artFido

Photo Series Highlights the Beauty of Breastfeeding in Public

—

by

artFido
in , , ,

It’s been a hotly-debated topic for many years: breast feeding in public.  Some argue that breast feeding is perfectly natural and there should be no issue with breastfeeding in public.  Others argue that it should only be done in private.

In response to the debate, photographer Ivette Ivens just released a series of highly stylized photographs of mothers breastfeeding outside to remind everyone that it’s “a totally normal thing.” The 25-year-old artist is a mother of two, and breastfed her older son until he was three.

“I nursed them both anywhere I wanted. From church to parties, from farmers market to high-end designer stores. I believe that mothers should nurse their little ones whenever they want to,” stated Ivens. She is also a proponent for extended breastfeeding, adding: “children know when it’s time to wean off. Mothers do too. Strangers don’t know, so they shouldn’t care.”

What do you think?

motherhood-photography-breastfeeding-godesses-ivette-ivens-1

motherhood-photography-breastfeeding-godesses-ivette-ivens-2

motherhood-photography-breastfeeding-godesses-ivette-ivens-3

motherhood-photography-breastfeeding-godesses-ivette-ivens-4

motherhood-photography-breastfeeding-godesses-ivette-ivens-5

motherhood-photography-breastfeeding-godesses-ivette-ivens-6

motherhood-photography-breastfeeding-godesses-ivette-ivens-7

motherhood-photography-breastfeeding-godesses-ivette-ivens-8

motherhood-photography-breastfeeding-godesses-ivette-ivens-9

motherhood-photography-breastfeeding-godesses-ivette-ivens-10

motherhood-photography-breastfeeding-godesses-ivette-ivens-11

motherhood-photography-breastfeeding-godesses-ivette-ivens-12

motherhood-photography-breastfeeding-godesses-ivette-ivens-13

motherhood-photography-breastfeeding-godesses-ivette-ivens-14

motherhood-photography-breastfeeding-godesses-ivette-ivens-15

motherhood-photography-breastfeeding-godesses-ivette-ivens-16

motherhood-photography-breastfeeding-godesses-ivette-ivens-17

Comments

65 responses to “Photo Series Highlights the Beauty of Breastfeeding in Public”

  1. Silver Bullet Avatar
    Silver Bullet

    Im yet to find anything wrong with “Feeding the baby”

  2. Sandra A Avatar
    Sandra A

    I’m all for breastfeeding. I breastfeed all three of my girls for two years each. But I never was this naked in public. I think the pictures should have been more natural and accualy breastfeeding the little ones rather than having the mothers stand in a modeling position and pretending to breastfeed. This tells me nothing except that it’s a modeling session for these women. How long did they stand there for to breastfeed? Did they wait till until there little ones were done feeding because that would be such uncomfortable position lol.

  3. Beata Avatar
    Beata

    As if I e re looked like that whilst feeding . How about showing real women…. Nighties,frazzled hair and no make up

  4. Kandorum Avatar
    Kandorum

    Sublime

  5. shalie Avatar
    shalie

    These images are not pretty!!!! What has the world turned into!!!!

  6. Julius Avatar
    Julius

    Makes me want to regress to babyhood.

  7. Julius Pringle Avatar
    Julius Pringle

    I feel sorry for the people commenting here who cannot overlook the bad headline and see the incredible beauty in these photographs. The photographer is a genius and their work should not be diminished because the person who wrote the headline didn’t understand the photographer’s work or intent.

  8. edbotsko Avatar
    edbotsko

    Breast feeding… It’s a beautiful thing… So glad my children had this experience.

  9. Will Payne Avatar
    Will Payne

    Christ, some of those kids are old enough to start shaving, why are they still being breastfed?

  10. Nicky Christoforou Avatar
    Nicky Christoforou

    Really beautiful shots and I love that the ‘babies’ are a little older. Good work! Anyone who’s being picky about them obviously don’t appreciate good honest art!

  11. Clive O'Neill Avatar
    Clive O’Neill

    They are not f@cking for God sake they are s@cking. Get over it imbeciles.

  12. Ludo Avatar
    Ludo

    Boobs ! =)

  13. Cynthia Avatar
    Cynthia

    Sexually objectifying breasts is an attitude that “makes breastfeeding wrong” to so many. Think! Breasts are human baby feeding stations. Breasts contain milk. Women, feed your babies any time any where and do not feel a need to smother them with a blanket or or to cover your shame… there is no shame in feeding your child. Just enjoy it.

