Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield lead a conversation about breastfeeding in public. And it sparked quite the reaction online...
For some reason, the subject of breastfeeding is still a conversation-starter that always sparks debate. Sigh.
The hot topic took the lead of a segment on This Morning, with hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby inviting two mothers onto the sofa to discuss the idea of breastfeeding in public.
Yup. We’re here again.
The debate has been raised once again after a man went viral on social media for complaining about a woman breastfeeding in his local pub. He also took the opportunity to call her out for drinking while feeding her baby.
See: Sam Faiers Is Praised For Breastfeeding Live On This Morning
Guests Natalie Brown and Nilufer Atik opened the discussion on the ITV show, with Natalie showing her disappointment that public breastfeeding is even an issue – particularly when it comes alongside very public shaming.
She said: ‘Stories like this serves to reinforce the idea that A, breastfeeding isn’t normal and B, that it’s something that you do only if you dare.
‘We’ve got one of the worse breastfeeding rates in the world and stories like this don’t help.’
Nilufer, on the other hand, seemed to come up on a different side of the debate.
She told Holly and Phil: ‘I’m not against breastfeeding in public, I just think women can use their discretion because not everybody is comfortable with it and we shouldn’t expect them to.’
Nilufer also went on to suggest that women could ‘be a bit more discreet about it’, perhaps moving to a less visible spot to feed their child.
She continued: ‘I’ve had this conversation with some of my male friends and they say if a woman walks into a pub and she’s got her cleavage on display, it’s a mans nature to look.
‘They can’t help it, it’s biological for a heterosexual man to look.’
Hmm.
Naturally, viewers had something to say on social media, and many took issue with Nilufer’s words.
Reactions included: ‘#ThisMorning is this women for real?! This is why we have such a problem with breastfeeding! Why should yo u hide to FEED to your baby! [sic]’ and ‘This woman is hugely angering me 
She’s the reason why breastfeeding figures are so low in the UK. Ive breastfed in a pub #ThisMorning’.
Other comments on the debate included:’#ThisMorning a man who is uncomfortable with breast feeding needs to change his attitude, not the woman who is breastfeeding’ and ‘@thismorning Can’t believe the #breastfeeding debate is still happening in 2017! A contented baby surely is preferable to a starving one! ’ [sic].
Holly Willoughby, who has three children of her own, weighed in on the show. She said: ‘Breastfeeding is not that easy… It’s really difficult. Some babies, if you cover them up, they can’t feed.’
Let us know what you think @lookmagazine.
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