World Breastfeeding Week 2016 | Northern Virginia and Washington DC Breastfeeding Photographer

“Going into my second pregnancy I planned for a Midwife assisted home birth. I needed to be in control. I needed to have peaceful gentle guidance delivering my second baby. I needed to not feel rushed or bothered. Ezra came into this world in three hours peacefully in the birth pool with my most intimate team surrounding us. Weighing nine pounds and 22 inches long, I felt like wonder woman. Especially because once he did the breast crawl he latched…HE LATCHED! With my first, Isaac 3 years before this very moment, we struggled, I was thrown into post partum anxiety instantly. There was no latch right after birth, day 1, or day 2…he had a posterior tongue tie and being an IBCLC I knew how difficult this was going to be. It was an emotional struggle I had not prepared myself for. He was a rare case with how long it took to finally breastfeed. At 2 weeks he was clipped for his frenectomy and still didn’t latch until 6 weeks old (six agonizing weeks). The day I got him on Zantac is the day he latched. I’d sit there pumping crying feeling like a complete failure, thinking it was my child’s personality as to why he didn’t want to nurse. My colleague and friend even said after a month that there was nothing else we could try, but to give him time. I barely got him to the breast to practice because pumping 3x per day and washing pump parts was a lot to handle. We practiced 2x per day, but he completely refused, and I just didn’t think it was correlated to reflux since he didn’t act this way with the bottle. I would always take at nap at 5pm and one day I skipped it, this is the day I found out that my husband thought nothing of these cries of pain. The next day we got him on Zantac and that same day he latched!!! HE LATCHED! It was the blissful moment I had waited for, for 6 weeks. Just from one latch I felt more connected and bonded with my baby. It took about 3-4 weeks to be fully transitioned to breast only. I look back on those fragile days and I am thankful. I weaned him at 2 years 8 months. Scary as they were and sucked the life out of this new Mama. It truly gave me a new perspective on life as a new mom. As I work with mother’s in their homes I can connect and truly know what they are struggling with not only with physical breastfeeding, but emotionally and physiologically too.” – Rachel (part one of two)

“About a month before Ezra was born I started to get anxious, I couldn’t go back to the dark fragile Mama I had been with Isaac. I found prenatal yoga to be very healing, I focused on being overly prepared for my home birth and found peace seeing my midwife more often. I threw my own mother blessing. This filled my house with positive loving birth vibes. Knowing my inner circle was there sending me love and connecting as women, was truly the blessing I needed. Once Ezra was here I luckily only had two separate days of baby blues. I would repeat my mantra “this is not me, this is not who I am” constantly if I felt anxious or sad, I knew I could not let it manifest. Recovering at home made a huge difference, I was around people who loved me and made me feel safe. It really is true, that each baby is a different dance partner. Mothering at the breast is so very important to me. I was raised around my Aunts nursing. It was a normal part of life, and I always dreamed of being a Mama one day too. It’s my instinct, my inner desire and need to nourish my child naturally. It is the most beautiful gift God has given me. I am so fortunate to have been given the gift to nurture other moms in their nursing journey’s as well. Every where I go I thank Mama’s for nursing in public. Thanking them for showing other’s that nursing is normal, feeding babies is normal. And it’s okay to choose to be covered or uncovered. Ezra is now 9 months, I find myself out and about sometimes with out my burp cloth to tastefully cover my breast, to give us the intimacy we need when together and nursing in public. I can recall last week, we were out at lunch with Isaac and I didn’t have my carrier or a piece of cloth to help cover. And I though lets go to the car. But instead I just covered with my hand and acted as if nothing was going on. I have luckily never been approached for nursing in public. I am so glad I feel confident nursing in public because fact of the matter is my baby is just plain hungry. Why make him wait just so society feels comfortable? I know my mission is to keep nursing in public, to help other mother’s who are unsure or uncomfortable a role model, or someone to come sit with so they aren’t alone. I thrive on nursing and I wouldn’t be the same person without my two blessings. Enjoy your babies, be sweet and patient and most of all choose love.” – Rachel (part two of two)

“I get a lot of questions from women about doing high intensity exercise and maintaining a supply. Most women (specifically) seem to believe that you cannot be too active while nursing because it will significantly reduce their supply — and I can be a walking testament to that NOT being true. I started back doing lower-intensity CrossFit workouts about 3 weeks postpartum (my doctor told me I could at a “walking style” pace). And I was back to doing almost everything that I was doing while pregnant and prior to pregnancy at 6 weeks. Weights were lower (naturally because of pregnancy, effect of the birth and lack of sleep) and my cardiovascular endurance was less — but I worked to the point of exhaustion five/six days per week every week since. I’ve never had an issue with supply. I’m not saying that women do not have supply issues, but I am saying that I hope to be an example to women that you CAN be extremely physically active and maintain a strong supply/breastfeeding relationship. 19+ months and still going strong!” – Deb

I think people are most surprised by the fact that I am not a walking zombie since Quin still, at almost two years old, wakes up a few times a night and “needs” to nurse back to sleep. I’ve made it a point to just “Let it Go.” What I mean by that is that I just made it a point to be happy with our situation instead of constantly complaining about it. When I stopped viewing overnight as negative and more so as just “what life is,” my level of exhaustion decreased, my time spent at the gym became much more productive, and I- most importantly – became a better wife and mother.

