Why it should be International Breastfeeding Week every week

I breastfed Wolf for almost six months. That was also (where does the time go?) almost six months ago, but I will never forget this experience. At home it was no problem, but once outside I always made sure that I had my super handy Elvie Pump ; I haven't really breastfed in public much. The only reason I didn't do that was the uncertainty I felt: the times I did it, people looked a bit longer than probably intended by the person in question, but I saw and felt it. Besides Pride, it is also International Breastfeeding Week and Elvie has placed a ‘All boobs are welcome here’ bench in the middle of Amsterdam, on the Berensluis bridge, to draw attention to and open the conversation about this topic. Research shows that one third of Dutch women, and I am one of them, feel uncomfortable breastfeeding in public and almost half even feel the fear that something inappropriate will happen and that is really not okay. A mother should be able to feed her child without shame and with pride, wherever and whenever needed. A baby depends on this nutrition, so why can adults eat a sandwich anywhere and babies (and mothers) have to wait until they are home? The special Elvie bench has already successfully stood in Belgium and Paris and is now in Amsterdam for a few days. It is equipped with nice armrests, toys, and even a changing pad, as that is often really needed after a feeding. Everything to normalize breastfeeding, wherever and whenever.