Viral photo shows a mum breastfeeding one baby while bottle feeding another

A mum’s image of her breastfeeding one baby and bottle feeding the other is going viral [Photo: Instagram/mayavorderstrasse]
A mum’s image of her breastfeeding one baby and bottle feeding the other is going viral [Photo: Instagram/mayavorderstrasse]

Breast Vs bottle. It’s the parenting battle that refuses to subside. But while there are many benefits of breastfeeding, ultimately a fed baby is a happy baby and that’s the mantra we should all adopt.

And that’s exactly the point one mum 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 and who she loves equally. But while one of her daughter’s is bottle-fed, the other she is breastfeeding, because that is just how her feeding journey worked out.

I will tell you a little about my journey. I always dreamed I would breastfeed my child as long as I could. 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. I felt my heart shatter, and the guilt consumed me. We had to start bottle feeding and I thought our bond would disappear and that she would think I was not providing for her, until it hit me: nothing had 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. Now I breastfeed my youngest, but the comfort of knowing that if life throws me a curved ball and I have to stop, or even if I decide to stop, she will be ok. Feeding them is beautiful. Providing for them, seeing them gain weight, grow and smile and be milk drunk makes my heart jump in happiness. 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 rockstar. 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. . . Dress by @milkmademarket Braid by @madisonbraids

A post shared by M A Y A (@mayavorderstrasse) on Sep 23, 2017 at 3:44pm PDT

Taking to Instagram, the mum-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 prove 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.”

Maya 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 realised 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 mum. 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.”

Unsurprisingly, the mum’s empowering post has touched a nerve with other mums who’ve struggled with the whole breast Vs bottle feeding debate and since posting it has received over 10K likes and hundreds of comments from parents thanking the mum for her positive stance on feeding.

Maya finished her post by urging mums 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 rockstar. 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 mum-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!

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