Around the same time last year, the state of Virginia passed a bill to make it the 48th state to protect mothers’ propriety to breastfeed just about anywhere or anytime they want to. While mothers naturally have the liberty to breastfeed their child everywhere, several instances of heckling and jibing against such women have come to the fore recently. Olivia Wilde has been pictured nursing her baby in Glamour magazine. And in 2014, Mama Bean, blog writer for HuffPost, explained why it was important for people to look at nursing photos:
“Because breasts are normal… Because using breasts for breastfeeding is normal… Because stretch marks are normal… Because body fat is normal… Because lines are normal… Because under-eye shadows are normal… particularly after breaking up with sleep… Because strong arms and big hearts are normal… Because skin is normal… Because motherhood is normal.”
And, we present 17 images that prove the voices of all of the above. These images were featured elsewhere, but deserve a share.
- Ashlee Wells Jackson has beautifully captured nursing images for her “4th Trimester Bodies Project” through which she adopts the changes in women’s bodies due to motherhood. This image above shows Jackson with her baby. Jackson believes that the real women shy away from the true image of their bodies that is in contrast to what the media portrays. She feels that much that needs to change to bring about that stark conscientiousness in society, which can propagate a positive attitude towards mother’s bodies and make breastfeeding publicly and socially acceptable.
- Actress Olivia Wilde was featured in the September 2014 issue of Glamour magazine, where the actress said that she always found breastfeeding to be the most natural instinct, something that was proved as her child Otis always clings to her breast.
- Sandy Rofley image from HuffPost Parents
- Photographer Jade Beall in her project ‘A Beautiful Body’ celebrates women’s body through motherhood. Here’s an example.
- Singer Pink shared this beautiful photo of her nursing baby Willow Sage on Twitter and Instagram in 2012.
- Image of HuffPost blogger Molly Shalz seen in the picture above has a point.
- And who but singer Gwen Stefani posted this gorgeous image from Switzerland showing herself feeding son Apollo on Instagram.
- In June 2014, model Natalia Vodianova from Russia introduced her son Maxim through this stunning nursing image to the world.
- Venessa Simmons has portrayed nursing images on her Normalize Breastfeeding campaign. She believes that these kinds of images motivate other women as they perfectly identify themselves with breastfeeding.
- Image of HuffPost blogger Claurie Putnam sets yet another example.
- This image is from photographer Leilani Rogers’ Public Breastfeeding Awareness Project.
- Another image from Leilani Rogers’ from her campaign as in #11.
- An image of Huffington Post blogger Jillayna Adamson’s “Breastfeeding is Beautiful’ series.
- Image of HuffPost blogger Kate Fridkis showing herself feeding her child.
- Jamie Davies, yet another HuffPost blogger, shares her experience as to how difficult it was for her to breastfeed her first offspring.
- Another nursing image from Huffington Post Parents blogger Amy Wruble serves as an inspiring example.
- Author Mama Bean writes in her blog post which carried this picture was featured, that the real moment of breastfeeding that takes a more physical aspect and gives motherhood a more literal meaning is concealed and censored as in making motherhood as something to shy away from.
Community Experiences
Join the conversation and become a part of our nurturing community! Share your stories, experiences, and insights to connect with fellow parents.