Mom Slams Critics For Calling Her ‘Sick’ & ‘Disgusting’ Over Clip Of Her Trying To Wean Her Child Off Breastfeeding

Feb 27, 2023 by apost team

It seems like everybody has their own opinions about breastfeeding these days, and many are happy to air their views unsolicited. Whether it’s about how appropriate it is to breastfeed in public or criticizing moms who choose not to, debates over the issue have cropped up time and again and incited heated clashes.

Such was the case for Emma, the mother of a 2-year-old, who received a “shocking” level of condemnation after posting a TikTok video of her at a time when she was attempting to wean her son off breastfeeding. In the video uploaded on Oct. 3, 2022, Emma was seen sitting on her sofa with her son in front of her. The boy then reaches for his mother’s shirt and pulls it up over his head. An on-screen caption read: “Week 1 of weaning got us like…” 

The video garnered upwards of two million views and sparked a flurry of comments. Many viewers criticized the mother, saying her son looked too old to still be breastfed and calling Emma’s actions “ridiculous,” “sick” and “disgusting.”

In a follow-up video posted two days later, Emma said she was astonished by the amount of vitriol she received online. In the clip, Emma shared screenshots of some of the nasty comments with an on-screen caption that read, “When you post a TikTok of you weaning your two-year-old and wake up to this. The judgment was/is shocking.”

Emma then appeared in the video and launched into a tirade over the unwelcomed disparagement. 

“My jaw was literally on the floor. Like I cannot believe the hate I have woken up to this morning,” she began.

Emma continued in the video by making it clear that her son was only 2 years old, an age that she said the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends breastfeeding until. Both the WHO and the American Academy of Pediatrics support introducing food into the baby’s diet by six months “while continuing to breastfeed for up to 2 years and beyond.”

“I’ve been called disgusting. I’ve been told I’m wrong. I’ve been told I have serious issues. And I actually had somebody message me and tell me that I should be locked up,” she lamented.

She also called out detractors for looking at her relationship with her son inappropriately.

“I’m sorry but if you have issues with that video, and you are sexualizing the relationship between a mother and a 2-year-old child, I’m not the one with the issues,” she added.

She also posted the clip on her Instagram alongside a caption that read: “Unfortunately these are the people that cause young mothers to feel shame about something they should be proud of! But just remember hate and intolerance usually come from a lack of education and a lack of knowing!⁣” 

Many viewers came to the mother’s defense in the comments, saying she did nothing wrong and blasting her critics. One person wrote:

“Have an opinion, fine, that’s your right. What’s not your right is to shove it down people’s throats. What’s not your right is to intimidate and violate people’s space with your opinions.”

Another wrote the issue was “so crazy, I can’t even believe you got hate for that. People are awful. What a lucky boy, what an amazing gift you’ve given him. ❤️”

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What are your thoughts on Emma’s video and the reactions it incited? Do you feel Emma has been unfairly criticized? Let us know and feel free to pass this on to all the beautiful mothers you know who might find this debate interesting, too.