Friday, June 1, 2012

On My Soap Box About....arguments against breastfeeding.

  


So you may or may not know that I'm pretty active on the Facebook. I spend a lot of time there. I try to stay away from all FB drama but the recent "outcry" about the guardswomen breastfeeding really stuck in my craw.

Yes, I just said that. I told you I'm a southern girl.

Anyways, here's one the pictures.



I thought it was  very sweet. Two mommies giving both our country and their babies the very best they have to offer. It's a powerful image that says so much about the strength of a woman.

But many people seem to think it is offensive as well as being disrespectful to the uniform.  The Guard issued a statement saying that using the uniform to further an agenda while in uniform is against their regulations.  Agenda?  Hmmmm.....

But moving right along, I commented on how I felt on a friend's page and someone else commented and we kinda went back and forth a bit.  It seemed this FB friend has more of an issue with breastfeeding in general as opposed to this picture.  He actually pulled out the Breastfeeding Asinine Argument Trifecta.  He compared breastfeeding to pooping, peeing, and sex.

Really? People are still using those arguments?  Sigh.  Let me dispel them, as many before me have.

Ridiculousness #1:  "I know breastfeeding is natural.  Pooping/peeing are natural, too, but I don't do that in the middle of a restaurant."

Breastfeeding is eating.  Let me repeat that: breastfeeding is eating.  I'll say it louder: BREASTFEEDING IS EATING. Nourishment is being taken into the bdoy.  Capiche?

Defecation and urination are excretory functions.  Waste is going out of the body. Again, capiche?

So you can't compare breastfeeding to pooping or peeing. They are opposites and have nothing in common, other than being bodily functions.  That's the epitome of apples to oranges.  You can compare public diaper changes to pooping/peeing-that's apples to apples. Can we put this particular justification to rest?

Ridiculousness #2: "Sex is natural, too, but you don't do it in front of everyone."


Okay, this one really bothers me. I think it is terrifying, as a parent. How is breastfeeding anything like sex?  The kind of person with this line of thinking is not the person I want flipping through my albums. Most of my pics are of my children.

My current status is:
PSA:                                                                                                                                           
If you truly feel like breastfeeding has some sort of sexual connotation, please take the following actions: 
1. Delete me as a friend.                                                                                                                
2. Stay away from ALL children.                                                                                                      
3. Seek professional mental health services.                                                                                      
 
 I mean seriously, how do you feel when you see a child eat a banana? There really is something wrong     with you, and I mean that in the most honest way possible.                                                                


I'm done. **steps off soapbox**

BTW, I breastfed in a government office, at my kids' school, and at a restaurant today.





2 comments:

  1. Okay, now I'm just stalking your blog (not MY fault I'm up at 4am!), but I have decided we should be best friends. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. LOL I always have room in my life for new friends! Perhaps you'll influence me to post more often. I suck at posting efficiently.

    ReplyDelete