Families come in all kinds of different shapes and forms, with all kinds of different ways of doing things that might seem strange to outsiders. I know I was always weirded out when I would have lunch at a friend’s house and their macaroni and cheese was milky and runny, when at home it would be more creamy. Why thin out the cheesy goodness?

Of course, that’s just lunch, and I’m sure that was just a matter of preferences. When it comes to more serious feeding matters however, this family definitely has their own way of doing things.

Breastfeeding has been around since childbirth, and there’s nothing unnatural about it.

The bond created by this method of feeding is so special, and often comforts both the mother and the child.

Not only that, but the health benefits for the child are unmatched.

But where is the line, when it comes to breastfeeding?

Many women who over-produce milk share theirs with other mothers who can’t produce enough for themselves. But is the same idea appropriate when that person is family?

A St. Louis family is turning heads after revealing an unusually close connection.

Facebook | Shug Love 

Julia Cannon, a 22-year-old nurse, and Angela Owns, her 47-year-old mother, breastfeed Julia’s 10-month-old daughter Naomi.

Julia, a bid advocate of breastfeeding, says it all started with Naomi was just four months old.

“I love breastfeeding,” Julia says, adding that she’s been breastfeeding right from the start.

Facebook | Shug Love 

“She would cluster feed all the time,” she told The Sun.

“She wanted to be on the boob 24/7,” she said.

Instagram | @rosetabordanea 

“It was like a comfort thing. One day I really wanted to have a shower and to get out of the house so I headed over to my mother’s. I was in the shower and she needed a feed.”

As the baby called out for food, Julia gave her mom the go-ahead to feed her.

Facebook | Shug Love 

“My mom had already asked me how I would feel about her breastfeeding Naomi,” she said. She had said she’d be fine with it, but up until that point, they hadn’t tried it.

After having five kids of her own, Angela never stopped lactating.

Facebook | Angie L. Owens 

“She still produces milk and we knew she still produces.”

“I was okay with it,” Julia said.

Instagram | @chloecummingsphotography 

“She’s an over-producer. She’s been checked for any problems and had cat-scans done but there are no health problems.”

Julia says that it has brought their family together.

Facebook | Shug Love 

“It was extremely empowering as a woman to know my mom was feeding my daughter from the same breast milk that fed me for years,” Julia told PopSugar. “It was magical and made me feel so good!”

Of course, not everyone agrees that it’s a magical arrangement.

Facebook | Shug Love 

“People say it’s weird, unnatural, and gross,” she told [The Sun]((https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/8758688/i-breastfeed-my-10-month-old-daughter-and-so-does-my-mum/).

“But what is more natural than feeding a baby?” she asked.

Instagram | @munch_free 

“It’s how we all started out. Wet-nursing has been around since the beginning of time.”

Angela feeding Naomi hasn’t become a daily thing, but she’ll still step in when babysitting, maybe a couple of times a month.

Facebook | Shug Love 

“She likes to do it,” said Juila. “We weren’t sure if Naomi would latch on but she did immediately.”

“It was amazing. It’s a huge, huge help for me. A real bond has developed between the two of them.”

Instagram | @carinakelfast 

She explained that the whole thing has been a huge convenience for her, allowing for things most moms miss out on, “I can sleep and get something to eat.”

h/t The Sun

What do you guys think?

Is this arrangement appropriate, or is it too far? Let us know!

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Facebook | Whitney Renee Huntwork 

People Love This Mom’s Defiant Poem About Breastfeeding

Amy Pilkington

Amy Pilkington
March 31, 2019

Culture is weird about a lot of things, but especially parenting culture. Everyone has an opinion about the best ways to do X, Y, and Z, and they are very willing to share those opinions.

It really is baffling how social norms don’t seem to apply when it comes to parenting.

Unsplash | Jenna Norman 

People are more than happy to comment or “correct” parents who are complete strangers when out in public.

Now, I’m not a parent. I may joke that my dogs are my “kids” but I don’t pretend it’s the same thing.

Unsplash | Leandro Cesar Santana 

Still, I just do not get how people can be so rude when it comes to how others choose to parent when out and about.

From commenting on a child’s weight to how the parent deals with a public tantrum, it’s like it’s fair game.

And it seems to be a billion times worse when the topic is breastfeeding.

Because boobs are always controversial.

The conflicting viewpoints are just baffling to me.

Most people seem to agree that if the mother is able — because there are legitimate reasons to be unable or choose not to breastfeed — she should breastfeed her baby.

It has plenty of benefits, physically and emotionally.

But as long as a child is happy and healthy, it’s all good.

And yet, even hardcore pro-breastfeeding people can’t seem to agree on how to deal with it in public spaces.

Even though it is legal in many places, moms who just want to feed their hungry child are judged or called out for “displaying” their breast in public.

Unsplash | Jordan Whitt 

Which is obviously ridiculous.

And one mom decided to call people out for it in the form of a poem.

Facebook | Whitney Renee Huntwork 

Whitney Renee Huntwork is a mom of two boys who was tired of being called out when feeding her baby in public and wanted to have a little fun with her declaration that she no longer cared what people thought.

