As a renowned breastfeeding photographer, it wasn’t the first time Burke had captured tandem nursing moments, and she shared what she has learned from the experience.
“The connection that comes with breastfeeding one child is different than capturing a mother bottle feeding one child. Not better, or deeper, but different. The connection that comes with breastfeeding two children at once is different than nursing one alone. Not better, or deeper, but different,” she said.
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Burke, a mom of three herself, has nothing but praise for the breastfeeding moms who go in front of the camera. “Women in general have to give up a certain amount of vulnerability to get in front of the camera,” she said. “Mothers, who may be feeling out of sorts in their new body, have an extra layer of vulnerability. A breastfeeding mother has another layer of vulnerability to break through due to social attitudes, and a tandem nursing mother has yet another layer of vulnerability to be exposed as what she is doing is normally met with unkind words and discouragement.”
This is exactly what makes her so protective of her client: “If she chooses to have her images shared online, I get anxiety about all of the negativity that will be sent her way. They have welcomed me into a very sensitive and vulnerable place, and I don’t want that trust to have been misplaced.”
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