Here at Kveller, we talk about public breastfeeding like we talk about cooking or mowing the lawn. We know women do it, we’re supportive of it, and we’re cool with other women doing it or not doing it depending on their unique needs. That being said, the whole world can’t be Kveller (but wouldn’t it be great if was?) and the stigma against public breastfeeding around the world is still going strong. Enter Israeli photographer Tamar Shugert, 28, who decided to take on the issue with one very well executed photograph.
“I Should Feed My Baby Where?” shows exactly what is wrong with how we treat breastfeeding. The picture, which juxtaposes Shugert uncomfortably breastfeeding a child in a bathroom stall next to her husband, who is eating a plate of spaghetti in the neighboring stall, shows the absurdity of the issue. Why is it that babies have to eat in secret in public bathrooms, while the rest of us can eat basically anywhere with a smidgeon of dignity?
READ: I Was Shamed For Breastfeeding in a Synagogue
I know why. You know why. And I could go on a 20-minute rant about the male gaze and the socially-conditioned sexualization of female breasts, but I feel like you didn’t come here for that. So what I will say is that Shugert has done an incredible job here of distilling a very awkward and sensitive issue into one image, and hopefully those who see it as it goes viral on social media will gain a better understanding of why we need to normalize breastfeeding in our respective societies–so no woman feels the need to hide away in a dingy bathroom to give her child the gift of nourishment.