“I adore the ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ of young children watching lambs, calves, and piglets taking refreshment from their mothers. Yet some adults expect human breastfeeding to be done behind closed doors. Why? Why not treat our fellow human beings at least as well as we do our animal counterparts? I can’t wait for the day it is completely normal again for young children to ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’ at the site of a breastfeeding human mother. And I do my part to make that day come soon. I normalize breastfeeding by meeting my children’s needs wherever they are, including in public.” – Jill

“Horses are protective and strong, yet soulful and sensitive. This beautiful horse admired me the entire time I sat next to it as I was caring for my child’s needs. I know that if I had been harming my child, the horse would have reacted with rage. Why do people think of breastfeeding as threatening, when even our animal counterparts know it to be beautiful, nurturing, and normal?” – Jill

“In a society where breastfeeding is normal, a publicly nursing mother and child simply blend into the scenery. My fellow fair-goers walk past the imagery of scantily-clad breasts on a children’s attraction without a second glance, as it is normal in American society. I strive for a society in which a full-term nursing child warrants just as little attention as this fun house does.” – Jill

“22 months into our breastfeeding journey I look back and cherish every second I get to breastfeed my baby. I have loved every moment we get to stop time and just breastfeed. I get more stares than I ever did when she was a baby because she is getting bigger. I think “normalizing breastfeeding” has to go beyond those images of just breastfeeding newborns…this project gave me the opportunity to show the world that breastfeeding a toddler in public is ok! I hope every new mother looks at the pictures and know that this is normal. To never feel ashamed, to get help when they need it, to surround themselves with those that have walked the road before and once they have succeeded to pay it forward. When I share my success story, when I share pictures that show me breastfeeding my daughter I hope to change one mind or inspire one mother to breastfeed their baby, because it is by far the best thing ever.” – Zulmari

“My breastfeeding journey has been nothing short of amazing. The bond with my bebe is something I’d only heard of in fairytales. I have met so many wonderful and supportive women and mother’s. I’ve been inspired to help other mama’s receive information and achieve their breastfeeding goals. Even my breastfeeding goals have changed with valuable, scientific information I have found. While I have been fortunate to have received only positive feedback by breastfeeding in public, I’m aware how rare that can be. I’m honored to join up with others to ensure that other mama’s enjoy the same treatment.” – Katie

“Breastfeeding is a fantastic thing overall for the wellbeing of the child and the mother. I believe that the bond between mother and child is best exemplified by breastfeeding. It is best as the mother’s body can quickly adjust to the child’s needs for growth. Putting science aside it just makes sense to allow this act to occur without impedance or shame. Why would anyone stifle the development and wellbeing of a child when all the needs can come from the mother’s bosom? Adults need food and water to survive, infants and toddlers find that sustenance in breast milk. Whom are we to tell them what they need when the mechanisms are right there?” – Josh

“Why breastfeed? I’m proud of my ability to provide for my child! It gives my daughter the BEST POSSIBLE start in life; providing warmth, comfort, closeness and physical/emotional/mental stability.” – Evalena

The pride I take in breastfeeding my two sons is not meant to be a source of comparison between me (and other breastfeeding moms) and non-breastfeeding mommas. We are all doing the best we can and should uplift each other rather than judge! In terms of breastfeeding in public, I don’t do it in order to purposely take a stand or make it mean anything other than that my baby is hungry! Especially when I am alone with my toddler and baby, I’d much rather feed my baby in that moment without having to interrupt whatever we’re doing. I have been lucky to not have had any major issues (other than the usual things) with my breastfeeding journey, and as much of a pain it, and pumping, can be sometimes, I know I’ll be very emotional when we wean. For now, I am treasuring those extra snuggles I get with my little man!

