Pic of mom breastfeeding one baby and bottle-feeding other goes viral: 'Fed is best'
Breast vs. bottle: It’s the parenting debate that refuses to subside. But while there are many benefits to breastfeeding, ultimately a well-fed baby is a happy baby, and that’s the mantra many say is the one for all to adopt.
That’s the point one mom is making in an Instagram post that’s quickly going viral.
Maya Vorderstrasse has two children, daughters Zoey and Hazel, who were born less than a year apart. But while one of her daughters is bottle-fed, she is breastfeeding the other, because that is just how her feeding journey worked out.
Taking to Instagram, the mom-of-two shared a beautiful image of herself feeding both her babies — one is being breastfed and the other is taking a bottle of formula — to show that fed is best.
“I always dreamed I would breastfeed my child as long as I could,” she wrote in the accompanying caption. “I’ve seen so many beautiful and amazing journeys through the bonding and comfortIng experience that it is. I breastfed my first daughter until she was 6 months old, and I loved all of it. It was our time together, so special … and no one could take that from me. I got pregnant when she was 2 months old and by the time she was almost 6 months old, my milk was gone, dried up, like, it disappeared.”
Vorderstrasse went on to say that it broke her heart to have to switch onto bottle feeding and that she experienced feelings of guilt, but then she realized that nothing had actually changed.
“It was still our time, she’d still grab my hair and smile at me with her eyes. She was so happy. Fed. Loved,” she continued.
It was an eye-opening revelation for the mother. And though she went on to breastfeed her second daughter, she learnt that “if life throws her a curve ball or even if she decides to stop, she will be OK.”
A post shared by M A Y A (@mayavorderstrasse) on Sep 4, 2017 at 3:56pm PDT
Unsurprisingly, Vorderstrasse’s empowering post has struck a chord with other moms who’ve struggled with the whole breastfeeding vs. bottle-feeding question, and since posting, it has received more than 10,000 likes and hundreds of comments from parents thanking her for her positive stance on feeding.
Vorderstrasse finished her post by urging mothers to ditch the guilt and appreciate that no matter how you choose to feed your child, you’re making the best decision for them.
“Feeding them is beautiful. Providing for them, seeing them gain weight, grow, and smile and be milk drunk makes my heart jump in happiness,” she says.
“So I don’t know about your journey, but I can tell you that whatever your choice or circumstance, don’t ever feel guilty or like you are inadequate. Ever. Just love them and do the best you can. You’re a rock star. No. Matter. What. Whatever your feeding routine consists of, it is hard being a mother, so let’s show support for each other!”
“To me, fed is best.”
This is the second time the mom-of-two’s Instagram posts have caused an online stir. Earlier this year she went viral for sharing the realities of pregnancy in a series of hilarious snapshots.
Sick of seeing pregnancy and motherhood being portrayed as flawless and perfect on social media, she decided to do something about it.
From intense chocolate cravings to constantly needing to pee, Vorderstrasse chronicled her pregnancy in a series of hilarious photographs that took the internet by storm.
We can’t wait to see what subject she tackles next!
Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:
Hugh Hefner lived a ‘glorified’ life of ‘pimping,’ critics say
Tom Brady’s restrictive diet includes avocado ice cream and bone broth
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