Breastfeeding in the Picture

by Lone Lamp and Kit Strand

Two years ago I gave birth to my third child, my first daughter. I was thrilled and thought the world should know. So I sent some Danish friends, living in California, some photos of her.

My favorite was a photo of me nursing: lying on a bed with her, a blue sheet as background, my torso naked. I was looking at the photographer as only a mother to a newborn can do.

The friends told me they had put the photo on the fridge! "We've got a lot of reactions on it. Some love it, others think it's a little too strong."

My first thought when I heard it was, why did they hang it on the fridge in the first place? I didn't want to make anybody uncomfortable. My second thought was, why not? If this is not to show and celebrate, what is?

Some months ago, I met with and old friend of mine, Kit. I introduced her to a new way to distribute our graphic work: the Internet. New to the media, I told her about Breastfeeding.com, as I knew she was a devoted breastfeeder. I told about the culture on the site, the humor, the art, the stories.

Talking about art, we came to discuss if any woman had ever expressed the FEELING of breastfeeding?

Graphic artists both of us, we wondered.

"I've been breastfeeding five years all together. I should know the feeling," Kit said.

"So you would be the right one to do it?" I asked.

At our second meeting, Kit brought some sketches she had made.

I looked at them:

"You might feel like a cow at times, but...?"

The motto "breast is best" is great.

"Breasts comes in many colors, you got a point there."

"Too much breast," I concluded after seeing all the sketches. I miss the feeling of breastfeeding. How about using hearts instead of breasts?"

"Hearts?"

"Yes. It's a symbol of love and tender feelings. And the baby likes the sound from it. After all, it's just behind the breasts..."

"What's wrong about breasts?"

I told her of the fridge-experience some years earlier. I was afraid somebody would feel offended. Kit looked at me:

"OK. If you want hearts, you'll have hearts." The third time we met, Kit brought hearts. In all shapes, colors and combinations.

Kit had made a label with the text "breast is best" that could be placed anywhere in the picture.

"We really got something here," I said. "The message is clear."

Some weeks later, when I was visiting Breastfeeding.com, I noticed some red hearts. A big one and a tiny one close together. What was all that about? I read the headline: formula-recall. Of course. It was the label of a can of formula. I really didn't need to read anymore...

But I had to talk to Kit. "You were right," I said on the phone. "About what?" she asked a little confused. "The hearts are already taken, and guess by who..."

"What are you talking about?"

"Our breastfeeding-art. I'm confident with breasts now."

And I went straight to the basement to take a closer look at the breast-art. A piece made in ripped paper caught my eye. I scanned it into the the computer and made a close shave of the motif. Then I tried the text-label on, in different sizes and places. And here is what I came up with:

"Flooding tenderness"

As a tribute to all breastfeeding moms, we've made the breast-art an e-card. Go to: http://www.hippaper.com/ecard.htm to use the service.

Lone Lamp and Kit Strand
Denmark