http://moms.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/05/30/11955844-military-mom-proud-of-breast-feeding-in-uniform-despite-criticism?lite


Seriously, it's disrespectful to your uniform to wear it while you nurse your babies? Why? These women are relying on the oldest, most natural way to feed their babies, in or out of uniform how is that an issue?

Hell, I didn't even know that women in the military could be allowed to have babies while on duty!!!! How does that even work????

Beats me. Now, the thing that pisses me off is the people that say 'if you've ever worn a uniform or taken pride in wearing one you wouldn't do this'; I have no problem with women in the military who nurse their babies while in uniform, what I DO have a problem with is men in the military who rape women, including their fellow officers, and then get away with it BECAUSE they wear a uniform. THAT is disrespectful to the uniform and everything it stands for, naturally feeding your babies is not.

Look at the twins on each nipple. Hilarious. In any case....I have no problems with breastfeeding....but sometimes, people do go too far to make a statement. I mean damn, is it really necessary to breastfeed in uniform? This is much ado about nothing though. Truth be told, this could be used as a reason why people don't respect women in the military.

When your babies hungry, your babies hungry.

Supernova wrote:

http://moms.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/05/30/11955844-military-mom-proud-of-breast-feeding-in-uniform-despite-criticism?lite


Seriously, it's disrespectful to your uniform to wear it while you nurse your babies? Why? These women are relying on the oldest, most natural way to feed their babies, in or out of uniform how is that an issue?

Sorry, but I'm going to have to chime in here given my unique perspective. I honestly feel that women should not be breast feeding while in uniform because that does not present a professional appearance. A military uniform is supposed to be worn in a specific way (outlined by uniform guidelines) and always present a professional appearance. Breast feeding in uniform requires you to A) wear the uniform incorrectly, and B) perform an activity that does not reflect pride in your service or respect for the uniform. Why a woman would be breast feeding in uniform at all is beyond me. That is the type of activity that one does off duty and at home. Not while walking around the base in uniform. Your uniform is supposed to be worn while on-duty or in transit (to/from work). It's not something you wear off duty in the performance of household activities or personal business. That's what civilian clothes are for! If she absolutely needs to breast feed her infant, then she should change clothes into something more appropriate first.

captainbryce wrote:

Sorry, but I'm going to have to chime in here given my unique perspective. I honestly feel that women should not be breast feeding while in uniform because that does not present a professional appearance. A military uniform is supposed to be worn in a specific way (outlined by uniform guidelines) and always present a professional appearance. Breast feeding in uniform requires you to A) wear the uniform incorrectly, and B) perform an activity that does not reflect pride in your service or respect for the uniform. Why a woman would be breast feeding in uniform at all is beyond me. That is the type of activity that one does off duty and at home. Not while walking around the base in uniform. Your uniform is supposed to be worn while on-duty or in transit (to/from work). It's not something you wear off duty in the performance of household activities or personal business. That's what civilian clothes are for! If she absolutely needs to breast feed her infant, then she should change clothes into something more appropriate first.

Spoken like somebody who never had to nurse a baby.

Supernova wrote:

Spoken like somebody who never had to nurse a baby.

You're right, I've never had to nurse a baby, but I don't see how that is relevant. I've known DOZENS of female service-members who have babies while on duty and never found it necessary to breast feed in uniform. If they could all get by without doing that, then that activity is obviously not a necessity! Again, breast feeding is something that is done either at home, or (if it must be done out in public) in civilian clothes. That's not really that difficult of a task. Under what circumstances a mother would absolutely need to breast feed before changing out of her uniform, I can't possibly imagine! Can you?

OMG... I agree with bryce here! write the date down!! LOL

while in uniform, the soldier represents strength and a readiness to protect. I honestly do not understand why these women would WANT to give the men a chance to belittle them or put them down in any way. Women have come a long way in the military, but there is still a stigma that they are not as tough or strong as men (which most arent---but when a woman has to prove her worthiness to wear the uniform on a daily basis, should she really pull the "breastfeeding" card????).

I remember once when my brother was sick, my mother told her boss that she had to leave--- she was told, "If you want to be a mother stay home--- if you decide you want to be a United States Postal Employee, then i suggest you stay!"

