Here is my plea and reply to Facebook: I am assuming my account was disabled due to breastfeeding photos. I have not received a warning and I did not believe they were in violation, since the "nipple" was not showing. On my stats report 98% of my audience is women, with the exception of a few professionals in the pediatric and OB world, and these photos were not intended to violate a policy, but encourage a community to provide healthy, nutritious food. Please be specific as to what you do not want me to post. I did have someone say FB would probably take the photo down, but I did not think it was policy to remove an account. I need access so I can cancel my Facebook ads for the courses I am advertising and collect my emails. If you decide to close my account, it would be more professional to allow me to explain to my fan base another method to reach me. Please advise and please be specific as to what you do and do not allow. I know this has been a controversial topic for Facebook and I have seen the media coverage. I am not posting pornography-- and to insinuate as much is very offensive to me. I would be happy to share more about my stand on lactation if you would like to explore this topic. Thank you for your understanding. Christy Jo, IBCLC, CD(DONA). Also, as you may notice I am an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and Certified Birth Doula, so my page will reflect these two professions. I am NOT a person posting images to an audience that does not appreciate the mother/child bond.
The photo that caused the world to stop and for me to be banned is posted here...and this one will not be removed because the author and contributor fully supports this photo.
My caption read something to the effect that although yesterday was the first day of spring, I captured the best spring photo of the year at the Pass Area Breastfeeding Cafe...
Stay tuned. I will keep you all informed. Nothing would please the formula companies more than to "divide and conquer"...
In the meantime, I can still be reached at mommymilk@msn.com, and from my website www.birthingandbreastfeeding.com.
I feel like every mother who has been told to cover up, hide or leave while breastfeeding--this has to stop!
this is nuts. i like facebook for so many reasons, but this is certainly one thing that makes me angry and want to boycott.
ReplyDeleteit makes no sense. there are so many pictures posted of skimpy bikinis, guns, drunkenness, you name it, but a beautiful photo of a breastfeeding mama and babe causesthe disabling of an account? ridiculous!
i hope that they reconsider after reading your thoughtful letter. good luck and i'll have to keep up with you elsewhere!
thank you for all that you do and all the information you share!
I agree they went to far. They didn't even take the time to talk to you! Unreal! I think this could call for a nurse-in at the Fbook headquarters! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, for all the support...the sad thing is that the real victims are the moms who feel threatened, harassed and censored when they just want to feed their children. I hope the pages get reinstated, they only exist to educate and support our moms and families.
ReplyDeleteI am heartbroken by Facebooks censorship choices. We all strive to promote the health and well-being of mothers and babies by normalizing breastfeeding. Working with teens and at-risk women they NEED to see that this is normal and happening everywhere. The women I help live in communities where they go to centers and Doctors with ads for Formula and are told it is a great choice for babies. They do not have encouragement or education about breastfeeding. What they see is normal are billboards on the side of the road for strip clubs, gothic half naked women on billboards for medical marijuana and other signs telling them that too can have plastic surgery or gastric bypass to be accepted. These same 3 are ok and safe on facebook and hundreds of photos and videos are shared of completely inappropriate behavior... even hate crimes and guns etc are ok on facebook. What a disgrace to future generations. Christy Jo you are such an amazing wealth of knowledge and information and give so much love, compassion and support to your community to better the future of maternal and infant health. Do not stop this fight, I know I won't. This will be normal and formula will be a thing of the past. I refuse to allow ANYONE to RECALL BREASTFEEDING! I certainly hope they re-evaluate what they see as inappropriate and acceptable soon. Ugh... (including the fact that I hope they soon accept photos of normal, beautiful and miraculous birth). <3
ReplyDeleteIt seems that Facebook is on a witch hunt. Breastfeeding photos are under attack and censored daily now..
ReplyDeleteI stand in solidarity with you.. I loved your picture and the flower in your hair..
The page has been reinstated!! Congratulations to you...a network and support system of loving, caring, passionate people who will not stand for injustice. I am back with a new appreciation for how it feel to be censored for breastfeeding...with me it was just a photo...not even of me...with so many moms, it is their person, judged and convicted for feeding their children...this was an eye-opener. I love and appreciate your support, now let's use this momentum and passion to support moms everywhere--after all, they were the real victims...♥ thank you from the bottom of my hear (and the top... and both sides)...
ReplyDeleteSomething similar happened to a Norwegian Facebook group for women with breast cancer posting post-op pictures. (as part of an effort to cut wait times for breast prostetics)
ReplyDeleteIt was removed without warning. They managed to get it reinstated and to have Facebook issue an apology.
This is a Norwegian article about it:
http://www.dagbladet.no/2012/01/24/kultur/sosiale_medier/facebook/yttringsfrihet/19930251/
(Google translate should fix most of the language)
Thanks for the responses...let me offer a few bits of advice that I have learned. Back up your facebook account. Download everything. I was very worried when I thought I had lost contact with over 4,500 people in one fell swoop...click to download a complete file of your photo and posts...https://www.facebook.com/help/?faq=116067818477568 Also, consider turning your personal page into a business, celebrity or public figure page in order to add administrators. This way if you personally are removed, the page will still exist. I'm sure I will have more to share as this issue continues to grow. On a positive note, I have been contacted by radio, television and print media requesting details and additional information on how facebook handled this situation--not to mention I have met many new friends and advocates.
ReplyDeletePlease share and comment on the CBS website. The reporter made a real effort to cover this story and we need to make a positive impact on the world via the media. I also told the reporter I loved that she was compiling this article, but my dream is to see the day when breastfeeding is so normal that it is no longer considered "news"
ReplyDeletehttp://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2012/03/23/facebook-backpedals-after-deleting-account-over-photo-of-breastfeeding-mother/#comments
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ReplyDeleteWow! You are off of Facebook again!!!!!! How can this be? Let CBS know!!!! I am ready to go to war with you girl!
ReplyDeleteThis is rediculous they can serve alcohol at a family restaurant put curse words on the television and radio but a woman exposing part of a breast while her baby is eating a meal is unacceptable????? Can we say rediculous!!!!!! I support mothers breast feeding and hope all the silliness comes to an end
ReplyDeleteIt is innocence and love visualized.
ReplyDeleteI am a 75 year old male and I am disgusted. The link given by Jacki M at 4:07 pm 23 Mar leads to a facebook page which sexualizes breasts. Immediately below her post is the one from Private demanding your account be deleted. What right has Private to demand that? My wife, my daughter and my two granddaughters all breast fed their children and at present one member of our church breasfeeds her two children openly during service with no complaints or negative feedback. How can people sexualize the normal and most natural method of nourishing the young? I just can't understand it. Keep up the good work of informing and helping new mothers.
ReplyDeletethis picture is beautiful. im a new mother and what i want most is to breastfeed my baby. and this picture is encuraging. my child wont latch on and its disxouraging but looking at this makes me want to try harder and not give up. its sad they view this in a negative way. the mother child bond displayed in this pictire is amazing.
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