I always wanted to brake the barrier of not Breastfeeding a baby in Public places when the baby needs it.
There are places where we see support breastfeeding mothers at home and on another end, we see Mothers shamed for breastfeeding their baby in public. These are two contradictive stories we see in our community.
Why does the simple act of breastfeeding a baby, in public spaces cause so much interest to others? Nursing women are often ridiculed for offending others for breastfeeding in open spaces. Ironically, the mere act of providing a public space to feed is often glorified as a goodwill rather than as a necessity for the baby and investment in the GDP of the Country.
What is of concern is the lack of public support for the normalization of feeding the baby when they hungry. Women are forced to feed formula milk for the baby in public spaces in the absence of a facilitative environment. I would encourage Mothers to breastfeed their baby in public when the baby demands. When we dial back to our Foremothers, I believe they would have not stopped Breastfeeding their babies when other people were staring at them.
Apart from this, breastfeeding and not breastfeeding is based on a Mother’s Journey. Most women are faced with genuine concerns about breastfeeding. They are not able to feed the baby as they have restricted milk flow, the nipples are inverted, Stress, Anxiety, New Mother Syndrome, Back to Work Policy, and so on.
Very often, the women seek more information and the answers that they receive are not to their satisfaction and are continually seeking more authentic information. It is well documented that women’s access to information is often constrained due to the barriers she faces and it is further accentuated by the post-birth restrictions to movement and activity.
Mothers need a support system which can be from the family, friends, society, doctors etc. With right guidance anything can be achievable and thus I wanted to be a part of the support system to the mothers I may and may not know earlier.