When bodybuilder Jordan Musser posted a photo of herself breastfeeding her infant daughter to Instagram, she had no idea that she would receive such mixed feedback.
While many were supportive of the strong mama, some were quick to say that they were “creeped out” and accuse the personal trainer of risking her child’s health. However, as Musser explained on Instagram, all she wanted to be was someone other bodybuilding breastfeeding mothers could look up to.
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The Williamsport, Pennsylvania mom was so surprised by the reactions that she decided to pen an essay about her experience, which was published by the Huffington Post. Jordan begins by opening up about what it’s like to exist in two worlds that don’t typically go together… motherhood and bodybuilding.
Breastfeeding Bodybuilder Opens Up About Her Breastfeeding Journey
“I was not shy about telling people I was a breastfeeding bodybuilder,” she shares. “On the day I first competed post-baby, I told a crowd of women backstage that I was still breastfeeding, and a hush fell over them as they turned to look at me with their overly tanned and stunned, disbelieving faces.”
She goes on to explain the challenges of balancing her two passions. “I was, in a sense, making the task of becoming ready to step on stage as hard as possible for myself for the sake of my baby. I had no advantages.”
She continued, “I had no shortcuts. I was trying to find that delicate balance between nourishing my body so I could nourish my baby’s body and depleting my body without depleting hers.” The champion decided to speak out after feeling misunderstood by those inside and outside of her community.
“Women messaged me to tell me they were shocked by the risk I had taken with my child’s health, that they would never do the same, that they were creeped out. Even some in my own bodybuilding community saw what I had accomplished as weird and unhealthy. Even they, the niche of the niche, thought I had done something too out of the box.”
The breastfeeding advocate shares that she doesn’t feel it’s necessary to completely sacrifice herself for motherhood. “Fitness is me. It is as inherent to me as breathing or laughing. If I lose it, I have lost myself.”
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Musser added, “Without me being the best version of myself, my child will not thrive. In order to pour into my daughter, I must first be filled myself. Fitness fills me. I will do the dishes, I will change the diapers, I will read the silly train book at least 12 times a day and I will pursue my bodybuilding goals.”
Although her motherhood journey has been different than most, one thing is for sure, “I am entrusted with the wellbeing of my child, and I will always do what is best for her.”
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