Include/exclude pics of DS breastfeeding in scrapbook?

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Happy2bcatholic

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I’m working on a scrapbook album for my DS (he’s 14 months old). I’m now going to start work on the birth pictures. I have only about 3 ‘cleaned’ up pictures. The rest are kinda graphic. Not sure whether I should include them or not. Like the most graphic of my son is when he was first born, he is held high in the air by the doctor (c-section birth) he is covered in blood and his ‘ahem unmentionable’ is very swollen and very easy to spot. It is the very first glimpse my DH and I have had of DS so it is a dear picture for us. Then there are copious breastfeeding photos, baby and mommy are both clothed but the naked breast is there but no aeriola except for maybe a small spot in one or two pictures.

I’m torn about scrapbooking all or even some of the graphic photos. (there are none of the actual c-section- don’t worry!):eek:

I’m intending that someday my DS will inherit this scrapbook. If its too graphic he will think ‘I cannot BELIEVE that my MOTHER included that picture!’ :mad: and then never show it or something like that or ‘hey look I’m well endowed’ 😃 perhaps an unlikely response or I don’t know.

Any advice?

I could put the more graphic pictures in a separate album but then that will be thought of as the ‘graphic’ album!:eek:

Your thoughts. Thanks!
 
I think the answers to your questions would lie in your answer to this one:
What is your purpose in creating this album? What do you hope it will do, both for you and for your son?
 
I guess I don’t understand the hesitation? What you describe is part of birth! There’s no need to feel ashamed and it’s not like you purposly photographed private areas to show to the world? The pictures are of the birth of your son, I don’t see how it would be bad to include them in a book about your son, for your son, but that’ s just me…

Jennifer
 
Jennifer_J said:
I guess I don’t understand the hesitation? What you describe is part of birth! There’s no need to feel ashamed and it’s not like you purposly photographed private areas to show to the world? The pictures are of the birth of your son, I don’t see how it would be bad to include them in a book about your son, for your son, but that’ s just me…

Jennifer
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It’s not a matter of feeling ashamed, I think it’s a matter of taste. I know I was breastfed but I have no desire to see pictures of me being breastfed.
 
wabrams said:
It’s not a matter of feeling ashamed, I think it’s a matter of taste. I know I was breastfed but I have no desire to see pictures of me being breastfed.
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But would you feel disgusted or annoyed at the picture or shrug and go on? Would you refuse to look at it? Would you hide the picture? I just don’t understand this…

I guess in our family breastfeeding and birth are treated as normal parts of life and it would never occur to me to not include such pictures.

To the OP: you should figure out what you and your family is comfortable with and only include those pictures…

Jennifer
 
As your child grows older, they most likely will be uncomfortable with the idea that people will view them as nursing infants and the picture of their mother’s breast might be embarrassing. My question is why in the world would this even be an issue? You can’t fully see a nursing child’s face anyway. The most beautiful pictures have a clear shot at the subject. Is your breast a suitable subject for a photo album? I don’t think so. I nursed seven children. Yes, breast feeding is beautiful and natural, “a normal part of life,” but very intimate. Marital sex is beautiful and natural, but not the subject for a scrapbook. Now I’m not saying that breastfeeding is on the same level as marital relations, but that it is something that is very personal and both involve parts of the body that modest people usually keep covered. Likewise with diapering. You will change countless diapers over the first few years of a baby’s life, but that doesn’t mean it’s material for a photo album. Somethings just don’t need to be remembered in such concrete ways. Save those photos in an envelope kept in a private place. You have many, many years and hundreds of events to showcase in a scrapbook. Don’t obsess over pictures that you know don’t belong in a scrapbooking album or might cause feelings of awkwardness in those viewing the pictures.
 
If I were you, I’d pick the *one *most tasteful breastfeeding picture and include it. But I think you’re right that your adult son won’t really appreciate a wide assortment of pictures of him on the breast 🙂

As for the naked baby picture, I would include it. I have many naked baby pictures of myself and don’t think twice about it. I was a baby!! And besides, that photo you mentioned is really special–it’s his very first one and the first time you saw him. Include that *one *bloody photo and leave the rest out. I think one day his kids (if he’s not called into a religious vocation ;)) will get a kick out of being able to see Dad’s first picture–and it’s a *naked baby picture *just like the tons that they’ll probably have seen of themselves 😃

By the way, Cupofkindness, I have both video taped and photographed my son being diapered 🙂 But he was our first, and it was a big deal to us at the time. Actually his first real giggle came during a diapering that we taped! I can understand that by the seventh child you won’t really care to take a picture of changing the baby’s diaper.
 
