A blog post I read recently about unrealistic soap kids got me thinking, has any soap ever portrayed a breastfeeding a mother? Everyone I can think of has bottle fed. It's got me wondering if this might contribute to the UK's unhealthy attitude towards bf. If it isn't normal on TV then viewers especially younger ones won't see it as normal. Monkey see, monkey do and all that. Just a thought, interested to see what others think.

Linda Carter said on Thursday (?) that she had expressed some milk for her baby.

Oh that's good, I gave up watching Enders a few months ago so didn't know that, thanks. Good they're making references but no actual scenes depicting it I suppose?

Can u think of any in the past?

Ronnie with roxy 😂

I can see Kathy doing this with Ian to stop him crying when they first meet.

After Ian faints...?

I'm fine thanks I've just had my dinner!

She always was a loving mother.

MY GOD! There are some disturbing people on this site... (me included)

I think soaps should absolutely show breastfeeding. It can be tastefully done and the viewer can get the gist of it as obviously it won't be shown fully. I believe strongly in women's rights to breastfeed wherever they want and whenever their baby needs to be fed. I also support the Free The Nipple campaign which was started by women who say women should have the right to go topless in public the same as men. Women's breasts / nipples should not be seen as "private parts". Free The Nipple has spread to several western countries including America and the UK. There was a recent protest in Edinburgh where a decent number of women went topless along with their male supporters. No one was arrested. Unfortunately at other times women will be told by police to cover up and might be arrested. If men are allowed to be topless in public why not women?
The soaps should show breastfeeding most definitely. Obviously there won't be babies actually feeding unless it's the actress's own baby but it can be hinted at while the onscreen mother holds a baby.

I feel like Doctors did this with Zara?

Neighbours did a breastfeeding story a few years ago with Sonya. They played up the whole public discrimination angle.

I feel like Emmerdale may have done something like this with Nicola, maybe? Correct me if I'm wrong.

I think it's one of those subjects that rarely gets portrayed.

I think a lot of the problem with this is that nearly all births are traumatic, usually with the baby being severely premature so in a neonatal unit. This means that the Mother physically can't get to the baby to breast feed and I guess they just don't start up with it once they are discharged at several weeks old.

In such cases though i know there have been several cases of the mother expressing milk to be given to the baby via bottle to give them the additional nutrients. Jac Naylor certainly did this in Holby city last year and I'm pretty sure that tina did in Corrie too.

Actually, Sahira in Holby city was seen 'leaking' and having to express milk when she returned to work when her baby was 7 months so she was obviously breast feeding.

Is this thread just to get J-B excited with Lauren's new arrival soon

I do remember something with Zara (one of the few times i was watching) but can't remember the details. I have a feeling it was to do with a woman feeling pressured or vilified because she had chosen NOT to breastfeed but can't remember which side of the argument Zara was on.

I do seem to remember something in Emmerdale as well but can't remember who it was.

I think it was touched upon in Emmerdale with Priya.

In EE Linda has mentioned breast feeding Ollie & she told Kat she'd breastfed all her kids.

Kim mentioned expressing milk several times when Pearl was in hospital but recently it always seems to be Denise feeding her a bottle.

I don't recall a scene in any of the soaps depicting a mum actually breastfeeding. Corrie annoys me as I've never even heard it mentioned, but then they forget about babies very soon after they're born & they never get seen or mentioned for 15 years when they miraculously appear with a new head

I think it would be a good idea to show it & also the positives & negatives of breastfeeding. I went to all the antenatal classes & read loads of books but I was still completely unprepared for the reality. Like I thought babies only needed feeding every 3-4 hours, I didn't realise it can take that long to actually give the feed or that even if they're not hungry they will just want to use u as a human dummy!

In the soaps babies spend 95% of their time sleeping or playing contentedly & silently!

Brookside did this once. I remember a scene in Bar Brookie when Ron Dixon was complaining about Susanna breastfeeding in public and they actually showed the scene and a bit of a closeup of her nipple.

There was a storyline in Emmerdale a few years backs where Viv complained about Nicola breastfeeding in her cafe, which lead to a row breaking out between the two of them.

I seem to remember years ago in Eastenders Natalie having problems breastfeeding and I think talking to Lisa Fowler about it. I think that's right.

In Neighbours, Paige gets pregnant and has a baby. This coincides with a new Australian law that says breastfeeding should be shown on television at all times of the day in order to encourage its use. Thus we have close-up shots of Olympia Valance's nipples.

There was a soap and it's completely gone out my head - the mother gave the baby up and was caught breastfeeding and they ended up handing the baby back.

I have little mo in my head - did she give greedy to Lynn when he was first born? I'm probably completely wrong on who the character is it will come back to me at some point.

Janine in Eastenders was shown leaking too while in the hospital. Maybe a soap can do a story about a new mum who finds it difficult to breastfeed and feels really guilty about it. Mums who find it hard to breastfeed often blame themselves and can be in floods of tears as they really want to breastfeed their babies. It can be very upsetting. I think if a soap showed this and has a health professional telling the new mum that it's not her fault it would be good as an "issue" storyline.

Yes it would. My mother was one such who was unable to breastfeed me and had to go over to the bottle when it was discovered i was losing, rather than gaining weight. I don't think she ever really got over it, the mere fact that she used to talk to me about it as an adult shows that - though maybe i think she was preparing me in case i had the same problem if and when the time came.

Yes, mothers should e encouraged to breastfeed but they should also know that it is okay if they don't or can't and it doesn't make them 'less' of a woman or 'less' of a mother.

Just as women wanting to breastfeed in public can face discrimination, so can those mothers that either can't or choose not to, especially from other Mothers who have breastfed.

I remember years ago Chloe got thrown out of the diner for breastfeeding Olivia on Home and Away