15 Times Breastfeeding Proved to Be the Most Controversial Parenting Topic of 2015

Facebook | Jade Beall

Breastfeeding is one of the most controversial issues in the parenting world, and everything surrounding the topic in 2015 proved that it will remain that way for quite some time. Between news coverage of moms breastfeeding (and being shamed) in public, celebrity brelfies on social media, Facebook's update to its community standards regarding nudity (now allowing breastfeeding photos), and parody videos, breastfeeding definitely spent its share of time in the spotlight this year — which caused the ever-present debate to continue.

No matter where your own personal opinion lies, there's no denying that things got a little crazy this year. We're going back in time to take a look at the 15 times breastfeeding proved it belonged at the top of the list of parenting controversies in the last 365 days.

01

When a Mom Received Online Backlash After Breastfeeding in a Goodwill Store

A new mother faced major backlash online after she breastfed her baby in line at a Goodwill store in March. Emma Ingram didn't expect her trip to be controversial, but she became the subject of cyberbullying after a cashier spotted her nursing her baby while waiting in line at the store. The cashier took to Twitter to express her feelings on what she thought should only take place "in a strip joint." Ingram defended herself by saying, "Would you rather see a screaming baby? It's not like I whipped my nipple out for everyone to see. I think people are offended because breasts are sexualized in our society."

02
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When a Group of High School Students Created a Breastfeeding Parody Video to Highlight Issues

Students at St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia, Canada, partnered with the Building a Breastfeeding Environment support group to create a paradoy video about breastfeeding, which resurfaced in May of this year. "We know that although many students in university are accepting of the benefits of breastfeeding, and plan to breastfeed their own children, it is still not considered acceptable to breastfeed publicly," the video's creators said on their YouTube page.

03
When 1 Man Shamed a Breastfeeding Mom on Facebook
Facebook | Conner Kendall

When 1 Man Shamed a Breastfeeding Mom on Facebook

In June, one mom found out that a man took a photo of her breastfeeding her child at a TGI Fridays in Terre Haute, IN — where the man was eating with his daughter — and shared it on Facebook because he was disgusted, and wanted to know why she couldn't "cover her boob up." When the nursing mother in question, Conner Kendall, discovered his post (which has since been deleted), she wrote a passionate letter to the unnamed stranger, which was shared over 98,000 times.

04
When 1 Mom Was Banned From Breastfeeding by a Judge
Shutterstock

When 1 Mom Was Banned From Breastfeeding by a Judge

A mom in Australia — who had been breastfeeding her 11-month-old son without issue since he was born — was banned by a judge from continuing to do so in June. The father of the young boy expressed concern to the court after a parental dispute with the baby's mother over a tattoo that she got four weeks prior, claiming that she put the baby at risk despite reporting negative results on hepatitis and HIV tests.

05
When 1 Woman Posted a Photo of Herself Breastfeeding Her 3-Year-Old Son on Facebook
Facebook | Jade Beall

When 1 Woman Posted a Photo of Herself Breastfeeding Her 3-Year-Old Son on Facebook

Photographer Jade Beall, who is practicing "extended breastfeeding" with her 3-and-a-half-year-old son, posted a bold self-portrait of herself breastfeeding her child on Facebook in an attempt to create a dialogue. "If this offends you, ask me a question rather than call me names," she implored. "Let's learn from one another. Let's be fee from fear of our differences and let's be filled with curiosity and compassion!" Although it garnered over 11,000 likes on Facebook, commenters called it "horrifying," "selfish," and "lazy." Some even suggested she be reported to authorities for "a child sex crime."

06
When a Broadcaster Mom Breastfed on National Television
TV3

When a Broadcaster Mom Breastfed on National Television

Dil Wickremasinghe, who often appears on TV3's Midday, took her 11-week-old son on air to discuss breastfeeding and attachment parenting back in August. Though it looks like Phoenix was having a sweet little nap on his mama's chest, it turns out that he was nursing the entire time — live on TV! Phoenix innocently ate his lunch during his television debut, and it was reported that not one television set exploded during the process.

07
When 1 Woman Posted a Photo of Herself Breastfeeding Her Friend's Son
Facebook | Mama Bean - Unconditional Attachment

When 1 Woman Posted a Photo of Herself Breastfeeding Her Friend's Son

Alongside a photo – posted to the pro-breastfeeding Facebook group Mama Bean – in which she is simultaneously nursing her son and her friend's son, Jessica Anne Colletti said it was a completely natural process and a gift she was honored to give her friend, who gave her the initial go-ahead. The image received a wave of support . . . and dissent. "That's just wrong," wrote one, while another said it was sickening to watch. In response, Mama Bean Parenting followed up the post with an article explaining the need to normalize breastfeeding in all its forms and allowed Jessica to further explain her unique situation.

