Marie Claire UK Marie Claire UK
  • Fashion Fashion
      • Fashion
        • View all Fashion
        • Fashion Trends
        • Shopping
        • Watches and Jewellery
        • Fashion News
  • Beauty Beauty
      • Beauty
        • View all Beauty
        • Fragrance
        • Hair
        • Make Up
        • Skincare
        • Nails
        • Marie Claire Beauty Awards
  • Health Health
      • Health
        • View all Health
        • Fitness
        • Nutrition
        • Female Health
        • Wellbeing
  • Life Life
      • Life
        • View all Life
        • Opinions
        • Travel
        • Sustainability
        • Weddings
        • Money & Work
        • Competitions
  • Culture Culture
      • Culture
        • View all Culture
        • TV and Film
        • Celebrity News
        • Books
        • Royal News
  • Vouchers Vouchers
      • Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Mint Velvet
        • Karen Millen
        • H&M
        • nobody's child
        • ASOS
        • ARKET
        • MANGO
      • Designer Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Reiss
        • THE OUTNET
        • SSENSE
        • Mytheresa
        • Liberty London
        • Selfridges
        • Farfetch
      • Accessories
        • View all Vouchers
        • AllSaints
        • Aspinal of London
        • Charles & Keith
        • River Island
        • FitFlop
        • Kate Spade
        • Vagabond
      • Jewellery
        • View all Vouchers
        • Pandora
        • Abbott Lyon
        • Goldsmiths
        • Beaverbrooks
        • Astrid & Miyu
        • Swarovski
        • Angara Jewellery
      • Beauty
        • View all Vouchers
        • Sephora
        • Cult Beauty
        • Space NK
        • Dyson
        • Clarins
        • Look Fantastic
        • Clinique
      • Activewear
        • View all Vouchers
        • Lululemon
        • Gymshark
        • Sweaty Betty
        • Nike
        • adidas
        • New Balance
        • Helly Hansen
  • NEWSLETTER Signup to our newsletter
  • logoCreated with Sketch.
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Women in Sport 2026
    • Marie Claire Masters
    • Autumn Winter 2026
    • Nail Trends 2026
    • Best Investment Bags
    • Best Perfumes
    1. Life

    A breastfeeding mother has become an overnight internet sensation because of this photo

    It’s 2016 people, breastfeeding your baby wherever and whenever should be down-right normal…

    Jenny Proudfoot's avatar
    By Jenny Proudfoot
    Published 20 May 2016 In Features

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    (Image credit: Rex Features (Shutterstock))
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    It’s 2016 people, breastfeeding your baby wherever and whenever should be down-right normal…

    It may be 2016 but you wouldn't be able to tell when it comes to breastfeeding – a topic that unfortunately prompts some pretty backward views.

    Women who choose to feed their babies in public are often stigmatized with the act deemed inappropriate – mothers even forced to pump milk in the toilets at the 2016 Academy Awards. Yes, really.

    With high profile women like Angelina Jolie and Salma Hayek speaking out in defence of breastfeeding, progress is steadily being made – but still the world seems to be obsessed with one question: Is there a time and a place for breastfeeding?

    21-year old Naomi Jael Covert, mother to 10-month old TJ, says no.

    You may like
    • NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 10: Anne Hathaway attends Moncler Fifth Avenue Flagship Opening at 767 Fifth Avenue on September 10, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by The Hapa Blonde/GC Images) The “Hot Pregnancy” Era Is Supposedly Empowering. It Just Made Me Feel Worse...
    • model wearing Lounge robe Lounge’s Feel Your Breast Campaign Is Back To Support Breast Cancer Awareness—and Open Up Crucial Conversations Around Women’s Health
    • Andy Burnham and Marie-France van Heel entering 10 Downing Street “Are We Just Jealous?” Victoria Moss Unpacks the Sexist, Ageist Commentary Around Marie-France van Heel’s Victoria Beckham Dress

    Just a few days ago, the army-wife from Vilseck, Germany, uploaded an Instagram picture or herself breastfeeding her baby boy at a friend’s wedding – and the Internet has gone mad.

    Naomi captioned the snap simply, summing up what most women are thinking, ‘When you are at a wedding, wear fancy dresses and high heels. And if your baby gets hungry, well…you give no shits and feed the kid.’

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    The picture gained mass attention immediately, and after being regrammed by @empoweredbirthproject’s account, the photo (sporting the hashtags #normalizebreastfeeding and #breastfeedwithoutfear) raked up a whopping 12,000 likes and hundreds of comments: some empowered, some downright controversial.

