Who is Maquellen Azevedo? Influencer slams strangers who STARE while she breastfeeds in public
An Instagram influencer has spoken out about breastfeeding in public as she cannot seem to understand why the practice is still unacceptable in society.
No matter what one's personal beliefs, breastfeeding in public is still a big taboo across the globe. Mothers have to feed their babies whenever they are hungry, no matter the location and time. 27-year-old Maquellen Azevedo, a fitness influencer from Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, spoke out about the issue after recently welcoming her little boy Bryan, who is now three months old.
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"I went through a situation that until some time ago I considered so normal," Azevedo wrote on Instagram. "Being a mother is not an easy task, but I felt the difficulty even more when strangers looked at me while I was breastfeeding my son. I try to 'not pay attention', after all, what matters is his food, but it's something that hurts me and I can't miss it."
The embattled mother received overwhelming support from several women who also faced similar situations. "Breastfeeding is an act of resistance, and it is important to talk about it and discuss it," the influencer continued. "I love to breastfeed my son, I love to see those little eyes looking at me in this very special moment of ours." Azevedo also revealed why she decided to chime in on the subject and expressed her feelings with snaps of herself breastfeeding her son. "We are strong and what's around us won't take away that glow of love that highlights a place we are together," she added.
Last month, the influencer told The Sun how she got her body back in shape within 45 days of giving birth. The new mom reportedly gained 22 pounds in her final three months of pregnancy before welcoming her son into the world on March 2 this year. Azevedo said she focused on consuming healthy meals with a diet created by a nutritionist, and did pilates and pelvic physiotherapy to get her body looking sculpted once again. “During pregnancy, I did pelvic physiotherapy with a professional, I also did exercises at home that I watched videos on YouTube,” she told Jam Press. “I did not go on a diet to lose weight during pregnancy – a pregnant woman needs to eat well, I followed a diet from a nutritionist on healthy things to eat that wouldn’t hurt me, lots of protein and good things for the healthy growth of the baby. And I hired a cook to come every day and make my meals.”
However, Azevedo bemoaned how she faced criticism for her decision to get her body back in shape as quickly as possible. “I was criticized for my before and after photos," she told the newspaper. “I took great care of myself during pregnancy, with a healthy diet and eating, and then I kept that care, both for myself and for my baby. I was judged for extreme vanity. [But] I was determined that I wanted to have my old body back, I love it. I was very dedicated and I lost more than 22 pounds in 10 days," she explained, adding that she was now "thinner than before I got pregnant.”