Some people are attacking, others defending this mom for breastfeeding her baby on Disney ride
In the middle of enjoying a ride in Disney World's EPCOT, Meredith Barnyak realized that a unique moment had been caught on camera.
"As soon as I saw the flash, I was like, 'Oh no, I think all these people have a picture of (me) breastfeeding my baby on this ride,'" Barnyak laughs with TODAY.com.
Barnyak traveled from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Orlando, Florida last week with her husband, her mother and her stepfather. The family was thrilled to introduce her kids — Graham, 3, and Poppy, 1 — to the Disney experience.
Poppy got a little squirmy on the rides.
"She would just pull on my shirt and I thought, 'OK, it's dark out. We're all humans. We're all honestly going to enjoy the ride a lot better and you'll be happier being fed,'" Barnyak says. She was used to breastfeeding Poppy wherever she was and whenever she needed it. So she happily nursed Poppy whenever she needed the comfort, which often happened on Disney's slow-moving boat rides, including Frozen Ever After, where the photo was snapped.
"I am a pretty big proponent of any way you can feed your baby you should be able to do it — in any place," Barnyak says.
Barnyak's cousin, Jo Goddard, happens to run a women's lifestyle site named Cup of Jo. When the photo of Barnyak breastfeeding circulated within their family, Goddard asked for permission to post the photo on her company's Instagram account along with the caption: "My cousin @meredithbarnyak being an absolute MOM on this Disney ride. 💪💪💪🏆🏆🏆❤️❤️❤️"
Barnyak didn't worry about her photo being on social media: "I thought it was a great picture and our family was laughing about it. And so I was more than happy for Joanna to post it."
What she didn't realize, however, was that in addition to the positive comments about how tough breastfeeding moms are, some commenters had concerns.
One woman wrote: "Not to be a stick in the mud but this seems…kinda dangerous?? Am I overestimating the thrill level on this ride? The rest of the adults seem to be clinging on pretty tight!"
Another wrote: "Sorry @cupofjo — big fan of you but this is stupid, dangerous and irresponsible. @disney allowed this? Lifetime Orlando resident and year after year people get hurt or killed on theme park rides — usually for being dumb. I have no words."
Barnyak was surprised by these comments. And as she points out, her son Graham is calmly sitting on her husband’s lap on the other side of the bench. The two children are equally as secure.
"I guess if you look at this picture, it might look like it's an intense ride. But it's a boat ride," she explains. "There's no seatbelts. It's a very nice relaxing ride except that the there is a drop that you don't see coming because it's dark. And that's what that photo was taken."
The Disney website says the Frozen Ever After ride is appropriate for “all ages” and “any height,” noting that it is a slow ride with “small drops.”
Admitting to being a bit "anxious," especially after becoming a mother, Barnyak says she was able to relax while breastfeeding her daughter on rides because she knew Poppy was safe.
"If anything, I felt like it was actually more secure because she was in one place versus me having to juggle her moving around. I wouldn't have breastfed my child if it was a roller coaster," she concludes.
TODAY.com contacted the Disney corporation but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
Many Instagram comments supported Barnyak's attitude toward breastfeeding:
"I nursed my 3 month old on several (height eligible) rides at Disney. This looks like Frozen, and there is a small drop and can be surprising if you're not familiar. This mom looks like a pro in more ways than one 💪🤱"
"Ha ha! I have a photo of me nursing my toddler on the teacups ride!!"
"Ok this might be the best breastfeeding photo ever. It belongs in a museum❤️❤️❤️"
Barnyak says she and her family had a wonderful week at Disney World. But would she breastfeed there again?
"It was a lot of fun, but that's probably one of the most exhausting vacations I've ever been on," Barnyak says with a laugh. "Maybe we'll go back when Poppy's 3 or 4 to see her experience with it."
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
