Welcome! Thank you for following our 2016 International PBAP blog-circle! Below are inspiring stories from breastfeeding moms in the South Florida region. When you reach the end of these stories you will find a link to the next photographer in the blog-circle. Enjoy!!!
August is World Breastfeeding Month. The World Breastfeeding Week theme is on raising awareness of the links between breastfeeding and the sustainable development goals. By recognizing that breastfeeding is a key to sustainable development, we will value our well being from the start of life, respect each other and care for the world we share. My part in this is raising awareness for breastfeeding in public to help encourage sustainable development. It's been very rewarding being a photographer for the Public Breastfeeding Awareness Project these past 3 years. I'm honored to be working alongside a number of talented photographers committed to sharing their art in hopes to normalize the beauty of breastfeeding no matter where you are! Breastfeeding can be very challenging and without the proper support system, some women give up or never feel confident enough to feed their baby outside their house. The PBAP has a newwebsite and is up and running and you can read why it was founded. Interested in being an advocate in your area next year? Check out the map and see if there is a photographer in your area.
2015 and 2014 blog posts are archived to see images I've taken over the last 2 years.
2015 and 2014 blog posts are archived to see images I've taken over the last 2 years.
I met up with several mamas in downtown Fort Lauderdale at Huizenga Park for a group photo.
Here is a new slideshow from last year's 2015 Public Breastfeeding Project. Thanks to Leilani Rogers for putting this together!
Many thanks to La Frutera Garden Bar in Wilton Manors for their hospitality and amazing food!
"Breastfeeding has always been normal to me. I was raised in a breastfeeding family; I nursed until I was two and my siblings nursed till three. I attended LLL meetings as a baby until I was 10. It was so natural to see mothers nursing their babies. As a mother, I want to provide the same positive view of breastfeeding for my sons. I want them to understand that breasts were created to feed babies and that "extended" nursing is not only normal but essential. I'm fortunate to be able to provide them with milk, comfort, and love through the act of nursing."
-Lauren
Mother of 2 ( ages 14 months and 4 yrs)
-Lauren
Mother of 2 ( ages 14 months and 4 yrs)
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I was never comfortable nursing in public, but with an active 4 year old running around, you have no choice but to nurse your baby wherever you are! I am so thankful for my supportive husband and my like-minded mommy friends who have encouraged and supported me through this journey.
-Talie (mother of 2)
-Talie (mother of 2)
Our photography from the Public Breastfeeding Awareness has been featured onBabyCenter Spanish edition!! If you don't read Español, you can still view the photo gallery. So wonderful to see we're reaching the Spanish speaking community. Living in south Florida it has truly been vital being bilingual, I'm so glad we can help spread awareness.
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Many thanks to The Alchemist in Wilton Manors. It has become a favorite coffee spot of mine. Give me their bulletproof and turkey slicers and all is good!
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"Our communities are some of the most severely affected by poor breastfeeding rates because many of our parents and grandparents were led to believe that formula was better than breastmilk. Because of this, I make sure to nurse anywhere and everywhere in hopes of inspiring people like me and showing them that we're capable and that we're more than enough. Recently, I became certified as a breastfeeding counselor and plan to devote my time to helping at-risk women improve breastfeeding rates within my community."
-Rubi (mother of 2)
-Rubi (mother of 2)
Supportive families are a key element to a successful nursing relationship. Fathers can build stronger relationships simply by encouraging mothers. I know for me, my husband was the person that said just the right words I needed to hear in order for me to break the ice and breastfeed my son in public when be was 3 months old. I'm forever grateful for that moment! When I met Rubi's family, it was so sweet to see the father's involvement and a testament of how important it is to have loved ones that support your decisions.
The Public Breastfeeding Awareness has been featured in Huffington Post once again! Thrilled to have one of my photographs published (15)!! This photo was taken in Davie, FL at the Nova campus, while our local mama visited her alma mater.
