New breastfeeding awards called The Golden Boobies are SLAMMED for MUM-SHAMING!
This has become very controversial - what do you think?
By Frances Sheen
May 29 2019
A controversial new 'breastfeeding awards' for mums called Golden Boobies has been SLAMMED for shaming mothers who bottle feed.
The bizarre reward system began on baby forums in the United Kingdom, where women revealed their “boob status” and breastfeeding milestones and celebrate them.
According to Darcy Zalewski, the blogger behind Life With Darcy and Brian, the rankings served as “golden star stickers” for mums on their breastfeeding journey.
Many women are giving themselves with “breastfeeding awards” for a time spent breastfeeding their little one.
- Bronze boobs = three months of breastfeeding
- Silver boobs = six months of breastfeeding
- Golden boobies = one year of breastfeeding
- Platinum boobs= 18 months of breastfeeding
- Diamond boobs = two years of breastfeeding or longer
Now the breastfeeding award trend has gone viral. The Badaas Breastfeeder, an Instagram account about breastfeeding run by Abby Theuring, recently posted a picture of a “golden boobies cake.”
While stores and retailers have also picked up on the breastfeeding awards too, selling “golden boobs” keyrings, jewellery, mugs and T-shirts - so mums can show off their status to the world.
However, the whole phenomenon has sparked controversy with mums who don't or can't breastfeed their children. They believe this breastfeeding system alienates or criticises them on the sly - making them feel like they can't compete with other mums.
'It just breeds elitism,' said one. 'I feel like I am being bullied for not being a proper mum. I would love to breastfeed but I can't as I had breast cancer. So now I can't get a Golden Boobies award. It's making a lot of mums feel they're not good enough.'
'Motherhood is hard enough at the end of the day, without some weird ranking system that makes people feel generally bleurgh about themselves,' said another. 'It's like stay at home mums v. working mums - it's all just really un-necessary.'
However Darcy Zalewski of Life with Darcy and Brian says the breastfeeding awards aren’t meant to make women feel bad, and it's all just a little fun.
“They are a way to help celebrate the ability to continue the breastfeeding relationship despite societal pressures and other life factors that can make this difficult,” she writes on her blog. “While natural, (breastfeeding) is not necessarily easy. So for me to reach each milestone along the way has encouraged me to keep going and to made me proud of our accomplishments.”