The issue of whether a woman should breastfeed her baby in public has generated controversy over time. However, the courage to do it simply depends on the woman herself. Recently, an Australian senator, Larissa Waters, returned to work from a 10-week maternity leave and decided to bring her daughter to the senate chambers, where she breastfed her during a vote.
This singular act makes her the first woman to do so — ever, reports claim.
Last year, the Australian parliament had passed a rule, allowing members to breastfeed during meetings, according to The Courier Mail.
Larissa celebrated the history-making do by tweeting: “So proud that my daughter Alia is the first baby to be breastfed in the federal Parliament!”
As expected, her action generated national and international interest.
She told the BBC, “Well, I think it’s slightly ridiculous that feeding one’s baby is international news—women have been breastfeeding for as long as time immemorial.
“But in another sense, this is the first time this has happened in our Parliament in 116 years, so it’s definitely world history-making.”
She added that the ground-breaking moment was more than just feeding her baby.
“It is also to send a message to young women that they belong in the Parliament, and that they can be both Parliamentarians and moms,” she deposed.
Larissa later took to social media and shared a photo of her history-making-moment and was overwhelmed by the positive feedback.
“Lots of women thanking me for doing it, not just for normalising breastfeeding, which in itself an important issue because there’s still a little bit of stigma in some corners of society.
“But it’s been lovely to hear from the young women and the other moms who’ve said, ‘This is a role model for my daughter or for myself, to know that we can aspire to this sort of occupation.’”