All I want for Christmas is.... some breastfeeding acceptance. That might have been the caption of an Ontario mom who nursed her baby on Santa's lap and posted the photo to Facebook.
Not surprisingly, Rebecca Dunbar's image went viral, but not everyone was supportive. In fact, Dunbar estimates that 75 per cent of the feedback she received over the photo was negative, with some describing it as "trashy."
This Dunbar takes as proof that as a society we have a long way to go in accepting public breastfeeding. These days, many people take issue not so much with the act of breastfeeding itself, but the context in which it is done.
Maybe the best way to normalize breastfeeding is to - pardon the Nike slogan - just do it... without the cameras and the 'look at me' postings on social media.
"I just want [breastfeeding] to be so normal that it doesn't even need a discussion," said the 40-year-old mother of three.
If it doesn't need discussion and commentary, then it also probably doesn't need to constantly be photographed and posted on public spaces.
After I gave birth in the UK, it wasn't uncommon for a group of moms to be out at a cafe with our boobs out. No cover-ups. No one batted an eyelid.
But no one was capturing selfies or talking about it. No one was posting or posing, even.
And maybe that's what needs to happen here, too. If we want to normalize breastfeeding, then we should probably start treating breastfeeding like the supposedly normal, natural thing it is.
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