Does This Offend You?

[Leslie]

I hope I did this poll thing right.

I found this article interesting.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060804/od_afp/afplifestyleussocialbreastfeeding

I get this magazine and never gave it a second thought when I saw the cover. I'm not a breastfeeding mom either. I was very suprised by some of the responses.

Just wondering all of your all's thoughts.

[tracy]

Maybe I'm too thick-skinned, but not much can offend me :) Guess it's being raised around so many boys!!

Frankly, I think there are far more important issues to worry with in this world, than a picture (a relatively innocent one) of a boob. We all have them...get a grip!!!

I'm with you Leslie -- probably wouldn't have given it a second thought when the magazine arrived.

Okay -- off my soapbox now :)

[bays mom]

It doesn't offend me in the least, even asked my husband and it didn't offend him either. Even though I didn't breastfeed, I can't believe that anyone would be offended by a mother feeding her child. If it were a mother spoon feeding her child no one would have a problem. What is wrong with our society, when we think that boobs are only for one thing and that is not to feed our children? I applaud Baby Talk and would love it if other magazines and other media would follow. By the way I had Baby Talk coming to me after my son was born and have just realized that I haven't gotten an issue in awhile. Does anyone know if that free subscription expires?

[sweet pea]

I am not offended in the least. It is amazing to me that it was proposed/discussed/ etc about putting a label on formula basically warning parents that formula was not as good as breast milk and ffparents may be doing their child harm, yet people are offended by this cover - what the heck - you can't have it both ways. We wonder why mothers don't breast feed very long - there is your answer - no support. And this magazine is for MOTHERS!

~April

[Holly]

This mag was at my OB's office at my last appointment...I think it is a beautiful picture, and not offensive in the least. DH agreed with me--we both thought it was a very tasteful representation of the mother/child bond. I think you'd have to be quite a prude to find this offensive.

[Leanna]

Bravo to BabyTalk magazine! I think that's a beautiful photograph, and I'm not sure why some people are so offended by it. Is it because they view it as sexual or something? I just can't relate to that mindset-- I find it perverse. I'm glad to see nursing becoming more accepted though.

[tracyrhymer1979]

i think that it is one of the most beautiful, precious things I have ever seen. There is nothing embarrasing or offensive in that photograph, and I am a prude!!! :D

[kelangst]

It just amazes me when people are offended by something so natural. Do we really live in such a prudish society that the natural act of breastfeeding our children is now "offensive"?? I understand that some people are embarrassed by anything to do with a human body, but honestly if you cannot handle this picture then you probably have issues beyond just breastfeeding frankly.

Sigh.

This is a parenting magazine. It is not a porn photo, it is not in your face, and it is not even exposing the 'parts' of the breast. Please.

I nursed my child for 11 months - I was careful to always cover myself and my child with a blanket so nothing was visible and I was still often told that I needed to 'do that in a bathroom please'. I just do not understand that attitude. I could walk around in a see-thru lacy top with my belly, breasts, and a thong showing but heaven forbid I use them for something other than eye candy.

Whatever.

[lisamarie]

Well I have to be honest.

When I see pics of that I feel odd. And I breastfeed at least 1-3 times a day.

Now dont be sending me all these damn pm's either wanting to know why I feel werid when I see it and how I shouldnt. I just do. It took me awhile to get used to boob feedin my own kid. And I STILL get the heeby jeebes over it.

Now Im no where near offended by it...but it just makes me feel werid.
So theres my two cents and Im stickin to it. hehe

[karenh]

I didnt vote, I am not offended by it, but with men being so stupid, childish, whatever, I dont think even a portion of a breast should be where they can see it and become bevis and butthead about it. Breast feeding is one of the most beautiful things GOD created, but society today has made everything sexual that thats how most (not all) look at something like that in a sexual way not a GOD created beautiful way.

I tihnk the women offended by the pic probably have dh's that are into porn or are just childish and they feel insecure. Unfortunately society has become "politically correct" and "offended" by things meant for beauty, or in this case nurishment.

I do not take offense to it, but with such a perverse society today it might get a few men stirred up.

[ahacker]

Nope, not offended at all. I too receive this magazine and was excited when I saw the cover. There are too many people that get worked up over a woman bf her child. It is natural and there is nothing wrong with it. I say "HOORAH" to BabyTalk for having the guts to put it out there!

Amy

[wantingbabynumber2]

I can not believe that people get offended more by breastfeeding than by a half naked woman hanging all over a motorcycle. Women really don't get alot of support to breastfeed. This is the perfect example that this is somehow offensive. Why would a woman want to pull out her boob to feed her child if she felt like it was wrong. I breastfed my daughter for about 9-10 months and I usually went to the restroom and fed her but if we were dining out I would pick a booth in the corner and cover with a blanket no one ever had any idea what I was doing. I think some women are a little to showy when they feed. We were at the mall and this woman who was well blessed literally had her kid laying in her lap boob fully opened shirt for all the world to see it. She sat there and wiped it and snapped her bra. That offended me a little that is more than we need to see at a mall. Not like it was a quick flash it was like 5 min of her boob hanging out.

