The debate over whether women should be able to breastfeed in public is not a new one. In fact, it has been ongoing for quite some time. Now, a new voice has joined the conversation, eager to share her perspective.
This young mother wanted to make her point and has stirred up quite a bit of controversy in the process.
Keep reading to learn more about her story…
Everyone who nurses a child knows that when a baby is hungry, they don’t care where they are or what time it is. While some mothers feel uneasy about nursing in public, this young mother did not. In fact, she wanted to make a strong statement in favor of public breastfeeding.
Trinati breastfeeds her 17-month-old daughter and makes it a point to nurse her wherever they are. This often means breastfeeding her toddler in public.
Though she isn’t shy about it, people around her are not always comfortable, and she often gets strange looks. At times, store employees have even directed her to broom closets, thinking she would be more “comfortable” breastfeeding there.
Of course, broom closets are not ideal for feeding a baby, so Trinati decided to take action. She had her son take a picture of her breastfeeding his baby sister at Costco. In an interview about the incident, she said, “I never shy away from providing my children with what they need, regardless of our surroundings.”
Besides facing judgment from strangers, she also fields questions from friends and family.
They ask, “How long are you going to do ‘that’ for?” Her answer is always, “As long as she needs me to!” They often follow up with uncomfortable jokes about her breastfeeding her daughter until she’s in kindergarten.
Посмотреть эту публикацию в Instagram
Trinati is now fed up with people sexualizing her breastfeeding and judging her for it. In an interview, she remarked, “Really? Have you SEEN breastfeeding breasts? My nipples are very far from looking like something someone may fantasize about! Ha!”
She continued, “These are basically udders right now. Get over yourself! I’m not trying to steal your man or lady with these bad girls! To me, they have become so far from feeling like a sexual part of my body. Right now, they belong to my child for nourishment, both physically and emotionally.”
Trinati wants to raise awareness that breastfeeding is about nourishing a child and is not a sexual act.
“I don’t expect all men or those who have never breastfed to understand the ways in which mothers have the endurance to deal with nipple-pinching or straight-up acrobatics while breastfeeding,” she explained. “I have received the strangest glances and awkward giggles when people watch my 1.5-year-old standing on my lap while suckling … sometimes on one leg!”
In an effort to normalize breastfeeding in public, Trinati had a photo taken of herself breastfeeding her toddler so she could post it and make a point.
“I had my son take that photo of us in Costco because I never want to forget (and [I want to] show my daughter in the future) the lengths we, as mothers, will go to ensure our kids are well looked after no matter the situation,” she said.
“My baby’s needs come waaaaaay before anyone else’s attempts to make me feel inappropriate for this sometimes-public act of nourishing and/or comforting my children,” she wrote in the caption for the Instagram post.
She wants to make sure her children know they are always her first priority, far above the judgment and comfort of others.
“Trust is a fundamental tool for developing healthy relationships and it begins with the care we receive in childhood,” she said. “For me, breastfeeding demonstrates this to my children, and for this reason, I will never feel shame for allowing a baby of mine to do this with me in any environment.”
Посмотреть эту публикацию в Instagram
There is a lot to be said for both sides of the debate. What do you think about breastfeeding in public? Let us know in the comments!
Share this with others to get the conversation going!