I'm not even sure if i agree with women in the military having kids. There will be long deployments away, problems finding childcare when a deployment is ordered, and if God forbid the mother dies in combat (yeah, out women are deployed to war zones--- not in infantry but in other capacities).. then the child suffers. So really, I personally think that the whole "breastfeeding" issue is immature, chest thumping when there are other issues-- such as the selfishness of a military women having a child. YEAH I SAID THAT. If you make a commitment to your country and the military, then you can wait until that commitment is fulfilled before having children.

captainbryce wrote:

You're right, I've never had to nurse a baby, but I don't see how that is relevant. I've known DOZENS of female service-members who have babies while on duty and never found it necessary to breast feed in uniform. If they could all get by without doing that, then that activity is obviously not a necessity! Again, breast feeding is something that is done either at home, or (if it must be done out in public) in civilian clothes. That's not really that difficult of a task. Under what circumstances a mother would absolutely need to breast feed before changing out of her uniform, I can't possibly imagine! Can you?

Personally, no I can't imagine because I never had a baby and I never nursed, but among the flood of responses to this article are a lot of women who have and do who have given several reasons why for all the suggestions the non-nursing world has about what's convenient and appropriate for nursing, are in fact not convenient for either the mother or the baby. If somebody's going to know what they're talking about on this subject it's going to be them.


Now, since people think nursing in uniform is as disgusting and disrespectful as urinating in uniform or something of that sort, would a military mother OR father for that matter, burping a baby and having to sport a spit up rag over their uniform be any more dignified in doing that than a mother nursing, or would it be more appropriate to just let the baby throw up ON the uniform? Or to just let somebody else entirely do it instead of the child's own parent? It seems any way you look at it, it would just be easier if people in the military didn't have kids at all, but as it stands they do and will, and everybody's got to figure out how that can happen with as few obstacles as possible to help both the parents and their children.

You are missing the point. When in uniform you are on duty as a US military soldier--- ON DUTY, as in ON THE CLOCK. Would a woman working at walmart have her child in the store with her so she could breast feed her kid? What corporation allows children on the work room floor? and on the workroom floor to breast feed???

THIS is the issue. The uniform itself represents duty to the country--- if u are breast feeding, burping, or otherwise getting thrown up on, then you are STEALING time from the govt/military by performing NON work duties on WORK time.

Or should Walmart, JCPenney, FORD, Bank of AMerica, etc pay their employees to breast feed???

wants2laugh wrote:

You are missing the point. When in uniform you are on duty as a US military soldier--- ON DUTY, as in ON THE CLOCK. Would a woman working at walmart have her child in the store with her so she could breast feed her kid? What corporation allows children on the work room floor? and on the workroom floor to breast feed???

THIS is the issue. The uniform itself represents duty to the country--- if u are breast feeding, burping, or otherwise getting thrown up on, then you are STEALING time from the govt/military by performing NON work duties on WORK time.

Or should Walmart, JCPenney, FORD, Bank of AMerica, etc pay their employees to breast feed???

Boy, not at my job! City Hall provides a 'nursing room' for that purpose, but it HAS to be done during breaks.

Bluesmama wrote:

Boy, not at my job! City Hall provides a 'nursing room' for that purpose, but it HAS to be done during breaks.

do they have a nursery at city hall? how are they babies there?

wants2laugh wrote:

do they have a nursery at city hall? how are they babies there?

No. I said it wrong. What they have is a room for nursing moms to pump their milk during the day. No babies there.

OHHHH... well some places do have nurseries... but even those, i doubt, would pay for people to nurse.

captainbryce wrote:

Sorry, but I'm going to have to chime in here given my unique perspective. I honestly feel that women should not be breast feeding while in uniform because that does not present a professional appearance. A military uniform is supposed to be worn in a specific way (outlined by uniform guidelines) and always present a professional appearance. Breast feeding in uniform requires you to A) wear the uniform incorrectly, and B) perform an activity that does not reflect pride in your service or respect for the uniform. Why a woman would be breast feeding in uniform at all is beyond me. That is the type of activity that one does off duty and at home. Not while walking around the base in uniform. Your uniform is supposed to be worn while on-duty or in transit (to/from work). It's not something you wear off duty in the performance of household activities or personal business. That's what civilian clothes are for! If she absolutely needs to breast feed her infant, then she should change clothes into something more appropriate first.

