Moms told to join "boob-olution" and breastfeed in public

NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (WWLP) - A campaign to empower moms to breastfeed is underway, as hundreds of moms are pledging to nurse in public. Organizers are calling it the “boob-olution.”

TheBump.com , an online resource for moms, is asking new moms to not be shy about breastfeeding in public. It set aside Wednesday as national Public Display of Breastfeeding Day, and more than 1,000 moms have pledged to nurse their babies outside of their homes.

Belchertown mother Hope Guardenier told 22News that women should not be ashamed when breastfeeding in public.

“I'm breastfeeding in public quite a bit,” she said. “It's perfectly natural and that's what he should be eating, and I think if more moms did it there would not be this stigma.”

Kristen Bernard, an independent midwife at Cradle in Northampton , says that breastfeeding provides important benefits to growing babies.

“Breastfeeding is a great way for babies to have an enhanced immune system in the first months of life,” she said.

Bernard told 22News breastfeeding is not just good for the baby, but for the mother as well. The act of breastfeeding burns hundreds of calories, and moms who breastfeed tend to lose weight faster.

Still, not everyone wants to feed their babies out in public. A TheBump.com survey found that 14% of moms are not comfortable nursing their babies in public.