What is wrong with Breastfeeding?

Recently there has been a lot of overwhelming negative media surrounding the most natural thing in the world, breastfeeding. From newspapers, Facebook and now even day time shows like Loose Women, but what I want to know is why the outrage?

People shouldn’t put pictures of them breastfeeding their own child on Facebook, they shouldn’t breastfeed in public? Why the hell not?

It seems there is a big push with pregnant women being bombarded with breast is best and I agree but then why does the media portray it as something dirty and even as a sexual act to breastfeed your child in public? How can passers-by complain?

It is outrageous to even imply that women should lock themselves in a public toilet to feed their child. Who would eat their own lunch in a toilet? Not me for sure and I can damn well bet that nobody would choose to, so why is it ok for a woman and her baby?

Imagine my surprise that women are also complaining about mothers feeding in public; it is not an act to attract men or to lure them from their wives. Breastfeeding mothers should not be made to feel what they are doing is dirty or wrong in any way.

Why can mothers not share pictures with their family and friends of their feeding child? It’s not as if the mother is provocatively waving their nipples in your face or being a suggestive half clothed temptress is it?

Its baffling to believe that society is so uncomfortable with breastfeeding that Facebook has even banned breastfeeding pictures from their social networking site and any pictures will be pulled. Now to me this is absurd, I have seen far many of penis and naked ladies on my own newsfeed and yet this is not wrong.

What is wrong with this picture?

Now for all those that are wondering, I only breastfed for a short period and I am more than happy to talk about that. I have nothing to hide, we had lots of problems (including a lengthy hospital stay and surgery) as well as a latch issue , so for the benefit of both me and my daughter we switched over to formula (which wasn’t without it’s issues) Did I feel like I had let Isabelle down? Well in my own way yes I did, but we tried and persevered with it for as long as we could (6 months). Breastfeeding women should not be judged and again it is no disaster if you cannot breastfeed. With my next child I plan to breastfeed and I am not going to allow anyone to make me feel uncomfortable in my choices to feed and nurture my child. If that means getting my boob out in public then so be it, at the zoo, shopping in tesco, dining out and even in a car dealership I will nurse my child.

I have pictures on my own Facebook of Isabelle feeding, bottle feeding and guess what? Not one complaint……Surprising eh? And yet over the past week alone I have heard of 8 different stories of breastfeeding mothers being ridiculed for their own pictures. Now this isn’t just in the UK, it appears to be a common issue but pictures of barely dressed women are welcomed. I am not a prude in the slightest but something is utterly wrong with this picture.

So I leave you with this, breastfeeding is neither “obscene” nor “sexually provocative” unless you have some serious issues. There should be more support for nursing parents and have them feel comfortable in what they are doing, not shunned to a public toilet.

This is my opinion and my post is full of questions to try and understand the mentality of why breastfeeding is seen as a crude act and I urge people to comment with their own opinions.