Hey Facebook: Breastfeeding is Normal!

As some of you may be aware, Facebook has been removing pictures of women breastfeeding their children on a regular basis and in some cases, even banning these women's accounts.  In most cases they are beautiful tasteful photos with very little skin and/or nipple exposed.

Regardless of your choice to breastfeed, no one can dispute the scientific evidence that it is the best choice for your baby and the biological fact that it is indeed what our boobs were made for, despite what the porn/TV/film/advertising industry would have you believe.

The benefits of breastfeeding are undisputed, not just for an individual child, but for society as a whole.  Breastfed children grow up to be smarter and healthier than their formula fed counterparts making for a more productive society. Mothers who are allowed and encouraged to breastfeed will inevitably miss less work because of sick children and employers are beginning to realise this.

Whether or not you personally choose to breastfeed is beside the point here, the point is everyone should be given that choice and supported if they make it.  It is against the law in Ireland to discriminate against a breastfeeding woman, yet looking at the bigoted, misinformed and plain idiotic comments on this Journal post, it is clearly evident that the public at large are uneducated and clearly not supportive.  We must support mothers no matter what choice they make and even more so when they are making the best and normal choice.

If you are nursing or have nursed or just support the cause, consider coming out to the protest next Monday at the Facebook Headquarters in Dublin.  It is a chance to tell the media, the public and the censors at Facebook that not only is breastfeeding the healthy and optimal choice for society, but it's utterly and completely normal!  If you can't make it, consider changing your Facebook picture on the day and leaving a message of support for the girls!

The details are here.