Health Controversy: Yikes, Breastfeeding While in Uniform is ...

Late last week, photos of two women breastfeeding their babies were released in order to help promote breastfeeding awareness for the group Mom2Mom. No big deal, right? The internet has seen pictures of women nursing their babies before. Well, these particular photos have stirred up a huge amount of controversy, because the breastfeeding women in them are not just in the Air Force--they're also fully uniformed.

While wearing their fatigues, Sgt. Terran Echegoyen McCabe and Staff Sgt. Christina Luna breastfed their babies for a professional photographer. The photos were released to more than a little outrage. Why? The military has strict codes for what servicemen and women are allowed to do (and not to do) while in uniform, including things such as eating or talking on a cell phone while walking, chewing gum, and holding hands.

But there are no codes for breastfeeding while in uniform, so McCabe and Luna didn't break any rules--even though the National Guard released a statement that the two mothers were wrong for doing it (though they probably won't be punished). As mothers, they breastfeed their babies on base whenever and wherever needed; McCabe (who is shown tandem nursing her 10-month-old twins) says it's never been a problem before now: "I'm proud to be wearing a uniform while breastfeeding. I'm proud of the photo and I hope it encourages other women to know they can breastfeed whether they're active duty, guard or civilian," she says.

Around the internet, other people--military and non-military alike--are proud of the photos, too, echoing comments like this one:

"I salute them both, as soldiers and free American mothers. I've fought for people that I do not know, in countries that have nothing in common with me, and for reasons that our politicians can not justify. Considering this fact, I'd fight to defend the rights of these two Americans every day of the week."

But despite the fact that the military actually supports nursing--lactating mothers can defer overseas deployments by 4 to 12 months, and the Air Force has regular breaks and spaces for women to breastfeed or pump while on duty--there's a large swath of people that find the photos offensive. The founder of Mom2Mom reports that some have compared them to "urinating or defecating while in uniform." Others equate breastfeeding with something sexual:

"I served my country and I am also a mother and grandmother, but I don't think women should be able to breast feed in uniform. Sometimes you just need to use good moral judgement. I think women have a hard time as it in the military. There are still men who don't believe women should be in the military and these women just throw their boobs out their in public display in military uniforms!! ... Next they will be complaining because they are getting SEXUALLY HARASSED!!!!!!"

And honestly, I can't delve too much further into some of the views on the negative side of this--that people are practically suggesting McCabe and Luna deserve to be sexually harassed for breastfeeding in public makes my blood come to a fast boil. Maybe it would be one thing if these women were being called out for simply taking photos while in uniform without military permission, but the fact that they're being called "hussies" and "attention-seeking bimbos" for breastfeeding their babies while doing so indicates that there must be bigger issues at hand. Ultimately, federal law protects women's right to breastfeed in public on federal property--doesn't that right extend to mothers on military bases?

What do you think?

More controversies:
* Should Employers Give Pregnant Employees Special Treatment?
* Should Companies Refuse to Give Jobs to Smokers?
* Airline Tells Flight Attendants to Lose Weight in Order to Cut Fuel Costs. Huh?

Photo: Thinkstock

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