When new moms decide to take on breastfeeding, it's not always what they think it will be. Moms are so flooded with information about the benefits of breastfeeding that they don't often think about the trade-offs. The process doesn't always come easily to mom or baby. It sometimes requires a lot of dedication and can also be painful for mom. We also live in a world where some people are still uncomfortable seeing others breastfeeding. That means that breastfeeding or pumping can be met with negative opinions, restrictive policies, and other barriers.
Yet as mothers endure the hardships that can come along with the natural process, they still put their babies first. The bond between mom and child makes it so worth it for these women, who are at the beginning of the selfless journey that is parenting. Paula Goodwin was breastfeeding her son at a restaurant when little Zachary decided to take care of mama while she was taking care of him in a genuine, sweet moment caught on camera. The result is a precious video that went viral.
Paula Goodwin loves being a mom. She never expected that it would land her in a viral video.
Paula and her husband, Santwaun, have been married for 14 years. They've built a beautiful family together.
They have three kids. Trell is 16, Khloe is 8, and Zachary is 3.
When a Facebook group called Breastfeeding Mama Talk contacted Paula about posting a video of her breastfeeding Zachary from years ago, she didn't think much of it. Since then, the video has gotten over a million views.
The magical moment happened when Paula was breastfeeding Zachary at a Mexican restaurant they were eating dinner at. As Paula fed Zachary, he reached over to a nearby plate to grab some french fries, which he then fed to Paula.
Paula recapped the story behind the video to Today. "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," Paula recalled.
When she realized what he was doing, she knew the moment needed to be documented. "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!"
While the original video didn't get much attention, Paula reposted it in the wake of Rachel McAdams and Hilary Duff's recent breastfeeding photos. That's how Breastfeeding Mama Talk came across the video.
Paula elaborated on what the moment meant to her in a comment on the page. Breastfeeding has come to mean a lot to the mom of three.
Those who have seen the video have been amused by how adorable the moment is. It's got a lot of breastfeeding moms wishing their kids would do the same.
Many moms have faced the struggle of trying to eat while breastfeeding. It's led to a lot of eating food off of babies' heads!
A lot of people shouted out Zachary's big sister, Khloe, for her help. She extended the little guy's reach to get those fries!
Paula told Today that she can see how the simple video is meaningful to breastfeeding moms. "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."
As for Zachary, he'll be 4 this year and is shaping up to be quite the little man. "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?!?!"
