Maid A Milkin': I'll stand for what I believe in, even if I stand alone.

Words from Mama Brittany:

In case you have been living under rock and have not yet heard about the deal with facebook and breastfeeding mothers, check out here for some more information.

First, I want to mention the breastfeeding incident at Target. A mother was nursing her baby and was asked to go into a fitting room where she could breastfeed in private. It happens all the time in Western cultures, but why? Why is it a big deal to see a woman breastfeeding her child? Why do we have to shame mothers into feeling dirty and bad for giving her baby the absolute best nutrition that's available on the face of the planet. One does realize that nothing compares to breast milk and nothing ever will. EVER. Now, we have moved on to Facebook, mothers are having their pictures being taken down, and accounts closed because the pictures are "inappropriate." On February 6th, 2012 Mothers will gather around the globe to protest Facebook's breastfeeding photos policy. If you can't make the protest, simply change your picture to one of you and your babe breastfeeding, or this photo here:

I know I am extremely passionate about breastfeeding and I do not apologize for it. I will stand up for what I believe in, even if I stand alone. And for the record I don't stand alone, I stand with gazillions of other wonderful radical milky mamas around the globe and together we will change the world! Nothing has made me feel more alive than being a mother and nothing makes me feel more like a mother than breastfeeding. I couldn't have one without the other.

I want to challenge you today to open up your mind and step outside of your comfortable box that you've put around yourself. I want you to imagine for a moment that there is indeed a great big world out there and not everyone does things or thinks things the way that you do. Let go of the judgments and allow people to have freedom even if you don't agree with it. You can only take care of you, so for the sake of the world stop judging us, breastfeeding mothers. Stop assuming our motives are to turn on your husbands and get people to oogle over our boobies. Stop telling us to keep it in private because no one wants to see it, or because its gross. It's not your body, its not your baby. The point is we need to stop telling other mama's that if you're a nursing mom who likes to cover up, then cover up--do your thing. It doesn't mean we all have to feed our babies under blankets, we have freedom to choose and I thank God for our freedom. Men and woman are giving their lives for our freedom.

Let's look at two scenarios. If you have seen the movie "Babies," you'll remember a
scene of the African Mum walking to the village. There, she is heading to the
"market" with toddler in tow. Not so very different than us Western Mama's who are...oh
say heading off to Target. Her little boy starts throwing a temper tantrum and
what does she does do? She immediately offers him some milk--from her breast.
Nobody around seems to notice or care, the village goes on, the men don't get
google eyed and nobody gives it second thought that this mother is offering her
baby some milk and comfort.

Now picture this scenario. Mom and babe in Target, mom trying her best to hurry
before a meltdown occurs, finally gets in line (of course there is only one lane
open) and the toddler begins to melt down, people around mother begin to stare, they
want her to shut up her kid. Mother breaks out a sippy cup/bottle/etc. Let's
just say the kid takes it, great everyone in line smiles and all is well. Wait,
wait hold on...nope this kids name is Oliver. He has had a rough start in life- he
came into the world early and had a very traumatic birth, he didn't meet his
mama for a few days and their bonding, their attachment is crucial to his
development. This mama fought hard and long to give her baby the best- formula
wouldn't do, bottle feeding wouldn't simply do. So there they are in Target's
checkout and Oliver is overwhelmed and stressed out, crying for boobie, for
comfort, for a meal and a drink. Mama wants to comfort her baby, to feed her
baby. But can she? Will she?

Why is it so different for the Mom in Africa? Why was it different when I
whipped out a formula bottle or a sippy cup? Why then when I wanted to give my
son what's physically and emotionally the best I hesitated.

Oliver didn't need to be premature to need my milk, but I wanted to stress the
fact that I know my baby best and what his needs are. Full term babies deserve
the same thing just like the little African child. When will we live in a world
when pulling out a boob to feed a child is smiled upon and not frowned upon? We
know breast is best, we know formula feeding is 4th best, yet we don't practice
at all what we preach. We are unsupported and judgmental, yet if a mother fails
at breastfeeding than we're not allowed to judge because that makes her feel
"guilty"

Anyone else seeing this backwards pattern here? Why?

Now let's talk about this picture:

OK for a Native American mother to feed her toddler, but its not okay for an All-American mama to feed her toddler? Is it because I'm standing in a kitchen where I could have just given him a drink or some food? Is it because I don't have paint all over my face? Is it because I am 20 weeks pregnant? I have to say I may not look as rad as the Native American Mama, but feeding my toddler and being pregnant makes me pretty darn cool in my book.

I'm going to stand for what I believe in, even if I stand alone. I'm going to post pictures of myself breastfeeding, and I'm going to share them with the world. Would you like to know why? Because I am dam proud of breastfeeding- that's why! It's not easy- it took a lot of dedication and work, sleepless night after sleepless night, dealing with Lupus and hypoglycemia, being a working full time mom and working mom, committing myself to my baby to give him the very best even when it wasn't easy. And you know what I'm proud of myself! I am a rock star mom! I'm going to pat myself on the back because I know what I have done for Oliver is give him the very best of me. I won't apologize for that and if you don't want to see me in my celebration of life and love, then you don't have to look. Too long has breastfeeding been deemed something dirty or naughty, it's not so cut the crap. We need to see breastfeeding for it to become normalized, the more we see it the more normal it becomes and one day this won't be an issue. One day I'll look at my grandchildren and watch them nurse wherever, whenever for however long they want. And nobody will think twice, and then I'll remember the days I fought for their freedom to be able to be given the best. And I'll smile knowing I helped in some small way <,3

I want to leave you with some other photos of me feeding my baby <3

One of the first times I breastfed Oliver, about 3 pounds and with a feeding tube in his nose/down his throat as well as wires hooked up in various places to monitor his heart and breathing.