Sports Illustrated Model Says "No One Else’s Opinion Matters" After Breastfeeding Her Baby While Walking The Runway

Dec 11, 2019

Mara Martin was modeling a swimsuit for Sports Illustrated when she made a bold choice. Her 5-month-old daughter was hungry, so Mara decided to feed her - while she walked the runway!

None of this was planned before the show. In fact, the show had been delayed several times. "She got hungry," Martin said of her choice. She "didn't think twice" about breastfeeding her daughter when she did, because to her it was a normal, daily thing.

When the baby is hungry you feed them, no matter where you are.

The magazine editor, J Day, saw Martin breastfeeding and extended the invitation for her to take it on the runway. She accepted immediately and eagerly. She looked amazing - decked out in a metallic gold bikini, her baby nursing in her arms.

Bringing such a quiet moment between mother and child into the public eye is both brave and revolutionary. It made for some amazing pictures.

Martin's gotten a lot of attention for walking the runway while breastfeeding. She expressed her feelings through Instagram later - "Words can't describe how amazing I feel..." she's humbled by the opportunity to model for Sports Illustrated, and to bring her baby along for the ride.

She also harped on the fact that breastfeeding needs to become normalized saying in a later post, "As long as we are all doing what’s best for ourselves and what’s best for our baby, no one else’s opinion matters."

Martin doesn't think of her decision as being difficult, risky, or bold. Breastfeeding is natural to her. She never intended to make headlines or become a viral star. That happened after. But Martin is capitalizing on her newfound fame, encouraging people to normalize breastfeeding.

She expresses her love for her fellow models, the editor and everyone who supported her, and boldly declares that women "CAN DO IT ALL!"

What do you think of a model breastfeeding while walking the runway? Is this a daring move, or something that should be normalized? Tell us your thoughts in the comments, and see what other people have to say.