facebook.com/AshleyKaidel
A Florida mom’s breastfeeding photos went viral after she posted them on her Facebook profile to respond to haters who shamed her for publicly breastfeeding her child.
Some actions are considered taboo in society, and it takes years to change the way people think about certain sensitive topics. One such controversial issue is breastfeeding in public places.
Many people judge mothers for breastfeeding their children in public. The people make the mom uncomfortable by staring at her and passing comments. Some mothers give up and walk out of the public space, while others remain determined and don’t move an inch or cover themselves despite the unbearable glares.
A YOUNG MOTHER
Twenty-four-year-old Ashley Kaidel experienced something strange in 2015 while breastfeeding her son in a restaurant. Her son was her second child, but it was her first breastfeeding experience with him because her firstborn couldn’t latch due to a lip tie.
Since it was Kaidel’s first time, she didn’t know how it felt to breastfeed her child in public. She learned the hard way that some people shame mothers who breastfeed their children without a cover.
Instead of leaving the restaurant or hiding in the bathroom with her son, Kaidel decided to stare back at the woman who was making her feel uncomfortable.
HER FACEBOOK POST
Kaidel was fuming after witnessing the woman’s strange behavior, so she decided to vent her feelings on Facebook. She added a photo of herself breastfeeding her son in the restaurant and penned down a detailed caption with it. Kaidel wrote :
“She is looking at me with disgust and shaking her head with judgment in an attempt to shame me and indirectly tell me without words that I am wrong and need to cover myself.”
In the photo, Kaidel was looking to her left while holding her baby in her arms. She revealed that she was staring at the same woman who was judging her.
NO JUDGING
After talking about her painful experience at the restaurant, Kaidel revealed why she often posted pictures of herself breastfeeding her baby. She wanted to clarify everything once and for all.
First, she clarified that she wasn’t against mothers who use breastfeeding covers in public because they feel comfortable that way. She said every mother has her choice, but no one should judge them for their preferences. Kaidel added :
“The reason I post these types of pictures is for the mother that tried breastfeeding uncovered once, and she got shamed, she got stared and pointed at, she got nasty comments, she got asked to leave the room, she got asked to cover up.”
COMFORTING OTHERS
Kaidel was aware many mothers must be going through the same ordeal, so she decided to speak on behalf of all moms. She stated that no mother should feel ashamed of breastfeeding her child, whether she is doing it in a public space or not.
She emphasized that feeding a child was more important than fearing judgemental people. Kaidel wanted other mothers to feed their babies without feeling belittled.
Kaidel stated that other mothers should not fear comments of “close-minded” people who think women should not show their skin while breastfeeding their child in public. She felt it was a “natural” process, so people shouldn’t fret about it.
SELFISHNESS
According to Kaidel, asking a mother to go away with her child because she is feeding her little one is selfish. People try to exclude mothers that way because they feel uncomfortable watching them. She stated :
“There is nothing weird about this, and there’s no difference in me feeding my baby with my breast than you feeding yourself with a spoon.”
Kaidel advised people to look away instead of excluding the mother who wants to feed her baby. She condemned this selfish act and displayed a zero-tolerance policy towards such people.
EDUCATE YOUR CHILDREN
Before concluding her post, Kaidel urged mothers to teach their daughters the importance of breastfeeding. She felt feeding formula milk was a mere “trend.” Kaidel wrote :
“Hopefully, it encourages your daughter to grow up with the goal to breastfeed and experience the incredible bond and invaluable benefits it comes with.”
Kaidel concluded her Facebook post by saying she only wants to create an acceptance of breastfeeding mothers, so they don’t have to feel ashamed while doing something completely natural.
What do you think about this topic? Should mothers feed their children without covering themselves in public? Or do you feel uncomfortable watching mothers breastfeed their babies?
Click here to read another story about a police officer who breastfed a baby on duty and was later called in by her boss.
