A mother claimed that she was shamed for breastfeeding in public by one of the Disney World photographers, who refused to take her picture while she nursed her daughter.
According to the mother, the photographer plainly said, “You have to cover up or take the baby off for the picture” and refused to take the picture.
What Happened?
Natalee Jorge-Martin of Miami, a 28-year-old business owner and blogger, was at the Orlando Disney theme park with her one-year-old daughter Delilah and husband Rogelio in 2017, according to the Daily Mail.
The family asked to have their picture taken by a professional photographer but were told they weren’t allowed to breastfeed on camera. The photographer told her that she needs to either cover up or take the baby off for the picture.
“I was so confused, I honestly couldn’t believe what was happening and I was completely frozen. I couldn’t even react,” Jorge-Martin said. “Most of Disney World is completely breastfeeding friendly. You can nurse anywhere in the park and not be asked to cover up or leave–not by cast members at least.”
Both Jorge-Martin and her husband have always loved Disney and had been regular visitors to the theme park. However, they both now feel let down and targeted after the incident.
“If you are offended by breastfeeding, you’re probably staring too hard. It’s literally just a mother feeding a child, there’s nothing to be up in arms about.”
The Mother Has Something To Say
Jorge-Martin, a wife and a mother-of-one, wants to get rid of the stigma of breastfeeding in public and desexualize women’s breasts.
“I’ve always seen women who breastfeed in public as strong, powerful and wonderful mothers. It’s perfectly normal to be nervous to nurse in public because I was at first, too. The problem is that women have been sexualized for years and our society oppressed us and wants our breasts on display to fulfill sexual fantasies, not the way that they were intended, which is to feed babies,” the Daily Mail cited Jorge-Martin.
“Because of this, you might feel like you’re doing something wrong when really all you’re doing is what your body is meant to do. Feeding your child is a basic human need that is essential to their survival.”
“Although you may feel nervous, you should do it anyway, even if you’re covered up. The more people see a woman proudly nursing in public, the quicker it will be normalized.”
As a blogger, Jorge-Martin shared her own experiences and thoughts on her personal blog Nat The Natural Mom, where she tries to create a community for mothers to embrace nursing and share their personal experiences.
“Women are strong, and we are powerful. We bring life into this world and many of us sustain that life for months after birth just our breasts,” said Jorge-Martin. “We need to start reclaiming our power and our bodies because we are made of magic.”
Disney World hasn’t yet commented on this incident.