Mother contacts authorities after witnessing sister breastfeeding her baby without consent

Breastfeeding experiences vary among women, with some choosing to breastfeed while others opt for different feeding methods for their newborns. Each mother has the right to decide what’s best for their child. Imagine witnessing someone else breastfeeding your baby – an unexpected scenario that recently unfolded for a shocked mother. She’s sharing her story about the moment she caught her own sister breastfeeding her infant, raising questions about whether her decision to involve the police was justified.

This situation emerged when a 22-year-old mother and her 27-year-old sister gave birth within two weeks of each other. Needing her sister to care for her son during a hospital visit, the mother was taken aback when she discovered her sister breastfeeding her child. To her surprise, her sister confessed to discarding all the formula milk, considering it as ‘worthless’.

AITA for calling the police on my sister when she was “just trying to help”?
by u/Economy-Writing-332 in AmItheAsshole

The infants, aged three and five weeks, were exclusively receiving breast milk from the sister, eliminating any alternative feeding choices. This situation left the furious mother with no recourse but to involve the police in response to her sister’s actions. However, she now reflects on whether her reaction might have been too severe. Venting her predicament on Reddit, she shared her perspective: “I’m 22 and my sister is 27. We had babies within two weeks of each other, and our sons are now three and Five weeks old. Her son is breastfed and mine is not.”

She underwent recent surgery, and given her son’s father’s absence, her sister and [brother-in-law] generously offered to care for her child while she was hospitalized for a total of three days, and they didn’t charge her for it. Upon returning home, she walked in to find her son nursing on her sister’s breast, a situation her initially didn’t find problematic.

Initially, it probably seemed more convenient for her to breastfeed rather than prepare bottles. However, the sister informed her afterward that they had disposed of all the ‘inferior’ formula she had been giving her son. They mentioned their intention to pump and donate breast milk to him. She was taken aback, and her reaction was delayed due to shock. Eventually, she went to the bathroom and contacted the police.

Apparently, the sister’s actions didn’t qualify as a crime, and since the child was being fed, there was little the authorities could do. Her sister then became very upset with her , arguing that she was unjustified in involving the police when they was simply trying to assist. She reminded them that they discarded 14 cans of formula without consulting her, leaving no immediate replacement plan.

Now, they are asking her to compensate them for the babysitting they provided, but she explained that she is unable to afford formula replacements during her maternity leave, let alone pay for babysitting. This led to a heated exchange, and the sister left in anger, cutting off communication across all platforms. their parents managed to replace two of the discarded formula cans, but they can’t do much more. They also share the sentiment that she acted unreasonably by involving the police, considering the potential impact on the sister’s government job and her nephew.

Seeking opinions from the online community to determine whether she acted inappropriately, she encountered a varied response. Some users sided with her, deeming her actions justified, while others considered her approach to be somewhat excessive.

One Redditor wrote: “I think the sister is evil. ‘I was only trying to help,’ no she was only trying to control her sister, and how she raises her child, and when her property destruction which directly affects the health of the child was not well received she became vindictive.”