Here at Mum Central we are BIG fans of the ‘fed is best’ message. Boob, bottle or both. Whatever floats your mothering boat.
So when we came across photographer Mikaela Bodkin’s Fed Is Best series, that celebrates ALL the ways mothers feed their babies, it was instant love.
Mikaela wants to showcase the myriad of ways modern mothers nourish their babies, free from stigma, judgement and the ever present ‘mum shaming’.
End the bottle guilt
They come at the same time that the Australian Medical Association calls for more support for mums who can’t – or choose not to – breastfeed. AMA President Michael Gannon says it’s important to recognise that sometimes breastfeeding isn’t the best choice for families.
“Mothers may feel a sense of guilt or failure, and it is important that their GPs and other medical practitioners reassure them about the efficacy and safety of formula feeding, and work to remove any stigma,” Dr Gannon said.
“Although it is different in composition, infant formula is an adequate source of nutrients. Parents seeking to bottle feed their infants need support and guidance about how much and how often to feed their infant, how to recognise when to feed their infant, and how to sterilise and prepare formula.
“The fact that mom shaming still exists, as I recently witnessed, was a huge factor [in the series]. I think shaming of any kind shouldn’t happen, period,” Mikaela told The Huffington Post.
Mikaela initially started her Fed is Best project by capturing shots of mamas bottle and breast feeding. She quickly expanded to include mums who pump and/or mix feed, to support the fed is best message that mammas really need to hear.
“I hope people look at my photos and just say, ‘Hey, what a pretty photo of a mom feeding her child. It’s so nice they can get photographs sharing that moment.”
The Fed is Best images also provide a neat lead-in to the ‘Love Your Postpartum Body‘ series, which celebrates and empowers women to love their bodies after baby.
We can’t think of two empowering messages for mothers that we agree with more!
Want more GORGEOUS shots that celebrate our amazing, baby growing bods? Check out our article on the Honest Body Project which captures women in the first few weeks after having a baby.
Images source: Mikaela Shannon Photography
