Facebook Removed This Mother's Picture Of Her Breastfeeding Her Premature Baby Because It Was "Offensive"

Emma Bond, from Shropshire, was initially told her daughter was unlikely to survive for more than three days.

This is Emma Bond, 24, from Oswestry, Shropshire.

Henry Nicholls / Newsteam

On 3 October, her daughter Carene was born 12 weeks early.

Newsteam

She weighed 2 pounds, 2 ounces, and Bond and her partner, Ashley Kitchen, were warned that she wouldn't survive more than three days. However, 12 days later, she was still alive and Bond was delighted to be told she could breastfeed her.

She posted a picture of her doing so to her Facebook profile. That day it was deleted.

Newsteam

Someone – presumed to be a friend – had reported it as "offensive".

She told MailOnline:

The original photo was only viewable by my friends and family. Everyone was aware it was touch and go, so I was sharing the special moment with people to show them how far she had come. It was a magical moment and to have it removed the same day for breaching nudity policies was really rubbing salt in the wound.

In protest, she re-uploaded it to a pro-breastfeeding group, whereupon it went viral.

Newsteam

It received 166,000 likes and 22,000 shares. But when other mothers shared it they found that their links were deleted too.

She subsequently received messages of support from around the world.

Newsteam

And hundreds of complaints were submitted to the social network.

As a result, Facebook has reinstated the picture, and updated its policy.

Newsteam

A spokesman told MailOnline that although breastfeeding photos were never against its standards, nipples had previously had to be hidden. It also told the BBC that from now on, “photos that show a nursing mother’s other breast will be allowed even if it is fully exposed, as will mastectomy photos showing a fully exposed other breast".

Last month, there was outrage over the fact that Facebook wouldn't remove footage of a kitten being set on fire.

Newsteam

Newsteam

At the time, it told BuzzFeed News:

People come to Facebook to share experiences of the world around them and on occasion this may result in the sharing of content that some may find upsetting. While we do not allow content that directly encourages violence, we try to create a safe environment that balances people's desire to express themselves and in some cases condemn what they see.

Bond told MailOnline:

I see so many animal cruelty or beheading or child abuse images on Facebook and report them myself, but nothing gets done. But something as precious and natural as this is removed instead. I know they put the image back up but it shouldn't take thousands of people to make a stand for that to happen. I still haven't got an explanation or apology.