A photo of a toddler "breastfeeding" his younger sibling has sparked a heated debate among parents online.
The photo was uploaded to the Breastfeeding Mama Talk Facebook page with the caption: "Don't worry mum, I've got you covered".
Having initially been uploaded for a comical effect, the post soon attracted a wave of negative comments.
"It's not that the boy shouldn't want to help his baby sibling, but he could accidentally hurt the baby," wrote one person. "I mean its nose and mouth are covered and that's just not ok."
Within five days of being uploaded on 8 January,the photo had been shared 15,000 times and garnered nearly 2,000 comments.
Negative reactions to the photo included concern for the baby's safety and worry over whether the "game" would give the toddler a misconstrued view of breastfeeding.
One mother wrote: "I don't know how I feel about the child trying to breastfeed the baby.
"I have no qualm with breastfeeding at all... that just seems wrong in a way. With a bottle or to a doll or whatever fine but to the baby isn't ok to me."
Another person agreed, writing: "It is cute, but he could suffocate that baby if he's not supervised."
One person said: "That is sick child pornographic [sic]. Those children need to be taken away from the parents and the photographer arrested."
However other parents have strongly disagreed with the criticism, calling the photo "adorable" and saying people were sexualising the image for no reason.
"If you see that as porn you shouldn't have kids!" one person wrote. "How is it ok we have pregnancy Barbie and dolls that breastfeed, but a toddler tries to nurse and people freak out?"
"This is too cute," wrote another. "My three-year-old son tries and sometimes does (when I'm either sleeping or not paying attention) breastfed me, he's adorable. He says one side has milk and the other has juice!"
Another mum said: "This is so sweet. My four-year-old cried because he wanted boobs to feed his baby sister."
The photo also prompted many parents to post their own photos of their children feeding their siblings and dolls in the comments.
What are your thoughts on the photo? Comments below, please.
Breastfeeding In England
Jody(01 of10)
Open Image ModalBreastfeeding my son is probably my proudest achievement to date. I have overcome excruciating pain from bad latch, mastitis and frequent blocked ducts. There have been so many tears, yet it’s still he most incredible thing I’ve ever done.
Knowing that for six whole months my body provided his only nutrition makes me feel all kinds of incredible, and thanks to breastfeeding we have shared so many hazy, lazy uninterrupted moments of pure calm, just us two. (credit:Suzie Blake)
Eleanor(02 of10)
Open Image Modal (credit:Suzie Blake)
Lisa(03 of10)
Open Image ModalElla is my second child. With my first, Gracie, I wasn’t particularly bothered about breastfeeding.
I thought I’d give it a go, but figured I’d just do formula if it didn’t work out. But then she was born 10 weeks early and I had amazing support to help me breastfeed her.
I felt helpless in so many other ways, breastfeeding became important to me. I ended up feeding her until her 4th birthday, so when I had Ella, there was no question that I was going to breastfeed her. (credit:Suzie Blake)
Tahnia(04 of10)
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Emma(05 of10)
Open Image ModalMy breastfeeding relationship has been all about learning and working.
I didn’t plan this. I told a friend “I’m not going to be like you, feeding a child at school”, but actually it’s easy and natural and normal (biologically speaking) and the gift of natural term weaning is one of the greatest I can give to my child.
I love being able to tandem feed. Sometimes they hold hands. Sometimes my son tries to unlatch his sister, poking his finger in her mouth, or pokes her eyes. He shares his boobs reluctantly! (credit:Suzie Blake)
Veronica(06 of10)
Open Image Modal (credit:Suzie Blake)
Kathryn(07 of10)
Open Image ModalI don’t particularly enjoy breastfeeding, but it fits with my path of least resistance approach to parenting. Sad baby? Hurt baby? Bored baby? Awake in the middle of the night? Too sick to eat solid food? It’s very easy to offer her some milk and she quickly gets over whatever is bothering her.
It wasn’t easy to start with but once we both got the hang of things, I was glad we persevered. It makes life a lot easier. That said, I still don’t like feeding her in public. She’s an extreme wiggler and if she’s not yanking my hair, she’s trying to pull out my teeth or attempting to fit her entire fist in my mouth. Inevitably, I end up flashing more flesh than I intended, but no one ever seems to notice. (credit:Suzie Blake)
Zena(08 of10)
Open Image Modal (credit:Suzie Blake)
Catherine(09 of10)
Open Image ModalFeeding my first son was agony, more painful than labour, and a brief mention that he was tongue tied was all the information I was given, leaving me confused and still unable to feed.
His latch was poor and he was a very hungry, angry baby. My mum gave me what she thought was good advice: ‘Just give him a bottle’. So he was bottle fed and I shed a few tears that I had 'failed’ to give birth properly and then 'failed’ to breastfeed my beautiful first son.
Two years later and a familiar long labour at a superb hospital, with all the support a woman could hope for eventually still led to another c-section. But this time, for the last baby I intend to have, I just wanted to do something natural. I wanted to feed him so much that I would do anything.
Feeding him hurt so much and he was diagnosed with tt, which I had corrected. I was given exemplary support from the team at King’s Hospital but my nipples still bled and I had mastitis twice. He would feed for 90 minutes sometimes. It still took three months for the pain to subside and then… One day, it stopped hurting. He got fatter and happier and I fell in love a million times with him and with nourishing him in the most natural way possible. (credit:Suzie Blake)
Nicola(10 of10)
Open Image ModalThere’s a lot of controversy about the pressure that mums are put under to breastfeed, and I think it should only be done with pleasure rather than duty or guilt. If a mum chooses not to breastfeed, or can’t, then it would be a real shame if they felt judged; as a parent you can only make the right choice for you and your baby. (credit:Suzie Blake)