Photo Series Shows 'Bottle Feeding Is Beautiful Too'

— -- Nikke Whitman, a birth photographer from Graham, Washington, said she finds photos of breastfeeding moms beautiful.

But she finds photos of moms bottle feeding beautiful too.

After hearing the stories of some of her mom friends -- who had a variety of reasons for bottle feeding -- she realized some of them were "brokenhearted" by not breastfeeding. Others felt judged.

"For some, the choice of feeding their babies rather than letting them starve is a very real scenario," she said.

Whitman decided to post on her blog images of women bottle feeding -- and bonding with -- their babies. "There is undeniable bonding happening," she said.

Whitman said she came across very surprising reasons women don't breastfeed. In the case of her friend Brittnae (pictured) she has a medical condition called Insufficient Glandular Tissue, which means the breasts don't contain proper milk-making tissue. Other reasons: past abuse (it can trigger memories of past events); dad wanting to share in bonding time; mastectomy and more.

The feedback has been incredibly positive, said Whitman, herself a mom of three girls. "There should be no judgement. This [motherhood] is a hard enough job."