On Jun 2, 2012, at 1:11 PM, LACTNET automatic digest system wrote:

> Breastfeeding photos of military moms stir debate
> 
> Oh dear, with two months to go, the bad press which always 
> accompanies WBW has started already :-(   See, breastfeeding photos 
> of military moms stir debate, articles in BBC News, Fox News, and Statesman:


I want to clarify a few things about this...

The photos were taken as part of a breastfeeding campaign for Fairchild AFB in Washington State, to help increase the rates of breastfeeding among the civilian and military mothers stationed there.  

I asked permission from the coordinator and photographer if I could use the photograph on my blog as part of a posting about how the military does NOT support breastfeeding, in part because women are not allowed to breastfeed in uniform (well, there are no actual specific policies stating if it is OK or not, very grey...)

Here is the post I made which outlines my points clearly (don't read the comments, your blood pressure will sky rocket!):

http://breastfeedingincombatboots.com/2012/05/forget-breastfeeding-publicwhat-about-uniform/


Between my blog and the photos, it went viral on Facebook over Memorial Day weekend (a huge military-themed holiday here in the US) and the media caught ahold of it Tuesday morning and it went wild.  There have been a few well-done articles, and many more that are negative and/or are skewing the facts.

Here is one article that is well-done and features some Active Duty moms talking about their experiences breastfeeding in uniform:

http://www.thedaily.com/page/2012/06/01/060112-news-breastfeeding-in-uniform-1-3/


The comments on my blog at least have been running about 50/50 as to whether it is OK to breastfeed in uniform with the discussion veering off into public breastfeeding, sexualization of the breasts, women don't belong in the military, how breastfeeding undermines authority of female officers, and how breastfeeding in the military in effect ruins all the hard work that women have faced to be seen as equals in the military.  The issue of the professionalism and maintaining a proper military bearing, or being out of uniform while breastfeeding also tops the list.

Meanwhile mothers in uniform don't have a place to pump, are told to go sit in a restroom to feed their babies when at a medical appointment, or that they need to bottle-feed the baby while in uniform if they are together.  This is a simple fix....change the regulations to allow breastfeeding in uniform.  The Dept of Defense would be wise to do so as supporting breastfeeding will help them to maintain mission readiness, increase retention rates, decrease military healthcare costs and more.  It just makes sense from an economic and health standpoint.

I hope that the recent attention that this has caused will, in the end, be positive and bring much needed change to the policies and regulations currently in place for breastfeeding mothers in the military.  What I am afraid will happen is that a crack-down will occur instead and the breastfeeding mothers and babies will be the ones to suffer.


Robyn Roche-Paull
B.S., IBCLC, USN Veteran
Award-Winning Author & Founder ~ Breastfeeding in Combat Boots
www.breastfeedingincombatboots.com

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