The Mighty Logo

21 Photos That Prove Tube-Feeding Is a Beautiful Way to Feed Your Baby

The most helpful emails in health
Browse our free newsletters

Earlier this week we saw a powerful photo project that highlighted the beauty in mothers feeding their babies. Two moms, Staci Caspers and Justine Temke, created “Fed Is Best,” an intimate calendar series of mothers nourishing their children, aiming to put an end to “the so-called Mommy Wars” around formula feeding versus breastfeeding, according to The Huffington Post.

The project is beautiful and important, but we noticed one missing piece: a photo of a baby being tube-fed.

When medical conditions prevent parents from “naturally” feeding their babies, tube-feeding may become the only way for a child to survive and thrive. And there’s no shame in that.

Below you’ll see 21 photos of children being fed in “unconventional” ways. Lisa Hardy, the mother in photo #21, put it best when she said this: “[This was] a magical moment with my daughter, who was not able to swallow and whom I was not capable of breastfeeding. If I were to provide the background for this picture, it would probably engender feelings of sadness, and perhaps even pity, for many people. However, for me, this picture is one of my most treasured possessions. There are so many different ways to live, to love… that’s a cause for joy, not judgment.”

1. 

Photo of baby being tube-fed
Photo via Brittney Mosher

2.

Photo of baby being tube-fed
Photo via Raadhiyah Matthews

3.

Photo of baby being tube-fed
Photo via Andrea Mullenmeister

4.

Photo of baby being tube-fed
Photo via Tabitha Rainey

5.

Photo of baby being tube-fed
Photo via Kristen Buff

6.

Photo of baby being tube-fed
Photo via Ash and John Bricker

7.

Photo via Ayah Young
Photo via Ayah Young

8.

Photo of baby being tube-fed
Photo via Amber Walls Fosler

9.

Photo of baby being tube-fed
Photo via Ashley Hawks

10.

Photo of baby being tube-fed
Photo via Allison Meiners

11.

Photo of baby being tube-fed
Photo via Amanda Burger

12.

Photo of baby being tube-fed
Photo via Erica Davis Canfield

13.

Photo of baby being tube-fed
Photo via Barbara Boo Drake

14.

Photo of baby being tube-fed
Photo via Melissa Banks

15.

Photo of baby being tube-fed
Photo via Kelly Cobb Dyer

16.

Photo of baby being tube-fed
Photo via Molly Dieters

17.

Photo of baby being tube-fed
Photo via Karyn Ford Monroe

18. 

Photo of baby being tube-fed
Photo via Melissa Schlemmer

19. 

Photo of baby being tube-fed
Photo Sarah DeMers

20.

Photo of baby being tube-fed
Photo via Caitlin McWilliams Veitz

21.

Mother with baby
“A magical moment with my daughter who was not able to swallow and whom I was not capable of breast feeding. If I were to provide the background for this picture, it would probably engender feelings of sadness, and perhaps even pity, for many people. However, for me, this picture is one of my most treasured possessions. There are so many different ways to live, to love… that’s a cause for joy, not judgment.” — Lisa Hardy

Do you have a photo you’d like to share with us? Send one to community@themighty.com.

Originally published: October 29, 2015
Want more of The Mighty?
You can find even more stories on our Home page. There, you’ll also find thoughts and questions by our community.
Take Me Home