Tayah says people are ‘terrified’ and shouldn’t judge ‘someone’s capacity to be a parent’
A festival-going mum has hit out at ‘judgemental’ trolls who said it was ‘inappropriate’ for her to breastfeed while dancing in the drum and bass tent at a festival. Tayah Ettienne took her 16-month-old daughter to her first festival earlier this month after ‘barely leaving her flat’ since the birth.
The 33-year-old was dancing with little Aaliyana when she started to latch on, prompting Tayah to carry on boogieing while feeding her toddler. Footage shows Tayah nursing her child while dancing.
Tayah, a singer, decided to post the video to her TikTok account but was horrified by the backlash she received. The mum-of-one believes the negative reception was down to the belief that new mums should stay ‘cooped up at home’ and ‘lose their identity’ while their babies are young.
Tayah says Aaliyana ‘absolutely loved’ the festival, and insists she’ll be bringing her along to more music events in the future. Tayah, who lives in Camden, London, said: “I’m a singer so music is obviously my life and career and I love festivals. We wanted to go to a family-friendly festival and take the little one because it was her first time going to something like that.
“I hadn’t been out since having her. This was a private invite-only festival. Most people knew each other. The whole thing was great, she absolutely loved it. We were all having a really nice time.
“We were just dancing in the dancing tent, and then she just leant down and got my boob out, which she does quite a lot. Then we were just dancing while she was having the boob and she was laughing and smiling at me. There was nothing weird from anyone. Everyone there is completely normal and okay with a woman breastfeeding.”
After a friend filmed Tayah enjoying a dance while nursing her daughter, she decided to upload the video. But the five-second clip divided opinion online, with some viewers branding the moment ‘inappropriate and wrong’.
One person said: “Not very appropriate is it mate.” Another added: “What in the 60p energy drink is this?”
A third commented: “Stop the clock that is wrong.” While another person said: “From one mum to another, yes! My eldest now invites me to festivals with him.”
Another commented: “Go moma.” And another added: “It’s always ‘don’t lose yourself in motherhood’ until you actually keep your life going. Don’t listen to these comments girl, you’re doing amazing.”
Tayah said: “So many mums feel like they should stay cooped up at home and do nothing when their babies are still youngish. I just thought it’s not fair that women feel like they have to disappear or lose all of their identity when they become a mum so thought it was nice to share the moment of actually having fun and do the things you do pre-baby.
“I was very shocked by the comments. Once the negative ones started, they just didn’t stop. I got upset by some of them. I think it’s really sad [people said they found it uncomfortable to watch]. I think that people are perpetuating the idea that breastfeeding and motherhood means your life has to stop.
“And you can’t be a good mother while having hobbies and having fun. I think that children always benefit from seeing their parents happy and fulfilled. I don’t think people should be judging someone’s capacity to be a parent, especially from such a short clip.”
Tayah said brands were quick to judge her decision to breastfeed on the dancefloor, but insists the backlash hasn’t deterred her from bringing Aaliyana to events in the future. Tayah said: “People thought she was a newborn, which she isn’t. She’s a toddler. There was a lot of misunderstanding and quick judgment.
“There was a comment saying ‘you should be at home’. I’d been at home for so long. I basically didn’t leave my flat. She wouldn’t be at an event that wasn’t for children. People are terrified of boobs and nudity. They constantly want to sexualise women’s bodies, there’s nothing sexual about it, it’s a function.
“It’s absolutely not put me off bringing her to festivals in the future.”
