Baby feeds mom fries while she breastfeeds him — and the internet loves it
Breastfeeding may not always be pleasant, but one baby did his best by literally lending his mother a helping hand.
Paula Goodwin, a mom from Charleston, South Carolina, has gone viral, thanks to a video in which her son, Zachary, feeds her french fries while she breastfeeds him at a Mexican restaurant.
The clip, which was actually recorded in June 2016 when Zachary was 18 months old, has generated more than 2 million views and countless comments, many from folks who can't get enough of the cute moment, proving once again that many people will respond positively to breastfeeding.
"Teamwork makes the dream work lol," wrote one person.
"I hope my 4 month old will be this thoughtful when he’s older," wrote another.
"This was a moment I’ll never forget and am so ecstatic we got it on video!” Goodwin herself wrote in the comments. “Love my babies and the experience of exclusively breastfeeding my last one! I even had a chance to wet-nurse! The 3 yrs of nursing is something that changed my life and will carry with me through the remainder of it.”
Goodwin tells TODAY the video "got very little attention" when she initially posted it, but she decided to put it up again with different hashtags after Hilary Duff and Rachel McAdams posted shots of themselves pumping. That led to the Breastfeeding Mama Talk page picking it up, where it went viral.
Goodwin, who also has a daughter, 8, and son, 13, says Zachary never fed her again while being breastfed. "This was something he'd never done before and hasn't since," she tells TODAY.
So, how exactly did it happen? "During nursing I noticed he started shoving what I thought were his fingers or some other gross object that does not belong in the human mouth into my mouth," she said. "But when I realized what he was actually doing, I asked my sister, Traci, who was with us to see if she could catch some of it on camera. And the rest is history!"
And while breastfeeding in public may rub some people the wrong way, Goodwin is relishing how the clip has connected with people.
"Needless to say my adventures in breastfeeding have been awesome," she wrote, in part, on her Instagram page.
Goodwin is also touched by how many people can relate to her breastfeeding. "The warm and loving responses have been so amazing to read," she said. "I feel when mothers see this it will strike a nerve just due to the many levels of breastfeeding it touches on. As simple as it is, you can still kind of get the feeling of what a nursing mother goes through; the tired nights, rushed, cold meals, and the hope that your selflessness will live on and not go unnoticed by your children."
And has Zachary himself changed as a result of this viral sensation? His mother thinks he may have. "He has become quite the little gentleman," she said. "He opens doors and always makes sure I walk ahead of him. He absolutely knows the meaning of 'ladies first' and maybe it started that day in the restaurant?!?!"
Goodwin would also love if Zachary's action had a lasting impact. "I hope everyone can take away a little love and laughter because that’s what the world needs more of right now," she said.
