Emily Rodriguez, Austin, TX

February 6, 2012

Dear Facebook Management,

I am writing to express my concern over Facebook’s actions in removing
photographs and freezing the accounts of breastfeeding mothers and
babies. These users are told that they have breached Facebook’s terms of
use by posting pornographic material to the site. Breastfeeding is in no way
pornographic and has many benefits for mother and babies.

Breastfeeding gives mother and baby skin to skin contact, eye contact and
relaxing bonding time. Mothers naturally want to remember these special times
and to share them with their friends and families. These mothers use Facebook
to share all the wonderful times they have with their babies, including nursing,
which for many mothers is a favorite time.

In addition to the bonding and emotional benefits nursing gives mothers
and babies, there are so many wonderful health benefits to nursing, as well.
Breastfeeding reduces the risks of Anemia, Osterperosis and Breast, Ovarian,
Cervical, and Endometrial Cancers for nursing mothers. Breastfed children have
a lower risk for vitamin D and iron deficiencies and they get antibodies from
mother’s milk to help them avoid sickness. Breastmilk offers protection against
Meningitis, Botulism, Childhood Lymphoma, Crohn's disease and Ulcerative
Entercolits.

Breastfeeding is a hot topic for many people, but that is even more of a reason
to normalize nursing in public now. Most people will agree that nursing is a
good thing if you follow certain rules. Ex. Don’t do it in public or cover up with a
blanket. Don’t breastfeed past a certain age (or teeth, or once they can ask for
it) and these things decrease the number of children getting breastmilk. It is so
important for our children to see breastfeeding to increase the number of people
successfully breastfeeding in the next generation. If it is hidden and taboo
people won’t want to do it, but if the very influential Facebook is standing behind
breastfeeding mothers we are one giant step closer to the normalization of public
breastfeeding.

The WHO recommends breastfeeding until two years of age and the AAP
recommends a year, but Facebook won’t even allow a picture of breastfeeding to
stay on it’s website. This sends the message that mothers are doing something
wrong and that is not the case.

Please stand behind breastfeeding mothers and babies. By agreeing that
breastfeeding is normal and in no way obscene you are contributing to the health
and wellness of all future mothers and babies.

Sincerely,

Emily Rodriguez