Linking Up! Breastfeeding is Fashionable!

I'm linking up with the lovely and talented Sally at Exploits of a Military Mama and the brave and brilliant Blair at Wild & Precious and becoming a part of the Breastfeeding is Fashionable Series!  I'm so excited to be teaming up with these ladies and discussing this topic that you know is so near and dear to my heart.

Now, I've never been one to hide my bod.  Seriously.  Even at my heaviest and least-attractive feeling, I started a theatre group, put on a production of Lend Me A Tenor, and starred as Maggie (who removes most of her clothing in the second act).  I attribute this comfort with  nudity to several things.  My parents were NEVER weird about being naked at home.  I was never made to feel ashamed about my body and all my probing childhood questions were answered honestly and matter of factly.  No judgement.

In addition to our safe feeling household, I was a dancer.  I grew up taking tap and ballet classes and became a modern/jazz/ballet/lyrical/musical theatre dancer as a teen.  I also sang and acted in lots of plays in school.  Because I had both dramatic and dance ability, I was often double cast as a dancer AND as a character or part of an ensemble so I had lots of costume changes.  Costume changes that often took place just backstage without so much as a curtain for privacy because, let's be honest thoseclotheshavetocomeoffandthesehavetogoonrightthissecondoryou'regoingtomissyourcue.  I got naked in front of lots of classmates in the dimly lit backstage area...  sorry mom and dad...  the show must go on...

At any rate, being unafraid to parade around the house nude and learning to feel comfy stripping (for the sake of the show, hello!) in front of my peers has left me without much in the way of inhibitions in terms of my body as an adult.

This said, I have no problem breastfeeding in public.  I don't care where I am or who is around me, my baby needs to eat and no amount of desire to reduce self-exposure is going to stop me from taking care of her.

Some people are offended by my choice to not cover myself when I breastfeed.  Honestly, I don't have much to say to those people.  They have a problem with my child being nourished by me in public and I think that's sad for them.  Instead of getting all preachy, I'll let Kara be my voice:

So...  once everyone gets over the possible nip slip that probably didn't happen but you might have imagined it so I better apologize bullshit...  we can talk about the fashion of breastfeeding.

You already know I've struggled to find cute nursing clothes but we're not talking about that anyway.  I'm talking about the fashionableness (yes, it's a word) of the act of breastfeeding.  Fashion is beauty and caring for a baby is absolutely one of the most beautiful acts in the world.  Just as carrying Emma around in a snazzy carrier might be considered lovely, nurturing her and nourishing her as nature intended is just as exquisite.

And, thanks to my parents and a childhood in the theatre, I think I'm beautiful and have no problem maybepossiblyifEmmaliftsherheadatthewrongmoment exposing a tiny bit of side boob for the world to see.  It's a risk I'm willing to take to be part of the Breastfeeding is Fashionable Movement and give Emmaline the healthiest life possible!


Thanks so much to Sally and Blair for getting this going!  You ladies are incredible!

Please, if your opinion is like minded or different, leave respectful comments below.  If you have anything to say on the topic, I'd love to read it, but I ask that you be kind to all no matter what your views.  Offensive posts (of any opinion) will be removed at my discretion.  Thank you for being MoA readers and contributors!