Breastfeeding In Public: Promotion and Campaigns
Efforts by advocacy groups and governments around the world to change community perception about breastfeeding in public have used some creative means. We have gathered together some of the best here:
2000 Advertising company, M&C Saatchi, devised a highly effective television commercial for the Tasmanian Breastfeeding Support Coalition that was screened first in Tasmania and then later in the mainland states. The simple advertisement had an impact. 'I am ashamed to think that in 2000 we as a society are so unaccepting of breastfeeding to the extent that women are forced to feed their children in a toilet,' wrote one middle- aged man who viewed the advertisement.
2004 Scotland NHS promotion
2016 British poet and spoken-word artist Hollie McNish tackles this dilemma head on in "Embarrassed", which has been made into a short film. The powerful poem attacks everything from the uneasy contradiction between anti-breastfeeding attitudes and “billboards covered in tits”, to the way baby formula is marketed, despite breast milk being free. McNish teamed up with filmmaker Jake Dypka to visually explore the question: "Why is titillation accepted and sustenance rejected?"
The poem is based on McNish's own breastfeeding experience. She wrote it a few years ago in a public toilet after her six-month-old baby fell asleep, she said ”I was in town on my own a lot with her and the first time I fed her someone commented that I should stay home. Baby's [sic] need breastfed every 2-3 hours often. It's impossible to run home. It's a stupid argument anyway. But I was embarrassed and for six months took her into toilets when I was alone without the support of boyfriend, friends, mum etc. I hate that I did that but I was nervous, tired and felt awkward." She added: "And now I find it weird that our TVs, media etc never show breastfeeding in soaps, cartoons, anything. That we and the US are so bloody scared of it. It's weird."
2013 - LUVS Diapers
2014 Ruin Your Day was written after Juliet Moody grew tired of the dirty looks and muttered comments she got every time she fed her youngest child. Juliet said she and Catherine Crowley– who call themselves Sparrow Folk and hail from Canberra - had been blown away by the response around the world and the song had been translated into 10 different languages.
It was filmed in a local cafe and includes the immortal chorus, "everybody knows new mothers are exhibitionists, taking every chance they get to ruin your day with tits".
Sparrow Folk also sarcastically suggest the reason people are shocked by breastfeeding is because breasts are "dangerous and scary".
2018 #NotSorryMums campaign
Not Sorry Mums is a new campaign which aims to encourage a more supportive environment for breastfeeding mums, promote the health benefits of breastfeeding and contribute to increasing breastfeeding rates in Northern Ireland.
2018 “Take a look behind the scenes of #FEEDME, a breastfeeding awareness campaign shot by us at RÅN studio, featured on Avenir Art's billboards across London, in partnership with the Association of Breastfeeding Mothers. Launched to celebrate the International Women's Day, the exhibition is showcased across London via digital billboards from Kings Road to Shoreditch High Street, Holland Park and Clapham Junction. We wanted to show beautiful interactions between the mothers involved, their children and the city of London, and to reframe how women and men engage with public breastfeeding in the UK. #FEEDME features a series of women freely breastfeeding in public places across landmark locations in London including the V&A, Portobello Road Market, Brick Lane, Tate, Tower Bridge, King's Cross, Bussey Building, Brixton Village, Southbank and The Strand. Over a hundred mothers across our vibrant city volunteered to take part in this awareness campaign using their image to express the positivity of public breastfeeding. The final selection represents the diversity of London with each mother varying in age and ethnicity and their children also ranging from two months to four years old. “In the UK, we understand the reasons why breastfeeding is important for mums and babies but at the same time, we don’t all feel entirely comfortable with mothers breastfeeding out and about. Every single time we see a mother breastfeeding, whether in real life or just an image, it helps to normalise what should be entirely normal. It helps the next woman we see in the cafe or on the train. It helps the little girl who may not breastfeed for another 20 years. It makes a difference. It’s no exaggeration to say this project will have an impact that could change lives.” Emma Pickett, Chair of Association of Breastfeeding Mothers”
2019 Breastfeeding Extras attempts to change the public opinion on breastfeeding in public by bringing the act on television. Kind en Gezin organized a casting agency who would allow TV shows and movies to book breastfeeding mothers who would act while breastfeeding their babies. What better way to shout and say to the world that breastfeeding is mainstream than making mainstream media the vehicle itself to carry the message? It’s not surprising that support from several influencer moms and journalists and other popular celebrities poured in in large numbers.
2019 #FeedOn documentary is a journey across the UK exploring the attitudes towards breastfeeding in public. Made from 50 interviews with breastfeeding mothers and families, shot in 40 locations across the country.
2021 - Breastfeeding in public spaces is still a taboo in France. Half of women who breastfeed say they do it secretly in inappropriate places like the toilet. 17% of moms were criticized for breastfeeding in public spaces in 2021.
We created a trompe l'oeil to destigmatize breastfeeding in public spaces. With the uncover every magazine reader can embody a breastfeeding person. We distributed more than 50 000 copies across France. The activation sparked an online movement, with celebrities, politicians, influencers, and everyday people sharing their stories and advocating for policy to change to protect mothers from harassment.
2021 - Angel Coleman is normalizing breastfeeding through breastfeeding in public. She unashamedly nurses in public to encourage other mothers and educate on the benefits of breastmilk over formula.
Continue Reading: Breastfeeding in Public: A Timeline
