Most people agree that breastfeeding is a good thing and if a mom is able to do so and wants to do so, she should.
And yet, there are still many people who seem to think that the mom should be shunned or hidden away while she feeds her baby that way.
It’s a weird double-standard.
Many of the same people who shame women who choose to bottle-feed will also shame a woman who breastfeeds in public.
Like, either you want women to do it or you don’t.
While public breastfeeding finally became legal in all 50 states in 2018, there’s still a ton of stigma around it.
Which is why we love to feature moms who are fighting the stigma.
The latest is Katya Nova, who shares beautiful photos of her family’s life living on the beach in the Caribbean via her Instagram account @nurturingnovas .
All of Katya’s photography is beautiful.
I mean, how could it not be with that backdrop. I’m more than a little jealous of their island home.
She and her husband do professional photography, so they know what’s up.
But the most impressive pics are her lovely shots of feeding her baby during everyday tasks and events.
If she wants to take her baby to a musical festival, why shouldn’t she be allowed to feed him?
During those first months when feeding times are still really close together, many moms can feel confined to the house.
Being able to go out and live as much as possible can be a big emotional boost.
Life is already circling around the newborn and sometimes there just isn’t the time or energy to schedule every errand around being home for feeding time.
Sure, grabbing a few groceries may take twenty minutes for a single person.
But every parent knows that getting the baby and diaper bag and car seat and stroller and everything ready for a shopping trip is a big production.
Trying to remember which stores or malls have private breastfeeding areas is just madness.
And not every fussy baby is willing to put up with a blanket over its head.
Katya’s photos show the beauty in feeding her child.
Whether it’s mundane tasks like cooking dinner or enjoying the beach as a family, breastfeeding is a natural act that shouldn’t be stigmatized.
I’ve never really understood the whole “modesty” argument.
When breastfeeding, the nipple is usually out of sight and you’re not seeing much more than you do with some celebrity fashion.
There’s nothing sexual about feeding a baby.
If that’s what you’re seeing, then that’s more your problem than the tired mom’s or the hungry baby’s. Just don’t look.
Whatever your opinion may be, it’s none of your business.
Hopefully, more and more moms like Katya keep working towards ending the stigma, and not just with beautifully staged photos.
I want to see breastfeeding from all kinds of moms.
Like, I want to see beautiful pics on the beach right next to grainy 3 a.m. feedings where Mom looks about ready to pass out from exhaustion.
We need to flood culture with both the beauty and normalcy of breastfeeding.
It needs to become something that’s just part of life.
Do I expect everyone to fall in love with seeing women breastfeeding in public? Of course not.
There are plenty of things people do, say, or wear in public that I may not be fond of.
But my personal preference doesn’t come before their rights, and the problems occur when strangers think that it’s okay to shame a breastfeeding mother in the middle of the mall.
It’s just weird to me that people think it’s okay to do that.
And you know that if the mom tried to finish whatever shopping she was doing before going to find a private spot, people would complain about the crying baby or accuse her of abuse.
It’s hard enough to be a new parent without strangers thinking they can butt in about everything.
So unless you’re offering to help that mom with one of the fourteen things she’s juggling in the checkout line, maybe keep your opinions to yourself.
Kudos to all the moms like Katya who are willing to put themselves out there.
They’re willing to take the hate if it means future moms don’t need to worry about it.
And until then, hopefully people remember that breastfeeding in public is legal and whatever your “preference” about it, trying to stop a mom from nursing is just a dick move with nothing to stand on.