It’s 2022 – but the debate as to whether or not women should be allowed to breastfeed openly in public places continues to rage.

That said, I think we can all agree that it’s not easy for mothers to cover up during the summertime.

It’s simply too hot for both mom and child. When a little one is hungry, it’s important for women to feel comfortable enough to feed where they can.

Breastfeeding is a natural and beautiful act. For many moms, it’s a key part of raising a child to be big and strong and giving him or her the right nutrients. It’s also a way to bond with the child.

Whatever your stance is on public breastfeeding, the reality is that a mom can decide to nurse in public anytime, anywhere. Some people are unbothered by it, while others sense some discomfort at the sight.

When Melanie Dudley, mom of a newborn, was told to cover up by a stranger at a restaurant, she reacted in a way that’s being hailed by thousands of mothers (and others) around the world.

Back in 2018, Melanie Dudley was sitting in an 86-degree restaurant with her three-month-old son and a few friends when her baby suddenly decided it was lunchtime.

Melanie, a native of Texas and a new mom, carefully took out her nipple so that her son could begin breastfeeding without everything else being on display. Only, a man at a nearby table wasn’t comfortable with what she was doing anyway.

Melanie responds

The stranger approached Melanie and asked her to cover up. Melanie agreed to cover herself, just not in the manner the man was expecting.

”I was on vacation in Cabo San Lucas with my entire family, and a man asked me to cover myself. I’m usually discreet but we were seated in the back of the restaurant,” Melanie told Yahoo.

“I did have the cover on, but it was so hot. It was like, 95 degrees, and my little baby was sweating,” the Texan told TODAY.

“I said, ‘You know what? I’m on vacation, I’m taking this off.’”

Melanie couldn’t see the problem, but the man in question did. So, Melanie responded by putting the cover over her head, instead, which left the restaurant in fits of laughter.

”I just put it over my head. I don’t know why. It wasn’t like a salacious fight or anything. That was just my response. I had no words, so I thought, I’ll just cover my head instead,” the woman explained.

Another woman took a photo of Melanie and uploaded it to her Facebook. The resulting post quickly garnered plenty of attention and has now been shared over 225,000 times.

Melanie’s picture got a lot of attention, and many praised her for the courage to publish it. Of course, she wasn’t the first woman to be criticized for breastfeeding in public, but Melanie’s creative response made the picture go viral, and the discussion flared up in a way that caused significant news agencies to cover the topic.

Even though the event took place in 2018, there are still people who comment on the post, and it continues to stir emotions. It only shows that the debate about breastfeeding is still relevant.

It’s a woman’s right to breastfeed her child and breast milk isn’t known as “liquid gold” for nothing but women continue to suffer criticism for doing what nature intended.