Most people agree that breastfeeding is a good thing and if a mom is able to do so and wants to do so, she should.
And yet, there are still many people who seem to think that the mom should be shunned or hidden away while she feeds her baby that way.
Many of the same people who shame women who choose to bottle-feed will also shame a woman who breastfeeds in public.
While public breastfeeding finally became legal in all 50 states in 2018, there's still a ton of stigma around it.
The latest is Katya Nova, who shares beautiful photos of her family's life living on the beach in the Caribbean via her Instagram account @nurturingnovas.
I mean, how could it not be with that backdrop. I'm more than a little jealous of their island home.
But the most impressive pics are her lovely shots of feeding her baby during everyday tasks and events.
During those first months when feeding times are still really close together, many moms can feel confined to the house.
Life is already circling around the newborn and sometimes there just isn't the time or energy to schedule every errand around being home for feeding time.
But every parent knows that getting the baby and diaper bag and car seat and stroller and everything ready for a shopping trip is a big production.
And not every fussy baby is willing to put up with a blanket over its head.
Whether it's mundane tasks like cooking dinner or enjoying the beach as a family, breastfeeding is a natural act that shouldn't be stigmatized.
When breastfeeding, the nipple is usually out of sight and you're not seeing much more than you do with some celebrity fashion.
If that's what you're seeing, then that's more your problem than the tired mom's or the hungry baby's. Just don't look.
Hopefully, more and more moms like Katya keep working towards ending the stigma, and not just with beautifully staged photos.
Like, I want to see beautiful pics on the beach right next to grainy 3 a.m. feedings where Mom looks about ready to pass out from exhaustion.
It needs to become something that's just part of life.
Do I expect everyone to fall in love with seeing women breastfeeding in public? Of course not.
But my personal preference doesn't come before their rights, and the problems occur when strangers think that it's okay to shame a breastfeeding mother in the middle of the mall.
And you know that if the mom tried to finish whatever shopping she was doing before going to find a private spot, people would complain about the crying baby or accuse her of abuse.
So unless you're offering to help that mom with one of the fourteen things she's juggling in the checkout line, maybe keep your opinions to yourself.
They're willing to take the hate if it means future moms don't need to worry about it.
And until then, hopefully people remember that breastfeeding in public is legal and whatever your "preference" about it, trying to stop a mom from nursing is just a dick move with nothing to stand on.