    So much so in fact, that the mother of one, bemused by the online attention took to Instagram again to edit her caption, adding:

    ‘EDIT: whoever gets mad about this – I also fed my son at the church ceremony IN the church. Here in Germany people don’t get mad about it. It is NORMAL. Nothing rude or bad about it. This is why I have breasts! Cause God gave me boobs for feeding my babies.’

    What to read next
    • Female athletes crossing the finish line at a track and field event Why We Should Care About Sexualisation in Women's Sport—and How It’s Bigger Than Sydney Sweeney
    • Bryony Deery I'm Building One of the World's Biggest Pilates Apps and Just Had My First Child—Here's How to Feel Your Strongest Pre- and Postpartum
    • Meta Glasses The Internet Is Furious Over Meta’s AI Glasses but Sales Are Booming—We Looked at Why People, Women in Particular, Are Worried

    Her images and bold statements appear to have divided the internet, turning her Instagram snap viral and her comment section into a heated debate.

    Some took an annoyingly reserved approach, with one user commenting ‘What happened to table manners?! No one wants or needs to see THAT while eating, especially at a wedding’, whilst another person compared her breastfeeding to ‘shitting’ in public. Charming.

    The majority however were inspired, one user commenting ‘Badass breastfeeding! Great job spreading awareness, even if that wasn’t your reason for posting this originally. It’s awesome.’

    It is awesome and she definitely deserves praise – but we’re a little sad that breastfeeding your child in public is still so controversial in 2016 that it makes headline news.

    Naomi seems to agree, uploading this picture of her husband - currently deployed - with the caption 'Most people know my husband is deployed right now! BUT this is him and his buddy John Steckman showing support - I was cracking up. People. Breastfeeding is normal. Blanket, no blanket because some kids will rip it of. In a corner or on a table. Get over it!!!! My husband supports me and that's all that matters.'

    Explore More
    Breastfeeding
    Jenny Proudfoot
    Jenny Proudfoot
    Social Links Navigation
    Contributing Features Editor

    Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. After working at Marie Claire UK for seven years - rising from intern to Features Editor - she is now a freelance contributor to the News and Features section.

    In 2021, Jenny was named as a winner on the PPA's '30 under 30' list, and was also listed as a rising star in journalism.

    Read more
    NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 10: Anne Hathaway attends Moncler Fifth Avenue Flagship Opening at 767 Fifth Avenue on September 10, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by The Hapa Blonde/GC Images)
    Life The “Hot Pregnancy” Era Is Supposedly Empowering. It Just Made Me Feel Worse...
    model wearing Lounge robe
    Fashion Lounge’s Feel Your Breast Campaign Is Back To Support Breast Cancer Awareness—and Open Up Crucial Conversations Around Women’s Health
     
     
    Andy Burnham and Marie-France van Heel entering 10 Downing Street
    Fashion “Are We Just Jealous?” Victoria Moss Unpacks the Sexist, Ageist Commentary Around Marie-France van Heel’s Victoria Beckham Dress
    Female athletes crossing the finish line at a track and field event
    Fitness Why We Should Care About Sexualisation in Women's Sport—and How It’s Bigger Than Sydney Sweeney
     
     
    Latest in Life
    NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 10: Anne Hathaway attends Moncler Fifth Avenue Flagship Opening at 767 Fifth Avenue on September 10, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by The Hapa Blonde/GC Images)
    Life The “Hot Pregnancy” Era Is Supposedly Empowering. It Just Made Me Feel Worse...
    Marie Claire UK Women Power London
    Travel Marie Claire UK Brought Some of London's Most Inspiring Women Together to Talk About the Future—Then We Talked About Everything Else
     
     
    Louise O'Neill started dating at 39 -- here's what she learnt
    Relationships I Started Dating Again at 39. Here Are 21 Things I Learned About Men
    Woman organizing documents in cluttered office workspace
    Money and Work Why Are Successful Women Staying in Jobs That Make Us Miserable?
     
     
    Latest in Features
    New Beauty Products
    Beauty The Beauty Digest: Nobel Prize-Winning Skincare, a Very Chic Body Brush and the Future of LED Therapy
    What to ask for at the hair salon
    Hair Here's What to Ask For at the Hair Salon to Get What You Actually Want
     
     
    NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 10: Anne Hathaway attends Moncler Fifth Avenue Flagship Opening at 767 Fifth Avenue on September 10, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by The Hapa Blonde/GC Images)
    Life The “Hot Pregnancy” Era Is Supposedly Empowering. It Just Made Me Feel Worse...
    woman wearing shift dress navy top
    Shopping I Just Got Back From Milan—This Retro-Inspired Dress Is What Italian Women Wear to Look Polished
     
     
    logoCreated with Sketch.
    • Site Archive
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Terms and conditions
    • Advertise with us
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • About us
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire UK is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.