Woman Takes Photo Breastfeeding at Graduation, World Does Not End

Here’s another sign of the non-end-times: An Australian woman took her university graduation photos breastfeeding her baby and the university posted it to their Facebook page congratulating her. They didn’t take away her diploma and the post has gotten over 200,000 likes. What is this world coming to?

Jacci Sharkey (best last name ever, BTW) has only recently graduated from University of the Sunshine Coast, but she’s quickly becoming one of the school’s most famous alums. After she sent the school a snap of her breastfeeding her youngest, Alek, the internet blew up with overwhelming support for Sharkey’s choices. Sharkey is pleased, but says that she wasn’t trying to make a statement in public, only making a point about the balance she had to keep being both a student and a mother of two.

From The Huffington Post:

“My main message was to show to other mums that were thinking of studying that it can be done and to just go for it. To me the picture represents mums being able to have it all, a career and a family. They don’t have to give up the career for kids, and don’t have to give up kids for the career. As mothers we can have it all.”

According to Sharkey, many of the messages she’s received have been positive, although she says there are a few (probably hundreds?) “keyboard warriors” who’ve got their touchpad in a twist because she dared bare her breast to feed her child who is a living being that needs sustenance at inconvenient times. But you know what she says to that? Fuck them!

Ok, maybe it’s a little more polite, but it’s still the same sentiment:

“At the end of the day I’m going to do what is best for my baby, not what someone hiding behind a keyboard wants me to do.”