National pride? Disgrace? Somewhere in the middle? A photo of two servicewomen breastfeeding their children while in uniform has gone viral and added a new layer to the ongoing debate over nursing in public. It’s probably safe to say the Time Magazine breastfeeding cover went over quite well with Mom2Mom, a breastfeeding support group for military mothers. In a series of tasteful professional photos showing beaming moms nursing kids, one jumps out for obvious reasons: the photo of two servicewomen below … “A lot of people are saying it’s a disgrace to the uniform. They’re comparing it to urinating and defecating [while in uniform],” says Crystal Scott, a military spouse living at Fairchild AFB outside Spokane, Wash., who started Mom2Mom in January. “It’s extremely upsetting. Defecating in public is illegal. Breastfeeding is not.” It was Scott’s idea to ask photographer Brynja Sigurdardottir to take the photos and create posters for National Breastfeeding Awareness Month in August. One of the moms photographed in uniform, Terran Echegoyen-McCabe, breastfeeds her 10-month-old twin girls on her lunch breaks during drill weekends. “I have breast-fed in our lobby, in my car, in the park … and I pump, usually in the locker room,” says the proud member of the Air National Guard.” “I’m proud to be wearing a uniform while breastfeeding. I hope [the photo] encourages other women to know they can, whether they’re active duty, guard or civilian.” She said she’s surprised by the reaction to the photos, which also feature her friend Christina Luna, because it never occurred to her it would cause a stir. “There isn’t a policy saying we can or cannot breastfeed in uniform,” Echegoyen-McCabe says. “I think we do need to be able to breastfeed in uniform and be protected.” What do you think? Should they be allowed to?
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Military Moms Breastfeeding in Uniform: National Pride or Over the Line?
