Photo Of Moms Breastfeeding In Uniform Sparks Controversy

©Brynja Sigurdardottir

Three Cheers For Breastfeeding!

Weighing In On Obesity Protection

by Robyn Roche-Paull
June 06, 2012

A photograph of Air National Guard women in uniform breastfeeding their babies recently circulated the web, appearing everywhere from unknown blogs to national news sites. The photographs are part of a campaign by Mom2Mom that is designed to raise awareness of breastfeeding in the military.

In an effort to lend her support to the campaign, Robyn Roche-Paull, author of Breastfeeding In Combat Boots, posted one of the photographs (used here with permission) on her book’s Facebook page, which has over 3,000 followers (many of whom are active duty military mothers) and invited readers to share their thoughts on her personal blog regarding the photo and the issue of breastfeeding in uniform. The photos went viral over Memorial Day weekend and a nationwide outcry ensued.

We invited Roche-Paull, a U.S. Navy Veteran and IBCLC who breastfed her son for over a year while on active duty, to share her thoughts on the obstacles breastfeeding mothers in the military face and why policy change is needed now.

The controversy
Aside from the typical consternation over breastfeeding in public, the images ignited controversy over whether breastfeeding in uniform was appropriate or even allowed. Were these women violating military regulations? Disgracing and/or dishonoring the uniform? Behaving “unprofessionally”?

Some military personnel cautioned that the photographs threaten gender equality and undermine military authority. According to military spokespersons, however, the “real” problem with the photographs is whether the women were using the uniform to promote a cause. Capt. Keith Kosik, spokesman for the Washington National Guard recently explained, “The uniform was misused. That’s against regulations. I want to be very, very clear about this. Our issue is not, nor has it ever been, about breastfeeding. It has to do with honoring the uniform and making sure it’s not misused. I can’t wear my uniform to a political rally, to try to sell you something, or push an ideology. That was our point of contention.”

The U.S. Air Force has made it clear that the women involved will not be reprimanded. However, the incident will be used for educational purposes to teach other personnel about the regulations surrounding the use of uniform to promote a cause or ideology.

Whether breastfeeding can be construed as a cause is a debate for another day. One could argue that the military uses the uniform to promote numerous activities and causes and this particular cause garnered national attention because it involved a central part of the female anatomy—breasts.

The facts
The fact is there are no breastfeeding policies or uniform regulations that specifically address breastfeeding while in uniform.

According to the Department of Defense (DOD) spokeswoman Eileen Lainez, “The DOD policy on uniform doesn’t address that.” And Captain Rose Richeson, a spokeswoman for the Air Force, agreed, telling U.S. News & World Report, “We actually don’t have a policy in place that addresses breastfeeding in uniform.” However, a woman breastfeeding in uniform must unbutton, unzip and/or untuck her uniform top in order to breastfeed, actions that do violate existing uniform regulations, making this a very grey area for military mothers. How might these regulations be modified to better accommodate the needs of breastfeeding mothers in uniform and their children? Simply change the uniform and/or the uniform regulations. It would be easy enough to make a breastfeeding uniform blouse with concealed slits and/or a regulation cover-up. It would also be fairly easy to incorporate into the regulations and policies specific guidelines regarding when, where, and how nursing mothers can breastfeed in uniform.

The Department of Defense has repeatedly said in the aftermath of the release of the photographs that the military supports and encourages breastfeeding. But its actions suggest otherwise. While four of the five military services (Air Force, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and Navy) boast a breastfeeding policy, the Air Force and the Navy have the only comprehensive policy and the Army has no policy. There are a limited number of commands that offer lactation rooms (a private place where personnel can express and collect breast milk), and even fewer commands that provide breastfeeding education and support services. Existing policies are seldom enforced and women are often told by their superiors to stop breastfeeding.

