Mum who recruited an army of wet nurses on Facebook faces Twitter backlash
Ronja Wiedenbeck's Facebook post asking for women to breastfeed her son got a huge response - but the haters soon hit back
When Ronja Wiedenbeck was rushed into hospital to be treated for ovarian cysts – she was given strong medication and left unable to breastfeed her son Rio.
But she says her 11-month-old son refused to accept formula, so she was faced with a dilemma. How would she feed her son while receiving treatment at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro?
Well, she posted a call-out on Facebook asking for wet nurses and got an overwhelming response.
The 26-year-old from Penzance posted on the Breastfeeding Yummy Mummies Facebook page asking for women willing to breastfeed her son.
Within an hour, strangers dashed to her hospital bed to nurse Rio – and she got almost 1,000 responses.
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In total, 5 different women breastfed Rio.
"I was pumped full of morphine and it seemed instinctive for someone to feed him in a way that he has been used to and he’s comfortable with," Ronja said. "I’m so grateful and totally overwhelmed with the response to the message."
This Morning
Yesterday, Ronja appeared on This Morning to tell her story and admitted she didn't ask the women about their general health – despite knowing there was a risk of viruses being passed on to her child.
Holly Willoughby started off the segment by saying wet nurses were commonplace not so long ago.
"I guess because we know more now and having that knowledge, like you said, it was dangerous. I just wonder whether putting your child in a dangerous situation was the right thing to do," the host added.
"I guess that's something I'll find out in the future," Ronja replied. "But looking at him now, he's a still healthy boy, which she all see."
She later said: "Definitely [I would do it again]. There are aspects that are dangerous and reckless: technically I'm leaving my son with strangers, but they are always in the hospital and I never let him out of my sight either.
"Obviously if I was ill again then I would take the opportunity again. I don't see a problem with it."
The Twitter backlash
Viewers of the show were quick to react to the story.
"Not getting medical checks on the women breastfeeding your baby is irresponsible surely?" one tweeted.
"Oh my goodness, this girl's digging a hole admitting she didn't even check peoples' medical history," another added.
"This lady on #thismorning is a complete nutter! I would BFmy friends babies without hesitation. But she is giving out scary incorrect info," another tweeted.
What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.
Photos: ITV
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