Photographer Mikaela Bodkin is committed to ending mom-shaming over the choice to breast or bottle feed.

For something that’s such a basic and expected part of life, how a mother chooses to feed her infant is a decision that’s surprisingly controversial. Breast or bottle shouldn’t be a topic for public debate, but, unfortunately, each option comes with its own often physically or emotionally painful set of expectations.

Breastfeeding mothers are often shamed if they feed their child in public — because, like any human being, a baby doesn’t *solely* get hungry in the private comfort of their own home — or if they continue with extended breastfeeding of an older child. Bottle feeding mothers are often criticized for “depriving” their child of breastfeeding’s important health benefits — a cruel implication given that, for some, breastfeeding is physically impossible and even painful.

Photographer Mikaela Bodkin‘s photos series “Fed Is Best” (which shares its name with a non-profit foundation that supports parents in adopting whatever is the safest infant-feeding option in their situation) spotlights mothers feeding their babies in many ways, from breastfeeding to pumping to formula feeding.