The numbers
Nearly 43 percent of military women are mothers, and 22 percent of military children are less than 2 years old. Most military women are of childbearing age, making the potential population of breastfeeding women in uniform significant. Breastfeeding rates among military women continue to rise, as health care providers, in response to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) statement on breastfeeding urge women to breastfeed. Initiation rates are estimated at 65 percent, but the majority of military women discontinue breastfeeding by six weeks, at which point military moms must report to duty.

All women working outside the home face numerous challenges, but those challenges are compounded for the women in uniform who are denied the chance to breastfeed when picking up or dropping off their child at the base child care center or while waiting at the medical clinic for their well-child check ups. Why? Because they are in uniform. Given the many roadblocks, it’s no wonder women in uniform breastfeed for less than six weeks. It’s easy to see how a policy change allowing breastfeeding in uniform could make a huge difference in the breastfeeding rates of military moms.

How to support breastfeeding mothers in the military
The goal of the campaign by Mom2Mom was to use these breastfeeding images to protect, promote, and educate civilians and military about breastfeeding. Sadly, that mission was lost in the controversy.

The challenges faced by breastfeeding women in uniform underscore the need for such a breastfeeding campaign. Rather than criticizing organizations like Mom2Mom, we should be applauding their efforts. Data show that exposure to breastfeeding via pictures, articles, face-to-face interactions influences women’s intentions as well as breastfeeding success. In other words, seeing is believing.

It’s time for the Department of Defense to adopt a comprehensive breastfeeding policy that is consistent across all branches of the military and then to take an even bolder step—enforce the policy!

Breastfeeding is not only a public health issue, it is an economic issue. A comprehensive policy would increase morale, increase retention, and decrease health care costs in the military. It’s a win-win-win.

We have a responsibility as a nation to support the women in uniform who serve our country. They are giving their best to us. It’s time we helped them give their ‘breast’ to their babies.

Robyn Roche-Paull is a U.S. Navy veteran and author of Breastfeeding in Combat Boots: A Survival Guide to Successful Breastfeeding in the Military. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Maternal Child Health in 2006 and currently works as an IBCLC in a private practice helping many military women navigate the unique challenges of breastfeeding while on active duty. You can read more about her personal experiences on baby gooroo here.

Jennifer Potter-Miller

Great post on the whole point of the original fotos. And it’s good to hear that the data show “seeing is believing”, as even breastfeeding supporters often say you shouldn’t “flaunt” it with photographs that are intended to shock people. I say shock away, and hopefully the pictures will inspire a new mother!
http://www.facebook.com/people/Jason-Johnson/100003931491818 Jason Johnson

Hmmm, the military says they support breast feeding, but you say evidence suggest otherwise. Why? Because they have a particular way they’d like you to go about it. I could say they’re against me eating. Why? Because I can’t walk and eat, which might also suggest that they don’t support exercise. How many times are you going to completely ignore that part where they say you can nurse in uniform, but presenting it to the world is the problem? Squeaky wheel gets the grease you know. I see people break rules all the time too, but don’t use that as an excuse for me doing it too. That’s the difference between right and wrong that mothers should pass onto their children. I get the impression that you know full well that you’re able to nurse in uniform, but you want so much more than that, which is clear from all the stubborn refusal to bend a little to respect the uniform over your cause.

You wonder why so many people fight you on this issue? It’s because you sensationalize every part of it like the baby’s life depended on feeding him/her right now in uniform while on duty. You say it’s wonderful, beautiful and natural, so it’s OK. You say it’s a health concern. You say you aren’t going to make the baby starve. You talk about federal laws and how the military doesn’t support it because they place a limitation on how you do it? People love the uniform. They love what it stands for. They hold it in high honor and tradition. People die in it and not much is more important than that. It angers those of us who love our country and our military and the uniform for a group of moms to say that they shouldn’t have to honor that uniform like the rest of us do and always have. I don’t care who you are or what you are doing if you aren’t respecting that uniform while you do it.

