Do I have an *Agenda*? Up against those attacking Facebook Breastfeeding pics.

[fruitful womb]

I'm not involved with this mess much. When I am, I'm accused of having an agenda. Maybe I do... That kind of throws me off and I really don't know how to respond to that.

This is all I said, in response to someone saying they feel offended when seeing a mother breast feed her child:

Why do you think you were conditioned to be that way?

I hope I didn't sound offensive while asking that question.

I PERSONALLY do not feel offended when a mother feeds her child, be it a bottle or breast. I'm just happy that child is being fed, period.

Please share with me your perspective. Oh and this lady who is asking if I have an agenda (not thats a bad thing) calls *lactivist* cranks . Bet she had to really search long and hard for that word.

[RomanCarmelMom]

Helping to give babies the right to eat without taboo or shame attached is a pretty good agenda! Not all agendas are bad!

[fruitful womb]

Originally Posted by RomanCarmelMom

Helping to give babies the right to eat without taboo or shame attached is a pretty good agenda! Not all agendas are bad!

Thats very true! Its exactly what this is about: Releasing a 'taboo' out of our culture.

[limabean]

It sounds like she's not interested in engaging in a thoughtful discussion, but rather just spouting off her viewpoint and disparaging those who disagree with her.

[MaryJaneLouise]

Of course you have an agenda -- a good one! If you've ever been in a business meeting without an agenda, you'll know why they are so important!

Seriously, you have a goal. To normalize breastfeeding to the general public. That is why the whole Facebook issue is so important. So, so many families are too shy to nurse in public, that they give up breastfeeding prematurely as too inconvenient. Your goal is to change society for the better!

[MaryJaneLouise]

And what is so cranky about promoting breastfeeding? If you want to see cranky, talk to the people who get all pissy about women possibly, briefly, publicy exposing their nipples to feed their babies. MY EYES! AAARRRGH! To me, that is cranky!

And those who want to sexualize breastfeeding, and make it shameful. What is up with that? Every mammale has nipples. Men expose them all the time. President-Elect Obama was all over the internet, topless. Guess those news orgs didn't get the memo that he nad nipples

[fruitful womb]

Originally Posted by MaryJaneLouise

And what is so cranky about promoting breastfeeding? If you want to see cranky, talk to the people who get all pissy about women possibly, briefly, publicy exposing their nipples to feed their babies. MY EYES! AAARRRGH! To me, that is cranky!

And those who want to sexualize breastfeeding, and make it shameful. What is up with that? Every mammale has nipples. Men expose them all the time. President-Elect Obama was all over the internet, topless. Guess those news orgs didn't get the memo that he nad nipples

MaryJaneLouise, you're hilarious!

And you're so very right about everything you've said.

I did address just about everything you said in your previous post and the tone of that convo changed dramatically.

It went from "eww breastfeeding is 'sexual'."

to

"You're weird to think breastfeeding is a sexual act."


I saw a lot of light bulbs turn on.

Thanks so much for the encouragement!

[Swan3]

Originally Posted by fruitful womb

I'm not involved with this mess much. When I am, I'm accused of having an agenda. Maybe I do... That kind of throws me off and I really don't know how to respond to that.

This is all I said, in response to someone saying they feel offended when seeing a mother breast feed her child:



Please share with me your perspective. Oh and this lady who is asking if I have an agenda (not thats a bad thing) calls *lactivist* cranks . Bet she had to really search long and hard for that word.

Yes, my agenda is to normalize breastfeeding as THE way to feed a child. My agenda is to help other women feel comfortable with feeding their child this way and not feel shame because of someone else's hangups.

The more we see BF everywhere (including facebook) the quicker we can get over ourselves and just let BF mamas be.

[OJazzy1]

I would def say that there is an agenda, of course there is, to show the public that nursing is normal, natural, and not a sexual act. If people never say it it will never become the norm. I had a friend who recently asked me whether or not I thought breastfeeding was really the way to go (no one in her family was breastfed) and I said yes, it is the only way to go unless there really is a legit reason and you cannot breastfeed AT ALL.

I personally think it is crazy "cranky" to read all the responses that I received from posting my breastfeeding photo, "friends" became "enemies" very quickly. The whole thing is very disturbing. I went in to it I would say really without so much of an agenda. I have come out of it KNOWING that I have one.

[1littlebit]

Originally Posted by Swan3

Yes, my agenda is to normalize breastfeeding as THE way to feed a child. My agenda is to help other women feel comfortable with feeding their child this way and not feel shame because of someone else's hangups.

The more we see BF everywhere (including facebook) the quicker we can get over ourselves and just let BF mamas be.

i have an agenda too!! and i'm good with that. promoting breast feeding and a woman's right to NIP is a pretty good agenda IMO.

[nukedwifey]

Originally Posted by MaryJaneLouise

Of course you have an agenda -- a good one! If you've ever been in a business meeting without an agenda, you'll know why they are so important!

Seriously, you have a goal. To normalize breastfeeding to the general public. That is why the whole Facebook issue is so important. So, so many families are too shy to nurse in public, that they give up breastfeeding prematurely as too inconvenient. Your goal is to change society for the better!

I was most certainly thinking along the same lines! The first thing I thought was "doesn't EVERYONE have an agenda?" That to me isn't even an insult because, yes, everyone does have one. Some are totally selfish and others are totally not, it should be the reasoning behind the agenda that makes you question it. Your agenda is not selfish as it's for the love a child(ren). This lady obviously has an agenda herself, to make you stop advocating breastfeeding and feel as ashamed of it as she thinks that you should be. That is a very selfish agenda.