Hellobee Boards

Oh boy is right. I don't know...I kind of feel like now people are just doing this to get attention. If you want to breastfeed in public - GREAT! If you don't - GREAT! I think I'm just tired of the debacle over it all.

@Arden: <---- This.

@Mrs. Blue: @Arden: Agreed.

People who go out of their way to be in your face about breastfeeding actually bother me just as much as those who speak out against it. Can't we all just live and let live on this subject and stop talking about it?

I will say the woman on the left is showing way more breast than I would ever be comfortable showing in public, nevermind in a photograph that is being published nationally... but they're her breasts, not mine.

I'm all for moms and BFing, but this (kind of exposure) is not appropriate in a professional/work setting. Otherwise, I would say live and let live.

Good Lord, it's not anyone's business!! As a military wife, I was so proud of them! I thought the pictures were empowering. It shows other women that it's okay to BF no matter who you are and that you shouldn't feel ashamed. Both of my midwives were officers in the army (both Majors). They both breastfed their children. Considering that they are defending our freedom, I think should be able to BF just as freely as any other mom.

Yup! NOPE!!!! As a prior Active Duty service women myself I dissagree with the women in this photo
1- it is unprofessional
yes it is life, and its acceptable but NOT in uniform. If your belt is so much as turned 1/4 of a inchc in the wrong direction you are OUT of uniform, so how is this acceptable.

2- tell me when it the heck will you actually be with your child IN UNIFORM, besides picking up and to and from work WHEN and why are you out in public in your uniform. This is a rare occasion unless INTENTIONALLY trying to bring light to the subject.

3- It makes me even more upset if the military gets any flack for this. I dont know all the other service's regualtions on this. But in the US Navy they are VERY accomidating for this. You get 30 mins every 3-4 hrs. the breastfeed, even then no one times you go when you need to, they HAVE to provide a cool place fo ryou to store it and they very much so encourage you to breastfeed AT LEAST the first 6 mos (I kid you not its in the instruction OPNAVINST.1C)

So yes I am very pro breastfeeding but I would never do this in uniform. I am at work right now, and I am not longer in but I still work for the Navy, I called my best friend down who is still serving and pulled the picture up and asked her what she thought, she was shocked and first thing she said was 'Nope, unprofessional". Also she said the same thing, where are you goign to be with your baby besides to and from work that you would be in uniform.

@Shimmer: I reread what I wrote and deleted it because it didn't quite come out like I wanted it too. I just meant that it shouldn't seem unprofessional just because the women are in their uniforms. Other moms are constantly being praised for BFing in public or pumping at work. I don't think these moms should be getting so much flack just because of their profession.

Those photos are awesome!

Some of the quotes from the article are horribly revealing about the mindset towards women and their bodies.

"A lot of people are saying it's a disgrace to the uniform. They're comparing it to urinating and defecating [while in uniform]...."

Because feeding your child is equivalent to taking a dump?

And they talk a bit about people "who believe breast-feeding in uniform undermines the authority of a female officer."

Ha! The problem is that it's a completely female, feminine act happening in a traditionally male, masculine outfit. Any perceived undermining of authority only happens because the breastfeeding military moms are challenging old gender stereotypes.

People need to keep in mind that they were doing a photoshoot on in-uniform breastfeeding for a support group. These photos weren't snapped while the women were working. And I doubt they expected the power of the internet to turn the pics into such an, ahem, exposed controversy...

I agree that it was a photo shoot and why it was done, but I think the frustrating thing is that it was to bring light to the subject and almost make a controvercy over it. The Military is pro-breastfeeding and encourages it. My dislike is the intention of doing it in uniform so publically. It should be a VERY rare instance where you would be in uniform and have to do this.
Yes men and women are very different, clearly, and this is and has always been a mans comunity in the Military , I know this first hand, and we as women in the service have come a long way to be treated as equals, to be offered fair treatment and allowed to do the things the men do in the service, I just don tlike double standards over uniform regualtions. I personally would not want any "fluff" room on getting away with being out of uniform even if for a very legit reason such as BF. I beleive it to be more professional in private when it comes to being in uniform.

@MamaMoose: I kind of agree with you about the woman on the left, but I imagine it would be difficult to BF two babies at the same time without showing that much.

@Rescuemom10: I was also previously in the military and I agree with you that those photos are completely unprofessional.

@Mrs. Jacks: If I remember correctly, the photographer did a photoshoot that showcased several different moms nursing their children. It wasn't specifically for the military and they weren't on the job. The photographer's website is down but I remember seeing it when the Time Magazine article came out.

@Sweet T: If they have permission to be photographed in uniform then I really see no issue from the stand point of professionalism or what's unbecoming of the uniform.

I still personally think breastfeeding should just be a personal decision that is neither condemned nor aggressively pushed on people. But these women have a different opinion than me and as far as I can tell they haven't done anything wrong.

I think it's good for women to be informed about breastfeeding policies. Since there isn't any policy saying it can't be done in uniform I think it was nice that these women let others know that it can be done. I don't think this is an issue of women 'flaunting' anything or pushing a non-issue, since from the responses both here and on the article it obviously is an issue and people are misinfomed and think that breastfeeding in uniform is forbidden. There's obviously nothing forbidding nursing in uniform and I think that's a good thing.

I think that it's extremely sad that anyone would call breastfeeding unprofessional. If people think breastfeeding is demeaning to women or unprofessional than these campaigns obviously need to continue.

@Sweet T: Oh, well in that case... idk.