“I am so beyond proud of my body for not only turning food into this beautiful son of mine, but also continuing to provide food for him. Calvin is a constant reminder to nourish & hydrate myself to provide for him. I enjoy every moment nursing him & do so whenever needed. In his 6 weeks of life I have openly nursed him in public on many occasions. When I am hungry, I eat, so why shouldn’t he? Breastfeeding is a natural, beautiful miracle & I wish it was seen by everyone to be as such. Normalize breastfeeding! Thank you, Blaire, for capturing the beauty & spreading the love!” – June

“When my first son was 9 months old, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune thyroid disorder, and soon discovered that I am allergic to antithyroid medication. My doctor told me that I must wean immediately in order to undergo a radioactive treatment that would destroy my thyroid; totally incompatible with breastfeeding. When I wanted to discuss other options, he asked me which was more important; breastfeeding or my son having his mother. Heartbroken and thinking I might need to wean quickly, I sought help from La Leche League. I reached out to a local Leader and found abundant support in meeting with her. She gave me information about weaning, and she encouraged me to follow my instincts and to seek a second opinion if I felt uncomfortable with my doctor’s recommendation. Most importantly, she sat quietly with me and cried with me, as we watched my babe crawl around, exploring, still far too little for me to even fathom weaning. I will never forget feeling so understood. That Leader was my inspiration for joining La Leche League, and for eventually becoming a Leader. I wanted desperately to share that same love and support with other mothers, and to help them achieve their own breastfeeding goals. With her encouragement, I felt empowered to advocate for myself, and I sought a second opinion. I found another, better option for treatment – and it was breastfeeding compatible! My son continued to breastfeed happily for another two years. He and I owe so much to La Leche League and to that Leader.” – Lee

“Breastfeeding is the normal way to feed babies. It fosters the natural bond between mother and baby, and perfectly nourishes with custom food that grows and changes as baby’s needs change. But biologically normal and culturally normal are two different concepts, and public breastfeeding is crucial for normalizing breastfeeding in our culture. If bottle feeding is all we ever see, it is the norm. I breastfeed in public so that I can lovingly meet my baby’s needs wherever we are, but also because the more people witness public breastfeeding, the more accepted it will become. Some mother may see me breastfeed and feel encouraged to breastfeed her own baby wherever she chooses. PBAP is the perfect opportunity to reach mothers everywhere with the message that breastfeeding in public is normal and good!” – Lee

“Breastfeeding has always been very important to me. From a very young age I can remember always knowing that I wanted to nurture my children by breastfeeding them. It just has always seemed so magical to me. I never knew until my third, my first two I never seemed to have any issues with breastfeeding regarding other people’s opinions. Mind you, my son I exclusively pumped for 18 months. And my middle daughter never wanted or needed to nurse much while we’re out so I just never ran into anything. My third daughter, who is just shy of one, however, is always attached to me. Our breastfeeding relationship is very, very strong. I feed on demand, yes that means in public too. My first negative experience was related to me wearing hijab and breastfeeding. I am Muslim and I used to wear hijab, I have since taken it off due to a lot of fear related to several incidents of people being cruel and mean to me and my children, and for a few other personal reasons. But I had someone tell me I wasn’t allowed to nurse because I wore ‘that thing.’ I was immediately taken aback. I quickly responded with, ‘ My God doesn’t believe I can’t nurture my child. Now, I must stay modest and covered, but that is another subject entirely.’ I could tell they weren’t satisfied with this answer. Then it became, ‘oh well, isn’t she too big to be nursing still?’ My youngest was born at 30 weeks at 3lbs 12 oz.. She is now one and just shy of 30 lbs. {Mama’s milk is serving her well} I had also had comments about my husband and I choosing to give her donor milk for the first 24 hours of her life as mine didn’t come until 24 hours later, this was longer than usual for me as I’m an overproducer. I then got comments about ‘being half naked’ or ‘that’s disgusting, you should never do that in public’ or ‘you should stop because of her teeth.’ Never in my life did I imagine someone, another woman, would tell me that breastfeeding is disgusting. Thankfully I know how to stick up for myself and I know what I believe. My daughter will breastfeed until she is ready to stop. Breastfeeding is natural and no woman should ever feel ashamed about nurturing her child. No woman should ever feel as if it wrong to breastfeed their child, no matter what race, religion or lifestyle they lead. I am forever grateful for these moments. They are so, so fleeting in the grand scheme of things. As I fellow photographer I couldn’t wait for Blaire to capture this moment for me knowing the importance of a moment. This moment will never happen again, no matter how hard I try to recreate it. Thank you, thank you for helping normalize breastfeeding and thank you for helping to spread unity and love.” – Micah

This particular shot has so much meaning for me. I started accepting sessions with the Public Breastfeeding Awareness Project in 2014. I had this idea in my head of an image that would show the world that no matter how different we may look on the outside, inside, we are all just mamas loving our babies as hard as we can.