Photographer Erin White has created a new photographic series depicting mothers nursing their babies in the wild.
Placing these women in slightly fairytale-style settings gives the mothers an otherworldly beauty and is a lovely celebration of both the art of mothering and the power of real woman.
Erin writes:
“I’m glad there are so many women that choose to be brave and stand up for breastfeeding and body positivity. It takes a lot of courage to decide to make yourself vulnerable and stand up with others for a cause. We are attention seeking, but for good reason. If you have never encountered negative reactions to your breastfeeding in public (or in general), then you can consider yourself lucky. We are fighting and creating this art to support new moms everywhere. The state I am from, Virginia, for example JUST this month, 2015, made a law saying moms could breastfeed anywhere without being asked to leave. 2015! I’m not sorry you are seeing breastfeeding mothers everywhere – be it art or real life.”
Accompanying the striking images is statements from the mothers about what impact their parenting journey and breastfeeding have had in their lives. Many of the women described feeling disconnected from themselves through experiencing violence and abuse in the past and have found the process of mothering has helped them to find acceptance and redemption.
Kimberly
“In college, I was sexually assaulted. For years afterward, I felt disconnected from and disgusted with my body. How could it have betrayed me so brazenly? I was smart, I was careful, I wasn’t supposed to be a rape victim. Even after meeting my husband, who loves, respects, and cherishes me, the disconnect remained. My first child’s birth, via unnecessary cesarean, seemed like a natural continuation of my feelings of being out of control when it came to my own body. It wasn’t until I began my breastfeeding journey with her that I finally began to feel as though I had some sort of ownership over my own anatomy again. I couldn’t feel more in control of myself. For the first time I feel like celebrating my body as a wonderful and precious instrument rather than a shell of betrayal.”
Scarlett
“My baby boy Asher is four months old, my second child but first to be breastfed. With my first marriage, I was young and was talked out of breastfeeding my daughter because his family didn’t. My new husband is very supportive of my decision to breastfeed our son. It has helped tremendously with post partum depression and the bond with my baby is indescribable. I have struggled with my weight since I had my first child but the older I get, the more accepting I am becoming of my body that housed my two lovely humans. My stretch marks and extra skin around my mid section are constant reminders of the miracles God has blessed me with.”
Jamie and Courtney
“My breastfeeding relationship has been totally awe-inspiring. From the first few days of sleepy newborn latches to feeling like superwoman for growing a human with exclusively my milk for the first 6 months. I was her lifeline for literally 16 months from conception to solid foods. Courtney has been the biggest reason I am able to keep nursing Sophia. I can see how imperative it is to have a supportive partner, without her physical and emotional support I would have been more apt to stop when things got rough.”
Visit Erin’s website for more information.
