Famous TV chef Jamie Oliver shared his opinion on the positive benefits of breastfeeding and he’s receiving quite a negative backlash for his comments.
Oliver is reported on LBC as saying, “If you breastfeed for more than six months, women are 50% less likely to get breast cancer. When do you ever hear that? Never. It’s easy, it’s more convenient, it’s more nutritious, it’s better, it’s free.”
As was expected, this kind of assumption and discussion of "it's easy" breastfeeding turned into the same old accusations, criticisms, and name-calling exchanges on social media.
A lot of moms were offended when he said, "It's easy." Early on, breastfeeding is not always simple. Not at all. It's a skill with a learning curve, that must be built up in the initial weeks of feeding, and picking up a new skill can be challenging. Especially when the majority of new moms are not fully prepared for what lies ahead during pregnancy, where assistance is not always there, and society as a whole does not normalize breastfeeding behavior. It's not simple. Once you get past the first few weeks, it becomes simple.
Women, breastfeeding and non-breastfeeding, quickly felt angered and responded with passion. One woman shared, “We didn’t know what to do with our nipples until Jamie Oliver…”
Mr. Oliver recently defended himself on Twitter, stating, “I’m not planning on starting a campaign on breastfeeding…”
Oliver, 40, and his wife recently shared the news that they are currently expecting baby #5.
