. Breast feeding is beautiful, but in this photo all anyone is focusing is that. Had she been feeding one baby and shown less skin I think it would have been more appropriate. Imagine a woman in uniform with that much showing without the breast feeding going on. That woman would have been severely disciplined for such inappropriate behavior. The only reason she wasn’t was because of the breast feeding. Let’s learn to be appropriate around people regardless of our preferences.
Can women eat in uniform? Can women console a crying baby in uniform? Can a woman bottle feed her baby in uniform? If yes, then she can breastfeed in uniform.
And seriously, we need to stop worshipping fabric.
This picture is so beautiful!! I brought so many precious memories flooding back!! I too nursed twins and a singleton!!