Hockey player breastfeeds her baby during half-time break, now her picture is grabbing everyone's attention

Serah Small, a Canadian hockey player, is earning a lot of praise after posting a touching photo of her breastfeeding her newborn baby – during half-time of a match.

Serah Small, who is a teacher also, had given birth just eight-weeks ago to little daughter Ellie in Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada.

She was back on Hockey rink just eight weeks after giving birth. 

However, during one of the games, Small realised that she had forgotten her breast pump at home. So, she stripped down in the locker room and breastfed her baby during the game breaks.

Small’s teammates didn’t mind, either. “They just continued getting ready. It wasn’t a big deal, they thought she was so cute. So that was it, it was normal,” she told a TV channel.

She later posted the image wanting to tell mothers worldwide that it is okay to breastfeed anytime, anywhere - including the dressing room.

"I don't think I've done anything different than millions of moms before me," Small told CNN.

The new mother sent the photo to Milky Way Lactation Services, who posted it on Facebook. The image has since gained praise on social media. 

“I have been so scared to post this photo that I absolutely adore. Why? Because society has made breasts sexual,” she told People magazine.

“I felt my milk come in and leak as I played and between periods I would strip down to feed my 8-week old babe. Being a mom is absolutely amazing and I’m so happy I got to do something I absolutely love while still meeting my babies needs. Our bodies are amazing and this weekend was the first time I truly appreciated mine,” read Small’s Facebook post.

Recently, Malayalam magazine Grihalakshmi's cover had stirred up a conversation about breastfeeding in public in India. The cover featured 27-year-old model, poet, writer Gilu Joseph breastfeeding a child. The text below the image reads: "Mothers tell Kerala, 'please don't stare, we need to breastfeed'"

While a majority of the readers lauded the choice of cover that is a step towards de-sexualising the act of breastfeeding, there are also people who called the move indecent.

Complaints were filed before a Kollam court and the Kerala State Child Rights Commission against a Malayalam fortnightly magazine for featuring the model breastfeeding a baby on its cover page