A photo of a toddler pretending to breastfeed his younger sibling is causing huge controversy in the parenting world, with some calling the image “pornographic.”
The photo was shared on Facebook last week by a breastfeeding support group called Breastfeeding Mama Talk. The image shows a young boy, shirtless, pretending to breastfeed his sibling. The caption reads, “Don’t worry mom. I got you covered!”
Despite receiving thousands of likes and shares, the post sparked a number of negative reactions. In the comments, one Facebook user wrote: “This is disgusting to say the least. If it were the mother, that's different. I see no problem. But to allow a sibling, that is just sick. I see no humour in this at all.”
Another said: “That is sick child pornographic... those children need to be taken away from the parents and the photographer arrested.”
While some saw no harm in the boy pretending to breastfeed, they did voice concerns about the newborn’s safety. “Your baby could be suffocated,” one wrote. “Then you've hurt two children. I guess common sense isn't common.”
In response to the backlash, the breastfeeding group commented on their post saying, “Wow I guess this has people upset LOL Change doesn't happen until you rile people up I guess.”
They later added: “Anyone that would associate anything sexual to breastfeeding needs to get their head examined.”
Some parents were quick to support the group. In their defense, one said: “Anyone that sees a child as sexual in any way is perverse, and I can only hope doesn't allow themselves around children.”
The post also prompted users to share photos of their own kids pretending to breastfeed. One mother who shared a photo said, “If I'd have known big brothers could breastfeed, I'd have taken a lot more showers when baby was new.”
Despite the criticism, many parents praised the photo for showing “such a natural process” and getting kids comfortable with the idea of nursing.
One user, who gave the photo a round of applause, wrote: “He's gonna grow up to be a dad & husband who supports breastfeeding!”
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