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The Public Breastfeeding Awareness Project has opened doors of opportunity for educating and providing valuable information to both new mothers or those that may not know anything about breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is key to sustainable development, and by normalizing it as a society, we're allowing our youngest members of society the best possible start in life.
Meet my cousin Carla, it's crazy to believe that I can remember her as a nursling herself. I'm proud of the superb job she's doing as a mother and it warms my heart to have been able to catch a snippet of the nursing relationship she has fostered with her son
The Public Breastfeeding Awareness Project has opened doors of opportunity for educating and providing valuable information to both new mothers or those that may not know anything about breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is key to sustainable development, and by normalizing it as a society, we're allowing our youngest members of society the best possible start in life.
Meet my cousin Carla, it's crazy to believe that I can remember her as a nursling herself. I'm proud of the superb job she's doing as a mother and it warms my heart to have been able to catch a snippet of the nursing relationship she has fostered with her son
"The bond between a mother and child is everlasting and breastfeeding made me realize that there is no greater love. It has made me realize that my son is my priority and that even if it was something new to me, a new experience that made me uncomfortable in the beginning due to all the leaking everywhere, it is still worth it because it is not about me, it is about what is best for him.
The first few days after Liam was born he was not latching on correctly, (while I thought he was) my poor baby was crying of hunger and I didn’t even know it! When I figured out the problem, I gave him some formula that the hospital provided so he can have something to eat while I went to the doctor to ask for help. I was worried that I would not be able to breast feed him, but I didn’t want to give up. The doctor showed me some techniques and I was able to finally feed my baby. I have been breastfeeding him ever since. I am so happy that I chose to breastfeed and provide him the best nutrients possible. Not only is it beneficial for his physical health but for his emotional health as well. He is a healthy beautiful growing boy and I will continue to do everything in my power to keep it that way."
-Carla (mother of 1)
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"I'm so truly blessed to have been able to breastfeed all three of my babies. My first nursling was quite a challenge. She was born at 35.5 weeks and wouldn't latch without a nipple shield for the first 3 weeks but I was determined to nurse my baby. We finally ditched the shield after many tears and frustrations and continued to exclusively breastfeed her until about 11 months when I found out I was pregnant with my second child. If I knew what I know now I would have nursed while pregnant but I was uneducated and my OB advised I stop. I went on to breastfeed my son until about 11 months as well. He had severe food allergies and I was on a strict elimination diet but again nothing could stop me from breastfeeding. Now I have my 3rd beautiful child a baby girl who is 15 months old and we are still going strong! I'm so passionate about breastfeeding now that I plan to become a lactation consultant."
-Ashley Herring 3 children (2 girls 1 boy)
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"Nursing my first was the most painful thing I have ever experienced for the first 6 mos due to undiagnosed lip and tongue ties. It took forever to get him latched and I could hardly do it myself, I had thrush, an open wound for 3mos on my inverted nipple, toe curling pain every latch, a fussy, gassy, eating for 30mins every 1.5hrs, up all night unhappy nursling, but I had so much milk. I never gave up because I had SO much milk, a happy byproduct of early pumping from the nipple trauma otherwise I’m sure I would have dried up, and I knew something was wrong and the pain had to get better. The lactation consultant got us through thrush and on kellymom, after noting he had a high palate, a strong forceful suck, and a shallow latch. Thanks to kellymom and dairy queens on facebook I finally got validation at 8mos that something was wrong, and he was class III lip and posterior tongue tie and it wasn’t going to stretch, resolve or get better on it’s own. We had figured out our compensations by then, and he still nurses before bed every night. I never intended to nurse a preschooler, but one day I looked down and my baby had grown into one. <3 I cried tears of joy when my second little love was born, his first latch was deep, effortless and pain free."
