Mother-of-three singer-songwriter Michelle Branch spoke out on Twitter about being shamed for breastfeeding on a bench by none other than–another mother.
To make matters worse, the patronizing stranger had been carrying her own young infant while scolding the musician for not “being modest.”
Branch said the following in a Tweet about the recent incident:
"I just got shamed by another mother (who was holding her own young infant!) for nursing my 6 week old baby on a bench at a playground while my toddler was playing …"
I just got shamed by another mother (who was holding her own young infant!) for nursing my 6 week old baby on a bench at a playground while my toddler was playing She said I wasn\u2019t \u201cbeing modest\u201d I am in shock that this kind of judgement was coming from a fellow mom!— Michelle Branch (@Michelle Branch) 1647377392
Branch was breastfeeding the newest addition to her family, daughter Willie Jacquet, born to the 38-year-old singer and her husband Patrick Carney on Wednesday, February 2. Together the couple share two children including little Willie Jacquet and 3-year-old Rhys James.
Branch’s mom duties don’t stop there, however, as she also has 16-year-old daughter Owen Isabelle from a previous marriage.
Her distaste for the stranger’s comments continued further in a follow-up tweet which read:
"...and to clarify, I had a nursing tank top on and was seated away from others. It’s not like I walked into the crowd and whipped my tits out. Being a mom is hard enough. Can we not judge one another for how we feed our babies?"
...and to clarify, I had a nursing tank top on and was seated away from others. It\u2019s not like I walked into the crowd and whipped my tits out. Being a mom is hard enough. Can we not judge one another for how we feed our babies?— Michelle Branch (@Michelle Branch) 1647377630
Motherhood has been both rewarding and tragic for Branch who has publicly said she suffered from a miscarriage in December 2020.
She detailed her loss in an Instagram post saying:
"2020 was like, 'nah, I ain’t done yet.' December decided to really finish us off with a bang! No, literally. A bomb went off in downtown Nashville yesterday. And to further twist a dagger in my heart, I experienced my first miscarriage ..."
A year and a half later, Branch took her happy news of Willie’s birth to Instagram.
She captioned an Instagram photo of her newborn on February 2:
“Welcome to the world, sweet Willie girl … Willie Jacquet Carney was born on 2/2/22 ... We're so in love”
In response to a fan, Branch said after the incident she was “in shock.”
I was in shock, so I didn\u2019t say anything back. I\u2019m fuming!— Michelle Branch (@Michelle Branch) 1647379166
Many moms, having shared all-too-similar experiences, empathized with her plight and condemned the stranger's conduct.
In reply, several women told their own stories.
“I had people tell me to go feed my child in the restroom.”
Michelle. I have breastfeed and bottle Fed. I had the worst time breastfeeding because people don't know how to kind their business. I had people tell me to go feed my child in the restroom.— Caity0308 (@Caity0308) 1647429296
"This makes me so upset. I struggled so hard with breast feeding. I dried up because I felt I couldn't feed when I needed to. The pressure on new moms is hard enough."
This makes me so upset. I struggled so hard with breast feeding. I dried up because I felt I couldn\u2019t feed when I needed to. The pressure on new moms is hard enough.— K\u25b3STLES (@K\u25b3STLES) 1647377767
Others are commenting on their disappointment in mothers who judge and confusion toward moms who “mom shame.”
"I just don’t understand why other moms feel it’s necessary to mom shame especially for the most natural thing in the world."
I just don\u2019t understand why other moms feel it\u2019s necessary to mom shame especially for the most natural thing in the world. It\u2019s infuriating. You keep doing what you are doing and taking care of your babies. They don\u2019t like it or agree with it then they can turn their heads!— Catherine Ezell Garrett (@Catherine Ezell Garrett) 1647488118
"Ugh, that's so frustrating, especially when it's coming from another mom! Why is providing nourishment to our babies seen as a shameful thing?"
Ugh, that\u2019s so frustrating, especially when it\u2019s coming from another mom! Why is providing nourishment to our babies seen as a shameful thing?— Deepali (@Deepali) 1647378152
Branch, with whom many mothers can relate, received an overwhelming amount of support in response to her story.
Jane Rosenberg
Jane Rosenberg
@arianagrande/Instagram
@arianagrande/Instagram