    1. Nikolaj Avatar
      Nikolaj

      While I totally agree that feeding your child should be allowed pretty much everywhere, breasts are most likely designed as sexual objects. The fatdeposits that make the nice shape have no real function (not one, that couldn’t be filled by much smaller ones or ones places elsewhere) in milkproduction. The function is to signal potential fathers that this particular human is of the childbearing variety. Our closest relatives, the apes, have no need for boobs, the have some pretty descreet milkglands that does the job just fine. So, as far as I’m informed, the current thinking on why humans developed breast, is the same as why some baboons develep (to us) silly looking red behinds. It’s a signal.

  14. Danny Avatar
    Danny

    This is pretty much just erotic pics of hot women who happen to have babies around them.

    1. Barb Avatar
      Barb

      How many real mums look like this,selfies gone mad

  15. everywhere Avatar
    everywhere

    Some of these look more like creepy nudies with a baby as the prop. Couple of real knock outs. No complaints.

  16. Ardit Avatar
    Ardit

    all of these bitches have biiig titties, damn.

    1. Chris Avatar
      Chris

      1/ they aren’t bitches
      2/ “Big titties” and breast-feeding go together like pencil and paper. A nursing mother’s breasts swell up because they’re producing milk, even if they are usually like Twiggy.

  17. The Offensive 'D' Avatar
    The Offensive ‘D’

    Seems to me that only one of these photos actually depicts breast feeding in public. The rest all seem like pretty private spaces (backyards, living rooms, etc.) Also, I would say about 90% of this looks like nude modeling while holding a baby. Breast feeding is important and breast feeding in public shouldn’t be such a taboo. When it’s needed it needs to get done. These pictures sadly do nothing for the cause.

    1. Julius Pringle Avatar
      Julius Pringle

      I disagree. While these photos are highly posed and highly stylized, they represent the emotion that most sophisticated and intelligent people have about breast-feeding. I agree that they are not public spaces, and I agree the photos are not representative of what normal breastfeeding looks like, but that does not diminish the beautiful spiritual and artistic quality of these photographs.

      1. The Offensive 'D' Avatar
        The Offensive ‘D’

        I disagree that you disagree. Looks to me like we agree

      2. Alexander Neck Avatar
        Alexander Neck

        Julius you are right… and the women are barely nude… i don’t get the hole polemic anyway’s, it’s the most natural thing to do, feed your kid… in my opionon it’s not even a question if it should be allowed.. forshure it’s ok to feed your kid… and also free the nipple!!!

    2. Jodi Day Avatar
      Jodi Day

      I thought the exact same thing. These photos seem more about nudity than breast feeding.

  18. Sandy LaRouche Avatar
    Sandy LaRouche

    I believe these photos are staged and overstaged. I also believe babies get hungry. I nursed three children over a period of 30 months when I was a nursing mother. I donated breast milk for sick babies. i was never confronted and never embarrassed to feed my children. It is the best possible way to nurture a child, create a loving bond and evil to those who think evil.

    1. Cynthia Avatar
      Cynthia

      The “staging” is nice and set up to glorify what’s happening in these photos. I see no problem with that.

  19. Ben Sosebee Avatar
    Ben Sosebee

    The root word of natural if nature.. Let’s take nature’s example. Animals usually hide in a safe place when feeding their young. Women should be more modest. You don’t see dogs and cats feeding in the living room or in the dive way. They find a closet in the house or get under a porch in the yard or something.

    1. Nerdy Lucy Avatar
      Nerdy Lucy

      Actually dogs and cats sometimes do nurse in the open.

      The law states that children can be fed publicly. Period. If you’re allowed to eat in public, so is an infant.

    2. stupid Rimma Avatar
      stupid Rimma

      Ummm no dude. I live on a farm with shit loads of different animals and I LOVE David Attenborough and I can tell you you couldn’t be further from the truth. Cows, dogs, cats, lambs, pigs, horses, monkeys, baboons, dear, mongoose, dolphins ext…..99% of animals will feed their young where ever and whenever they just happen to be hungry. Mothers in almost all species are the absolute pinochle of devotion. Where as males in almost all species are more concerned about getting their willy wet and empying their loads. In alot of species, males will kill new born babies so they can bread again with the female and not have to wait untill the months to go by when girls go into heat again. You obviously have no idea what your talking about. Sometimes men should just shut the fuck up instead of making shit up. If you don’t know what your talking about, please educate yourself before writing stupid comments. Or even better just go place with your other brain coz you surely are not using the on inside your head. Silly boi!!

  20. pc1977 Avatar
    pc1977

    People, insulting each other making no nice comments is what makes this world go wrong. Everybody has their opinion I a mother too and I did not breast feed my child in public, I dont like it. Giving birth is the most painfull thing a women can go through but it is worthed when you have your baby in your arms. So who wants to breast feed in public is your choice just be carefull as this world has become so insane, that you should think it throug in exposing yourself and your baby! And other people must leran to respect that!

