This Photo Has Got Everyone Talking About Where It Is OK To Breastfeed

This Photo Has Got Everyone Talking About Where It Is OK To Breastfeed
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A mum's photo has sparked a debate about where is it ok to breastfeed - but not for the usual reasons.

Breastfeeding in public has been a subject of much public discussion over the last year - with people such as Nigel Farage quick to weigh in on such "ostentatious" behaviour and some establishments facing a backlash for asking mothers to nurse their babies in the toilets.

But this picture shows a mum breastfeeding in her own house... while sat on the toilet.

The photo was posted on the Facebook page of Life of Dad - a social network for fathers.

The picture was captioned "Every parent knows this joy."

But the responses proved that "this joy" was far from universal.

"That's gross. I think a walking baby can wait to breastfeed until one is off the toilet. I mean would you eat your meal on the toilet?" wrote one commenter.

"She could wait for a feeding. Otherwise, you cut your 'business' short and feed her," added another.

However, the vast majority of the comments were positive:

"I find it so interesting that people have an issue with her breastfeeding in the bathroom of her own home, yet way too many people have the expectation that a woman should breastfeed in a bathroom in a public place."

"OMGOSH I just died lol props to this mommy for multitasking like a BOSS."

"When I first saw the pic....I said to myself...I thought I was the only one! Good to know I am not!!"

The location of the feeding wasn't the only issue up for debate, as there was some confusion over whether this actually was a breastfeeding photo or if the child was actually just "kissing" the mum's elbow.

Life of Dad initially commented that the photo showed the mum's right elbow not a breast, but after a closer examination (and a string of contradictory comments including "yep an elbow that's attached to her chest") they reconsidered: "We were so wrong. Not an elbow."

The mother in the photo eventually weighed in to settle the matter once and for all:

"This is my picture and yes I am breastfeeding," wrote Elisha Wilson Beach.

"I shared it on Instagram knowing that some people would think it's tmi but it's reality.

"Everybody complains that social media is full of people pretending to live picture perfect lives and I see so many mothers doubting themselves based on those photos.

"Well this is reality and so many mothers are doing this exact thing right now. Motherhood ain't pretty but then that's what makes it so beautiful."

Within two days the photo had more than 211,000 likes and had been shared more than 25,000 times.

Breastfeeding Photos
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Ashlee Wells Jacksons' "4th Trimester Bodies Project" embraces the changes brought to women’s bodies by motherhood.

Says Jackson: "I see beautiful, inspiring, real women on a daily basis who struggle with their body image because they don’t feel they measure up with who the media tells them to be... So much more needs to be done in our society to embrace body positivity and normalize breastfeeding."
(credit:Ashlee Wells Jackson )
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In the September 2014 issue of Glamour magazine, actress Olivia Wilde said: "Breastfeeding is the most natural thing. I don’t know, now it feels like Otis should always be on my breast."
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Photographer Jade Beall takes portraits that celebrate moms' bodies for her project, "A Beautiful Body."
via A Beautiful Body Book Project
(credit:Jade Beall)
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In 2012, singer Pink shared this gorgeous photo of herself nursing baby Willow Sage on Instagram and Twitter. (credit:Pink/Instagram)
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In 2014, singer Gwen Stefani posted a beautiful Instagram photo of herself feeding her son Apollo in Switzerland. (credit:Gwen Stefani/Instagram)
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Russian model Natalia Vodianova debuted her son Maxim to the world with this stunning breastfeeding photo in June 2014. (credit:Natalia Vodianova/Instagram)
(09 of16)
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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/17/normalize-breastfeeding-photography_n_5997540.html?utm_hp_ref=breastfeeding
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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/06/public-breastfeeding-awareness-project-photos_n_5651252.html?utm_hp_ref=breastfeeding
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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/06/public-breastfeeding-awareness-project-photos_n_5651252.html?utm_hp_ref=breastfeeding
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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jillayna-adamson/25-breastfeeding-photos-i-want-the-whole-world-to-see_b_5609597.html?utm_hp_ref=breastfeeding
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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kate-fridkis/put-your-boobs-away-this-is-amsterdam_b_5621837.html?utm_hp_ref=breastfeeding (credit:Kate Fridkis)
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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jamie-davis-smith/nursing-from-miles-away_b_5641383.html?utm_hp_ref=breastfeeding
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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/amy-wruble/the-heartbreak-of-weaning_b_5627473.html?utm_hp_ref=breastfeeding