Breastfeeding is a beneficial and beautiful thing, especially if it comes naturally to you and your baby.
But that’s not the case for everyone, and moms who can’t get the hang of it or for some reason can’t do it, all of the “breast is best” talk and well-intentioned advice can be devastating – which is why people should probably stop asking moms about what they’re doing with their nipples.
Alas, we don’t live in a world where people butt out and simply support mom, so sometimes she’s gotta take matters into her own hands to get people to knock it off.
And that’s exactly what new mom Meghan Koziel did after giving birth to her first baby.
See, Koziel had been diagnosed with breast cancer in October of 2015 and underwent chemotherapy, radiation and a double mastectomy to save her life – but that also caused her to struggle with fertility and question whether she’d ever be able to have a baby.
Fast forward to 2018, and she’s in the hospital ready to give birth to her naturally conceived first daughter, Kendra Jane, and she knows that nurses are going to give her the breastfeeding talk. After all, it is part of their job.
Thing is, Koziel has silicone tatas that she’s dubbed “foobs” and has no way to breastfeed so instead of having to repeat the story of her fight against breast cancer and remind every nurse that she doesn’t “have boobs,” she posted a pink and sparkly sign above her bed that read:
No Breastfeeding Zone
Though breastfeeding is a very special task,
Please be aware before you ask.
Our miracle baby will be formula fed,
And it will not affect her future ahead
This mommy is a survivor.
She posted a picture of herself in her hospital bed with the sign to her Instagram and she received comments from thousands of moms congratulating her on her new bundle of joy.
Alongside those, she got comments from moms who couldn’t breastfeed thanking her for posting it because they had felt ashamed for not feeding their babies the “right” way.
But, there is no one “right way.” Breastfeeding is great if you can do it and people should be allowed to breastfeed their babies wherever and whenever baby gets hungry, without being shamed.
And the same should go for moms who can’t or don’t want to. As long as your baby is well taken care of and your parenting decisions aren’t hurting them or other kids, you should be supported.
If someone doesn’t support you, well phooey on them.
What do you think of Koziel’s no breastfeeding zone? Do you think that people in general should be less pushy when it comes to breastfeeding and just support moms? Let us know in the comments.
Photo via Meghan Koziel on Instagram
