Karolina Kurkova on Public Breastfeeding Controversy: ‘It’s a Beautiful Thing’

Supermodel Karolina Kurkova made an appearance on Amazon's new livestream fashion and beauty show “Style Code Live" to chat about her Victoria's Secret days, the public breastfeeding debate, and plus-sized models.

Last month, Karolina posted a pic of herself breastfeeding her baby, Tobin. Of public breastfeeding, she said, "Breastfeeding is a beautiful bonding time with your baby, but also it's great for the woman, for the body to come back to shape quicker, and it's just so good for your baby, so I've been definitely enjoying my breastfeeding — I'm not shy about it. I encourage women to do it if they can, and I celebrate women who do breastfeed because it's a beautiful thing. It's a special time. It's not going to be there forever, but it's definitely work. It's not easy all the time, I must say.”

She continued, "When I posted a picture on Instagram, it was really beautiful to hear all the women who came out and said 'We applaud you, we are so happy you are sharing this picture and making it okay, because someone like you who maybe shouldn't do it, and that you're doing it and that you're showing and sharing with the world means a lot.'” I was happy to give a voice to these women, who maybe are at home, and want to go out and do things and maybe it is too hard to breastfeed because you are out and about and you have to cover yourself. I think it's a beautiful thing, if you can do it. I've been enjoying it, but then there are of course people who don't want to see it. You all came from a mother, and that mother had to feed you. It's not like we're doing something bad, we're doing something beautiful. We're giving life, we're giving nutrients to the baby, we are designed this way. And I think I was very discreet about it. It's not like, 'Here I am, look at me, everybody do it.'”

Kurkova also commented on the recent Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, which featured full-figured supermodels, who graced the multiple covers. She said, "I think it's amazing. I don't like to call them plus-sized because I don't think they're plus-sized. I just think they're beautiful, curvy women. Women come in different shapes and forms and I think we should celebrate it. Not everybody's going to have the same body type I have, and I'm not going to look like somebody else. So I think we have to celebrate that. For Sports Illustrated to do that, I think it says a lot. There are a lot of people who love different things and we need to see different things out there.”

Kurkova also shared her thoughts on the perception that plus-sized models are glamorizing an unhealthy lifestyle. "It's important to be healthy and to take care of yourself, but I think we all have different body types and not everybody's going to look the same. So I think it's great that designers and magazines are making women inclusive who don't look like your typical, like maybe look like me or like somebody else. I think curvy is beautiful.” Watch!