Plenty of pictures highlight the beauty of breastfeeding ... but bottle feeding? It's much photographed -- but rarely celebrated. Photographer and mom of three Nikke Whitman thinks it's time that changes -- which inspired her to begin a photo series called Bottle Feeding is Beautiful Too.
Let us be clear: She is not bashing moms who breastfeed, not by far. She just feels that bottlefeeding has been getting a bad rap and needs some positive PR.
"Both breastfeeding and bottlefeeding are incredibly beautiful, but I felt in photography the bottle side had not been portrayed that way," says Nikke, who lives in Graham, Washington. "I wanted to help change that, as well as educate people on why a mom would choose to bottlefeed."
By photographing gorgeous images of babies bottlefeeding, Nikke hopes to curb the disappointment moms may feel in a society where they constantly hear the message "breast is best."
More From The Stir: 15 Good Reasons for Formula Feeding Every Mom Can Agree On
"I don't want a mom to feel shame for nourishing her baby via bottle," Nikke says. "My hope is that as moms and a culture we would encourage one another in doing what is best for our babies. Whether bottle or breast, it comes down to doing what works for baby and mom."
And the heartfelt response she's gotten from these photos has made her efforts all worth it. "I have had such amazing positive feedback and it has blessed me tremendously," says Nikke. "Many moms have shown me their own beautiful pics of bottlefeeding their sweet babies. The stories are countless out there, and those stories matter. I see so many moms that bond with their babies in various ways."
Photo #4 reveals a surprising benefit of bottle feeding we'd never thought of before!
Image via Nikke Whitman Photography/Facebook