Coronation Street star Helen Flanagan has been praised for posting a photo showing her breastfeeding her new baby to Instagram.
Flanagan gave birth to her baby five days ago, after carefully concealing her pregnancy on Coronation Street with carefully placed handbags and strategically large coats.
The soap star shared pictures of newborn Delilah and her eldest child, 2-year-old Matilda, in Kelvingrove Park in Glasgow. Helen can be seen playing with Matilda while cradling and breastfeeding the baby.
Interspersed with love heart emojis, Helen captioned the photo:
My life now feeding my baby girl and making sure my big girl gets lots of love our girls @scotty__sinclair Matilda and Delilah so lucky, so in love with both my beautiful girls #DelilahRuby5daysold
Fans were quick to congratulate the 27-year-old and praise her for normalising breast feeding through the photo.
Supporters wrote:
All I can see from this picture is making breastfeeding more accepted and easier for future generations, oh and she’s making it look glam, it might encourage other mothers so go Helen!
Goodness arent you looking great… such lovely and peaceful photo of you all…. huge congratulations to you and our Scotty on little Delilah big sister is clearly smitten
Wow @hjgflanagan you look amazing and such a natural at parenthood. Beautiful names for your daughter xx
They continued:
Huge congratulations to you all and thank you for helping to normalise breastfeeding you look amazing! #normalisebreastfeeding
love that you have shared a pic of feeding.. way to go momma xx
This is what breastfeeding needs. Normalising! You are a young famous face doing something that is so beatifjl and natural. so hopefully new mum’s will see this and follow your lead. Congratulations once again Helen & Scott and of course big sister Matilda. #breastfeeding #proudpeersupporter #makeitnormal
Helen announced the birth of her new daughter on Instagram a few days ago, thanking the midwives at the hospital and describing the birth.
She wrote:
Our beautiful precious daughter Delilah Ruby Sinclair was born yesterday on the 22nd of June at 5.18pm weighing 6lbs 15oz I had a very quick labour, a water birth with just gas and air, absolutely besotted so in love.
Feel so blessed to have our healthy baby girl and I feel good after my labour xxx
Thankyou to all the amazing midwives at the Queen Elizabeth hospital in Glasgow for everything.
Before having her first child, The Mirror reports that Helen admitted she was terrified of giving birth, explaining how she burst into tears before delivering Matilda.
Describing her fear, she said:
The thought of giving birth absolutely terrifies me, it always has. It petrifies me. Before I went into labour last time, I cried. I was really scared.
Her joy outweighed her fears, as Helen continued to post pictures of her newborn Delilah, writing she was ‘so lucky’ and ‘on cloud 9’.
Matilda seems content with her new sister, Helen’s post in the park showing the older child kissing and cradling the baby.
Here’s to the happy family and their approach to parenthood!
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.