-Sarah Sale (mother of 2, ages 4 and 1.5 yrs)
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-Sarah Sale (mother of 2, ages 4 and 1.5 yrs)
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"Before even getting pregnant, I always knew I wanted to breastfeed my children. I didn't have any idea if it would be easy or hard, or have any goals for how long I would go. I only said if they started biting me, that would be the end! Well now we are almost 2 years into it, and I don't see any signs of stopping soon. I never imagined the bond it would create between my son and me.
In the very beginning, only I could provide his food, his nourishment, I was literally his lifeline. Now, it is still his safe space, his home-plate, his comfort zone that is just his. A special time for both of us to reconnect, become grounded, reset & recharge. His safe haven. Not only has it brought us closer, but it has also brought me closer to other nursing moms as we are all on a similar journey together. The camaraderie of providing the best start for our children, and knowing we have that in common, has opened the door for many friendships. Whether starting a new friendship, or sharing a knowing smile & nod across a room, we are joined by our sisterhood. Although my son currently doesn't seem like he will be weaning any time soon, I cherish every nursing session because one day it will be our last. But I know that because of our nursing relationship, we have created a bond that will always be strong and special."
-Christina (Mom of 1, 23 months)
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In the very beginning, only I could provide his food, his nourishment, I was literally his lifeline. Now, it is still his safe space, his home-plate, his comfort zone that is just his. A special time for both of us to reconnect, become grounded, reset & recharge. His safe haven. Not only has it brought us closer, but it has also brought me closer to other nursing moms as we are all on a similar journey together. The camaraderie of providing the best start for our children, and knowing we have that in common, has opened the door for many friendships. Whether starting a new friendship, or sharing a knowing smile & nod across a room, we are joined by our sisterhood. Although my son currently doesn't seem like he will be weaning any time soon, I cherish every nursing session because one day it will be our last. But I know that because of our nursing relationship, we have created a bond that will always be strong and special."
-Christina (Mom of 1, 23 months)
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"I always knew that nursing was something I wanted to do with my baby when I had one eventually. I knew all the benefits of nutrition and antibodies that my baby would get, and that this form of food was perfectly constructed for a growing human infant. What I didn't know, was that it would become my greatest gift to him and ideal mothering tool to me. Shortly after giving birth to Carter I started attending my local La Leche League meetings and read "The Womanly Art of Breast Feeding." I learned so much about how milk supply works, what interventions to avoid, all the many more benefits of nursing, and made great mommy friends along the way. When you're holding a delicate newborn baby motherhood can be daunting, and it doesn't come automatically to everyone. Although I knew I'd love my baby, mothering through breast-feeding has allowed us to really get to know each other, bonding on a level I didn't know was possible. It has given me confidence, taught me perseverance, cultivated patience, depended trust, and helped me to become a better version of myself. Here we are at almost 24 months of exclusive nursing and I can't believe we've made it this far! It's so important to normalize breast-feeding in America because that's what it is, normal and natural. We feel very honored to be part of a cultural movement to get back to our roots as humans and support other mothers who choose to give this precious life giving gift to their babies as well."
-Caitlin (mother of 1)
-Caitlin (mother of 1)
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“During my first pregnancy I did all my research and homework because I was determined to breastfeed my son. But as you know, life doesn’t always go as planned and the natural birth I envisioned turned into an emergency Cesarean and breastfeeding my son became the most difficult thing I ever set out to do. Finally, after 6 weeks of pumping, syringe feeding, nipple shields, support groups and lactation consultants - we did it and it was well worth every last struggle. Fast forward almost 2 years, I had a beautiful Vbac with my daughter and imagined that breastfeeding her will be effortless. Afterall, I nursed my son right up to her birth so I was an expert, right? Wrong. Just like every baby is different, so is your nursing relationship with them. But knowing how worthwhile it all is we persevered and made it happen after 11 long weeks. Breastfeeding was always my first priority, and as much as I wanted to lose the 100+ excess pounds that I carried I was more concerned with producing milk for my daughter. I gradually modified my diet with calorie counting, added in workouts and within 2 years have lost over 90 pounds. Not only are crash diets bad for your milk, they are also bad for your health. I am walking proof that long-term, sustainable results are possible while breastfeeding. It just takes a little more work and patience. So when people ask me when I plan to wean, if I think it’s “normal” to “still” be nursing a 2 year old I simply respond that there is nothing more natural than being able to provide both comfort and nourishment for my child, especially after how hard we worked to make it happen. The thought of her weaning makes me sad. I cried the day my son stopped nursing and can’t imagine this special relationship coming to an end.”
