Axed by facebook.

Anti-Breastfeeding' Facebook Now Bans Pretend Boobs

Posted by Christie Haskell
http://thestir.cafemom.com

on March 22, 2011 at 11:25 AM

I'm beginning to wonder if Mark Zuckerberg and his Facebook team are offended by moms in general. Terrified of us, and our body parts. Because not only have they deleted, often against their own Terms of Service, support groups for breastfeeding, breastfeeding pictures, and pictures of pregnant women, they've gone one more ridiculous step and deleted pictures of FAKE boobs. Crochet boobs. Crochet boobs that are really hats for babies!

Yep. Facebook hates Boobie Beanie -- the best hat for your baby when you are nursing in public. Their Facebook page has been deleted, deemed as offensive. Apparently even a nipple made of yarn was too much for Zuckerberg's crew.

I guess I understand. I mean, boobs, even hats made to look like them, they're scary. Well, if you're a 12-year-old boy.

What's next? Will bottle-feeding pictures be deleted since there are also fake nipples on baby bottles? And Ameda and Medela's pages will go down too, right? Or is the issue that BEHIND the fake boobs in these Boobie Beanie pictures, REAL boobs are functioning as intended? That must be it. Just the mere IDEA of a breast lactating is terrifying to those with the maturity of Justin Bieber's fan club.

Facebook needs to rewrite their TOS to state "Photos of breastfeeding or even those that imply that your breasts might possibly be used for nourishing infants, or even things that look like they might come in contact with lactating breasts are hereby banned." At least then moms would be able to follow the TOS and understand why things were deleted.

Anyway, 23-year-old Sara Hanson of San Francisco, the creator of Boobie Beanies, has sent multiple messages to Facebook so she can reinstate her business's page, and learn what exactly caused them to shut it down. She had more than 3,000 fans and the page removal is hurting her income. So far, no response. There's a Bring Back Boobie Beanie page, though, and many people have written letters.

Facebook, you suck. I just wish you had some competition that didn't also suck.

--------------------------------------------------------------

This made me laugh this morning. I did not even know that such a thing as the "Boobie Beenie" existed but it sure is cute. Several Mums I follow on facebook have had this problem of being deleted by the facebook team because of breastfeeding pictures and photo's of pregnant woman and birth.

Its amusing to me that there seems to be no category for birth within these companies and so it is treated as though it is porn or something harmful and offensive instead of something natural. Birth and all issues surrounding it needs to be talked about, it deserves a forum and facebook is a great tool for this.

It is a lot to do with education and sharing experience. This information does not get passed down through the generations as it used to from mother to daughter....these online communities are a vital support network for these women who have pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding in common. These facebooking Mums need to be given the freedom to create forums and support networks for other Mums and not threaten being axed! After all you choose to join such a fb group right?

Graduating for the theory part of my course.

On the 12th of March I had my last theoretical day for the doula course plus a final exam. The exam went well and I passed with an 8. I am thrilled with the end result.
It was a great day wrapping up with my fellow doula students. We ended the day with a glass of wine while writing something personal on a card for another to take home. For some of the gals it had been quite an emotional journey. Not so emotional for me but quite an accomplishment just the same.
Now I need one more birth and then I am fully certified. So anyone planning on a home-birth any time soon? I'm your doula :-)

Mara

On the 11th of March 2011 Mara was born. A sweet little girl, quietly longed for daughter and sister to three big brothers. A fast birth of one and a quarter hours which was very intense for Mama but she did an amazing job. Beautiful to witness.

As a doula I did not have to "do" much, just be present and hold a hand. It was an honour and a joy to be able to be part of this with dear friends.
Thank you Myrjam for letting me share in Mara's birth. My second doula baby!

Each woman experiences pain differently.

Some people love to run. They run and it never hurts them. They start off running easily and build on that. They are focused or they are just built that way. Whatever it is, works for them. If they fall or sprain something, they see it as a part of the process. When they cross the finish line, they are overjoyed and involved and fully aware and a part of it all. Their success is a glow.

Others are afraid of running. They are going to avoid it all they can. They might get hurt, they might get cramps, it’s just too hard. They have to run a marathon and while they dread it the entire time, they do it and it hurts the entire time. There is no joy in the experience, there is only pain but deep down, they know. They did it. Anyway.

