Here is an article by Amy Spangler which was posted on her Baby Gooroo
website. This is definitely worth reviewing -- and for y'all who are Facebook
members....take heed....
_http://www.babygooroo.com/index.php/2008/12/23/feeding-frenzy/_
(http://www.babygooroo.com/index.php/2008/12/23/feeding-frenzy/)
Feeding Frenzy
December 23, 2008 by Amy Spangler
If you think what’s commonly seen/done/discussed isn’t perceived as normal,
consider the _cesarean birth rate_
(http://www.babygooroo.com/index.php/2008/06/11/more-c-sections-more-preterm-deliveries/) . With rates approaching 50
percent in some communities, the ‘normal’ way to give birth (vaginally) is
becoming the exception and the ‘abnormal’ way to give birth (c-section) is
becoming the norm.
Anyone with knowledge of human history knows that the ‘normal’ way to feed a
baby is to breastfeed and the ‘abnormal’ way to feed a baby is with a
formula-filled bottle. For centuries, breastfeeding ensured the survival of the
species—it’s why you and I are here today. During the 1900s, as more mothers
made the decision not to breastfeed (for more on why read, _Don’t Kill Your
Baby_ (http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Kill-Your-Baby-Breastfeeding/dp/0814250777)
by Jacqueline Wolf), bottle-feeding became increasingly more common until
eventually bottle-feeding was perceived as ‘normal’ and breastfeeding as
uncommonly rare.
When everybody does something—it’s perceived as normal. It’s the ‘doing’ by
the masses that causes cultural change. Enter Kelli Roman. In an effort to
muster the masses and shift Facebook’s perception of breastfeeding, Roman
started a group called _Hey, Facebook, breastfeeding is not obscene! (Official
Petition to Facebook)_ (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2517126532) .
Her action was triggered by Facebook ‘s removal of an image of her
breastfeeding her baby from her Facebook profile, without asking her permission. The
result of Roman’s action can best be described as a ‘feeding frenzy’. Over
60,000 mothers and fathers have joined to protest Facebook’s action. If you
haven’t signed the petition yet, it’s not too late. On December 27th more than
60,000 women will replace their pictures on their Facebook profiles with
pictures of breastfeeding mothers and babies.
Whether you agree or disagree with their intention, the existence of Facebook
has allowed breastfeeding advocates to ban together for a common purpose—
ensuring that breastfeeding will be perceived as the ‘normal’ way to feed a
baby, anytime, anywhere, anyplace, anyhow —even in your Facebook.
Breastfeeding will never be perceived as normal until it becomes common, and
it will never be common as long as women are made to feel that they need to
breastfeed out of the public eye. The _discomfort_
(http://www.thefrisky.com/post/246-facebook-makes-a-fuss-about-breastfeeding/) people feel with
breastfeeding is largely due to the fact that it is rarely seen. As a culture, we
have allowed a normal, natural, human activity to be relegated to backrooms and
bathrooms. The time to stand up is long overdue. I applaud the efforts of
those on Facebook and proudly join them.
In case you missed it, Facebook spokesperson Barry Schnitt was quoted by
_UPI_
(http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2008/12/21/Facebook_bans_breast-feeding_photos/UPI-68271229888933/) as saying, “These policies are designed to ensure
Facebook remains a safe, secure and trusted environment for all users, including
the many children who use the site.”
If Schnitt is truly concerned about children, he’ll join the more than 60,000
women of Facebook who clearly understand that breastfeeding is all about
children.
******************************************************************************
**************
P.S. -- BabyGooroo is a wonderful site -- great articles -- do recommend it
to your moms and your colleagues.
******************************************************************************
******
Jan Barger, RN, MA, IBCLC, FILCA
Lactation Education Consultants
_www.lactationeducation.com_ (http://www.lactationeducation.com/)
**************One site keeps you connected to all your email: AOL Mail,
Gmail, and Yahoo Mail. Try it now.
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