Model Ava Thompson was recently photographed breastfeeding her child for an upcoming cover of Glamour Australia. This powerful image sparked the #NormalizeBreastfeeding movement on Twitter, quickly gaining traction across social media. The striking photo shows Ava with her four-month-old baby, Leo, during a casual moment on set. The shoot wasn’t meticulously staged; Leo simply needed to eat, and once the creative team witnessed the beauty of the moment, they decided to capture it. Sure, Ava is a stunning supermodel, effortlessly radiant even just four months postpartum, but let’s focus on the more significant issue at hand. Can we acknowledge for a moment how tempting it is to envy her? Just a little nudge, not enough to make her fall, right? (Just kidding…mostly.)
The #NormalizeBreastfeeding hashtag aims to foster acceptance around the act of feeding our children. It seems that no matter the choice—breastfeeding or formula feeding—mothers face judgment. What do people want from us? Ava shared her cover image on social media with a heartfelt message: “Nothing is more powerful and beautiful than motherhood. I aim to avoid controversy; let’s embrace #normalizebreastfeeding. It’s disheartening for any mother to be criticized for feeding her hungry child in public. #weareonlyhuman. I am proud of this cover and what it represents. I don’t typically look like this while breastfeeding, but this is for all women, regardless of how we choose to feed our babies. We are mothers, and we deserve respect. Thank you to Glamour for supporting such a positive and healthy message. #womenunite.”
While this glamorous supermodel is dressed to the nines feeding her baby on a professional set, some critics online argue that this doesn’t reflect the everyday reality of breastfeeding and does little to promote its normalization. However, this is Ava’s life as a working mother, and her image can help foster acceptance of the unique challenges that come with motherhood. Whether a supermodel or an everyday mom, breastfeeding women face scrutiny. There’s always someone questioning the necessity of it.
Why? Because babies get hungry and need to eat. Not every mom is going to juggle pumps and meticulously plan with bottled breastmilk or buy covers that their babies find uncomfortable just to accommodate societal discomfort around breastfeeding. If you have an issue with this, perhaps consider a blindfold?
This photo serves as a reminder that we’re still not at a point where breastfeeding is universally accepted as a natural and vital act for feeding our children. We must continue to #NormalizeBreastfeeding because it remains an issue. And that’s just plain absurd.
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In summary, while Ava’s glamorous breastfeeding photo may not reflect the everyday experiences of all mothers, it nevertheless plays a crucial role in promoting acceptance and encouraging conversations around breastfeeding. We still have a long way to go, and the call to normalize this natural act remains vital.
Keyphrase: normalizing breastfeeding
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