Taylor Rose Tignor, a 23-year-old mother from Virginia, came up with breastfeeding Halloween pumpkins that went viral on social media. The photo posted on a popular breastfeeding Facebook account “Breastfeeding Mama Talk,” Today reported.
The photo showed a “mother pumpkin” with eyes and mouth feeding her baby pumpkin in one of her “breasts” and pumps seeds from the other. This depicts the real scenario of how human mothers gather milk for their babies.
Tignor captioned the photo, “This is my ‘pump’ kin. She is so happy to give her baby the perfect seed nutrients.
I’m very passionate about breastfeeding.”
She also said how she wanted to inspire other mothers “to be creative for Halloween” such as what she did to promote the cause. This mom from Virginia also told Today that she fed her two sons with her own milk. She added that this is important “because it’s a very natural bond” and that “the baby gets nutrients.”
As of now, the photo has already gathered around 14,000 likes on Facebook. It has been shared around 7,000 times and around 2,000 comments have been generated. Other moms were inspired by her work and created their own versions as well.
She told other moms to be themselves “in a natural and respectful state,” adding that they should not be “ashamed of what God has given” them to do.
Social media discussions
Netizens are divisive on their reactions and insights about the viral image of pumping Halloween pumpkins. While some commended it, others expressed their disgust on her work.
Facebook user Ariana Ruiz wrote how she was able to relate her life to the photo. She also shared that her four-year-old daughter has been refusing to drink from her breasts and explained that pumping has helped feed her child.
Meanwhile, another netizen wrote that the particular photo is “sensationalizing breastfeeding.” She wrote that instead of normalizing breastfeeding, it has sensationalized the act because women have done it "since the dawn of time."
Some issues
According to the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, the number of women feeding their children with their own milk is increasing.
In 2011, almost 80 percent of infants started drinking their mother’s milk.
However, a stigma still surrounds women breastfeeding their children. Many people associated it with “sexual harassment.” Tignor shared that she has seen several people “being shamed for it.” She added that women should be able to “express a natural thing.”