And then there is most people. Running hurts sometimes. Sometimes it doesn’t. Training can mean some ups and downs. Running can mean some shin splints, some sprains. When that marathon happens, you are somewhat prepared for it, you might even have run that race before. It doesn’t mean that you are less than the Joyful Natural runners or that you are more than those who dread and fear. You are just different. You may have days you love running, you may have days where you wish you were anywhere else and the person standing next to you could feel totally different.

I don’t think birth is going to be any different. Some people will feel no pain as others would register it, some are going to feel tons of pain, some are going to welcome it but still feel pain, others are going to dread it and feel no pain. Birth is an infinite variety and there is no defining it. All the preparation in the world cannot prepare you enough for the fact that an ever-changing, undefinable process that you are surrendering to has commandeered your body and your world. – Shannon Mitchell

This analogy fascinates me as I have two girlfriends who love to run....and I don't... or can't because of a weak back. The only thing that appeals to me about running for exercise is being outside in nature....oh and maybe the buzz it gives afterward. I have heard my girlfriends talk about hitting a wall while running and running through it. A wall being a place where you mentally and physically feel like you can't run another step. I am not sure that appeals to me. I am not sure I can or want to push myself that much when exercising.

But I do know that when I was giving birth I hit that wall many times and went through it...I knew what the prize was. I endured the pain and I actually loved the process. Expecting Mums are all so different. They all come to the birth process with different fears and anxiety. Birth is an infinite variety and there is no defining it.

I don't run but I did love giving birth. :-)

An interesting conversation

Today I had the long awaited meeting with the midwives practise in the neighbourhood. It had been postponed a few times but was worth the wait. I met with one of the midwives and had an hour long conversation about the work of a doula and how they run their practise. She was very open and interested in seeing how we could work together. I am happy with her positive reception and am really hopeful as to what this may bring.

She mentioned a few interesting things that caught my attention.

• Women these days have little understanding about how their bodies work.

• Woman think giving birth is like in the movies.. a few pushes and the baby is out. They call the midwife at any little pain they have thinking its active labour. They have little education about birth.
  

• New Mums will call the midwives emergency line, post-partum, with a problem they are having like they can't sleep or the baby has been crying for an hour.

• 98% of the births at this practise are hospital births.

• They advise first time Mums to give birth in the hospital to avoid dangerous situations. "The one birth that ends with a complication weighs more heavily than the fifty that don't."
  

My thoughts in response:
It would seem that from this conversation a doula can be a big help in the pre-birth educational information. Therefore indirectly helping the midwives.

I had thought that the post-partum doula was not needed in Holland because of the kraamverzorgsters (trained post-partum nurses that help in your home daily for the first week to care for Mum and baby) But it seems that the relationship and trust built with a doula could also be useful when there are mothering questions after the first week. We are taught in the course that its important to close the relationship after the post-partum visit. I am wondering if there IS a place for the doula to be available for mothering advice for new the Mums in the first period after the baby is born. The midwives don't have time to be woken up in the middle of the night to be asked what to do when the baby has been crying for an hour and its not their job to do so.

I am sad that the home birth which was so normal and natural in Holland is seemingly dying out, at least in the city areas. Will this turn around or are we moving away from natural birth and more toward medicalized birth and midwives that air on the safe side just in case. Its amazing to see how quickly the shift is happening and how fast people accept it as normal.

I think there is also a need for 'real authentic' birthing and parenting information on the internet in Holland/dutch. I am not a great communicator so I wonder if I can do this well. Wish I could.

My job as a doula is still morphing.

These are a few of the thoughts I will continue to ponder. I left 2 flyers with the midwife so she could show her colleagues and discuss if they want to promote me or not. We shall see :-)

Honour the uniqueness

We must deeply honour how a couple moves through the unique emotional terrain of their unique birth. @motherwitdoula.blogspot.com

Birthing house in Japan

Just been to see Genpin at the Rotterdam film festival. Inspiring film about natural childbirth in a Japanese birthing house. Dr. Yoshimura Tadashi coaches pregnant women in an emotional and physical process of preparation for birth. Squatting exercises by polishing vertical wooden beams up and down repeatedly. Chopping wood, yes with an axe, and squatting while coming down on the wood are part of the physical preparation.
It reminded me of the film karate kid when he had to polish cars to learn the movements and train his body for the fight. ...kind of the same idea!! Fascinating :-)