“We are not ‘still’ nursing, we are just nursing.”
Natalie McCain started The Honest Body Project with a single aim in mind – to make women feel better about themselves and love their bodies.
Her latest photo series features intimate photos of mothers nursing their children beyond 12 months to “open the eyes of many who are wrongfully judgemental towards extended nursing,” also know as full term nursing.
Not every mum would be comfortable nursing a toddler (or a small child) and that is what makes these photos so incredible, they help us to look past the stigma.
“No mother deserves to be judged for how she chooses to feed her child,” McCain writes on her website.
“I personally nursed my children while they were toddlers and I can speak from experience when I say it is a very natural, beautiful thing.
“It’s time we support one another. What works for one family, may not work for yours, but that does not mean it is wrong.”
As with all of McCain’s photos, the images are accompanied by the stories of the women within in them.
In this case, the mothers share why they’ve chosen to continue breast-feeding and the connection they feel from nursing.
“From the outside breastfeeding a child who isn’t a ‘baby’ anymore may seem strange,” one woman writes, “but as the mum nursing a child ‘this long’ I can tell you it just feels like another stage of nursing following the one before it.”
“I’ve held this child and nursed her day after day since the day she was born and though over time she has gotten bigger and heavier and nursing has changed she is still my baby girl and it still feels just as right as it did the first time I nursed her.”
Have a look through the rest of the photos below:
Nursing mums on The Honest Body Project.
You can view the rest of the photo series on The Honest Body Project, or follow McCain’s work on the project’s Facebook page.
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Top Comments
I.come.from a culture where breastfeeding is as normal as ever,my dad was even breastfed till he was 5/6 yo. But having experienced breastfeeding myself twice it becomes less and less appealing. I get the idea of trying to normalise it and push people to breastfeed because of the benefits, but I think we need to also work hard to try to normalise the fact that its hard and at some point some of us will give up, and thats ok. Hooray for breastfeeding, and hooray for not being able to breastfeed.
I'm a 44 yo first time Mum who just finished breastfeeding my 2 1/2 yo daughter 3 weeks ago. I'm truly grateful to have had the privilege. It never felt anything other than natural. I hope you keep up these stories to help normalise breastfeeding beyond the first year. Beautiful photos.