[Kitty]

Before I had Anastasia, and even a little afterwards, I would have been offended. I swore up and down that a woman should never show her boobs in public. But somehow I've changed, and it doesn't bother me any more.

[Kitty]

That is to say, I don't bare it all in public, and I try to cover myself up in church. But at the daycare at lunch time, I whip it out for anyone to see. I mean, the caregivers are all women.

[cvalentine]

I was not offended by it at all. That's what they're there for! If you can see dozens of other magazines with women on the cover only covering their nipples with pretty much a piece of dental floss, why would that picture be found offensive while the other be accepted by our society so easily? Plus I think people just have too much time on their hands to be worrying about seeing something like this and taking the time to actually take a stand against it. It's a boob. And a baby eating from a boob. One of the most natural things there are. I'm not even a bf-ing mom (I pump and bottle feed due to Emma starting out in the NICU) but it doesn't offend me to see that. I wouldn't do it just because I'm a bit too modest, and that's my choice, but for the women who do, more power to ya!

[Terra]

I got the magazines too. Hubby was really surprised to see that and wasn't a big fan of it. I'm not offended by it, but I think it's a too much of a close up if you know what I mean. There is nothing wrong with the picture, but for a magazine cover I think it shouldn't be so close to the boob. I understand their point, but the boob takes over more of the cover than the baby. For our culture, maybe a more subtle pic of bfing would have been better. I don't want any ugly pm's either. I think breast feeding is great if it's for you. Wasn't my thing, but maybe the next baby will be different. But whoever said our society is too immature for this is right. When I got my magazine it actually had a cover of the picture, but I think it's because that was my last issue or something. Anyway bfing is as natural a thing as anything else. And women should feel free to feed their babies anytime and anywhere. But to me discretion is the key.

[wantingbabynumber2]

I asked some of my friends and no one was offended except one and her main reasoning was because it would make her daughter ask too many questions. My daughter is 3 and is 3 months younger than her daughter and she knows some kids eat milk from a boob and some eat from a bottle. She also saw a baby story and said look mommy that lady is pushing a baby out her pee pee. I mean I am more concerned about the sanitary napkin ad showing a full page size of the pad and the erectile dysfunction tv commercials. But that is ok but a breastfeeding baby is some type of horrible freak of nature. The article wants to know why women don't breastfeed longer because they get no support and its a hush hush subject. Its not like I am going to hide in the bedroom from my 3 year old when the new baby comes and needs to eat. I will be matter of fact this is how he/she eats and tell her she did it that way too. My sister's little boy was 5 and in Kindergarten he went to the restroom and had an issue getting himself back into his undies so he walked down the hall to the classroom crying and told the teacher he was having a problem with his penis. Well there were like 5 parents that called the teacher to find out where their kid learned that work and were horrified that word was used in a catholic school. We call things by their correct name with the exception she does use pee pee instead of vagina. But knows that name too. I was shocked with the number of families that were upset.

[Leanna]

I've tried the "discrete" nursing thing, and it doesn't work for me. It's not so bad when the babies are newborns but at Jack's age, he will not keep a cover on. He wants to see what's going on, just like all 5 month olds. Also, it's hot this time of year, so it's just not comfortable to have a blanket on. I feel that anywhere that it's ok to bottle feed is also ok to breastfeed, period. Jack's head is covering me 99.9% of the time, so really someone would have to try pretty hard to get a peek of anything else. Anyone who's offended by that shouldn't be staring at me. :)

[corinna]

Gimme a break! All you can see is some skin! You can't even see anything! The women who complained about this "offensiveness" need to get a grip on reality and spend some more time outdoors!... I wonder what their thoughts would be if they were sent a Victoria Secret magazine??? How about some of just the commercials on television!? Our world has everything so backwards it's sickining!!! I brought my daughter to the mall the other day and you should of seen the models in the front window of the Victoria Secrets store!!! :shock: :shock: :shock: I can't even imagine walking Aiden in front of that at that age and trying to explain that to him!!!! Every time we walked by it Gavynne asked questions about why they were dressed that way or commented on the bra or underwear or asked what "those things around their thighs were"....
She's never inquired about a breastfeeding mom...even before I had Aiden...not that it wouldn't be normal not to but that must be saying something! Our poor daughters are having such mixed messages shouted at them it's really sad :x I imagine that the women who were offended about their husbands seeing this kind of skin MUST be really insecure about their own skin....or from the "old generation" when breastfeeding in public etc. wwas taboo. Either way...get a grip huh? :lol:

[kirsten]

I think the cover is just fantastic!

