A mom of a 2-year-old girl is lashing back at critics who saw a photo of her daughter "breastfeeding" her baby doll on social media. Apparently, some thought it was "nasty" to see the child play breastfeeding that it has opened another controversial debate. Should little girls be doing this and is it wrong if they pretend to breastfeed?
The post on breastfeeding shaming was shared by a mom on the Facebook page Breastfeeding Mama Talk. She said that she posted a photo of her daughter, 2-year-old Charlotte, as she lifted her shirt and attempted to feed her baby doll on her breast.
The next day, the mom was surprised to discover a couple of hate posts that described the photo as nasty. One basher stated that little girls shouldn't be lifting their shirts in public to feed baby dolls on their "little dots" (nipples).
The mom defended that her toddler was play breastfeeding, which is a "natural and normal" act. The little girl is following what her mother does when she feeds her daughter, so why must the behavior be corrected?
Following her rant against the bashers, other moms shared photos of their toddlers play breastfeeding as well. One comment pointed out that the photo can only be seen as nasty if the person is sexualizing breastfeeding. "They see it in a perverse way, the issue lies with their mentality," she wrote.
According to The Stir, a child who is play breastfeeding is actually saying, "Hey, I want to be just like Mom!" In no manner does it mean that the child thinks breastfeeding is sexy or that people have to check out her nipples. It's not any different from a child who pretends to bottle feed or change the diapers of her toy dolls.
It should be noted that a few years ago, there were actually baby dolls released for the purpose of play breastfeeding. However, these dolls didn't generate plenty of sales. Care 2 reports that many adult customers were put off by it and thought it was "too sexual."
Are you okay with little girls play breastfeeding? Why do you think breastfeeding is still uncomfortable for some? Share your thoughts in the comments!
