This mom has no idea why the internet is freaking out over her breastfeeding Instagram
When 21-year-old army wife Naomi Jael Covert uploaded an Instagram photo of her breastfeeding at a wedding, she had no ulterior motives. Yet, that didn’t stop the internet from freaking out over the snapshot.
Naomi casually captioned the photo: “When you are at a wedding, wear fancy dresses and high heels.???? and your baby gets hungry, well… You give no shits and feed the kid.” She’s referring to her 10-month-old son TJ, who she chose not to cover because he’d “rip it off in no time.”
The image was later shared on the Empoweredbirthproject Instagram, which is where it gained over 13,000 likes. This completely shocked Naomi, who told BuzzFeed that she’s always been open about breastfeeding in public and has posted nursing photos in the past. “I wanted to show that it’s literally no big deal to breastfeed,” said the mom. “[N]o matter the circumstances.”
On Instagram, Naomi added that her outlook on breastfeeding partly has to do with the fact that it’s not a big deal in Germany, where she’s from. “I also fed my son at the church ceremonie [SIC] IN the church. Here in Germany people don’t get mad about it,” Covert asserted. “It is NORMAL. Nothing rude or bad about it. This is why I have breasts!” Nonetheless, others didn’t feel the same and commented that Naomi should instead work to conceal her breastfeeding.
In response, the mom was confused because people “‘like’ girls on Insta with crop tops and big cleavage[s] but call feeding a baby at a wedding horrible.” It’s also important to note that no one at the actual wedding was offended by Naomi’s breastfeeding. Others actually took the time to help the mom unhook her dress when TJ needed to be fed.
Yet, Naomi isn’t the only mom who doesn’t really get the fuss over breastfeeding in public. There was Ashley Kaidel, who breastfed her son in a public restaurant; Elle Bradford, who breastfed her daughter at a Bernie Sanders’ rally; Haddas Ancliffe, who breastfed her son at a wedding; model Nicole Trunfio, who breastfed her son on the cover of Elle Australia; and Rachel Sklar, who breastfed her daughter on live television.
Though breastfeeding may make some feel uncomfortable, that doesn’t change the fact that it’s a completely natural act. It’s something women shouldn’t be ashamed of. Most importantly, all women should be able to feed their babies in public without facing backlash. If anything, all these viral breastfeeding photos are bringing attention to this important issue.
“It is nothing sexual,” Naomi asserted. “It’s just another person eating.”
