Former radio DJ Siobhan O'Connor laughs off public breastfeeding jibes

Siobhan O'Connor at the Mothercare Autumn Winter 2016 launch at The Science Gallery in Trinity College

Siobhan O'Connor and John Norton at Leigh Arnold's FirstLight Charity lunch at Fade Street Social Dublin. Picture: Brian McEvoy

Siobhan O'Connor and baby daughter Erin Joan at the Mothercare Autumn Winter 2016 launch at The Science Gallery in Trinity College

Siobhan O'Connor at the Mothercare Autumn Winter 2016 launch at The Science Gallery in Trinity College

Siobhan O'Connor and John Norton at Leigh Arnold's FirstLight Charity lunch at Fade Street Social Dublin. Picture: Brian McEvoy

Siobhan O'Connor and baby daughter Erin Joan at the Mothercare Autumn Winter 2016 launch at The Science Gallery in Trinity College

Siobhan O'Connor at the Mothercare Autumn Winter 2016 launch at The Science Gallery in Trinity College

Sean O'Grady

August 31 2016 08:02 AM

She’s only been a mum for six weeks, but Siobhan O’Connor has already taken some flack over breastfeeding in public.

However, the former 98fm star (37) has taken it all in her stride.

While nursing her daughter Erin in a Dublin cafe recently, an elderly man told the blonde she might be offending some customers.

"I was breastfeeding in a cafe a few weeks ago and somebody said, ‘What about the other people that you might be offending?’ It was an older man,” she told the Diary at Mothercare's Autumn/Winter launch.

Siobhan O'Connor and baby daughter Erin Joan at the Mothercare Autumn Winter 2016 launch at The Science Gallery in Trinity College

While some people might have been hurt by such an incident, Siobhan laughed it off.

"I just laughed in his face. He was only joking, I think. But, at the same time, it’s funny how we are still a bit antiquated when it comes to that," she said.

The freelance TV star reckons Ireland needs to look at attitudes to breastfeeding in other countries.

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"I was talking to my friend Leigh Arnold, who lives in Ibiza. She was saying you can have your boobs out anywhere there and it’s fine, but it’s a bit non-PC here,” she said.

Siobhan O'Connor and John Norton at Leigh Arnold's FirstLight Charity lunch at Fade Street Social Dublin. Picture: Brian McEvoy

"You have to cover yourself with scarves and all that.”

The 37-year-old said she loved being a mum.

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“She sleeps at night. She doesn’t sleep during the day at all, so it’s good. I get lots of sleep. Motherhood is mad though,” she said.

“The pregnancy was great but even after all my yoga and active-birth workshops I had an emergency caesarean – so you can’t plan what way you’re going to have it.”

It wasn’t an easy pregnancy for Siobhan.

“When I hopped on the scales in the surgery and saw 79 kilos [12st 6lbs], I turned to the doc and said: ‘Sure, that’s not too bad, is it?’ She was being cruel to be kind and responded: ‘If you continue like this, it will be a nightmare to get the weight off – you should really only put on two stone’.”