Victoria's Secret Model Shares Sweet Breast Milk Pumping Selfie (PHOTO)
Image via: inquisitr.com
Get ready, world, because the next step in the quest to normalize breastfeeding so that it becomes an acceptable thing to do in "polite" society is here—and Victoria's Secret model Doutzen Kroes is leading the way with her latest photo, which shows a less "glam" side to nursing: pumping milk.
The gorgeous supermodel and mother of two isn't timid when it comes to proving to the world how beautiful and natural nursing can be, though the majority of her previous breastfeeding photos are similar to the one Gisele Bundchen took—which infuriated lots of women by making breastfeeding seem far more glamorous than it might be for most of us. The most recent photo Doutzen shared on Instagram is very different:
Those of us who have nursed know the act of nurturing our little ones is extremely satisfying and can be relaxing. And, hey, there's no reason why we can't do it while having our faces and hair made up, ala Gisele and Alyssa Milano. But many moms, particularly those of us who have to go back to work or want to leave the house once in a blue moon, also know pumping milk is one of the most tedious, but necessary, of nursing duties.
When I first got a glimpse of Gisele breastfeeding her 1-year-old daughter while being pampered and done up for a photoshoot, my first thought wasn't: fraud! This is Gisele's reality and it isn't any less authentic than that of your typical working mom rushing to breastfeed her child at 6 in the morning before scrambling out the door to catch a train.
But I love Doutzen's pumping photo for the opposite reason: it depicts a few minutes (make that 30 grueling minutes for some moms) in the life of a busy woman who is using her limited time to pump milk. Some may argue this photo doesn't make women want to breastfeed any more than if a gorgeous model posted a picture of her bloody, bruised nipples or mastitis, but I don't think that is the point.
Every single photo we see of a celeb or average mom breastfeeding or doing anything related to breastfeeding is a step in the right direction because it helps more women feel comfortable about nursing. It may make some women think, well, if a Victoria's Secret Angel is clocking in hours on her couch trying not to fall asleep from boredom while pumping milk, I can do it too.