A mother recently found herself in hot water after sharing an adorable snapshot of her toddler pretending to breastfeed a doll. Expecting a few heartwarming reactions, she was instead confronted with a harsh comment from a so-called friend who suggested she deserved to be “punched in the damn face” for allowing her child to mimic breastfeeding.
The mother, who prefers to stay anonymous, shared her experience along with screenshots of the post on the popular Facebook group, Breastfeeding Mama Talk. In the original picture, her two-year-old daughter, Lily, is seated in a shopping cart, lifting her shirt to feed her doll. She captioned the post, “You know you’re a breastfeeding mom when you look over in the middle of the store to your toddler saying, ‘Baby cry, baby just wants to eat.’”
To many parents, this seems like a perfectly innocent act. However, not everyone shares that view. The mother explained that she woke up to a barrage of messages questioning whether the negative status update was about her. The original comment read, “I just saw one of the nastiest things ever!! If you’re okay with your daughter lifting her shirt and putting her baby doll’s mouth to her little ‘dots’ pretending to breastfeed, then I personally think you need punched in the damn face!!! It’s just simply not okay!!!”
The mom was left “shocked” and “blown away” by such a harsh response. “I still breastfeed Lily (2) and I formula-fed my son, Jake (5). Both feeding methods are wonderful in their own right,” she wrote. “I would LOVE to know how this is ‘the nastiest thing of her life.’ Breastfeeding is a natural part of life… How can I tell her that this is wrong when it’s what she knows?”
While a toddler pretending to feed a doll appears innocent to many, there are those who unfortunately choose to sexualize breastfeeding. Just last year, a toy company launched The Breast Milk Baby—a doll designed to normalize breastfeeding that sparked outrage among some who labeled it “borderline sexual.” On social media, people expressed their shock, claiming the doll promotes “underage sex and pregnancy,” leading to further discussions about children simply enjoying their childhood.
The negative reaction to this mother’s photo underscores the importance of normalizing breastfeeding for children as an everyday and natural occurrence. Feeding a baby should not be viewed through a sexual lens. If someone sees a problem with a child innocently pretending to breastfeed, it is they who should feel embarrassed.
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In summary, the mother’s experience highlights how deeply ingrained societal views about breastfeeding can be, often leading to misguided shame and criticism. It’s essential to foster an environment where breastfeeding—and even imitative play—is seen as a natural part of childhood.