A NSW mother has struck a powerful chord with many after choosing to share a picture of her breastfeeding her daughter online.
Lauren Davidson, a mother of two, decided to post the image on Facebook after she was publicly shamed for feeding her baby in the comfort of her own car.
In the caption accompanying her image, Lauren explains that she and her husband had just finished running errands and completing some shopping when she decided to return to the car with her daughter, Ava, who was only six weeks old at the time.
As Lauren was feeding her baby, she says a man walked past her window (which was up at the time- not that it matters) and called her “disgusting”. (You can read Lauren’s full post here).
Now here is the image that Lauren has shared and as she explains, how the public would have seen her in the car that day:
There is nothing disgusting about this. A beautiful mother (it should be illegal to look that good with a six week old!) feeding her gorgeous baby girl in the privacy of her car. She's not exposed in any way, shape or form.
Not that it matters, actually whether or not Lauren was covered up, or whether she had a whole breast exposed. The point is, she was nourishing her child. That's it. And just like every other mother out there, she has the right to do so whenever and where ever she chooses.
As a mother of three myself, who is currently breastfeeding my five month old daughter, this story enrages me. The only thing I find "disgusting" is the prehistoric man who seems to think his ridiculous viewpoint is somewhat warranted.
Just like Lauren, I'm not really the kind of mother who whips a boob out in the middle of the supermarket, but I have every right to if I wanted. I have often fed my children in the comfort of my car. For me, it means that the older two are restrained and safe, and I can focus on making sure my baby eats enough.
It seems there are a lot of mums out there who feel the same way. "God help him if that guy walked past me and said that" says one Facebook commenter. "I'm sick of these people feeling like they have a right to shame a new mother when she is feeding a baby. It's natural, it's normal" says another.
Lauren explains it perfectly. As a mother with a young baby, you're learning. Every baby is different and every baby needs to learn to feed. They kick, they fuss, they pull away and they get frustrated. Often there is a lot of screaming and crying (the baby too).
The last thing on a new mothers mind should be covering herself up for the benefit of anyone but herself or her baby. It astounds me that not only do mothers have to contend with public opinion on their feeding in the first place but apparently there is absolutely no where that some people deem to be appropriate. The supermarket? Nope. Cafe? Nope. Privacy of your own car? Apparently, no.
Where exactly then, car park stranger, do you propose we feed our babies? I'm guessing that you perhaps also have an (unwanted) viewpoint on formula? I'd love to not hear it sometime. Wouldn't it just be great if babies existed on air?
Yeah.
The problem is that comments like this can have catastrophic consequences. To me, people who choose to make comments like this to others are about as smart as bait and if given the chance, I'd tell them so (probably with far more colourful language and possibly a few hand gestures) .
However new motherhood is hard, it's emotionally and physically draining and often you're surviving on little to no sleep and only just holding it together. That one comment from a stranger can be all it takes to tip you over the edge.
What Lauren has done in sharing her picture has shown that no matter what people may wrongfully say to you, all you as a mother need to focus on is feeding your child. It is your right. Whichever way you choose, when ever you choose, where ever you choose and the only people who should feel ashamed are those like the man in the car park because they are truly the disgusting ones.
Have you ever been shamed for breastfeeding?
Top Comments
If it is "disgusting," then why would countless artist paint mother and child nursing images? Go on Pinterest and put in "mother and child nursing, painting" and look at the beautiful images you will find of mothers of every conceivable shape and form nursing infants and toddlers. Every culture in history has seen the beauty in that image except ours and it is because of the mid-century popularity of the bottle. Nothing could possibly be more beautiful. It is illegal to in anyway bother on interact with sea cows and their calfs in Florida as well as many other animals in the wild. It should be illegal to distress a nursing human mother as well.