Moms who choose to breastfeed are often faced with a constant barrage of opinions on how, when, where, and for how long they should do it. Even in the face of constant criticism, brave moms from all over have been outspoken about their breastfeeding decisions. One expert yogi and mom of three has faced a ton of hate from those who say her decision to breastfeed her child while actively practicing yoga is "disgusting" and "dangerous" — but she doesn't plan on letting the vitriol stop her.
Carlee Benear is a stay-at-home mom from Texas who got into yoga after the birth of her second child.
Benear told Metro that she suffered from postpartum depression and started practicing yoga in hopes that it would help with her mental health. She says the practice has helped her tremendously and transformed her experience as a mom.
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"Breastfeeding yoga has helped me combat postpartum depression and has made my breastfeeding journey free of any bumps in the road," she told the publication. "[Like] mastitis, worry of lacking in supply, getting over those first few weeks of tenderness, let down control and the stresses of being needed around the clock – to name a few."
Naturally, Benear began documenting her yoga journey on her popular Instagram account. Her three children, aged 4, 6, and 18, are also often pictured showing off their amazing skills and flexibility.
Benear still regularly breastfeeds her 4-year-old, and often posts pictures of her doing so while folded in complex yoga poses.
While her breastfeeding yoga videos and photos show off crazy amounts of technique and dedication, they also garner a ton of hate from people who think they are "ridiculous" and "inappropriate."
The mom's breastfeeding photos are often bombarded with comments calling her unimpressive.
Some folks also insist that her 4-year-old daughter is way too old to still be breastfed.
They even imply that her breastfeeding yoga poses are a danger to her child.
Luckily, in addition to the harsh criticism she receives, Benear also gets a lot of positive attention.
Whether it be because of her incredible photos, her relationship with her children, or the thoughtful messages she spreads, there are plenty of people out there who are fully supportive of her parenting decisions.
A lot of those people are moms who view Benear as a source of inspiration in their own motherhood journeys.
Some simply want to express their admiration for the beauty of her children and her yoga poses.
And others are fans who respect her perseverance in the presence of all the hate being thrown her way.
At the end of the day, Carlee Benear has made it clear that she doesn't take people's disdain for her choices to heart.
"As far as breastfeeding yoga goes, anyone who has breastfed knows that it is a 24/7 dedication," she told Metro. "I believe as parents it is our duty to make that time for our self because we cannot pour from an empty cup."
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Benear says that she doesn't get too angry with the haters because she views their nasty comments as a "cry for help." Instead of focusing on the bad stuff, she plans on continuing to spread her badass message of love and acceptance with the world because "no one should be ashamed of feeding their children or teaching their children however they feel called to."
