Instagram Photo Of Toluca Lake Mother Of 2 Breastfeeding On Toilet Goes Viral
TOLUCA LAKE (CBSLA.com) — A local mother of two who shared an Instagram that showed her breastfeeding on the toilet is speaking out about the picture that's received mixed reaction.
Elisha Beach, a stay-at-home mother of two from Toluca Lake, explains that she had crept into the bathroom alone Saturday believing her kids, ages 4 and 11 months, were asleep.
But Beach says that's when her daughter followed her.
"She followed me in and created a trail of mess straight to me and was ready for her morning feed and I just said to my husband, 'Hey, come look at this. You've got to see this,' " she said.
Her husband took a photo showing Beach on the toilet while her daughter was standing up to breastfeed.
Beach posted the photo on Instagram with the hashtags #motherhoodaintpretty and #tmi.
"I just wanted to show people real-life like this is what my daily life looks like. I just see so many moms doubting what they do every day or feeling judged, and it's like the media doesn't really portray what motherhood is," she said.
Apparently, thousands on social media agreed because by Sunday the photo had gone viral, much to Beach's surprise.
"A husband of a friend emailed me and said this is on the front page of Reddit," she said.
But the reaction was mixed.
"I've gotten 'You rock, Mom' 'I do this every day.' 'I'm doing this right now.' 'This is my life right now.' And then I've gotten 'You're disgusting.' 'You have no class.' 'You're a terrible mother,' " she said.
On a Facebook page dedicated to parenting, there were comments in support of Beach, including a post that said: "This pretty much sums up mommy hood." However, some were critical, including a comment that said: "Must we post everything?"
"It is oversharing to be honest, but I purposely overshared so that people can see what my real life is like," she said.
Beach is married to television actor Michael Beach, who has had roles on "ER" and "Sons of Anarchy."
While he is used to the spotlight, she isn't but hopes her 15 minutes of fame spark a conversation among moms.
"I just see so many perfect pictures of motherhood, and frankly it's a little frustrating. That's not what it's like," she said.