Athene Numphe

Yesterday Little Prince and I protested the way that Facebook handles breastfeeding pictures by attending a Nurse-In in front of the Facebook office in downtown Austin.

It started almost like any other weekday. I got up before LP, showered, and ate. But this time I also spent time checking the internet for news of the nurse-ins that were happening all over the world and also seeing if there were any last minute planning things to get done. Eventually LP woke up and I giggled and played with him in bed for a bit before changing him into a cloth diaper/cover and putting him in his outfit for the day. We played around for a while and I slowly got things ready. Eventually he had his morning poop (he’s a morning pooper) and it was almost time to go, so I changed him from cloth to a disposable. I was getting the last few things ready and LP was on the kitchen floor torturing the boy-cat, when I heard the unmistakeable sound of another poopsplosion. I scoop the boy up and head upstairs with him to change him. Without thinking about it, I put him on my hip. Next thing I know I feel wetness through the three shirts I’m wearing. Oh yeah, I’d squished the poop out of the diaper and through his pants, onto me. It was all over the special shirt I’d ordered just for this. Clean up baby, clean up mommy, change our outfits, bundle us up and we’re finally out the door (still on time).

We head downtown and I’m actually pretty nervous. Find parking close to the building the Austin Facebook office is in, put time on the meter and head over to the building right at 10am. I pick up a reporter from the Statesman on my way over. There are two moms out there already. They’re surprised that the building wouldn’t let us in, but that’s how the Austin rules go. Very soon after a few more moms show up. We had about a dozen moms/supporters come through throughout the time we were there. We just hang out in the chilly weather (it was about 45° F out) talking about being a mom and what we’re doing. We talk to the reporter too. Another reporter from KVUE shows up. He says that they want to come back with other people and put us on the 6pm news. I promise that we’ll be around at 11am. I’m trying to talk to people and take pictures and tweet/Facebook and keep up with other events and take care of my baby all at the same time. It’s a little hectic and I’m no longer nervous to be there, but proud to be supporting a cause I believe in so strongly. I did manage to nurse him a bit while we were out there .

At some point some nice women from Facebook come down with water bottles for us and Facebook hats for the little ones. My co-organizer gives them the letter she wrote explaining why she is doing this. We also make sure the news people get copies of the letter. At 10:45 many of the moms want to leave, but I explain to them that another news crew is coming and to please wait just a bit. At 11am the other news crew shows up. They take some pictures and interview three of us (myself included). We all leave around 11:30am.

My pictures:

Stop by Darius’s work to say hi and find out that there was already a segment on about us on the 11am news! Head home and LP totally passes out. Eat lunch and check the networking sites. I see on one of the protest Facebook groups that a news reporter from Austin is looking to talk to a mom who was at the protest. I give him my number. He calls me right after LP finished his lunch-nurse. I try to sound more articulate with some of the answers that I came up with for the first interview after I was in the car heading home. I hope I do.

I head out with LP and run some errands. On the way home from the last one, I actually hear a quick sound bit of my interview on the radio. A bit about how breasts are sexual, but they are also used for feeding babies, which is their primary function. The DJ then goes on to talk about the overly sexy/sexist Super Bowl ads.

I watch the 6pm news. Sure enough, I’m on it. It makes me really happy that we’re newsworthy enough to be getting this kind of attention!

Local news reports of the Nurse-In:

• KVUE 11am News (you can see my back)
• KVUE 6pm News (I’m being interviewed here)
• KLBJ News Radio (A different bit of the interview than what I heard on the radio is posted)
• Austin Statesman (very short, no pictures )

My absolute favorite piece of coverage that I’ve read about the Nurse-In comes from the Houston Chronicle. It explains in much better words than I ever could exactly what were doing and why it is so important.

In ironic news, the picture of my friend L smiling at the camera while nursing her daughter, who is wearing a Facebook hat, has already been removed from one of the groups that I posted it to.

Originally published at my baby blog. Please leave any comments there.