health

It's a victory for mums over Facebook. We can now do this.

Yep, the mummy shaming is officially over.

Facebook has finally grown up and stopped acting like a 12-year-old boy.

The social network has just released its new “community standards”, which give a big thumbs-up to breastfeeding.

“We restrict some images of female breasts if they include the nipple, but we always allow photos of women actively engaged in breastfeeding or showing breasts with post-mastectomy scarring,” Facebook says.

I mean, seriously. It’s about time.

This comes after years of mums being insulted and embarrassed by having their breastfeeding photos removed from Facebook. Just recently in the UK, nurse Kaya Wright posted a photo of herself breastfeeding her son on a closed Facebook group about breastfeeding. She received a notification from Facebook saying they were reviewing the image. Dozens of other mums posted their own photos in support.

In another recent controversy, US photographer Jade Beall posted a beautiful picture of seven women breastfeeding their children. Someone noticed she had missed blurring one nipple, and the photo was reported and removed.

This issue matters. It really matters.

Any objections? Didn't think so.

Breastfeeding needs to be everywhere. On social media feeds. At restaurant tables. On buses, planes and trains. In business meetings. Our milk-filled boobs should be shoved in people's faces until they don't notice them anymore. Until it's as unremarkable for a mum to whip out her boob and breastfeed a baby is it is for her to whip out a bottle, a dummy or a rattle and use that to soothe her baby. Because that's what boobs were created for. To make babies happy. All this sexualised stuff is just secondary.

If you can only see a breast as sexual, and if you are disturbed by the sight of someone breastfeeding a baby, then you are the one with the problem.

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Women shouldn't ever be shamed for posting photos of themselves breastfeeding on Facebook. There is nothing shameful about breastfeeding. There is nothing to hide.

Still no objections? Good.

In Australia, only 15 per cent of women breastfeed exclusively for the recommended six months, and only five per cent are still breastfeeding at two years. There are heaps of reasons why, and obviously it's every woman's personal choice as to how they feed their child and for how long.

But if you're a new mum, and you're surrounded by women breastfeeding - and images of women breastfeeding - it becomes that little bit easier for you to confidently do it yourself. If you know you can go out to lunch with friends and feed your baby at the table without anyone taking a second glance, it's easier for you. If you can see exactly how other women breastfeed their babies, it's easier for you. If you can see other women breastfeeding toddlers, it's easier for you.

I love breastfeeding photos. You see women doing it standing up or standing on their heads. You see babies playing with their mum's other nipple. You see older kids feeding. You see huge boobs and small boobs. You see that beautiful calm, contented look in babies' eyes.

Is my Facebook feed now going to be full of photos of friends breastfeeding their babies? I can only hope so. Here's me, for starters.

A boob doing its job.

Facebook, you certainly took your time about it, but well done. Welcome to the world of mature adults. "Like".

What do you think about breastfeeding photos being shared on Facebook?

Want more? Try:

There's a major problem with the term "discreet" breastfeeding. It's archaic.

How this mum responded when she was shamed for breastfeeding in public is the best.