08
When 1 Mom Was Forced to Breastfeed Her Baby in a Marshalls Bathroom Stall
Facebook | Karina Gomez

When 1 Mom Was Forced to Breastfeed Her Baby in a Marshalls Bathroom Stall

Karina Gomez was told by a Marshall's store employee that she wasn't allowed to breastfeed in the store or even in a dressing room in September. "Instead, I was directed to a bathroom stall to breastfeed," Karina wrote in a Facebook post. "What a way to treat breastfeeding customers, shaming them for breastfeeding, making them feel embarrassed that you need to feed your child. I am angry, upset, but more so humiliated. My rights have been violated." Shortly after her post, a Marshalls representative apologized, but the thousands of moms who saw Karina's post weren't satisfied with the apology, so Marshall's made a statement on the local news.

09

When Alyssa Milano Talked Nursing in Public After Her Breastfeeding Selfie Sparked a Debate

In a simple throwback Instagram post in honor of her daughter Elizabella's first birthday, Alyssa Milano unintentionally reignited the debate on breastfeeding in public this September. She has never been shy about sharing the natural and intimate moments with her kids, despite criticisms. "Someone once told me to breastfeed my baby in the bathroom, and . . . yeah, that didn't go over too well," she recalled. "I just thought, 'Do you eat in a bathroom in a stall?' It's so weird."

10
When a Breastfeeding Campaign Shamed Moms For Eating Junk Food
SPRS

When a Breastfeeding Campaign Shamed Moms For Eating Junk Food

As if the act of breastfeeding wasn't stressful enough, an ad campaign from September aimed to add a hefty dose of shame to the experience — at least for those moms who dare to eat something other than a fruit, vegetable, or whole grain. The three-image campaign highlighted the impact a mother's diet has on her baby with the tag line, "Your child is what you eat." But even if a healthy diet is preferable, the campaign's approach — to shame breastfeeding moms for snacking on that potato chip or sipping on that Sprite — wasn't helpful. Instead of inspiring women to eat nutritious meals, it was more likely to encourage them to avoid nursing altogether.

11

When 1 Unfiltered Breastfeeding Mom Finally Said What We Were All Thinking

Twenty-one-year-old mom Jennifer Taylor took to Facebook to reveal her stretch marks in a video that has been viewed more than 75,900 times to date. "So So f*cking tired of immature people talking about stretch marks," she wrote. "Get a good look b*tch because I'm showing all."

12
When More and More Celebrity Moms Started Sharing Their Breastfeeding Photos
Instagram | blakelively

When More and More Celebrity Moms Started Sharing Their Breastfeeding Photos

Celebrity moms have been sharing their breastfeeding photos with millions of fans around the world all year long. While some say they are sharing the images to show something "natural and beautiful," others are doing it to show their political views, further sparking debates.

13
When This Proud Breastfeeding Mom Took a Public Stand Against Haters
Facebook | Ashley Kaidel

When This Proud Breastfeeding Mom Took a Public Stand Against Haters

Ashley Kaidel, a 24-year-old mother, took a potentially belittling moment and used it as an opportunity to empower other nursing moms. After someone gave her a nasty look at a restaurant as she breastfed her son, Ashley decided not only to continue the public feeding but to look back defiantly at the patron. "In the picture, it appears I'm staring off into the distance. In reality, I'm staring into the eyes of a woman staring at me. She is looking at me with disgust and shaking her head with judgment in an attempt to shame me and indirectly tell me without words that I am wrong and need to cover myself," she wrote on Facebook.

14

When Whoopi Goldberg Told a Bold-Faced Lie About Breastfeeding

On a December episode of The View in which the cohosts were discussing wet nursing, Whoopi Goldberg said, "If they're old enough to have teeth, they should not be breastfeeding." However, the statement wasn't an opinion, because opinions denote that there's a lack of certainty on the matter. Hers was a proclamation and it was a bold-faced lie, right on national television. Considering some babies get their first teeth as early as three months of age and that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life, Whoopi's flippant words were patently wrong.

15
When 1 Mom's Shocking Photo on Santa's Lap Entirely Missed the Point
Facebook | CityNews Toronto

When 1 Mom's Shocking Photo on Santa's Lap Entirely Missed the Point

A Canadian mother was dumbfounded that a Christmas photo she took "in jest" caused an uproar on social media. The image in question is a modern take on the Santa photo, which features the mother nursing her son while sitting on a stunned (and finger-pointing) Santa's lap. The caption, emblazoned on the image, reads, "All I Want For Christmas ... Is a Happy, Healthy Baby." She posted the photo to Facebook, and immediately received criticisms. Dunbar said, "It is quite disappointing that people are so negative about it when it's not meant to be that way. Partly, it was just to be funny."