  21. Rimma Avatar
    Rimma

    Yes, beautiful photos, but I would not like to see that in actual public. Like everyone keeps everything else to themselves so should this. Who the heck walks all the freakin’ day so that the kid would be so hungry not to wait untill home? It’s a normal feeding process. Go stick it in someone else’s face.. If i eat no one says it’s something so inspiring… -_- I honestly thing that public display of breatfeeding should at least be minimalised. Otherwise I too would like to go “naturally” on the streets. We were born without clothes right? It would be so natural… -__-

    1. Cailea Lester Avatar
      Cailea Lester

      Why should women leave their children hungry and upset simply for the comfort of others who clearly dont understand what breasts are there for though..

    2. Diamonddusts MoonShadow Avatar
      Diamonddusts MoonShadow

      I don’t see why a fat ass man or woman can stuff their fat mouths with food in public and make all the noise they want, but a baby can’t. A baby isn’t allowed to eat in public and can’t make any sounds in public because it bothers you? How selfish and childish of you. When you are hungry you get something to eat immediately but a baby has to wait until they are home, how is that fair?

    3. Nerdy Lucy Avatar
      Nerdy Lucy

      There are cities in the US in which you could o so—-NYC being one.

    4. stupid Rimma Avatar
      stupid Rimma

      Once again Rimma, I stand by my Post name….”stupid rimma”

  22. Loulou Avatar
    Loulou

    Hermosas imágenes .. .Tansmitiendo la madre transmitiendo su amor a sus hijos. Muy artístico.

  23. asasa Avatar
    asasa

    I’d feed on these ladies’ breasts anytime.

  24. McGigi Avatar
    McGigi

    lol. where’s the beauty in public urination, public farting, public rearranging your jewels? those things are natural, too.

    1. Ann Golub Avatar
      Ann Golub

      what a stupid, ignorant comment… don’t compare the most natural, most beautiful thing a human being can do to farting! being a mother is all about nurturing the child… you clearly have no kids… and hopefully you never will…

      1. McGigi Avatar
        McGigi

        you’re grossly dumb. someone let it into you and suddenly that’s the most beautiful thing. so yea, fuck you…

        1. stupid Rimma Avatar
          stupid Rimma

          I agree with Ann Golub….here’s hoping you never have children McGigi.

      2. Jajajaja Avatar
        Jajajaja

        There is nothing, which we can call “most natural”. He is right, farting, urination usw. are as natural as breastfeeding. Not less natural. :D That doesn´t mean breastfeeding is not natural. But i don´t think it´s “beautiful”. What is beautiful in feeding a child? I know women, who nearly died of pain, while breastfeeding their babys. There is nothing beautiful in feeding a child. I think it´s a bit freaky to call a process of feeding “beautiful” in general. It´s just, what a baby needs to survive. This generation of parents is really mental sick. Beautiful is a lucky mother with her child on her arm, without feeding it. So the beauty here is not in the feeding process, it´s just cause you see a mother of her baby.

        1. Jajajaja Avatar
          Jajajaja

          with*

        2. Anna Laws Avatar
          Anna Laws

          I respect your opinion, but I believe it is important view matters such as this from another perspective because it challenges the way an individual interprets the world. In that, I feel it is enlightening. Your interpretation of breast-feeding is quite a literal. I see it as symbolic of the intrinsically close relationship between an infant and mother. This is a beautiful relationship because it demonstrates the kindness of human nature when a woman has a baby maternal instinct are triggered telling her body to produce milk to ensure her offspring’s survival. The connections human’s experience is beautiful. It highlights that we are social beings and that support is crucial for individual development, not to say that relationships aren’t just as important at any other life stage.

          1. Rimma Avatar
            Rimma

            So is every mother – infant bond. But you don’t see rats coming out to feed their babies, and those do the same as humans. If you want it for the symbols of it then keep it in the books. In public I think it should be kept minimal. It’s best used to keep the little one quiet in a crowded place, but nonetheless not needed in public. You won’t go fucking in public because it’s a natural thing to do and expresses the bond between man and woman… why would showing tits to feed a baby be any different?

          2. taylor Avatar
            taylor

            Because its very difficult for mothers.. this is another barrier! Say she is at the grocery store and the baby is wailing and she has no car and must take the bus. Have a wailing baby the whole way? Or nurse the baby in public? We should acknowledge how difficult it is to raise a child..

          3. Nerdy Lucy Avatar
            Nerdy Lucy

            Feeding a child isn’t needed in public?

            I’m glad the law states otherwise.

