Jessie James Decker called 'selfish' for drinking while breastfeeding: 'You're poisoning your baby with alcohol'

Celebrities are mom-shamed constantly, but Jessie James Decker has mastered the elusive double-shaming. The singer’s latest Instagram post has folks fuming about her partially exposed breast — which is busy nursing her 4-month-old son, Forrest — and the fact that she appears to be enjoying a glass of sparkling rosé in the process.

Cheers bitches

A post shared by Jessie James Decker (@jessiejamesdecker) on Aug 2, 2018 at 4:15pm PDT

The mom of three has been criticized for her parenting skills in the past — including dramas about her daughter’s suntan and her openness about breastfeeding — so it’s no surprise that she’s once again coming under fire.

Many followers thought Decker should “cover up” rather than show her infant being breastfed.

“Why is this private moment so necessary to share with the whole world?” read one comment. “It’s not shameful but d*** … extra.”

“Why do women feel the need to post a pic of their boob hanging out on social media?” another critic complained. “We get it — you’re breastfeeding and that’s awesome, but at least cover yourself up with a baby blanket. Come on now. My husband would not be OK with me posting a pic like this on social media. That’s something to be kept PRIVATE!!!!”

Most of the backlash stemmed from the sparkling wine that the country-pop crooner seems to be drinking.

“Don’t tell us you gave up the drinks for 9 months,” chided a follower. “If you can’t handle the most incredible bonding time with your baby without a drink, you need a friend who says stop.”

“Not to [sic] bright, you’re poisoning your baby with alcohol!!!!” scolded a mom-shamer.

“Everything you put in your mouth goes to the baby,” another commenter wrote. “I don’t wanna hear it. Don’t drink if you can’t be responsible. Not arguing, just be a mom and take care of your kids.”

“Drinking is never OK when you’re breastfeeding,” read another complaint. “Would you give your new baby a straw to share your glass cuz it’s no different. How selfish of you!”

Decker’s fans were quick to defend her on both counts.

“Breastfeeding isn’t some sacred special ceremony to be kept private between a mom and baby,” a fan wrote in response to comments that Decker should have kept her nursing private. “It’s feeding a baby, with a body part that literally every human being has. As disappointing as this may be for you, it’s impossible to have a ‘special, quiet, stare into each other’s eyes while Enya plays in the background’ moment every two hours of the day.”

“Enjoy your drink!” added a supporter. “Mamas, as long as it is safe to HOLD your baby, it is safe to NURSE your baby! Don’t pump and dump that precious milk! Educate yourselves on the science of nursing! Happy Breastfeeding Week!!”

“Witness reports revealed that she was spotted leaving the local liquor store with baby swinging off her left breast hands-free, still latched on by the mouth,” joked another commenter.

Jessie James Decker, who is married to NFL star Eric Decker, gave birth to son Forrest in March. (Photo: Gregg DeGuire/WireImage)
Jessie James Decker, who is married to NFL star Eric Decker, gave birth to son Forrest in March. (Photo: Gregg DeGuire/WireImage)

So — is it OK to enjoy a glass of wine while nursing? According to international board-certified lactation consultant Leigh Anne O’Connor, yes — in moderation.

“Generally speaking, it is fine to have a drink or two while breastfeeding,” O’Connor, who is also an accredited La Leche League Leader, told Yahoo Lifestyle. “It is best to have [the drink] with a meal and be sure to be hydrated. If you have a drink while nursing it will likely have less effect than if you wait. Babies nurse frequently, so if you have a drink and then wait the alcohol could be at its peak in your blood system an hour or two later.

“Alcohol, like almost everything, does get into the milk but in such minute amounts it is negligible,” she added. “The idea is that if you are sober enough to drive, you are fine to nurse your baby.

There is no need to wait to breastfeed or to pump and dump.”

O’Connor also noted that alcohol can affect people differently, based on factors like metabolism, how often the baby is fed, the baby’s age, and both mom’s and the infant’s weight.

“There are so many variables, but there’s no need to be cautious unless there is a drinking problem,” she said.

The key is to keep mom’s alcohol intake limited — more than a glass or two and the ability to care for the baby becomes impaired, particularly if a parent is alone with the child. In Decker’s case, she was clearly in the company of another person, the person who photographed her nursing moment.

Research is limited, and guidelines are general, so it’s ultimately best to discuss the issue with a doctor or lactation consultant — and to restrict yourself to just the occasional tipple.

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