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Friday, July 28, 2006

Offending the Unwashed Masses is One of My Favorite Pastimes



Puritans be warned: this post may disturb you.


I mean it! If you can't bear the sight of an adorable newborn baby eating contentedly, hit the back button, quick!


Really!


Are you still there?


Okay,


Then,


Read my post!


This


Made me feel like posting an image I never thought I'd publish, and not just because it's embarassingly out-of-focus (although it is):




Take that, nursing-haters. I flash my boob at you! In a grainy filtered out-of-focus photo that shows even less flesh than the one on the cover of BabyTalk, which, incidentally, showed a lot less flesh than one ordinarily might expect to see on the cover of Vogue.

This the one and only photograph I ever took of my son while nursing. It was hidden away on my hard drive, a nameless numbered file in a nameless numbered folder. Left there because I hesitated to put it in with the baby photos to be developed at the store.

I had to look through several folders of photos to find it. But I'd never forgotten taking it. I knew it was there.

Suddenly, seeing those beautiful, contented newborn eyes again, I find myself wishing I had taken more pictures like this one.

22 comments:

Lisa said...

I saw that article last night. I was blown away. Its a breast. THEY ARE MEANT FOR FEEDING BABIES! I don't get what the big deal was. And really, there was one woman who stated that she didn't want her son and hubby to see a woman's breast. Is she scared the sight of a breats is going to turn these males into drooling, horney freaks who will have an uncontrollable urge to hump anything that moves? What the hell. And honestly, I've never heard any man who's watched a breastfeeding mother say it "turned them on."

And I had no opinion on this subject until I started breastfeeding. Going into a stinky, dirty mall bathroom with a child who'd practically jump out of his skin everytime someone flushed a toilet, SUCKS! I felt bad for my little man.

Jaelithe said...

Not to mention the fact that men and boys can see breasts all over the place without even trying. I mean, the supermarket checkout lane is lined with photos of barely-covered breasts. But most people (notably excepting Izzy,) seem not to be bothered by that fact. Yet, it's somehow obscene when a baby is attached?

WTF?

EatAnts said...

You Go Girl...The Puritans can just kiss off. Great picture, your lil one looks soooo precious there.

Anonymous said...

This is a great photo actually! You should have it printed and put up! ... So much fun to see / recognize Isaac in there already ...

As for the topic of public breasts .. well, I grew up in Europe, where most girls were still not wearing bras at age 16 and spotting part of a boob (favourite male past time at 16) was possible if one really really tried ... at beaches and lakes, boobs all over the place ...

I think the most disturbing thing I once saw was a group of male, American teenagers at a french beach. They were so full of horniness and good hardly (snicker) get hold of themselves when their boob deprived eyes got to see lots of them live and in color ...

Anonymous said...

ha ha .. in the above 'good hardly' was supposed to be 'could hardly' ... my bad

Raquita said...

He was a beautiful little baby! Such great eyes!!

Andrea said...

Awww! That's a great picture, especially because Isaac's eyes are so expressive. I'm glad you posted this.

I'm a firm believer that a woman should be able to nurse wherever she happens to be with her baby when the need arises. I hate hearing about people asking a nursing mother to go to the bathroom or something. The person asking wouldn't eat their lunch in a bathroom, so why should a baby?

Debbie said...

Oh, Jae, it's so dreamy, that picture. love.

The Adventures Of Dr. Gene and His Mate WonderMum said...

Frankly, there's nothing in the very LEAST to be ashamed and/or embarrassed of....it's one of the most lovely, fragile moments two human beings can experience, a thing of beauty. This is a moment of bonding between mother and son....it's not like you were flashing your breast abnout in a "wooooo-woooooo!" type of manner...be proud that you caught this on film girl, you can embarrass the tyke with it when he's 16!

Anonymous said...

Oh, that picture of you two is beautiful. His little expression is priceless.

I am always shocked at how many people sexualize breastfeeding. My children's father's family would tell me, in a digusted voice, "Those are for your husband, you know."

NO, they fucking aren't.

Thank you for posting this and for the lovely picture!

Ruth Dynamite said...

The photo I showed EVERYONE after my daughter was born exposed most of my (then) milk-engorged breast and her tiny head. It was all so miraculous and beautiful to me. And it is for so many women. Good for you!

Anonymous said...

I agree with all...Bravo to such a beautiful nursing baby! I recently found a photo of my own mother nursing me, and it's a treasure. I'd like to know who the "anti-lactivists" really are...are they seriously coming out against feeding babies?? We should all post our boobs/babies nursing in protest of those ridiculous 700 complaints.

Jaelithe said...

Actually, MoonstruckMama, I was thinking of hosting an internet nurse-in . . .

Anonymous said...

I'm in!

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful photo.

PS. Those boobie-haters can bite me and my boobs!

Perstephone said...

Very touching photo. Yeah, it always amazes me when people freak out about watching someone nurse. That is why we have breasts.

Good post and I'm not sure if I have any nursing photos since I was only able to nurse for 8 weeks, but if I do, count me in on your nurse-in.

Mom101 said...

This is gorgeous. Just gorgeous.

Major Bedhead said...

Oh, what a lovely picture! I'd frame that one - it's magical.

I don't get the big kerfuffle over breastfeeding in public either. 99.9% of the women that I do see breastfeeding are being discreet and you can hardly see anything. In fact, unless you're really being nosy, you'd hardly notice them.

Sharon L. Holland said...

A beautiful picture.

And that whole story bugged me, too. I've never understood the aversion to breastfeeding as somehow sexual. I mean, is there any stronger clue that a woman is not interested in you than when she is nursing another man's baby? Get over yourself.

Sharon L. Holland said...

A beautiful picture.

And that whole story bugged me, too. I've never understood the aversion to breastfeeding as somehow sexual. I mean, is there any stronger clue that a woman is not interested in you than when she is nursing another man's baby? Get over yourself.

Cristina said...

Oh hey, you were one step ahead of me with this post!

That is a beautiful picture. Don't you just love those moments? How could anyone think it's something to be ashamed of?

the mad momma said...

people have to be slightly screwy in the head to object.... this is a lovely pic... wish i had taken one when i was feeding...
well i guess rage etc aside.. its so good to have you guys across the world supporting it in the blogosphere... makes it easier to deal with the world outside....