Normalising Breastfeeding in Public
A Community Photography Project in Dorset
Breastfeeding in public is a completely ordinary part of caring for a baby, yet many mothers still feel uncomfortable feeding their children openly when they’re out and about. Taboob! is a photography project exploring breastfeeding in public places across Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch and Dorset, creating honest, beautiful images of mothers feeding their babies as part of everyday life.
The project began as a personal photographic idea but has grown into something rather different: an attempt to help normalise breastfeeding in public through photography, exhibitions and conversation.
Normalising Breastfeeding in Public
During a recent discussion about how social norms shift over time — what’s considered acceptable behaviour or public practice — I realised my self-indulgent art project could take on a much bigger purpose. Instead of studio-based portraits, Taboob! became a series of images capturing real mothers breastfeeding in everyday public spaces: shopping, meeting friends, or simply going about their day.
Why Breastfeeding in Public Matters
The UK has historically had some of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world, particularly for longer-term breastfeeding. While rates have improved, many mothers still stop breastfeeding earlier than they intended. UNICEF UK identifies practical, societal and commercial barriers that can make it harder for women to continue breastfeeding for as long as they wish.
One of those societal barriers can be the feeling that breastfeeding should be hidden away. Mothers may still be encouraged to cover up, find somewhere private or even feed their baby in a toilet. Yet breastfeeding in public is legal in the UK, and the NHS explicitly advises women that they should not feel they have to feed their baby in a public toilet.
Breastfeeding in Public Is Legal
In the UK, women have the legal right to breastfeed their babies in public. The Equality Act 2010 protects breastfeeding women from being treated unfavourably because they are breastfeeding, including when using services such as shops, cafés and public transport.
The NHS is equally clear: mothers should not feel that they have to hide away or use a public toilet to feed their baby. Breastfeeding is part of everyday life, and the more visible and accepted it becomes, the more ordinary it can feel for everyone..
Despite this, we still headlines in newspapers like this:
“Breast is best, but not in public”
“Bosoms heave over council breast-feeding”
“Breastfeeding mum left in tears after being told she was ‘putting diners off their teacakes’ in cafe”
“Furious teacher is asked to leave Costa Coffee for breastfeeding”
“NOT BREAST PRACTICE Mum ‘made to feel ashamed’…”
“Mother distraught after being called a ‘slut’ for breastfeeding in coffee shop”
“Blackheath café boss forced to apologise for telling breastfeeding mother to ‘cover up’”
The Project Comes to Life
Creating these images has been a privilege. I’ve met incredible mothers from diverse backgrounds, each generously sharing a part of their lives with me. Their courage and openness have shaped the project into something far bigger than my original artistic idea.
The first exhibition took place in Bournemouth last year at one of my favourite venues, welcoming all mothers and their families. The project continues to grow, with ambitions to:
Share photographs through media outlets to support breastfeeding advocacy nationwide
Hold future exhibitions in Bournemouth, Poole, and beyond
Display images permanently in public spaces, such as hospitals or community centres
Would You Like to Take Part?
If you’re a breastfeeding mother and would like to take part, I’d love to hear from you — especially mothers from different ethnic backgrounds or teenage mums, a group with particularly low breastfeeding rates. We’d find a mutually convenient time and place to meet, when your little one will want feeding, and we’ll do a photoshoot. I’ll ask you to sign a model release allowing me to use the images within the Taboob project, which may be online or in exhibitions or print and you’ll get your choice of five fully edited digital images to keep, especially as your little one grows up.
Your participation helps make breastfeeding in public a normal, celebrated part of life in Bournemouth, Poole, Dorset, and across the UK.
A Private and Personal Breastfeeding Photography Session
Perhaps you would like to create something more personal than taking part in Taboob. I also offer private photography sessions dedicated entirely to breastfeeding and the special relationship between you and your baby. These can be quiet, relaxed and completely private, whether you’d like to document those early days, celebrate your breastfeeding journey or simply create beautiful photographs of a fleeting part of motherhood that you know you will want to remember. We can make the session entirely your own, in the studio, at home or somewhere that has meaning for you. Sessions and pricing are as for our Maternity Sessions.
