By
The
debate over public breastfeeding regularly resurfaces in the United States,
where women are strongly encouraged to nurse their babies, even though many
return to work within weeks of giving birth.
An
American model has made a splash by breastfeeding her baby daughter on a Miami
catwalk -- no small gesture in a country where many women still feel
uncomfortable nursing in public.Walking the runway at a Sports Illustrated
swimsuit show on Sunday, Mara Martin stepped out in a sparkling gold bikini
while breastfeeding five-month-old Aria, kitted out for the occasion in green
swimwear and noise-cancelling headphones.In an Instagram post a day later,
Martin expressed thanks for the overwhelmingly positive public response --
which far outweighed the smattering of posts on her social media feed
criticizing the move as "not appropriate" or even "gross.""I
can't believe I am waking up to headlines with me and my daughter in them for
doing something I do every day," she wrote. "It is truly so humbling
and unreal to say the least.""I'm so grateful to be able to share
this message and hopefully normalize breastfeeding and also show others that
women CAN DO IT ALL!"According to Martin and organizers interviewed
Tuesday on NBC's "Today," it was a spontaneous decision to breastfeed
Aria on the runway."She was getting a little hungry and it was her dinner
time, because the show kept getting pushed back," Martin told
"Today."So when one of the team suggested she go ahead and nurse her
on the runway, she said yes.The debate over public breastfeeding regularly
resurfaces in the United States, where women are strongly encouraged to nurse
their babies, even though many return to work within weeks of giving birth.While
all but a handful of US states give legal protection to mothers who breastfeed
in public, much of society remains squeamish about the practice.Cases of women
being asked to cover up while feeding babies in restaurants, in stores or on
public transport sporadically make headlines in the country -- with
"nurse-ins" held in protest to demand wider acceptance of the
practice.In the latest breastfeeding-related controversy, President Donald
Trump weighed in this month to defend women's "access" to formula
milk, after the United States was accused of seeking to torpedo a World Health
Organization resolution promoting breastfeeding.
The
WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding until the age of six months, and partial
breastfeeding for two years or more.
(NDTV)
(NDTV)
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