18/09/2026
Thereâs something uniquely disheartening about hearing one mother tear down anotherâespecially over something as natural, necessary, and time-honored as feeding a child.
I recently listened to a podcast in which a mum openly criticised other mothers for breastfeeding in public. The tone wasnât just uncomfortableâit was laced with judgment, wrapped in the idea that thereâs a ârightâ and âwrongâ way to be a mother in public spaces. And it raised a question that feels bigger than the episode itself: why are we still policing womenâs bodies, even in motherhood?
Letâs be clearâbreastfeeding is not a performance. Itâs not something done for attention, nor is it a statement meant to provoke. Itâs simply feeding a baby. Babies donât schedule their hunger around social norms or public comfort. They cry, they need, they dependâand mothers respond.
The idea that breastfeeding should be hidden away, confined to private spaces, or done discreetly enough to go unnoticed puts an unfair burden on women. It suggests that a motherâs primary responsibility is not just to care for her child, but to manage everyone elseâs comfort while doing so. Thatâs not just unrealisticâitâs deeply unfair.
What struck me most about the podcast wasnât just the criticism itself, but the lack of empathy behind it. Motherhood is already layered with pressure, doubt, and unsolicited advice. The last thing any mum needs is another voice telling her sheâs doing it wrongâespecially from someone who should understand the complexity of raising a child.
Thereâs also a broader cultural issue at play here. Society has long had a complicated relationship with womenâs bodiesâcelebrating them in some contexts while shaming them in others. Breastfeeding sits right at the center of that contradiction. Itâs biologically normal, yet socially scrutinized. Encouraged in theory, but often discouraged in practice when it becomes visible.
And hereâs the truth: supporting mothers doesnât mean agreeing on every parenting choice. It means respecting autonomy. It means recognizing that every family, every child, and every situation is different. Some mums breastfeed, some bottle-feed, some do both. None of those choice
