National Breastfeeding Month is in full effect, and nursing moms have a lot to celebrate at the moment.
Breastfeeding in public just recently became legal in all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. (Thanks to Idaho and Utah finally
coming around.) Rejoice!
With the new sweep in countrywide legislation, there is one mom in particular who is happy for her fellow nursing mothers, actress and TV personality Tia Mowry-Hardrict.
“I’m just gonna be really honest with you,” the actress told ESSENCE in an interview. “I think it’s awesome and amazing that we now can [all] breastfeed in public.”
The 40-year-old gave birth to her and husband Cory Hardrict’s second child, a daughter named Cairo, on May 5. The little bundle of joy joined the couple’s 7-year-old son, Cree Hardrict, who is very dedicated to being an awesome big brother.
After having some struggles with breastfeeding Cree when he was a baby, the
Tia Mowry’s Quick Fix host shared on Instagram that things are different for her this time around.
While the star says she’s ecstatic that women are able to feed their little ones freely, she’s still somewhat reserved when it comes to practicing the act herself.
“But I’m still a little [hesitant and] I tend to do bottles out in public more than I do breastfeeding,” said Mowry-Hardrict. “Now, of course, if she doesn’t want the bottle and she wants to take the boob, there have been several times when I’ve covered myself up and I’ll go ahead and breastfeed in public.”
Mowry-Hardrict continued, “Can I give [an] analogy? When you go to a Korean spa…just stay with me for a minute…you’re fully nude, right? I remember I went to a spa and this woman walked up to me and she’s like, ‘Hey, aren’t you the girl from
Sister, Sister?’ I’m like, ‘Oh, my gosh!’ I’m fully naked, and again I’m like, ‘This is unbearable!’ I don’t know, people would see me just breastfeeding out in public and go, ‘That’s the girl from
Sister, Sister, and guess what, I saw her boob!’ You know? That’s just for me, but I think it’s awesome and amazing that women are able to do it. I think every woman is different [and] every woman has their own comfort level. I think the key is to not judge other moms, or for us to not feel insecure about what other moms are doing.”
The star’s secret to nursing–whether in private or public–remains simple: confidence is key.
“Go at your own pace, go with what makes you feel comfortable,” Mowry-Hardrict shared. “If you’re comfortable with whipping out your boob, more power to the nation. But I will cover myself up, and that’s how I breastfeed my daughter in public. I think the key is for us to not judge whether that’s breast milk, whether that’s formula, whether that’s boob, whether that’s no boob, whether that’s bottle feeding. Let’s all just relax and embrace each other and focus on our babies just being healthy and happy.”
Preach, Tia!
