Sure, breastfeeding moms are a beautiful sight … but are they goddesses? Hinsdale, Illinois, mom and photographer Ivette Ivens sure thinks so — which is why she embarked on a photo project that has made many swoon: Breastfeeding Goddesses.
"I define 'goddess' as a female with supernatural powers," says Ivette. "A woman's body makes food for her baby — isn't that a superpower? I really think that every mother — breastfeeding or not — is a goddess."
And apparently many others agree: Once Ivette started posting these photos online, people ate them up, and asked for more. The photo series has even become so popular it's morphed into a book (which can be pre-ordered on her website).
Given all the breastfeeding harassers and "haters" out there, Ivette hopes these images will encourage more people to treat breastfeeding moms with the respect they deserve.
"I'm beyond happy that it's already making a difference," Ivette says. "I get sweet e-mails from all over the world, even from people who don't have children yet, saying that they'll smile and encourage every nursing mama they see."
Check out some of her gorgeous images in this slideshow.
Don't you wish you could close your eyes and magically be transported to #3?
Image via Ivette Ivens Photography
At One With Nature
"This photo is of Ellen, my sweet friend from Hawaii," says Ivette. "Our lifestyles are very similar: We both are passionate about vegan lifestyle, attachment parenting, and extended breastfeeding. Here she is breastfeeding with the mighty jungle in the background."
Juggling Baby & a Business
"This is one of my favorite images, and Jessica is such a rad mother!" says Ivette. "She's running her own business from home and inspiring people to be healthy and get fit. We did this shot at her place, where she's sitting on a toy box her dad made for her when she was a kid. I usually shoot outdoors, but that winter day was really freezing, so we decided to make the best of our available surroundings."
Paradise
"My friend Ellen took me to this hidden waterfall in Hawaii," says Ivette. "We made epic nursing pictures. It was wonderful!"
Font of Creativity
"This mom, Vaiva, is Lithuanian like me," says Ivette. "She lives in Big Island, Hawaii, and flew to me when I was visiting Maui to be photographed on a lovely beach. She's a great writer and has released two books already. Now that she's a new mother, I wonder how will it reflect in her new work."
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Into the Woods
"I photographed Alina while she was pregnant," says Ivette. "It was such a blessing to see her baby girl a few months after. This photo was taken in Chicago in the forest. I love shooting in woods."
Welcome Home!
Ivette's description of this tandem nursing mom is short and sweet: "Anytime. Anywhere." That's right — moms don't even have to hit the fridge or a grocery store to feed their kids; it's as simple as sitting on your porch. And according to one Facebook commentator, this "goddess" is following a long and storied tradition. "I saw this growing up — I was on a bus at the time," he said. "All the people didn't care. It was a natural thing to do. I was 10 at the time, now 73."
Reason to Celebrate
Since Ivette is Lithuanian, it makes sense she'd honor this country's Mother's Day celebration on May 3 — a week earlier than ours — by posting this shot on Facebook with the caption: "Happy Lithuanian Mother's Day!"
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A Loving Embace
Ivette posted this photo on Facebook with the caption: "Love opened up my eyes." We're not sure if those are her subject's sentiments or her own, but they're beautiful nonetheless.
Fruits of Our Labors
"This mom is stunning, and such a sweetheart!" says Ivette — and many of her Facebook fans agree. One commentator gushed, "This is beautiful! We are so used to thin models flooding our FB feeds that we forget what a women's true beauty is. Bravo for this mommy."
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