Mom, wife, nurse, instructor, student, and everything in between
Breastfeeding is how I connect with being a mother the most! I realize it is not a step in everyone’s parenting journey for reasons in and outside of their control. I have a lot of gratitude to be able to use breastfeeding to establish and strengthen a bond, protect my baby and relax me without too much effort involved. Don’t get me wrong, I do have to eat a lot to keep up with the caloric demand of breastfeeding and try to always have healthy food and drinks on hand.
I am still able to find many rewards aside from motherhood through work, studies, and activism. That is why clothing is so important. I started my master’s degree when my fourth baby was 2 weeks old, so I brought him to class with me. Public breastfeeding is about confidence so having clothes that were ‘easy access’ allowed me to nurture my son while still being able to participate in class!
During my maternity leave with my second baby, we lived in hot climates, so it was a much easier environment to feed him in. Being the feature in this winter issue is meaningful to me because it is definitely the time of year where there are a lot of social events and parents need to consider how they are going to stay warm and still feed their baby without stretching stripping off clothing. Whether it’s a quick button or a flip of a slit, the clothes in this issue allow me to be a fashionista and a nurturing mama all in one go!
By Kaleigh Ortega
Photos by Irrart Photography
