Undaunted by the task of nursing twins, she is still nursing her two beautiful little ladies, no small feat.

I asked her if she’d like to be in my #breastfeedingtriumphs series.
She agreed!

Here’s what she had to say:

• When I found out I was going to have twins I had no idea that I’d still be nursing well into toddlerhhood. I didn’t think it would be possible but IT IS! I thought I’d have to pump and bottle feed but the twins fell into a rhythm when it came to nursing that it worked out perfectly. You see I started out with a ruined nipple from a nurse manually expressing me as it was flat. I don’t know why I couldn’t just pump on that one breast to help it “form” but I left the hospital in such pain I was worried she damaged my nipple for good! Thankfully through warm compress and TLC I was able to use that breast. I got the hang of tandem nursing when the twins had better head control but I still prefer to feed one at time as I like the one on one I get with each twin. My girls love it and I don’t see us stopping any time soon. With breast feeding twins it’s hard work but you have to push through it. There’s always a light at the end of tunnel. It’s just so convenient and works for us.

She’s a creative individual who has two fun-loving kids. When she inquired about doing a session during Cherry Blossom season with her kids, I suggested a nursing session to her.

She agreed, and I’m so grateful she did. As a new mom Ella felt a little self-conscious about nursing in public. But the second time around she is much more confident.

It’s always a true joy to photograph women who have embraced their bodies for their natural intended purpose. Women who no longer feel objectified while doing what comes most naturally to them.

Kudos to you Ella.

What an amazing example you’re setting for your daughter

As a mom of two babies who didn’t exactly recover her body in between pregancies, you could say I’m feeling a little vulnerable when it comes to my body. You could also say that I pretty much hide from the camera a lot of the time (one of the benefits of being a photographer is that you are expected to take more pictures than you are expected to pose for).

Still, I saw my children’s lives rolling along a breakneck speed and I wasn’t in any of the photos. Here I was preaching to all the moms I met how important it was for them to get in the photo, and I wasn’t doing it myself.

I do try not to dwell on my body and it’s current state too much. I try not to say anything negative about my body in front of my children, and I try to honour the place that grew my two littles. It’s not always easy. Some days I just look in the mirror and sigh. I know that they won’t be little forever and the day where I can make myself a priority again (at least for a few hours a week) will come.

But in the meantime, I can’t let their childhood be documented in my absence. And truth be told with proper posing even someone who isn’t thrilled with how they look in the mirror, can be quite pleased with how the camera treats them.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with how you look, and realistically there isn’t really anything wrong with how I look either, I just don’t like it. And pretending that I should just get over it won’t change that fact. Maybe, like me, you’re working on loving yourself a little more, and that’s awesome. But as we do that, can we just take some pictures of us that don’t make us cringe?

xoxo

Carrie

One of the strong values that I want to continue to see reflected in my business, is supporting mothers who breastfeed.
It’s not always easy, and we still live in a society that makes some women feel uncomfortable with the simple process of feeding their child the way that nature intended. I truly believe that the best way for us as a society to accept breastfeeding as the norm is to see it. See it in person, in pictures, on television ect… We see breasts in so many other ways in the media every day, and no one bats an eyelash over it. So let’s make sure no mama ever feels like she can’t nurse her little one in public.
Join me at the East York Civic Centre on Saturday, Sept. 29 for the 2012 Breastfeeding Challenge. Mamas and their nurslings are invited to come out and celebrate the joys of breastfeeding from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. There will be a fashion show from the great ladies at Evymama as well as some great door prizes. I’ll be doing some nursing portraits on site, so stop in say hi!

P.S. this beautiful mama is NOT me, but she is my first breastfeeding portrait client. Every time I look at the photos from her session, I am struck by how gorgeous she and her baby are together.