Her poem, which was accompanied by a photo of her feeding in a supermarket, quickly went viral.

Facebook | Whitney Renee Huntwork 

Anytime. Anywhere. You can stare, I don’t care. I’ll feed my hungry child, here or there, if you don’t like my boob I still don’t care.

In it, she points out the hypocrisy of people judging her when they’re the one’s looking.

Facebook | Whitney Renee Huntwork 

A Restaurant? A store? It’s boob juice galore! A theater? A museum? But you’re more focused on trying to see them! Bottle or boob It’s all just food.

She continued,

Unsplash | Dave Clubb 

You still think I should cover? You should run and tell your mother. pull out your phone and take a picture? But I’m the one who’s the problem?

She concluded with a message to everyone who questions mothers who breastfeed in public,

Don’t you wish we could all mind our business? That would sure solve them! Think I am disgusting? I could say the same? Think I am playing an attention seeking game? You are wrong because you see, really I am only worried about the comfort of my baby and me!

Ultimately, breastfeeding in public is a choice for the mom to make and no one else.

Facebook | Whitney Renee Huntwork 

Sure, some might choose to cover up with a blanket or find a private space, but that’s for their comfort and shouldn’t be dictated by anyone else.

And if you don’t like it, look away, because unsolicited comments about a mom’s boobs are rude and say more about you than them.

Facebook | Whitney Renee Huntwork 

Okkkkurrrr?

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Dentsu 

Japanese Invention Allows Men To ‘Breastfeed’ Their Babies Because Why Not?

Dan

Dan
May 26, 2021

The South by Southwest Festival (SXSW) is a space for innovators. Every year, inventors come from all over the globe to show how their technology could change the world. This year, a Japanese company is looking to innovate in the childcare space with a wholly original idea.

Moms carry much of the childcare burden.

Unsplash | Jordan Whitt 

This isn’t necessarily because dads don’t want to help, or aren’t willing to share childcare responsibilities. One key area where dads just don’t have the equipment to help is breastfeeding.

Dads can help, somewhat.

Sure, they can always give mom a night off by strapping their passed-out baby to their chest and attending an NBA game. But when it comes to feeding time, all dads can really do is offer up a bottle.

Every dad has dealt with this.

Dentsu 

Babies instinctively start trying to get at the breast when they’re hungry. If you’re a guy who’s ever held a baby, you’ve probably experienced a baby looking in vain for a source of milk.

Inevitably, the baby wants to go to Mom.

Dentsu 

When a baby is accustomed to breast milk, sometimes the bottle just won’t do. So what can a dad do? It basically amounts to handing the baby off to Mom so it can be fed.

A Japanese company has a possible solution.

Dentsu 

The Dentsu Group came to SXSW 2019 with a full arsenal of intriguing inventions. But it’s possible that the most intriguing one is the one that looks to solve this age-old parenting problem.

The idea is elegant in its simplicity.

Dentsu 

Called Father’s Nursing Assistant (I’m sure they’ll come up with a catchier name when it hits the market), the device basically simulates breasts. Dads can easily put it on using the attached shoulder strap.

It gives the baby a target.

Dentsu 

Once the device is loaded up with milk or formula, it’s ready to go. Since babies tend to find the breast by its shape and location, this places the milk source right where the baby’s looking for it.

It’s designed to help moms sleep.

Dentsu 

Dentsu notes that moms face a significant burden when it comes to childcare. “Focusing on breastfeeding, we aim to decrease the amount of burden on mothers and increase the amount of time infants sleep by enabling fathers to breastfeed,” they write.

It was done with expert advice.

Dentsu 

The breastfeeding device was designed with advice from pediatricians and babysitters in mind. Noting that the softness of their mom’s breast can be soothing to babies, the device is intentionally soft and rounded.

There’s an app for that.

Dentsu 

It doesn’t seem entirely necessary, but people do love apps. So Dentsu’s device can be connected to a smartphone app that offers all sorts of granular details on what’s going on.

It’s hands-free.

Dentsu 

Because it attaches to the chest using straps, both of Dad’s hands are free to comfort and soothe the baby. In other words, it creates as much of a mom-like experience as it possibly can.

The design is simple.

Dentsu 

One side (Dad’s left) has the breastfeeding system. The other side contains a tank for milk or formula, which is fed across the chest to the breastfeeding apparatus on the left.

It’s still a prototype at this point.

Dentsu 

SXSW is a proving ground for new designs, so there’s no timeline yet for when this device could hit the open market. It’ll likely go through a few tweaks and revisions before it does.

It could be great for moms and dads.

Dentsu 

Many dads want to share equally in childcare duties, but sometimes it just isn’t possible. This device looks like it could be the key to a true 50/50 split of responsibilities.

Dads, would you rock this?

Dentsu 

True, it isn’t the most stylish looking thing ever. But when it comes to childcare, every little thing helps — and this looks like it could help a ton. What do you think? Tell us in the comments!

h/t: Dentsu

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