Mum accused of 'attention seeking' for breastfeeding while on a Disney ride

“So other people on the ride are stuck with this photo of you with your boob out? Nice,” read one damning comment.

When you visit the "happiest place on earth" aka Disney World, would you expect to go viral after going on a ride? That's what happened to mother of two Meredith Barnyak. The moment of her breastfeeding her baby was captured on the Frozen Ever After ride. It was once the post spread via her cousin cupofjo, the mum shaming came flooding in, much like the water on splash mountain! 

After seeking permission, Jo Goddard posted the image on her Instagram, celebrating Barnyak as an exemplary mum on a Disney ride as she breastfed her one-year-old daughter, Poppy.

“My cousin @meredithbarnyak being an absolute MOM on this Disney ride. 💪💪💪🏆🏆🏆❤️❤️❤️,” she wrote in the caption of the photo which clearly shows Barnyak holding her baby close as she feeds.

Then the debate began: whether this was a moment to be celebrated, a mum showing she can be a boss and feed wherever and whenever, or, as it was for some, was it the right place or right time?

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Mother shamed for breastfeeding on a Disney ride. Source: Instagram

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"I'm so confused"

“Not to be a stick in the mud, but this seems...kinda dangerous?? Am I overestimating the thrill level on this ride? The rest of the adults seem to be clinging on pretty tight!” one user wrote.

“I’m so confused. I used to work at an amusement park, and you couldn’t even bring a purse or backpack on a ride, never mind a whole baby??” one said.

“Why does she not have blanket to cover herself and the baby with,” a third asked.

Others called out Meredith for wanting to be the "center of attention" on an amusement park ride. Which doesn't seem like that when there's a baby involved, she's one and was hungry.

One user wrote, “I don’t have anything against feeding your baby in public and I actually encourage women to do it, but some people, like your cousin, just wants to be in the center of attention 🤷🏻‍♀️! And by the way, having a baby on a ride at an amusement park…. 🤦🏻‍♀️”

“Beyond attention seeking...and honestly rude, so the other people on the ride are stuck with this photo of you with your boob out? Nice,” another exclaimed.

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How did Meredith feel? 

“As soon as I saw the flash, I was like, 'Oh no, I think all these people have a picture of (me) breastfeeding my baby on this ride,'" Barnyak said.

As for her decision to feed Poppy, she figured no better time than a chill water ride in a dark room.

"She would just pull on my shirt and I thought, 'OK, it's dark out. We're all humans. We're all honestly going to enjoy the ride a lot better and you'll be happier being fed.

"I am a pretty big proponent of any way you can feed your baby you should be able to do it — in any place."

With her one-year-old in tow, others were questioning if she should have been on the ride in the first place. Yes, the ride says "all ages" but did the mother really need to test that theory, they asked.

The slow moving boat Meredith was feeding on. Source: Disney

Safety First

For all the commenters worried about the baby’s safety, Barnyak assures that the ride was more than safe.

"I guess if you look at this picture, it might look like it's an intense ride. But it's a boat ride," she explained. "There's no seatbelts. It's a very nice relaxing ride except that the there is a drop that you don't see coming because it's dark. And that's what that photo was taken."

The Disney website says the ride is appropriate for “all ages” and “any height,” noting that it is a slow ride with “small drops.”

"If anything, I felt like it was actually more secure because she was in one place versus me having to juggle her moving around. I wouldn't have breastfed my child if it was a roller coaster," she concludes.

Originally published as Mum accused of 'attention seeking' for breastfeeding while on a Disney ride