Featured Image Credit: Kennedy News and Media
Topics: Parenting, Sex and Relationships, US News, Weird, Social Media
Olivia Burke
Topics: Parenting, Sex and Relationships, US News, Weird, Social Media
A woman claims that 'all of her friends' have turned their back on her after she supposedly showed too much skin, while breastfeeding her son at a wedding party.
Jessica Haizman, 31, says she has fallen out with her 'closest' pals after they took issue with her allowing her then-five-month-old to suckle in front of other guests.
She explained that a few days after the wedding bash last year, one of her mates informed her that she might have unintentionally flashed her nipple, while tending to her son, Dax.
While this pal was reiterating the complaints of other partygoers to her, he ended up also confessing that he found it 'uncomfortable' too as they 'dissected the limitations to his comfort' during the heart-to-heart.
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The chat among friends ended up escalating into an argument, which ultimately spelled the end of their friendship - and according to Jessica, the rest of their companions have now taken his side.
Although she initially felt 'insurmountable' shame about the situation, she later came to the conclusion that she 'didn't do anything wrong' and has since slammed her former friend group online.
Jessica shared a video to Instagram showing her breastfeeding her three-year-old daughter, Adeleine, while offering some insight into the row over nursing Dax in public.
"I never expected to be shamed for breastfeeding…especially not by some of my closest friends," she captioned the post. "It hurt in ways I didn’t see coming."
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Despite being deeply upset by her mates responses to the situation, Jessica now wants to encourage others not to be put off breastfeeding due to critical comments from others.
The mum, from the US state of Illinois, explained that one of her friends initially made the breastfeeding complaint to her husband Alexander Haizman, 33, a few days after the party.
The pal boldly said they wanted to let the couple know about the discourse 'in case [Jessica] wanted to change her approach to breastfeeding.'
This friend in question claimed that during the wedding party, the mum had 'lifted her shirt up' and 'unhooked her bra so her nipple was completely out' before picking up Dax to feed him.
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"I kept questioning myself," Jessica said after finding out about her alleged behaviour. "But even if I did, who cares? That's not the point. Even if I chose to breastfeed that way, that's not a problem.
"I had to remind myself of that, because I definitely got into my head and thought, 'Did I do it, was I weird about it?'
"If I were to maybe have shown a little too much it's because I was surrounded by people who supported me. It wasn't like I was out in public where I was being more discreet.
"I was in a place with people who were supposed to be friends."
The content creator explained that she still isn't sure on who made the initial complaint, as her male friend refused to tell her when he confronted her about the situation.
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Jessica says she was left most upset by his approach to the situation, as he seemed to suggest that nipples are 'forbidden to be seen' during breastfeeding while they rowed.
She continued: "But you can't really breastfeed without a nipple. If my friend had originally taken that criticism from this random person and was like 'Jessica's breastfeeding, no big deal', I think there wouldn't have been a problem at all.
"Unfortunately I still don't know who it is and it opened up some feelings from other people and other friends.
"In the end of it, I lost not only this relationship I had with a friend, but a lot of other mutual friends scooted to his side," she said. "I couldn't even fathom it was a possibility. It's crazy to me.
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"I wanted it to be clear that under any circumstance feeding your baby is not a sexual act and is okay in any situation. It's almost the most natural thing you can possibly think of."
The parent reckons that nipples are unnecessarily 'sexualised in today's society' and that this stigma 'overpowers this beautiful natural act' of breastfeeding.
She explained that she 'loves' feeding her kids in public and she wants other mums to continue doing it to, despite what other people may think.
"Be the exposure and be the person who makes an influence on another mum," Jessica said. "Remind yourself that it's okay and natural and beautiful and you're not doing anything wrong at all."
You're probably better off being Billy no-mates rather than being told how and when to breastfeed your offspring, don't you think?