Photo of mom breastfeeding at a wedding goes viral
A few days ago, Naomi Jael Covert posted an Instagram photo of her at a wedding reception. The photo has since been liked more than 3,500 times and has more than 250 comments. It was also reposted on empoweredbirthproject’s Instagram, where it’s garnered an additional 13,000 likes.
The reason? In the photo, the mom was breastfeeding her 10-month-old son, TJ.
Instagram/mrsz.covert
Since it’s not the first time Covert has posted breastfeeding photos, she told BuzzFeed News she was “shocked” when she woke up the next morning to see the post had gone viral.
ALSO SEE: Photo of woman breastfeeding at a wedding sparks debate
“I made the silly face because it’s literally not a big deal to feed your baby,” the 21-year-old said. “It’s just a breast; that’s what God gave me to use when baby is hungry.”
She told BuzzFeed she’s well aware that lots of moms are scared to breastfeed in public, especially at big events like a wedding.
“I wanted to show that it’s literally no big deal to breastfeed, no matter the circumstances,” she said.
Instagram/mrsz.covert
Since posting the photo, Covert has received tons of positive comments.
“You go girl. it’s disgusting how society portrays it as disgusting.”
ALSO SEE: Breastfeeding mom accusted of ‘molesting’ her baby
“It’s so unfortunate that I feel like I have to hide feeding my baby. I live in NY and know that people would either give me dirty or inappropriate looks. You’d figure NY would be liberal enough. I wish I just had the balls like you do to just say ‘f— them all.’ I even cover up in my own house if we have company over. I guess I stand up in my own little way. I breast feed her in the middle of restaurants and birthday parties just covered up. Would be so much easier to not feel like we have to. I’m seriously so impressed, proud and jealous of you lol. You’re help paving the way by posting this. Great work. Everyone with negative comments should be ashamed of themselves.”
“Unfortunately there is a double standard.. I’ve have gotten weird looks for breast feeding in public, even with a cover! … Mostly from older people. The more people who do it, the more it will become standard. Best of luck to you!”
Instagram/mrsz.covert
But, of course, there were some negative comments, too.
Covert told BuzzFeed she was shocked by comments that told her to “hide under a rock” or “throw a blanket on,” – or “pump and bring a bottle.”
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She said it was “ironic” that people “‘like’ girls on Insta with crop tops and big cleavage[s] but call feeding a baby at a wedding horrible.”
However, she said that the other guests at the wedding didn’t seem to mind her breastfeeding her son at all – one even helped her undo her dress.
“It’s just normal – you have conversations with people while feeding the child,” she said.
“It is nothing sexual,” she added. “It’s just another person eating.”
