Is it ok for a mom to breastfeed her nephew when necessary? That’s the question being posed by one Reddit user after she was shamed for feeding the little one. The user explained that her sister recently gave birth but, due to complications, is unconscious at the hospital.

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In order to feed the newborn, the OP has been pumping milk that she gives to the baby until her sister wakes up and can decide what feeding route she’d like to take.  Lately, though, it’s been difficult for her to pump. “I also have to breastfeed my own kids (twin 11 month olds) and I thought it better to just feed my nephew directly from the breast as well because it saves me both time and pain.” she said.

Her brother-in-law was fine with that decision. “However his mom (sisters MIL) came to visit to see the baby earlier today, saw me breastfeeding him and she immediately blew up calling me vile names, saying I was disgusting and this was inhuman,” the Reddit user recounted. The MIL told the mom that what she was doing was “demonic.”

Now, the OP is having second thoughts about breastfeeding her nephew.  “I can’t seem to get it out of my mind that maybe what I’m doing is wrong and I might have been TA for even suggesting that I breastfeed my nephew?” she asked.

Reddit quickly rallied around to reassure her that she was doing absolutely nothing wrong.”Your BIL – the baby’s damn father – gets to make this determination in this situation,” one person wrote. “I hope your sister makes a speedy and healthy recovery.” Many pointed out that the MIL’s objection to someone else breastfeeding her daughter’s child makes no sense — there’s literally an occupation called “wet nurse,” which has been an important, consistent fixture in history. They also offered tons of kudos to the OP for stepping up in her sister’s time of need.

“To add that she is breastfeeding THREE kids? I applaud OP. It took so much out of me to breastfeed just ONE,” someone wrote. “It’s not just the food either,” another user added. “She’s giving the baby warmth and security and routine. He will know how to latch and feed and will probably be past the awful clusterfeeding stages of the early newborn days. This situation is normal, happy and 100% in the best interest of the child. MIL is being ridiculous and needs to get a grip.”

Here’s hoping that the OP reads these comments and feels supported. Her MIL’s reaction was really upsetting but it’s clear that so many people believe she’s doing the right thing. “If my sister did that to my baby while I was unconscious I would feel so reassured and grateful,” a user wrote. “This is true sisterly bond right here, and I’m happy to see that BIL is understanding of it and stood his ground before his mother. I hope the sis a speedy and healthy recovery. I know she’ll be grateful when she wakes up.”

Celebrate the beauty of different breastfeeding journeys through these photographs.

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