Daisy Roffe-Silvester and Lillian Tai are milk sisters.
After Daisy was born, it was two months before her mum, Emily, could breastfeed comfortably.
Emily’s friend Sandy Tai, whose daughter was just five months older, nursed Daisy in those first two months.
“For me personally it was eight weeks before I was a happy breastfeeding mum, that was just my personal journey,” Mrs Roffe-Silvester, whose daughter Daisy is 11 months, said.
Also known as a milk-kinship, milk siblings are not related by blood but were nursed by the same mother.
“Sandy has breastfed both of our children when that was needed, so we’re very grateful. I was grateful to be given that opportunity. It’s not for everyone and that’s absolutely fine but for someone to give me that gift, I was really grateful.”
Mrs Roffe-Silvester, Sandy Tai and their friend Miranda Fullerton were among 19 Ballarat mums who posed for the Australian Breastfeeding Project in Victoria Park on Saturday.
The photography project aims to break the stigmas around breastfeeding and empower breastfeeding women.
“Life shouldn’t stop just because you’re breastfeeding. That means we have to go to the grocery store, that means we want to go out and have coffee and friends and because of all those things, you cannot not breastfeed in all of those circumstances and a hungry baby is a hungry baby and you need to feed your baby,” Mrs Roffe-Silvester said.
Mrs Tai said she was once asked to leave a cafe because she was breastfeeding her baby girl, who was then just two-weeks-old.
Under the federal Sex Discrimination Act 1984 it is illegal in Australia to discriminate against a person because they are breastfeeding.
“Even though Lily was my second baby, when you’re only 14 days post-partum you’re ready to just cry at anything let alone someone telling you that what you’re doing is disgusting.
“I’m hoping that by being part of this project we can show society at large not to do that, and encourage breastfeeding at all ages, not just a two-week-old.”
Mrs Fullerton – who has four children – has been breastfeeding now for six years straight.
“I have been breastfeeding for six years literally non-stop. It comforts them, it’s really easy to get them to bed at night.
“If you’ve got a tired toddler and you give them boob it makes them go to bed so much easier.”
Australian Breastfeeding Association operates a seven-day helpline 1800 mum 2 mum (1800 686 268) to give support and advice on breastfeeding.
For more information, click here.
Jessica Black
Ballarat journalist.
Ballarat journalist.
