Nicole Trunfio: Australian model applauded for breastfeeding son on cover of Elle magazine

Australian model Nicole Trunfio has been hailed a hero for mothers after being pictured breastfeeding her baby son on the cover of Elle magazine.

Dressed in a camel-coloured Burberry coat hanging slightly off her shoulder, the 29-year-old's four-month-old son Zion Rain Clark is cradled in her arms while enjoying a feed.

Explaining her motives behind the candid shot, which will not feature on the news stand editions, Trunfio wrote on Instagram: "There is nothing more powerful and beautiful than motherhood.

"The last thing I want to do is be controversial, so please take this for what it is, let us #normalisebreastfeeding there is nothing worse than a mother that is judged for feeding her hungry child in public. #weareonlyhuman."

There is nothing more powerful and beautiful than motherhood. The last thing I want to do is be controversial, so please take this for what it is, let us #normalizebreastfeeding there is nothing worse than a mother that is judged for feeding her hungry child in public. #weareonlyhuman I'm so proud of this cover and for what it's stands for. I obviously don't look like this while I am breastfeeding but this stands for all women out there, whether you breastfeed or not, we gave birth, we are women, we are mothers. Thank you to ELLE for being so bold and making such an encouraging, positive and healthy statement. #womenunite
A photo posted by Nicole Trunfio (@nictrunfio) on May 20, 2015 at 9:21pm PDT

Attempting to relate to the average mother, Trunfio downplays her glamourised lifestyle, admitting: "I obviously don't look like this while I am breastfeeding but this stands for all women out there, whether you breastfeed or not, we gave birth, we are women, we are mothers."

The breastfeeding image will feature on the special subscribers' edition as the magazine has chosen to use a simple photo of Trunfio holding Zion for the standard issues.

Discussing the photo shoot in her accompanying interview with the publication, the mother-of-one explained: "When I saw the [subscriber] cover of me breastfeeding, which was unplanned and just natural, I teared up and thought, 'Wow this is such a special moment where my worlds have collided'."

Love this face! ??☺️? #zion @elleaus @toni_maticevski
A photo posted by Nicole Trunfio (@nictrunfio) on May 21, 2015 at 9:54pm PDT

Elle Australia's editor-in-chief Justine Cullen, has revealed that the intimate moment was not planned but the crew decided it was too good an opportunity to waste.

Cullen said: "This wasn't a contrived situation, Zion needed a feed, Nicole gave it to him, and when we saw how beautiful they looked we simply moved her onto the set.

"It was a completely natural moment that resulted in a powerful picture."

Trunfio is engaged to American singer Gary Clark, Jr, 31, and Zion is their first child together.

The model has been praised for the bold breastfeeding photo, with Twitter responses including:

BEAUTIFUL! What a win! http://t.co/m05Xa7Muoz
— Luka Shimada (@LukaShimada) May 22, 2015

@MediaweekAUS @nictrunfio @ELLEaus shame breastfeeding photo was not on the cover of every issue
— Melanie King (@MelanieinAus) May 22, 2015

Supermodel Nicole Trunfio Breastfeeds Her Baby Boy on Elle Australia Cover: I'm Proud of What This Cover Stands For
— DIEGO (@DiegoDiegosign) May 22, 2015

@9NewsNOW @9NewsMelb @nictrunfio @ELLEaus Why not? It's natural & if she's happy with it, then it's nobody else's business!!
— Rowie Dee (@UndaSthnXiStand) May 22, 2015

@9NewsNOW @nictrunfio @ELLEaus yes. Why wouldn't they? It's a beautiful photo depicting a natural form of nourishment for a healthy baby.
— Annie (@anniefitness) May 22, 2015

@nictrunfio you're sending a positive message. I'm all for breastfeeding. It's the most natural way to feed a hungry infant. ?
— JDB (@Jax_Bivens) May 22, 2015