How is it that we are STILL shaming women for breastfeeding in public?
There is such a big learning curve that happens when you become a mom, even though so many of us are told it will all come naturally. Having the support of those around us is everything when we’re adjusting to the struggles of parenthood because we’re dealing with enough doubt on our own. We all know that, so why is it that we are still shaming mothers for breastfeeding their children in public?
For as long as humans have been around, breastfeeding has been how babies are fed and that’s true for any mammal in the animal kingdom. Although there are parents who choose not to breastfeed, and there are those who are unable to, breastfeeding is a part of parenting that should be widely accepted, but it’s not. There seems to be this stigma placed on this natural act, particularity if it’s done in public, and we can’t figure out why this is still a thing.
Most recently, body confidence activist and model, Tess Holliday, made headlines when a photo of her breastfeeding her youngest child at the Women’s March in Los Angeles hit social media.
Instead of the conversation being about how the 31-year-old mom was part of the larger crowd with her adorable family in tow, she was shamed for breastfeeding in public…at a women’s march…to highlight the rights of women.
She’s not the only celebrity who has had to address their right to breastfeed anywhere they want. Mila Kunis, who welcomed her second child a few months ago, spoke up about breastfeeding in public and the dirty looks she would get because her baby needed to eat.
“In the States and in our culture, we sexualize the breast so much that there’s an aspect of it that people just don’t know how to wrap their head around the idea of showing your breast in public, Mila told Vanity Fair.
And that, right there, may be the reason people are so uncomfortable with public breastfeeding. We’re given messages early on in life that breasts are sexual, often forgetting their natural purpose — to feed babies.
Victoria’s Secret model Candice Swanepoel, who recently became a mom addressed this very thing when she was shamed online for breastfeeding.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BNzfQ8Dg6Nq
“Many women today are shamed for breastfeeding in public, or even kicked out of public places for feeding their children. I have been made to feel the need to cover up and somewhat shy to feed my baby in public places but strangely feel nothing for the topless editorials I’ve done in the name of art, she wrote on Instagram.
She continued, “The world has been desensitized to the sexualization of the breast and to violence on tv…why should it be different when it comes to breastfeeding?”
She’s right, isn’t she? New parents could use all the support they can get and when it comes to breastfeeding, we should all be on the same page — that it’s seriously NBD.
We shouldn’t shame women into hiding to feed their child, covering up, which seriously no baby really likes, and as Kourtney Kardashian puts it — “if someone sees a little somethin’ somethin’, don’t look if you don’t like it.”
And have a very happy and healthy little girl to show for it. It's time we support what's healthy (breast feeding) instead of judge it.
— P!nk (@Pink) May 14, 2012
It all goes back to that support thing we were talking about. Everyone could use a little more kindness when it comes to the struggles of parenthood and really we’re tired of the shame that comes along with feeding you’re child when they’re hungry.