          4. stupid Rimma Avatar
            stupid Rimma

            That is the most stupidest thing I’ve ever freakin heard. Who says something like that, who honestly compares feeding a hungry child to having sex in public. Im only 28 and don’t have any children of my own and even I know how retarded that sounds. Hahaaahaa…some people.

          5. Scott Avatar
            Scott

            Also, just want to point out, it’s hormones that tell a woman’s body to produce milk in their breasts before the baby is even born so it’s ready when they come out. Has nothing to do with maternal instinct. Just saying.

        3. Rebecka Michelle Faris Avatar
          Rebecka Michelle Faris

          I have five kids… It was so painful for me on the first four that by month 2 I was bleeding an in pain and had to stop.. Fast forward to child number five.. I was determined to mKe it work… I figured out what went wrong, and stuck through the struggles of building my supply, pumping when I had to go back to work, and all the other rough stuff.. Then suddenly.. It became easy.. Way easier than having to fix bottles, and clean bottles and remember to bring enough bottles, and keep those bottles the right temp.. And not having to go back home and cut trips short because I didn’t bring enough to make one last stop..and beyond that.. Yes I realized it was so beautiful.. It’s not just feeding your baby , it’s snuggling and cuddling and relaxing with your baby, it’s bonding and playing with her beautiful curls, and stroking her fat cheeks, and being able to just share calm moments with my beautiful child, and she gets to enjoy momma too, she’s never been sick once, she is smart as hell, and is already speaking to me and her siblings in coherent sentences.. She is only 19 months old . I’m sorry for anybody who was left with my previous experience of breastfeeding before I finally figured it out, because you really are missing out.. You won’t understand until you can get to the point these mothers have, then you realize what they’ve all been talking about.. I’m glad I finally got to experience this.

      3. Sarah Avatar
        Sarah

        Shows the maturity and education some people have. To compare bodily excretions with breastfeeding says it all. Hopefully the idiot does not have children.

        1. Dee Avatar
          Dee

          Now that’s not very nice.

          As someone mentioned above, in the sense of which one is “more” natural, I’d say neither. The big difference though is that one (defecating, urinating and such) is a need that one has and can postpone till one finds an appropriate place. The other (breastfeeding) is a need that the baby has. The mother doesn’t decide to just like that nurture her child. The child needs food to survive and does not care for people’s understanding of etiquette and such. And so I believe breastfeeding is perfectly okay in public and there shouldn’t even be a discussion about it’s rightness.

          Calling someone an idiot and wishing he does not produce an offspring is quite cruel though. Especially when he has done nothing to deserve it. Rarely an opinion is concrete, even more so when it isn’t well thought out.

          1. stupid Rimma Avatar
            stupid Rimma

            I Strongly disagree. To compare farting to breastfeeding, as natural as they both are, should no where near be placed in the same category. Even more so to be classified as one being just as natural as the other. Some mothers do not even have that privileged of breastfeeding their children, many mothers dont even have the privilege of having natural birth even. If it wasn’t for medical procedures that now make it possible for difficult births to be seen through, than we would still be as we were 100’s of years ago and many many mothers would still be dieing during labor. Child birth, breastfeeding and mothering babies in general should not be any kind of thing to carried out in conversation so daughtly. Once again, especially coming from a MAN who can so stupidly compare feeding a hungry child from a lucky mother who is blessed to actually be able to do so, to farting or shitting or pissing. Of course people would feel the need to desperately hope he is infertile and then thank the universe for making it so. Like come on, im 28 without kids, as of yet, and even i can see the ignorance and stupidity in it.

        2. Nikolaj Avatar
          Nikolaj

          Well, technically, breastfeeding IS bodily excretion.

        3. McGigi Avatar
          McGigi

          well, moron(ess), i have. my wife doesn’t breastfed them in public because there are social barriers between being a cow and being a mother. capish?

          1. stupid Rimma Avatar
            stupid Rimma

            Two words for you McGigi….”Grosse Pig”
            That’s your new Label.

          2. McGigi Avatar
            McGigi

            how about if I tell you your words motivate me? to piss on you, that is…

    2. Bob Lane Avatar
      Bob Lane

      Grow up.

    3. Sarah Avatar
      Sarah

      You are a moronic flog

    4. Freya Avatar
      Freya

      Those are waste products. Milk is nourishing and valuable for the baby. Totally and utterly different.

    5. Nerdy Lucy Avatar
      Nerdy Lucy

      Oh please. Eating in public is not the same as peeing in public.

  25. toke utter Avatar
    toke utter

    i just wanna join in

  26. peter Avatar
    peter

    Breast feeding Natural? Think about what breasts were created for ?…men’s amusement in sex.., NO,… but for feeding infants ? Beauty and men’s sexual interest is second.

Leave a Reply