I'm in a similar boat to Leanna - Hank will not have his head covered and won't tolerate "discrete" breast-feeding. I agree with her that anywhere it is acceptable to bottle-feed it should also be acceptable to breast-feed (although I am not always personally this brave!)

I also think Corinna makes an excellent point about Victoria's Secret and the ways in which it is acceptable to shows breasts - not "natural." This says a lot about us as a society - we don't mind breasts on display as long as it's sexual, rather than being used in the way they are meant to be.

Anyway, none of it bothers me.
I am pro breast-feeding all the way, and agree that our society needs to be more supportive of it.

Here is a link to a photo of baby-Hank nursing - I think I'm showing less flesh than the V.S. models :wink:

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y265/KikiV/7367e3d7.jpg

[wantingbabynumber2]

I don't know Kirsten I think I am offended J/K :lol: I think I can see a little areola shame shame. But seriously very cute pic like he's saying why are you interupting my dinner??? Paparazzi already.

[lisamarie]

IM BLIND! IM BLIND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Curiousity killed the cat....!!!!!!!!! I had to look. LOL! IM BLIND!

Just kiddin Kirsten! That kid of yours is damn cute..yes indeed!

[corinna]

You go kristen!! :D That picture looks like it could be captioned, "Do you mind?" :lol:

[kirsten]

Well looks like it's not just Baby-talk magazine, look at what was in Vogue this month!!!!

http://s2.supload.com/image.php?get=angelal_vogueus08062.jpg

[Leanna]

Kirsten- That's interesting that the baby nursing is almost just a photo prop. Atleast we know someone in that family is eating!

[lisamarie]

no joke..the kid was bigger than her. :?

[corinna]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

[Leanna]

Ok Kirsten you totally inspired me! Anyone offended by non-discrete nursing, don't click this link please:

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y277/LeannaLeanna/nursing_pair.jpg

[Leslie]

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: Leanna

[karenh]

Let me ask you all this, who gets offended by the african tribs in National Geographics where the women walk around topless letting it all hang out. Its in the magazines, not looked at as pron, we all know its thier way of life, and most people I know try not to look out of respect to the culture. Are the same women offended by the cover of the magazine offended by African tribe way of life and NG having pics in the mag?

[esarah]

Leanna- You are too funny!!!!

I just don't understand why pictures of such a natural thing hae to be blown so out of proportion...

[kirsten]

Leanna - seriously - I almost peed myself!

[lisamarie]

LMAO! Leanna! :lol: How did you get a pic of me feedin Porkchop?????????

[wantingbabynumber2]

Okay I looked at the vogue at and while I am not offended it kinda creeps me out. 1) doesn't that kid look really old like 2-3? 2) doesn't really look like the kid is nursing but just handed the model some kid that was asleep and took a picture. which is pretty creepy. Couldn't they find a real mom and baby for the photo shoot? Also not really sure why a fashion magazine would show a nursing mom. Weird.

[kirsten]

I read somewhere that that is the model's son and she does breast-feed him in real life. Can't remember where, but I'll look for it and confirm or deny.

[kirsten]

Yup - Supermodel Angela Lindvall nursing her 14 mos. old son.

http://www.bloggingbaby.com/2006/07/31/model-breastfeeding-in-vogue-magazine/

[wantingbabynumber2]

wow thanks. but was I the only one that thought it looked wierd? 14 months he is a big baby! Hooray for her for keeping up with it for that long.

[lisamarie]

he looks huge because she is the size of a 14 mth old. hehe

[Leanna]

Ok, I just don't see how she can lactate with 0% body fat!!

I do think the picture seemed odd, because it was definitely “posed” and not what I think of as a natural moment between breastfeeding mother and child. As for the child’s age, I think our reactions bring up another hurdle that breastfeeding moms face. We don’t find as much negativity about nursing newborns anymore, but when we nurse our babies over a year (which is still what nature intended and widely accepted elsewhere in the world) the weird looks and judgment really start to come out. I’m not trying to single anyone out… it’s pretty much normal in our culture to be a little uncomfortable seeing a woman nurse an older baby. We even like to give it a special name, like “extended nursing.” Of course that name implies that the mother is nursing above and beyond what is called for, when in reality it’s other women who wean early, for whatever reason. Just a little bass ackwards! At any rate, I think it’s neat to see a picture like that in a mainstream magazine. After reading that that issue focuses on models and aging and motherhood, it doesn’t seem quite as random to have that photo in there.

Well, my little boob man is calling from the other room. Breakfast time!

