Any parent can tell you that there’s no standing between a hungry baby and their next meal! It doesn’t matter if you’re at the movies or just trying to get your shopping done, usually the best course of an action is to get that baby fed. After all, a quick snack can turn a cranky, fussy baby into a smiley, sleepy baby almost instantly!
This philosophy is a core tenet of a parenting practice called Secure Attachment Parenting, which is devoted to creating a close, responsive bond between mother and baby, no matter the scenario.
And for one mom in Montreal, it’s a parenting philosophy that doesn’t take the day off, even when it happens to be her wedding day!
Christina Torino-Benton made waves when she posted a beautiful snap from her mid-June wedding ceremony on the Facebook page Breastfeeding Mama Talk.
The picture, captured by wedding photographer Lana Nimmons, quickly caught fire, going viral with more than 8,000 likes.
But it was no run-of-the-mill wedding photo. The image showed Torino-Benton seated in the church during the ceremony, with her dress pulled slightly down to allow her 9-month-old to nurse.
Check out the photo below and read on to learn more about this incredible moment between Mom and baby!
Christina Torino-Benton's wedding day, on June 18th, quickly became a viral sensation when she posted this photo from the ceremony to a breastfeeding support group on Facebook called Breastfeeding Mama Talk.
Her post, added three days after the ceremony, read, "That moment when you're getting married and your baby gets hungry. Feeling SO proud of myself! Fighting that good fight!"
The image, captured by Lana Nimmons, shows Torino-Benton, fully attired in her wedding gown during the ceremony, nursing her little girl Gemma.
Torino-Benton and her husband, Danny Benton, are parents to 9-month-old Gemma.
Naturally, the little cutie-pie was on hand for the big day, as her parents tied the knot, but a wedding ceremony is a lot to ask of someone so teeny tiny!
Though Mom fed her baby ahead of time, the tot, understandably, got cranky and overheated in the church.
Torino-Benton is an advocate of a parenting style called Secure Attachment Parenting.
This style involves nurturing your baby extensively, with lots of warm physical contact and speedy responses to the child's discomfort.
Moms practicing this form of parenting will often breastfeed for at least a year, and may also choose to keep their little one close most of the time in a wrap or baby sling.
Torino-Benton told LittleThings, "I find it important at such a young age to feel safe and secure and loved."
She also notes, "I cherish the closeness that comes with it."
For Torino-Benton, mother to little Gemma, and her older sister Olivia, attachment parenting was something she discovered just by following her natural instincts as a mom.
She also explained that there was never any real question for her about whether or not to feed her baby during the ceremony.
As she describes it, feeding Gemma wasn't so much a deliberate move as it was an example of her mother's instinct in action.
She writes, movingly, "I don't know if I consciously "chose" to feed her during the ceremony… She was upset and hot and hungry, and I'm her mother. No matter where I am or who I'm with, I'm her mother and I need to take care of her."
As a culture, we see plenty of brides who look at their wedding day as a chance to be the center of attention.
For Tornino-Benton, nothing could be further from the truth.
Yes, she looked absolutely stunning in her gown, but it's very clear that the ceremony is all about family and unification. It's everyone's big day, from Mom in her gown to little Gemma.
We just love the beautiful sentiment behind Torino-Benton's loving care of her daughter.
It was a simple, ancient expression of love that's as old as motherhood itself: If your child is hungry, you feed him or her, no matter what.
If you love this sweet bride's affirmation of that simple truth, make sure to SHARE this lovely family's story with all of the moms you know!