I would just find one birth picture and one breastfeeding picture, the most modest ones that you have and put them in there. As an adult, I don’t need those kinds of pictures much, but as a toddler, who is perhaps being weaned or when the next baby comes along and he/she begins to feel left out or jealous, it might be nice to have them there just so you can show the child that indeed he used to be this close to mommy too. It’s not just something you say. You can back it up with photographic proof. I think a toddler/preschooler would really appreciate that.
 
I would only include very MODEST pictures into a scrapbook.

I know my mom breastfed me, and I think it was beautiful. But I don’t need to look at any pictures. My mom had more modesty than that, and so do I.

You don’t have to delete these pictures, save them to a CD! But in an album to share with others… I would keep it tasteful.
 
Thanks so much for your candid replys. They are truly helpful. On another forum someone suggested using secret doors (as in scrapbooking) to cover unmentionables! I may or maynot do that depending. I love the idea is using the most modest naked baby and breastfeeding photo, one of each. I think I can do that. I do relate though to the poster who said it is intimate and you don’t keep pics of other intimate things but again this is a baby we are talking about. Thank you all again. You thoughts are very worthwhile and thought provoking.
 
We have photo alblums of all of our kids and most have some with breast feeding. When people look at them and if they see something they don’t care for then they just scan and keep on moving and turn the page.

If you would show your mom and dad then its ok if any one see it. I don’t think freinds and family ever said anything about ours other then AOOUUULLLL…

Teddy
 
If it were me, I would make several albums…a couple for ME, lol, and one for my child.
That way you can have the birth and breastfeeding pics to show your child but he will have a less embarrassing album to keep when he’s grown.
**And those birth and BFing pics will probably be more sentimental to you anyways, lol.🙂 **
Malia
 
I wouldn’t put the breastfeeding pics in (especially for a boy-a fewyears down the road this could be the cause of much embarressment). Nix on the graphic childbirth photo’s too. While these are wonderful personal memories-they are personal. Most people are not comfortable viewing such deeply personal moments.
 
Jennifer_J said:
But would you feel disgusted or annoyed at the picture or shrug and go on? Would you refuse to look at it? Would you hide the picture? I just don’t understand this…

I guess in our family breastfeeding and birth are treated as normal parts of life and it would never occur to me to not include such pictures.

To the OP: you should figure out what you and your family is comfortable with and only include those pictures…

Jennifer
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I would probably feel uneasy and hide the picture. Many things we do in the privacy of our homes are perfectly normal, but do we want everyone seeing it?
 
My mother nursed me until I was 3yo. I have one memory of me asking to nurse, and I don’t like the fact that I remember it. This sounds silly even to me, especially since I nurse my kids well past the first year, am not very private about it, and am not critical of moms who do nurse longer. But it is my gut reaction to that memory, and I wouldn’t be surprised if your adult son won’t want to see a picture that shows any of your skin (and when he’s a teenager, won’t want pictures of him nursing at all). I definitely wouln’t want a picture of that moment in an album. I’d definitely err on the side of caution and not put the picture in his album.

But don’t chuck an endearing picture - put it in an album you make for yourself. After all, when he is old enough to get this scrapbook, won’t you still want to have his baby pictures? As I collect pictures, I am scrapbooking them for all of my kids plus me. So right now, if I have a picture of all 3 kids that is really memorable, I get 4 copies - one for me, and one for each child to put in their individual scrapbook.
 
rayne89 said:
I wouldn’t put the breastfeeding pics in (especially for a boy-a fewyears down the road this could be the cause of much embarressment). Nix on the graphic childbirth photo’s too. While these are wonderful personal memories-they are personal. Most people are not comfortable viewing such deeply personal moments.
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I totally agree with this post. A relative of mine recently gave birth, and her mom showed me the pics of the childbirth as well as some breastfeeding photos. While I think childbirth and breastfeeding are beautiful and natural, I do think they should be kept private. I felt very uncomfortable viewing these photos. You have to remember that this scrapbook is going to be seen by people other than your son, and some people feel awkward looking at photos where someone is too “exposed.” My mother breastfed me also, but I would never want to see pictures of it, nor would I like to see pictures of my birth. That’s just my two cents.
 
Thank you so much for all your thoughtful replies. You all have been VERY HELPFUL!

I’ve decided to not scrapbook on the front surface of the page the ‘offending’ pictures. Instead I’m going to have a secret panel or pocket to put those pics in.

My DS is not going to ‘own’ to album until I die. SO that way I only have to make 1 album - I don’t have time to make more than 1 at a time anyway and I feel quilty taking the time that I do to make it in the first place.
Thanks again!
 
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