Image: shutterstock
It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words! And when that picture epitomizes motherhood, then it’s worth a million and champions a million causes. Breastfeeding is what lies at the core of motherhood. Human beings and other mammals have breastfed their offspring from the time the Holy Scriptures of almost every religion record the creation of all living beings. However, despite its immense importance and purity, breastfeeding has always been subjected to various taboos, especially when women have chosen to do so in public. From attracting scornful glances by passers-by or colleagues at work to being judged unfairly, breastfeeding moms endure all this for simply doing what nature has bestowed them with – ability to feed their baby!
Despite this, women across the globe are consistently breaking barriers and enduring controversies to create awareness about this blessing of Mother Nature. From soldiers, celebrities, women parliamentarians to just a bunch of best buddies sharing the magical moment together, they have all thrown in their weight behind championing their cause.
Here we share 10 most talked about breastfeeding pictures in recent years which broke the internet!
1. Beating Cancer To Breastfeed
Image: Kate Murray
No one can do what a mother does best – go that extra mile, fight the odds, and brave the hurdles to protect her offspring. This was the case with Sarah Whitney, a pregnant woman who was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer. She immediately underwent mastectomy of her left breast and delivered her baby at 36 weeks via induction to fast-track her chemotherapy. All this but not before she breastfed her newborn for a full 2 weeks, such was her dedication towards her baby.
2. When Duty Calls
Image: Tara Ruby
Once the El Paso army base at Texas opened a nursing room at Fort Bliss, a former Air Force member, Tara Ruby, also a photographer, wanted a unique picture to adorn the walls of the new facility. All she had to do was just ask, and 10 new mothers turned up in full uniform, ready to breastfeed. They proved to the world that women can take up any tough job on earth. Salutations ladies!
3. In Vogue
Image: Elle
When the team of Elle magazine, Australia, was prepping up for a cover photo shoot, the cover model, Nicole Trunfio took a recess to attend to her adorable 4-month-old son, Zion. When the crew discovered how stunning it looked, they simply requested her to grace the cover along with her son in tow, doing what he was doing. Nicole obliged, and made history!
4. From Lawmaker To Care Giver
Image: Instagram
If there was one woman who knocked everyone out of their socks by creating history as the first woman to breastfeed in the parliament, it had to be Australian MP Larissa Waters. The Australian senator grabbed headlines more than once when she breastfed her baby inside the parliament while passing a resolution, showing to the world how women can multitask and still excel at whatever they do.
5. Not Shy Anymore
Image: Grihalakshmi Magazine
While Nicole Trunfio easily found admirers in Australia, a Malayalam actress back home wasn’t as lucky. Though Gilu Joseph literally broke the internet when she posed breastfeeding her baby on the cover of a popular Malayalam magazine, she also courted controversy. Still unheard of in this part of the world, it divided netizens into two, those who supported her bold move and those who didn’t. Nevertheless, the actress’ spunk won her many more fans and her supporters far outnumbered her detractors!
6. Celebrity With A Cause
Image: lisahaydon/Instagram
Another Indian beauty who stunned her fans with a beautiful picture of her breastfeeding her baby Zack is the dusky beauty, Lisa Haydon. A model and an actress, Lisa went on to say how it’s the most beautiful bond between the mother and the baby. The photograph sent a powerful message while still being simple. No wonder, she became ‘Queen’ of many hearts.
7. A ‘Lively’ Message
Image: Hello Miss Lovely
It was just another wedding photography assignment for Autumn Beaury when she was called to capture Anna and Dale’s wedding. Or so she thought. Just when Autumn was about to snap the beautiful couple in the backdrop of a stunning sunset at the beach, Anna’s mother duty beckoned. Throwing caution to the winds, Anna latched her little one immediately to suffice her hunger pangs. Seeing this, Autumn too did not waste a minute and captured this wonderful moment on camera forever!
8. The Bride And The Bridesmaids
Image: Lindsay Palmer
Call it a sign of being best friends, but during Bride Jaime Riddell’s wedding preparations, she and her three best friends (who were also her bridesmaids by the way), who’ve all had babies around the same time within a year, ended up attending to their respective baby’s hunger pangs. On an impulse, Riddell climbed into the bed with her friends holding their babies and requested photographer Lindsay Palmer to freeze the moment forever in her camera.
9. From One Mother To Another
Image: Ivette Ivens
Photographer Ivette Ivans first broke into international headlines with a photo series which featured mothers breastfeeding their babies in the lap of Mother Nature. Surreal is all we can say!
10. All For One
Image: Ivette Ivens
Another masterpiece from Ivette Ivens, this photograph of a bunch of mothers in the middle of a busy Chicago street brought the entire traffic to a standstill, both the literally as well as virtually. It soon went viral and was a major talking point on social media. Ivette later said she wanted people to look upon breastfeeding in public as a normal part of life, something without restrictions.
We’re sure these pictures have inspired you to see breastfeeding from a totally different perspective now. You’d have also realized how powerful breastfeeding can be. Which of these is your favorite picture? Share in the comments below.
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