-Natalie (mother of 2)
-Natalie (mother of 2)
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"Breastfeeding was always something my mother talked to me about. A way to nourish your child and to connect in a way that's indescribable to anyone else. Even though I grew up nursing my dolls, when the actual time came to nurse my daughters it was anything but easy. It has been a struggle, especially with Maya (7 months) tongue and lip ties have been a huge setback but here we are seven months later and thanks for revisions, chiropractic care and the strength and clarity to know that it is worth every minute of hardship I am still breastfeeding my beautiful girl. I am so proud to be a part of this campaign to show that you can breastfeed even if it is hard, even if it does hurt, and even if you feel like quitting sometimes. I've pushed through and I know anyone can".
- Shaina (mother of 2)
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- Shaina (mother of 2)
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“I jumped at the opportunity to publicly support world breastfeeding week. There have been countless people who've inspired me throughout many of my motherhood journey's, and it would be really be wonderful if I could give back in that way to someone else. Especially in something that I am very passionate about.
God made our bodies so special. Being able to breastfeed both of my daughters has been one of my greatest gifts. When I was pregnant with my first daughter, I knew I wanted to breastfeed for as long we both wanted to. I breastfed her until she was 3.5 years old. Even though I didn't have a time limit in my head, I honestly never really thought we'd go that long. I am so glad we did. Currently, I am 7 months into my breastfeeding journey with my second daughter and am really excited to see where it takes us. Breastfeeding has always been so intuitive & normal to us and it's benefited us all in so many ways. There are so many myths, struggles, and such that may deter many mom's from breastfeeding. I'd encourage them to surround themselves with support and research. These two things helped me along the way. I will always be so grateful that I was able to give my daughters this gift. I hope that they always see breastfeeding as normal and important.”
-Farrah (mother of 2)
God made our bodies so special. Being able to breastfeed both of my daughters has been one of my greatest gifts. When I was pregnant with my first daughter, I knew I wanted to breastfeed for as long we both wanted to. I breastfed her until she was 3.5 years old. Even though I didn't have a time limit in my head, I honestly never really thought we'd go that long. I am so glad we did. Currently, I am 7 months into my breastfeeding journey with my second daughter and am really excited to see where it takes us. Breastfeeding has always been so intuitive & normal to us and it's benefited us all in so many ways. There are so many myths, struggles, and such that may deter many mom's from breastfeeding. I'd encourage them to surround themselves with support and research. These two things helped me along the way. I will always be so grateful that I was able to give my daughters this gift. I hope that they always see breastfeeding as normal and important.”
-Farrah (mother of 2)
"When I was pregnant I always said I would “try” breastfeeding, but as soon as I held my baby girl for the first time I knew I HAD to do this. It was not easy in the beginning we dealt with a few hurdles, but it has been the most rewarding 6 months. Nursing Talia has brought me so much joy and made me a better person, I’ve become stronger and more understanding in many aspects of my life. The bond I have with her and the friendships I’ve formed with other nursing mothers is something I’m so thankful for. Providing her with all the nourishment she needs to have a head start at a healthy life is the most rewarding feeling in the world. Normalizing breastfeeding in public is so important now and for our future generations, if my baby is hungry I am going to feed her no matter where I am."
