AIBU to be uncomfortable about this kind of breastfeeding picture posted on social media?

[Swoonforpeterbishop]

I’m not going to post the actual picture as then I’d just be getting more people to look at it but a small time influencer has posted a picture of her and her baby breastfeeding, both very clearly naked, in order to advertise some breast milk jewellery.
You can barely see the jewellery but can clearly see mum and child are naked - very flattering shot of the mother and a lovely caption about how precious breastfeeding and how the jewellery is the perfect memento.

I am perfectly prepared to be told I am being completely unreasonable but I feel uncomfortable about the picture. The child has no say over this - anyone can now view this picture of them both naked. It’s going out to thousands of random followers.

I breastfed my child, am pro normalising breastfeeding but feel like I’m this context this picture isn’t about the breastfeeding at all despite the caption.

I also feel really uncomfortable about using a picture of the child in that state to advertise the jewellery?

Maybe I’m old and out of touch and I know, I know, I should mind my business but I don’t follow her it popped up as a sponsored post on my feed and it’s bothered me.

Can you just post the photo please?

Still trying to get my head around the practicalities of breastfeeding a nappyless child. That seems a very bad idea to me indeed!

Maybe it started off with a dressed mother and naked child and she had to take all her clothes off because the baby weed and pooed everywhere!

2 seconds via Google en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breast_milk_jewelry

I’m not objecting to breastfeeding at all I’m asking why they need to be naked in a breastfeeding picture.

Well as none of us have seen the picture we can really comment.

Mind your business?

Can’t comment

There are plenty of adverts for things like nappies with naked babies ( with naked bottoms) everywhere. Are they wrong too? Or is it because the woman is breastfeeding that you are objecting?

It would be incredibly weird to post up a non-breastfeeding naked photo of your and your child, no matter how 'tasteful' - so the fact she's breastfeeding is supposed to make it more acceptable?

It's definitely a bit weird (and I did breastfeed too)

@Frogartist

There are plenty of adverts for things like nappies with naked babies ( with naked bottoms) everywhere. Are they wrong too? Or is it because the woman is breastfeeding that you are objecting?

actually thats a very good point!

I’m fine about the naked breastfeeding but the jewellery made out of breast milk bit is making me feel really uncomfortable 😂

Actually from the way you worded your post I doubt there are actually any bits on display and the nudity is more implied , which rightly or wrongly is not as uncommon as you think.

@Frogartist we don’t know the names of those babies in the adverts. Where they live, what classes they go to etc this is all tagged on this grid with countless identifying photos. I don’t think this is the same at all. I’ve mentioned multiple times I have no issue with breastfeeding and breastfed my own child

@Poorlykitten

I’m fine about the naked breastfeeding but the jewellery made out of breast milk bit is making me feel really uncomfortable 😂

I think it sounds amazing! I would have loved a momento of that special time!

I find it hard to get worked up about this. Naked babies (and adults) have been portrayed in art for hundreds of years. Should we be complaining about Raphael, Rembrandt et al invading the privacy of their sitters? There is no inherent shame or harm in being naked.

Someone post the ducking picture 😀

I agree although I think the breastfeeding part is mostly irrelevant. I stopped putting pics of my young children online years ago because, like you say, they have no say in it.

So the objection is having a nude child in the picture who is not able to concent to it? This is a valid concern. I guess it comes down to what extend should parents be allowed to make decisions for their kids regarding non-essential things in their life.

I think I wouldn't like it either. It seems a bit too much like sticking a lady in a bikini on a car to sell it. By all means show a breast-feeding mother to sell the jewellery (though I am kind of skeptical of a lot of the memento stuff that is sold,) but the nudity seems like it's about sexualising it - not to the baby but to the viewer.

And I agree, said baby may not be keen on a naked photo with naked mum on the internet in later years.

It reminds me of a friend of mine who had a baby photo shoot done with her and her husband, all in their underwear. They were well done and quite intimate, fine, but she sent them out to friends and family, and it was just awkward.

OP:There's a picture I'm offended by

Where? What's the link?

OP:Oh no! You can't see it.

Great!

I think it's lovely to try and normalise skin-to-skin contact. It's known for increasing oxytocin levels which help with breastfeeding. So really, it's quite apt for breastfeeding jewellery as it's something to commemorate your pride in succeeding.

Dear god. Do they make jewellery from the first poo for your nappy changing journey?

What on earth is breast milk jewellery??? Please don't tell me it is made out of hardened/crystallised breast milk. Yeuch. Almost as yeuch as having jewellery made out of cremated loved ones. Where will it all end, I wonder - baby's first poo?

I haven't seen the picture but imagine the baby might have something to say about it if he or she finds out when older. Not least because they won't want others looking at their mum in her birthday suit.

Original aibu aside, I don’t think the OP is at fault for not feeling obliged to share the image. I completely understand her reasons for choosing not to and I don’t think the lack of specific image invalidates the aibu. She describes it well, There are images like this all over Instagram, I can mentally envisage exactly what she’s on about.

I could imagine it too, ViviPru.

From the way you are describing this, this is not full-on, frontal nudity with genitalia exposed to the world. You can see as much on many television shows, a side of a breast, a bare body without any "bits" visible. And if the mother is comfortable with the photograph, I doubt that this will come back to bite the child in the future.