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
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,
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,
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.