– Gina (mother of 1)
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– Gina (mother of 1)
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"When I had my daughter two months ago I never imagined breastfeeding would be such a life changing experience. I viewed it as a way to feed my baby and didn't expect much more but I was wrong. It is the ultimate bonding experience and is so amazing for what it provides for both my baby and I. It didn't come easy and we had to work on it but I am happy to be able to provide my baby with the best she can have. I'm honored to be apart of this project and hope to help normalize breastfeeding so more new moms are able to feel comfortable in feeding their baby, no matter where they are."
-Kasey (first time mom to MacKenzie)
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-Kasey (first time mom to MacKenzie)
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"Had anyone told me that 6 years after I had my daughter I would be breastfeeding my third child, and my second time of tandem nursing 2 nurslings, I would have laughed at them! What does tandem nursing even mean, it's possible to nurse through pregnancies, what?? Yes, it is!! I am beyond blessed that I have been able to have the bond and connection with my children that breastfeeding has given us, more than that, they have a special connection with each other from tandem nursing. Breastfeeding gives us a few quiet moments, little breaks in the chaos, sweet memories to cherish with my babies. Is it hard, yes, sometimes, but so worth it to look down at your baby while being able to nourish and comfort them anytime that they need."
-Dodi (mother of 3)
-Dodi (mother of 3)
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"As a home birth midwife prior to having any kids I knew I would breastfeed. I always bragged about how I would breastfeed whenever and wherever my baby wanted and I would just "whip it out" with no problem. When I had my twins I was much more shy than I thought I would be, this took me by surprise. It took me a few months before I confidently breastfed in public uncovered. It was my worst nightmare to be out and about and with both of them hungry simultaneously (which of course happens). We had a rough first 3 months dealing with lip and tongue ties, I was always in pain and cried every nursing session. I was convinced that I would be the only mom who would have pain while breastfeeding forever. I nursed both babies off of one breast for 24 hours so my damaged nipple could heal. We pushed through it, my girls are 22 months old and have never had a drop of formula AND no more pain! I now confidently nurse in public whenever and wherever my girls want and hopefully I inspire other mothers to do the same."
-Christa (mother of twins)
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-Christa (mother of twins)
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"I remember the moment I met my beautiful baby girl. She didn’t latch on right away but once she did I cried tears of joy as I immediately understood that I was meant to breastfeed her. My body was ready to nourish this perfect, sweet, innocent human with the milk that no one else could make for her. Now at 28 months, I continue to breastfeed her to provide warmth and love, comfort and security. I cherish every moment that I have her curled up next to me and love the feeling of her little hand gently stroking me while she nurses and I sing to her. When I nurse my daughter, I am completely focused on her and I am reminded of this beautiful gift that I was given."
-Marbella (mother of 1)
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-Marbella (mother of 1)
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Thankful for special women in my life! Our 6 year olds took this photo! Breastfeeding support...it takes a village
"The youngest of children are being exposed to sensual imagery on television and other forms of media. Sexuality is constantly being flaunted before our eyes. Yesterday's taboos are today's way of life. A culture where nothing is sacred nor shocking yet everything is permissible. Can we just get back to the time and place where the mother nursing without an enormous blanket next to you on a bench, at a restaurant, at the library is common and nothing to frown down upon? It's crazy to see how images of almost completely naked women being objectified and showing their breasts for no particular reason are left alone and uncensored on social media, but one attached to a baby is gross."
-Lily
-Lily
"As long as there are mothers in the world,
there will be mercy in the world."
- R.Yemima Mizrachi
there will be mercy in the world."
- R.Yemima Mizrachi
" I know we can't rely on humanity to see G-d's creation with pure eyes like a mother can, but we can certainly create those clean and innocent views for our own children."
-Lily (owner of Lilyta Photography)
Happy World Breastfeeding Week
-Lily (owner of Lilyta Photography)
Happy World Breastfeeding Week
To continue around the blog-circle click HERE. Next up is Leanda Coch, of Studio Twenty Two Photography who is based in Australia. She has a passion for capturing motherhood from pregnancy and birth, to newborns and breastfeeding.
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