How long have women fought for inclusion and equal treatment? How much will you ask for special exceptions not just because you’re a woman and not because you’re a mom and not just because you are nursing? You lead me, and so many others, to believe that wearing that uniform is an inconvenience. That doing your duty is too much to ask. You do all that while we all know that the times you have your baby and are working are extremely rare. You do that while you know full well that you absolutely can nurse while wearing that proud uniform. At some point you have to realize that service comes before self. You have to realize that the majority of military and civilian Americans want you to breast feed your baby. You also have to realize that like everyone else with every other special cause, good behavior, etc. you have to obey uniform regulations … even if you’re a mom.

What kind of a message are you sending if you blatantly ignore the real issue because of the good in what you’re doing or that it should be OK because others sometimes bend or break the rules? The message I get is that you don’t think moms should be inconvenienced in the slightest over things like military regulations or work. You lead me to believe that you want the military to pay you to be a mom. I know that’s not true, but when your alleged agenda was to encourage military moms to breast feed and we find that it’s just the tip of one ugly ice berg of screw-you demands, then I have a really hard time supporting something I believe is without a doubt. Quit the ridiculous drama, turn away from the camera or crowd and go on about your business. That would be the smart thing, but you want lights and cameras and crowds that my bet says the vast majority of military moms don’t want, let alone the rest of the military.
http://www.breastfeedingincombatboots.com/ Robyn Roche-Paull, IBCLC

Thank you for your comments Jason. However, I am not ignoring the real issue, I am speaking about the real issue. And I am speaking for the many mothers for whom this *is* an issue. The issue *is* breastfeeding in the military and requiring that the military step up and actually support mothers in doing so (including changing the regs to allow breastfeeding in uniform when needed). If you were to talk to the many women for whom this issue does affect them, I think you will find a very different answer from one you believe is out there.

No one is disrespecting the uniform and no one is asking to break the rules. They are simply asking for the right to feed their child, when needed in uniform. And to have support for breastfeeding while serving their country.
Harmonyceilings01

Wow jason……such ignorance…..do you know how supply and demand works? Kind of like this, baby is hungry, you feed them, a need is met and more supply is made……you don’t feed, then baby is hungry, the body sees no need, therefore slowing the supply being made. It is very important to feed on demand to be successful with breastfeeding. It doesn’t mean they disrespect the uniform. I didn’t even read your whole post bc it was very degrading and misinformed. You obviously have no kids, or your so didn’t breastfeed. I do thank you for the service to our country.
latte4u

It’s only an issue if women make it an issue… I am an AD military Mom, who in fact breast feed for 6 months. I was able to pump, and alternate breast milk and formula when she went to daycare, and breast feed at home just so that she would still get the “good” stuff. I was able to do so even having to be away from my child for 72 hours at a time to fulfill the mission. Even before I had to leave for 72 hours, the daycare encouraged that I come on lunch breaks to breast feed my child in the daycare room. If I need to breast feed before dropping her off or leaving, when picking her up they encouraged it. So to sit there and say there are ALL these regulations about not being able to do so in uniform is a load of crap!
Women are making a mountain out of a mole hill. Either they didn’t ask the question before hand or just assumed they could or couldn’t. Did you know that if you’re a breast feeding mom and have been tasked to deploy that you can have a Dr. permission to be replaced by someone else so that you can continue to breastfeed for an additional 6 months? As a woman of the military and a single mom, I have to take into consideration that I signed up to be a military member BEFORE I signed up to be a mom. If I didn’t ask the questions before becoming a mom, it’s nobody’s fault except my own and if it wasn’t working out for me then there’s this thing called a choice. I can choose to bring a baby into the military lifestyle, knowing that there will be times that I can’t or choose not to breast feed in public OR I can choose to get out of the military on a medical discharge. If you choose to stay in then you choose to conform to the military regulations. Its no different then working mom’s in the civilian world, they either choose to work or choose to not work…. either way at the end of the day its a choice or decision that a mother must come to.