A viral Facebook photo of a mother breastfeeding her 6-month-old son in public has caused controversy, in part due to her bosom being uncovered. The Floridia Mom posted the picture of her breastfeeding her baby at a restaurant on November 24, and explained that she is staring back at a woman who was giving her angry looks and shaking her head in disgust. Ashley Kaidel's post has been shared over 100,000 times and resulted in thousands of comments that supported or criticized her action.
Many of the negative comments were not related to where the event happened, but instead how it happened. One Facebook user argued that the 24-year-old mother wanted to get attention, and should have used more "modesty" by covering her chest with a small blanket or cloth diaper.
However, another person did not think that that Kaidel's actions were contentious. She said that a hungry baby must be fed, and added "You go momma!" according to WSAZ.
Yet another commenter shared that she breastfeeds her infant anywhere. She argued that it is the mother's choice whether or not to use a cover when breastfeeding, and it is a nutritional issue rather than a sexual one.
After the restaurant drama Kaidel created a Facebook page for breastfeeding mothers, according to Yahoo. She explained that she did not make it to encourage all mothers to breastfeed without a cover to "show...boobs."
Instead, Kaidel wanted to support mothers who choose to do that even if they get negative comments. She claimed that feeding a baby with a breast is like with a spoon, and both are the same as an adult eating food.
Cabell-Huntington Hospital's lactation consultant Dawn Kinser shared that breastfeeding is an issue that is up to the mother. She also explained that it provides many health benefits for the baby and mother, and unlike bottle feeding is not based on a set schedule.
All 50 states in the United States have passed laws to give babies the right to nurse in public. In 2013 West Virginia became the last one to add such a law.
Here are some of the main benefits of breastfeeding: