If any of my “suggestive” pictures are removed, I’ll be pissed. My dad is my facebook friend; I think the pictures are fine if I’m willing to let my own father see them.

Now to the issue of being discrete. This is pretty much what I’ve scene when I’ve observed women and their children in this activity. Most of them have the common sense to do this.

OTOH, if you say it’s ok if it’s done discretely, how the heck to you set the rules up to be clear as to what “discrete” means ? That is just such a fuzzy concept.

Jerry
(who fully supports women’s right to breast feed)

Personally, I have no problem with Facebook having pictures of breastfeeding mums on there. For a start, Facebook isn’t like Myspace – you can’t go trawling through other people’s pages – you have to ‘know’ the person to see their pictures. For that reason, I’m surprised they’re so strict on any of the pictures.

Also, I’m European, so nipples don’t scare me like they seem to uptight middle Americans.

That being said, I’m DEEPLY curious about why anybody would want to post pictures of themselves breastfeeding on Facebook in the first place. I mean, WHY?

Having just become a new Dad, I’m familiar with the mechanics and impracticalities of breastfeeding. I grew up on a farm, so I am a firm believer that ‘breast is best’ because I’ve seen the benefits of breast-fed animals, who tend to thrive on Mum’s milk.

However, I’m also not entirely comfortable with the idea of a woman whipping out her boobs in public to breastfeed. If it’s done discretely, fine. However, in the middle of TGI Fridays, or something, it might make other patrons (especially if they have children present) deeply uncomfortable.

It depends how it’s done. With a shawl, or something like that, there’s nothing to worry about and most people wouldn’t even realise a woman’s breastfeeding. If she just whips her boobs out – I’m sorry, but I can understand how that would make other people feel uncomfortable and that’s REALLY not cool.

I know plenty of new mothers who are arrogant and rude about their babies. When my wife was waiting tables at TGI Fridays, a woman even started to change her baby’s diaper on the table, in front of everybody! She was kicked out of TGI Fridays and not a damn moment too soon. That sort of behaviour is just selfish and rude.

But then again, far too many Americans (especially in the ‘middle bits’) are far too uptight about things anyway. christ, they can own guns and have violent movies on at 10am, but GOD FORBID that they show a nipple on TV because that would warp children’s minds.

So I think DISCRETE breastfeeding in public is fine, I think it’s fine to have Facebook pictures of breastfeeding (although, I once again wonder WHO would post pictures like that) but I think there has to be a compromise and some consideration for other people’s thoughts and feelings as well.

With Facebook, considering you can theoretically only view your ‘friends’ pictures, there’s no problem and they should allow it. Period.