What Breastfeeding Looks Like

We recently appealed for photographs showing what breastfeeding looks like in your everyday lives. The response has been immense, and the photos are so wonderful and varied, showing breastfeeding anywhere and everywhere…often in some quite comical situations!

Everyone has a small part to play in normalising breastfeeding and removing the stigma that can be attached to something that should be as commonplace as eating a sandwich. This might be by feeding your child in public, or by supporting others who you see feeding, with a kind word or just a smile. Thank you so much to everyone who contributed photos for this project, it is our hope that they will be shared and seen widely and will also do their bit to help make breastfeeding the norm.

Here’s a full round up of all of the photos we received – click on each one to view the full image, and hover to see accompanying captions and comments. Unfortunately we are only a small team and are unable to accept any further submissions for this page or the original Facebook album – however if you’d like to share your image, you can do so by adding it as a comment to the Facebook album.

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: “I have breastfed all 5 of my children and feeding a 3 yr old should be more normalised.”

: “I’m sending you this photo for the ‘what breastfeeding looks like’ post. I know it may not get published but I thought I should send this because breastfeeding isn’t always about what you see, sometimes it’s about what you don’t see. This is me, wearing my Christmas jumper. Underneath that jumper is a silicone pump. I’m returning to work in 4 weeks and taking every opportunity I can to express milk so my 8 month old can continue to receive breastmilk while he is in nursery. So I’m currently sitting in my car, expressing, while waiting to start a baby class.” – Adel

: Alyson

: “Family cuddle.” – Alyson

: “What feeding a baby looks like to my son.” – Amanda

: “Here’s my photo feeding baby number five while my 3 year old wants to be fed too so jumping over the top of me.” – Amanda

: “Six days old here. Five months later and it’s still his favourite place in the world!”

: Becky

: Bethany

: “Nursing peekaboo, and a bruise I woke up to one morning when he tried nursing in his sleep but missed the nipple…” – Carla

: Carneika

: “This is what breastfeeding looks like some days…” – Cat

: “This is me fulfilling the one part of my birth plan I was able to after my home birth went awry.” – Chloe

: “This is me feeding my son my expressed milk with a bottle when he was unable to latch in the early days.” – Chloe. This was an early part of Chloe’s breastfeeding journey – she was later able to directly breastfeed her son successfully (see next photo!)

: Chloe

: “Feeding my 3 year old and his toy too.” – Daniela

: Davida

: Davida

: Di

: Ej

: “Celebrating 6 months of breastfeeding with a special photo!” – Eleanor

: “Feeding in the middle of Dartmoor on a family walk.” – Ella

: Emma

: “The joys of feeding a 2yr old eh?!” – Emma

: “Feeding my 8 month old on a pedalo whilst wearing a massive life jacket because she just couldn’t wait until we got back onto dry land.” – Emma

: Erica

: Erica

: “When babe’s hungry, he’s hungry – even on a catamaran in Costa Rica!” – Erica

: Erika

: Erika

: Gemma

: Gemma

: Hannah

: Hannah

: “Feeding on a packed train.” – Hannah

: “The reality of travelling with a baby, car park feeding!” – Hayley

: “This is me feeding whilst entertaining my older children in the summer holidays. Maybe normalising breastfeeding by dressing as a superhero is quite a contradiction or maybe it’s apt – I’m not sure!” – Jen

: “My 4th boob baby.” – Jo

: “Ready for bed.” – Jodie

: “Feeding with a view. Holkham Hall estate.” – Jodie

: “It’s such a difficult and lovely journey. It’s been tough but we are determined and getting better each day.” – Katie

: “We are proud to have been breastfeeding for 15 months.” – Kelly

: “Feeding at the zoo… This was taken nearly 6months ago on my daughters 2nd birthday.” – Kimberly

: “Feeding at brunch!” – Kimberly

: “On my 34th birthday all dressed up but forgetting still on mama duties.” – Kirsty

: Laura

: “What breastfeeding looks like for us.” – Laura

: Laura

: “This is what breastfeeding looks like…for me!” – Laura

: “Feeding a sleepy zombie after a halloween party.” – Leanne

: Leanne

: “On the beach breastfeeding my 10 month old.” – Leonie

: Lindsey

: Lizzie

: Lizzie

: Lizzie

: “Sling feeding and one handed baking with my toddler. Sums up days where I have them both. Sling feeding has been a revelation!” – Louise

: “Breastfeeding a pirate.” – Louise

: “Sat waiting for a train in Sweden.” – Lynsey

: “FaceTime” – Maria

: “Sometimes breastfeeding looks like this – esp when you have a toddler too!” – Mo

: Naomi

: Naomi

: “Sadly, not everyone can directly breastfeed.” – Naomi

: “What does breastfeeding look like? Erm…this…” – Rachel

: “This is what ‘extended breastfeeding’ looks like. Oh how I loathe that term. This is just what breastfeeding looks like.” – Rachel

: Rachel

: Rachel

: Rachel

: Rachel

: “This was just after I mastered feeding in the carrier. He was overtired and didn’t want to stay still to feed, but thankfully he settled down quickly like this.” – Rhea

: “We didn’t have the easiest start of our breastfeeding journey but we are truly loving it now. Feeding here on our first family holiday in Wales.” – Roxanne

: “Enjoying a morning at the dino ranch.” – Ruby

: “Feel free [to share] – I love doing my bit to #normalisenormal.” – Sam

: Samantha Louise

: “Still going strong at 2&half years old despite multiple allergies.” – Samantha Louise

: Sarah

: Sarah

: “I have so many feeding selfies, but this is one of my favourites. Feeding my tiger cub after a toddler group party.” – Sarah

: Sarah

: “My 2 year old showing off a lovely rugby hold.” – Stacey

: “Early morning nursing/contortions.” – Stacey

: “Always a cheeky wee grin over the boob.” – Tamara

: “Out feeding my 20 day old at my moms 47th Birthday.” – Tianna

: Tina

: Tina

: Tina

: Tina

: Victoria

: Yvette

: “When you’re 2 and boobs are life…also means mummy gets to sit down for 5 mins. This is what breastfeeding looks like…” – Zoe

: “St Ives beach – our favourite place.” – Zoe

: “Everyone wants a piece of mum.” – Elle

: Kayleigh

: “We’re going through a growth spurt and feeding all the time everywhere, the boot of the car is proving a popular place at the moment and everyone we have come across has been very understanding and kind.” – Kayleigh

: “4 months of breastfeeding with donor milk (and a few days of formula) in the SNS.” – Laura

: Miche

: Michelle

: “To me breastfeeding is a journey. Building a bond with my little one. Giving her specialised nutrition. Yes it’s inconvenient at times….like when I’m stuck at a service station only 30 minutes after setting off. But so convenient when I don’t want to drag my tired behind out of bed. But I’d not change it for the world.” – Philippa

: “I share this image after seeing a lack of diversity in the images shared when discussing breastfeeding. I think it’s important as a black woman, a black mum, a black healthcare professional to encourage other women (who look like me and those who don’t) with their breastfeeding journey.” – Philippa

: Roanna

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This project was originally inspired by this post:
https://www.romper.com/p/what-does-breastfeeding-look-like-these-photos-celebrate-the-diversity-of-experiences-9926018