It was meant to be a quick clip of the dance floor at her cousin’s wedding in Port Alden. Instead, a 14-second video of Ana Vukić dancing while discreetly feeding her five-month-old son in a baby carrier has been viewed more than three million times and set off a fierce online debate about breastfeeding in public.
The video, filmed by another guest and posted with the caption “Mom of the year,” shows Vukić swaying to the music with her baby snuggled against her chest, a light shawl draped over both of them. Guests around her are laughing and clapping along.
Praise and criticism
Many viewers, especially parents, celebrated the moment. Thousands of comments praised her for refusing to sit out the celebration and for showing how ordinary feeding a baby can be.
Others were critical. Some said a wedding was not the place, while others questioned whether it was safe to feed a baby while moving. A smaller group accused the guest of filming without permission.
I didn’t plan to make a statement. He was hungry, I didn’t want to miss my cousin’s first dance, and the carrier makes it easy. That’s the whole story.
Ana Vukić, mother
What the experts say
Lactation consultants say feeding a baby in a well-fitted carrier is common and, done carefully, safe. The key is making sure the baby’s face is visible, the airway is clear and the baby is held snugly in an upright position.
Mothers feed on buses, in parks and at weddings every day. What is unusual here is only that somebody filmed it.
Katarina Lund, lactation consultant at Port Alden Maternity Clinic
The country’s equality law protects the right to breastfeed in public places, including restaurants and event venues.
A conversation worth having
Vukić says she has received hundreds of messages, most of them kind, and that the bride has told her the clip is her favorite moment of the day. She asked the guest to add a note to the video saying it was shared with her consent.
Parenting groups say the debate shows how much pressure new mothers still feel to hide feeding, and they hope the attention will encourage more venues to offer quiet spaces for families who want them, without making anyone feel they must use them.
Comments 3
I fed my daughter in a carrier at my brother’s wedding too. Nobody noticed, which is how it should be.
The bride calling it her favorite moment is the best part of this story.
Fair enough, but filming someone without asking first is the real problem here.