I was hoping you would post on this because I was wondering if this would be considered "out of uniform". My husband was in years ago & I wasn't sure if things had changed since then.

While I don't agree with breastfeeding in public by anyone, regardless of what clothes/uniform they're wearing because as "natural" as it is, it's not socially acceptable in my book, I also think that there have been plenty of other instances throughout history where the military uniform has been "disrespected", for various reasons/actions by people in uniform.

Breastfeeding seems like a far less heinous crime than such things as fragging your own commanding officer during Vietnam, or that soldier of late, who went on a rampage and killed a bunch of people over in Afghanistan or whereever he was, or the military sort of looking the other way with the recent sex scandal regarding the government officials/CIA, etc., etc., etc.--many more examples, I'm sure. . . .

Hyacinth Girl wrote:

While I don't agree with breastfeeding in public by anyone, regardless of what clothes/uniform they're wearing because as "natural" as it is, it's not socially acceptable in my book, I also think that there have been plenty of other instances throughout history where the military uniform has been "disrespected", for various reasons/actions by people in uniform.

Breastfeeding seems like a far less heinous crime than such things as fragging your own commanding officer during Vietnam, or that soldier of late, who went on a rampage and killed a bunch of people over in Afghanistan or whereever he was, or the military sort of looking the other way with the recent sex scandal regarding the government officials/CIA, etc., etc., etc.--many more examples, I'm sure. . . .

Exactly and nobody ever brings that up when they talk about what's disrespectful to the uniform, but of the choices, nursing is certainly the far lesser evil.

No one said it was disrespectful.....its not PROFESSIONAL.

Nystyle709 wrote:

No one said it was disrespectful.....its not PROFESSIONAL.

Disrespectful and professional sort of go hand in hand, when referring to "The Uniform" or any job where you have to portray a certain persona, uphold a certain standard, etc. It's disrespecting the profession.

Hyacinth Girl wrote:

Disrespectful and professional sort of go hand in hand, when referring to "The Uniform" or any job where you have to portray a certain persona, uphold a certain standard, etc. It's disrespecting the profession.

Not quite. Its not "disrespectful" to talk on a cell phone, but people in uniform aren't allowed to do it because it doesn't look professional. It's not " disrespectful" to gamble but uniformed people aren't allowed to do it because it not professional. its not disrespectful to perform any perfectly legal task.....but it is unprofessional to do so for some. Would you want your doctor eating a big sloppy chilli dog while talking to you during a visit? Same concept.

another thing that no one brought up is that soldiers have to keep their uniform in a certain state. They are not permitted to wrinkle it, usually have them dry cleaned to assure sharp creases, and go thru inspections at formation to ensure that their uniform is free of any irregularities. The women in this pic ARE disrespecting the uniform by crumpling it up in order to breast feed! THAT is disrespectful. uniforms are a sign of honor, and are often treated with as much respect as the flag. My bf wont even post of pic of him in uniform online... AND my nephew's company was told by his CO NEVER to post anything online in uniform--- because the military does not want ANY personnel to be seen doing something disrespectful, questionable, or offensive to ANYONE. They are not permitted to even post pics of themselves partying or holding beers if their facebook page lists them as military! So WHY THE HELL do these women think it is okay to flash a breast??? if i flashed my breast in public, not only would there be a traffic accident, but i would get arrested!

i just really hate public breast feeding.

Nystyle709 wrote:

Not quite. Its not "disrespectful" to talk on a cell phone, but people in uniform aren't allowed to do it because it doesn't look professional. It's not " disrespectful" to gamble but uniformed people aren't allowed to do it because it not professional. its not disrespectful to perform any perfectly legal task.....but it is unprofessional to do so for some. Would you want your doctor eating a big sloppy chilli dog while talking to you during a visit? Same concept.

I'll have to tell my gynecologist to go for the sloppy joes instead of the ham roll-ups, he usually munches on while chatting in his office after my exam---the ham looks way too crotch-like, and the chili dogs may be less-unprofessional looking than the ham. . .

disrespectful is letting the kid scream with hunger . For babies who can't say "Hey ma I'm hungry", hunger is a physical pain. It is never wrong to feed a hungry baby.....ever!