Vogue Netherlands has included a photograph of their model breastfeeding in a fashion spread and the photo looks great. As some of you may know, I love a non-traditional breastfeeding photo and I collect them on this blog. Mothers looking glamorous or dangerous while breastfeeding are my favourites.
But I just want to say about this photo.. that is a terrible latch, madam. Hurts like hell when a baby sucks on the end of your nipple instead of latching on properly.
blue milk 
Funny. If the baby was latched on properly, you’d hardly see any of her boob.
Yep, I also think the improper latch is on purpose–to show off a perky, well-shaped breast. It’s Vogue, so what do I expect? Still, though, this picture annoys me, and I usually like the glam nursing photos, too. This focus on a “perfect breast” (by general Western society standards)–and therefore on sex–rather than on the fashion (or anything else in the photo) is a little oogy for me. That’s just my opinion, though.
A quote from the wonderful, always-appropriate Mean Girls: “It only counts if you saw a nipple.” I think this is about that. The rest of the breast is seen all the time, in swimsuits, celeb photos, red carpet gowns, etc. Which actually shows just how ridiculous it is when people get all uppity about breast feeding in public! The baby’s latched on–all you can see at that point (almost always) is the outer curvature of the breast. Big whoop.
She must have a fast letdown too. Now why have I never thought to cover my armchair with a bin bag to deal with the spray?
Haha!
Why is she sitting on a garbage-sack ?
I think what everyone’s said about the shape and exposure is true, and the real reason why this pic looks this way. But this is probably how my boobs look when I breastfeed. [TMI warning] my breasts aren’t that big and I have a strong letdown and lots of milk, and my baby pulls away while she sucks, so the breast doesn’t have a hanging shape. Its probably a lot less shapely than this, actually, and might look rather triangular. That said, I think she’s got more nipple than what the bub in the pic has. I think ours must look a crappy latch but it’s not this bad. It’s not painful, but then our feeds are very short. 🙂
That’s a good point–I have small breasts, too, and had similar issues with letdown for a while. There was a lot of unfortunate yanking and squirming to endure!
Thanks Ruby-Q! Although I cannot explain the headpiece.
My breastfeeding bonnet is much smaller.
“Breastfeeding bonnet” – Love love love this!
She does look like her teeth are a little gritted.
[…] Vogue does breastfeeding.. and it hurts (bluemilk.wordpress.com) […]
[…] Breastfeeding and related topics are already good currency for many bloggers. Like many others, Blue Milk commended the photo, which she said looked great and expressed a favor for ‘non-traditional […]
Ha ha ha … great comments! I wonder if the photo might have been snapped just as baby was pulling off the nipple? Mine used to love to play “Stretch that thing OUT!” as they got older. Ouch, is all I can say.
I have experience now to comment! I’ve always admired your BFing photos, are you just googling like mad to find them? My 12 month old feeds like this when we lie down to nurse, and whilst it doesn’t hurt me, I fear my nipple is stretching out to the point of no return! My boobs are a little larger than the model’s, and my baby is older looking than this child, but I can confirm my baby and I have evolved to this latchment, with no pain!
Now I wanna do a dangerous BFing photo shoot! And get a breast feeding bonnet!