[Terra]

If I were to be offended, it would be more from that Vogue cover! That is definitely posed--and I can see nip there! No way he looks 14 months.
Seriously though, no one says anything about the topless women in africa. If I lived there, I wouldn't wear a shirt either!
I thought Kirsten's pic was great. Way to be proud! That is just a pic of a baby eating. I don't think it matters how, just as long as someone is feeding the baby :D I think if bfing is working out well that you should do until the child is ready to wean. Society needs to get over themselves. Even though I don't bf, I wouldn't care if you sat right next to me and did. The 1st time that happened to me, it was a little uncomfortable for me (just wasn't expecting it) but after that it didn't matter.

Thanks for posting this Leslie. It's always good to get some healthy debating going on. I love to hear other people's POV and their thoughts/opinions on things. Everyone on here is respectful so I hope all ladies here feel free to post how they really feel. No need to get mad at anyone because of something they believe in. Go us :)

[jennings111]

i think things should be that simple a mother feeding a child. there are much worse things to worry about.

[fdgarrett]

I'm not offended by it, really I would think the women getting these magazines wouldn't be the ones to be offended.

My aunt thinks breastfeeding photos are the equivilent to photos of fat guys in rib-eatin' contests and just doesn't find it to be an endearing or attractive sight to see.

My best friend says that while she gets that breastfeeding is perfectly natural, so is pooping. And she doesn't want to see babies pooping on the cover of a magazine either.

I'd just assume not make a big deal out of this picture. It could have been a whole less tasteful. Could have been a veiny boob. Or a slobbery boob. Oh man, could've been a hairy boob. Seriously, the picture was not all National Geographic about it, so let it go.

I don't have an opinion on breastfeeding one way or the other at this point, so perhaps that is why I don't have any reaction to the photo. But when my 8-year old stepson's gaming magazine came today and there were two photos of big, busty, porno looking anime chics on the cover, I didn't go writing a letter to the magazine.

Context. You might see that kinda thing in a gaming magazine. You might see a boob in a baby magazine.

[karenh]

Seriously though, no one says anything about the topless women in africa. If I lived there, I wouldn't wear a shirt either!
:)

OK I would but only for fear of sunburn :oops: :shock:

[Terra]

LOL Karen--ok so maybe get a base tan first.

So I did see a mag. cover the other day in the airport that I didn't care to see. And that was Brittany Spears posing naked and pregnant on a cover. Wasn't offended by it, just a little odd for me. But really if I could look that good pregnant and naked (and not touched up by the editors) maybe I could be on a cover too LMAO. ok j/k but just as most people have already said, it can be much worse.

[karenh]

Now the Brittany thing is all for money, scandal, and not the beauty of it and thats wrong, its becasue of women like her that make it taboo to nurse, she does it for the sex value and women nursing on a parenting magazine are criticised.

[Terra]

Exactly! And to think I liked her when she first came out. But she's definitely changed from the Mickey Mouse Club!

[serendipity]

The cover did not offend me, BF'ing is a natural beautiful thing!!!

[wantingbabynumber2]

I used to like Britney too but now she is just such an idiot like she had a labotomy! And if you know people are watching you so closely like why not be dressed and not carry your kid on your lap yada yada thats a whole other r u offended?!

[BeccaRaelyn]

I have not yet had the joy of breastfeeding a child, yet I dont find it to be offensive at all. I am the oldest of 7 (4 are from my mom) and my mom and her sister in law got preg a year after eachother for 4 years, resulting in about 5 years of holidays of breastfeeding women lol. I think that really desensitized me to it, and not in a bad way. I don't see breastfeeding as something that should be seen as offensive. In fact we have seen how much more healthy it is for children, my step brother has a whole stream of issues from asthma to allergies to stunted growth, and he was not breastfed. Yet my sister who was born one month premature was breastfed and turned out to have relatively little health problems in the long run. My mom and aunt never were really "showy" about it, if there were men in the house they had a blanket covering, but they never left the room. It was always just accepted as that was what was needed. Also that pic was tasteful, it was just showing skin, showing the connection that lasts between a mother and her child long after birth.


As far as the Britney pic, I find that offensive, because while I think there is a time and place for nakedness to be art, that was not art. She was not showing her body to be artistic or beautiful she was showing it in a suggestive manner. I agree with everyone who is saying that it is things like that that are making it difficult to see breasts as what they are, a God given thing of nutrition for our babies. I also don't like the pic because Britney is one of the many celebrities that are making pregnancy trendy. The problem with pregnancy being trendy is who is going to follow that trend. I just dont feel comfortable with the fact that so many people end up having babies because they think its "cool" then the poor kids get neglected because their moms never thought about the fact that they have a child to take care of after a pregnancy.

Sorry for ranting...lol... just had to say it.... anyways, KUDOS TO THE BF MOMS!