In a surprising twist, a mother’s photo of tandem breastfeeding — featuring her nursing a friend’s baby — led to Facebook suspending her account. After years of scrutiny over censoring breastfeeding images, Facebook proclaimed its support for nursing mothers. However, this support seemingly doesn’t extend to wet-nursing situations, which is what got this mom into hot water.
Rebecca Miller, the mother in question, shared her experience in a supportive online community dedicated to breastfeeding. Her story began on a Friday evening while she was busy baking a cake. A friend reached out, asking if she could help by feeding a baby whose mother was undergoing surgery. “Was there ever a question?” she quipped. The baby, who only drank breastmilk, rejected a bottle.
Rebecca, a mother of six and a veteran wet nurse, took action: “This is the 12th baby I have nursed,” she recounted. “When the baby arrived, you could tell she was hungry and exhausted and just needed some milk. I fed a stranger’s baby. I was surprised by how many people thought it was odd or unnatural. They are boobs, they’re meant to feed babies.”
However, shortly after her photo was shared, her husband revealed that Facebook had deactivated Rebecca’s account. She received a notice claiming her profile was flagged as fake, prompting her to submit numerous forms of identification including her driver’s license and even her marriage certificate. Despite these efforts, Facebook insisted that they needed further proof of her identity, leading to a total of 18 hours of account inactivity.
This scenario raises eyebrows, considering Facebook’s supposed shift toward supporting breastfeeding images. “I think this is just another way for breastfeeding women to face backlash from users who can’t report photos directly anymore,” Rebecca speculated. “I’m sure it was reported, but it didn’t break any community guidelines, which is why it was left up after my account was restored.”
Wet-nursing is still breastfeeding, no matter how taboo it may seem in our culture. If a mother is willing to help another in need, that’s commendable. Speaking of helpful resources, if you’re curious about home insemination options, check out this informative post. There are also great insights on fertility available through other sources like Make a Mom and Healthline.
In summary, Rebecca’s experience underscores the ongoing challenges breastfeeding mothers face, particularly when it comes to societal norms and social media censorship.