A young mother and bride has made a strong protest with the softest of photos.
Emma Coleman, 19, from Seattle shared a photo of her breastfeeding nine-month-old daughter Catalaya on her wedding day.
The image was uploaded to Facebook mother’s group Breastfeeding Mamas Talk and captioned with a powerful shout out to other young mums.
“Being young I know the added pressure to do right by your child and I’m glad I stuck with it,” she said.
“Even on my wedding day I found a way to make it work.”
Coleman went on to say the image of her standing alone with her daughter was one she truly cherished.
“It’s one of my favorite pictures from that day,” she said.
The image – taken by photographer Hannah Malhan – shot to popularity as thousands of users liked, shared and commented.
Coleman shared with the Huffington Post how she as a young mum has struggled with the judgment of others.
“People tend to judge my parenting skills,” she said.
The mother went on to explain how the image was also a testament to her journey in struggling to breastfeed.
“At the beginning it was hard and extremely demanding,” she said.
“It still is at times. But for me, it came so naturally and I’m very lucky. It’s not always so easy to be successful at it. Breastfeeding is literally a full-time job!”
The 19-year-old ended with the hope those who view the image will be inspired by the bond she and her daughter share.
“I hope that when people see the picture, they feel the love and the connection I have with my daughter,” she said.
Feature image via Facebook.
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