Facebook removes mother's photograph of the touching moment she first breastfed her premature baby daughter for the first time after another user called it 'offensive

A mother-of-two criticised Facebook today for removing a photograph of the first time she breastfed her severely premature baby daughter - because it apparently breached their nudity rules.

Emma Bond, 24, of Oswestry, Shropshire, posted the image with Carene, who was born 12 weeks early - but the social network deleted it the same day after someone reported it as ‘offensive’.

In a message from Facebook following the incident on Sunday, Miss Bond was told the image had been removed ‘because it didn’t follow the Facebook Community Standards regarding nudity’.

'Natural and special': Emma Bond, 24, was upset after Facebook removed an image of her with baby Carene

Mother and baby: Miss Bond, who owns a children’s soft play centre with her partner, lives in Oswestry

The photo then went viral after Miss Bond uploaded it to a pro-breastfeeding group - where it attracted 166,000 ‘likes’ and 22,000 ‘shares’.

But when other mothers shared it to Facebook, they found their links were also deleted on Monday. However, Facebook has now performed a U-turn and reinstated the photo.

Miss Bond and her partner Ashley Kitchen, 30, were warned Carene would not survive more than three days when she was born prematurely on October 3, weighing just 2lbs 2oz.

So when the baby breastfed for the first time on Sunday, the delighted mother shared a black-and-white picture of the moment with her friends and family on Facebook.

Breastfeeding: Miss Bond posted this image with Carene, which was deemed 'offensive' on Facebook

Miss Bond - who also has a son aged two named Luca - said: ‘Carene was born by emergency Caesarean section. We were told to get the priest in - she wasn’t meant to last past her third day. Premature babies are prone to bleeds on the brain and she had a bleed on her lungs also.

'She was born with an infection, she had a lot going on. We don’t know the outcome of the brain damage. But she is able to move and open her eyes and look around and feed which we were told would be unexpected. The original photo was only viewable by my friends and family who have followed my story.

‘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 the first time she had breastfed so there was a reason for me posting that particular (image).

‘It was a magical moment and to have it removed the same day for breaching nudity policies was really rubbing salts in the wounds. The picture represents more than just me breastfeeding my newborn baby. Carene is very poorly and we fought very hard to get to this point. I was upset when it was reported. It is something very natural and special and should be promoted.’

Miss Bond, who owns a children’s soft play centre with her partner, is still going to the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford, Shropshire, every day with her partner to see Carene.

The mother - who has received hundreds of messages of support from around the world - said she was pleased that the photo had been reinstated and the website had updated its policy on nudity.

Backing: Miss Bond (left, today; and right, while pregnant) has received hundreds of messages of support

She added: ‘It’s something very natural, very special, and something that should be promoted.

It’s something very natural, very special, and something that should be promoted

Emma Bond 

‘The thing for me is that 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 have 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. It was out of order for Facebook to remove it but at least it’s had a positive impact. However it really is a shame that breastfeeding is still frowned upon.’

Sarah Crown, editor of parenting website Mumsnet, said she was ‘not surprised’ someone had complained about the original post.

Severely premature: Miss Bond and her partner Ashley Kitchen, 30, were warned Carene (pictured) would not survive more than three days when she was born prematurely on October 3 weighing just 2lbs 2oz

She added: ‘We have a problem with photos of women breastfeeding on Facebook because they involve breasts.’

We have a problem with photos of women breastfeeding on Facebook because they involve breasts

 Sarah Crown, Mumsnet

A spokesman for Facebook said breastfeeding photos have never been against the firm’s Community Standards, but nipples had to be covered or concealed.

In a message to Miss Bond, Facebook said: ‘The image that you shared was removed in error - it has now been republished. 

'The policy has been updated, Facebook modified the way it reviews reports of nudity to better examine the context of the photo or image.

‘As a result of this, photos that show a nursing mothers’ other breast will be allowed even if it is full exposed, as will mastectomy photos showing a fully exposed other breast.’

Bleeds: Miss Bond is still travelling to the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford every day to see Carene (above)

WHAT PHOTOGRAPHS ARE DEEMED ACCEPTABLE TO POST ONLINE?

In April last year an American mother criticised Facebook for taking down pictures of women breastfeeding their children from a support page she created for other mothers.

Kristy Kemp, of Sacramento, California, was also barred from the page for days after the images were shared, even though Facebook said it did not ban nursing pictures, MailOnline reported.

It follows a controversy on photo-sharing website Instagram in June which saw a mother’s account deactivated after she posted a pictured of her 19-month-old daughter showing off her belly button.

The Daily Mail told how mother-of-four Courtney Adamo, 33, of north London, was sent an email by the Facebook-owned firm saying the image of Marlow ‘violated the community guidelines’.

And in March, mother Emily Slough, spoke of her outrage after a stranger took a picture of her breastfeeding her daughter in public and uploaded it to Facebook, branding her a 'tramp'.

MailOnline reported how Mrs Slough, from Rugeley, Staffordshire, was photographed when she stopped to feed her eight-month-old, Matilda, on the steps of a restaurant and have some lunch. 

Six years ago, the original decision by Facebook to ban mothers from posting 'inappropriate' photos of them breastfeeding their children caused protests by women's groups in the U.S.

MailOnline reported how the campaign had picked up speed in 2008 when protesters organised a virtual 'nurse-in' on the site, as well as a demonstration outside Facebook's offices in California.