It's a bird, it's a plane, wait, no -- it's a boob! People who live in or around Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania may soon find themselves questioning whether or not they really just saw a pink and blue striped truck with a gigantic boob on top of it pass by them. For the record, the truck actually exists.

The "Milk Truck" is the brain child of a staff member at Carnegie Mellon University named Jill Miller. It's basically a mobile breastfeeding unit, which aims to be a safe and clean place where nursing moms can go to feed their babies without worrying about getting looks of disgust or eye rolls in public from people who don't understand that infants are small human beings who need to eat just as much as they do.

The concept behind The Milk Truck is incredibly positive and was no doubt motivated by a genuine desire to make life a little bit easier for mothers. However, the truck can also be seen as a step backward for breastfeeding moms who want to feel accepted while nursing in public.

There are plenty of women who are incredibly passionate about their right to feed their babies anytime and anywhere they choose. While breastfeeding in public does seem to be a lot more socially accepted these days thanks to many moms advocating for it, there are still some old-school folks out there who shudder at the sight of a baby enjoying his lunch.

The only way to effectively get through to closed-mind beliefs like this is by breastfeeding openly on a more consistent basis and ignoring the negative feedback from people who criticize public nursing. The more regularly people see moms breastfeeding in public, the less strange it will become to them.

The Milk Truck may be geared for the comfort of nursing moms, but it basically reinforces the belief that mothers should nurse their babies behind closed doors, where the general public can't see them. And if moms continue to feel pressure to hide out while nursing, then the sentiments of those who disagree with public breastfeeding are never going to change.

Would you use The Milk Truck if it were available in your city?

 

Image via Daquella manera/Flickr