Instagram has reinstated the account of a Toronto mother who posted a photo of herself breastfeeding on the social networking site.
Heather Bays, a maternity photographer, said her account was shut down on Mother’s Day after she posted a photograph of herself breastfeeding her 20-month-old daughter – something she said left her “heartbroken.â€
But while Bays’ account has been reactivated, any photos that contain nudity were left off the site.
“Breastfeeding photos are allowed on Instagram, although those that also contain nudity are not,†a spokesperson told Â鶹´«Ã½ in an email statement on Tuesday. “Accounts may be temporarily disabled by our automated systems, but are quickly restored upon further review.â€
Bays said she received a number of complaints from Instagram users after posting the photo, as well as emails from Instagram saying the photo had been flagged as being inappropriate.
But fellow public-breastfeeding advocates came to Bays’ defense, supporting the mother on social media using the hashtag #SaveHeatherbays.
"I posted it because my daughter is 20-months-old, so she's weaning right now," she said. "These days are very sentimental."