In an effort to celebrate the beauty of breastfeeding, a project was born that aims to normalize this natural act. In 2013, photographer Emma Smith reached out to breastfeeding mothers, hoping to document their experiences nursing in public. “I always found it hard to nurse outside my home because I feared negative reactions,” she shared. Emma sought out moms to see where they felt most at ease breastfeeding, and the response was overwhelmingly positive.
This initiative blossomed into The Public Breastfeeding Awareness Project, which has since expanded to include various photographers and mothers from around the globe. “What began as a small project has grown significantly,” Emma explains. “We started with about 50 photographers, and now we have 70, capturing the journeys of moms in countries like the USA, UK, Australia, Canada, Italy, Venezuela, Brazil, and Estonia.”
The vision behind the project is simple: “The more we see breastfeeding, the more it becomes normalized,” Emma states. With the ongoing debates surrounding this topic, the project remains essential. Conversations with hundreds of mothers worldwide have revealed the real challenges they face. Emma emphasizes, “There is often judgment toward mothers who breastfeed in public, whether it’s about how they should do it or where they should go—bathrooms, bottles, or covered up.”
This stigma can be disheartening. Time and again, we see stories of mothers facing criticism for breastfeeding openly, often accompanied by comments suggesting that they should be more discreet. While some women may feel uncomfortable nursing in public, that’s their personal concern. The reality is that a baby’s need to feed is far more important than someone else’s discomfort.
“If we could shift our perspective as a society and stop viewing women’s bodies as merely sexual, we might find it easier to accept a mother nurturing her child even in a grocery store,” Emma concludes. “We should reserve our judgments for more significant issues.”
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In summary, the Public Breastfeeding Awareness Project highlights the beauty and necessity of breastfeeding in public. By showcasing the experiences of mothers worldwide, it encourages a shift in societal perspectives—reminding us that nurturing a child is a natural and beautiful act.