We're very here for Emily Ratajkowski's breastfeeding photos

Helping the normalisation of breastfeeding happen one step at a time.

Emily R
(Image credit: Charley Gallay)

Helping the normalisation of breastfeeding happen one step at a time.

Model Emily Ratajkowski has long been hailed for her stylish looks, not forgetting her bravery. Just last September, she penned an essay for The Cut where she accused photographer Jonathan Leder of sexually assaulting her during a photoshoot at his house in 2012.

Now a new mother, she's shared snaps throughout her pregnancy of her bump and her changing body.

She gave birth to her first son, Sylvester, on March 8th last month. Now, four weeks on, the model has been posting photos of her breastfeeding on social media.

Whether or not her intention is to change the narrative and normalise breastfeeding in public is unclear, but a celebrity sharing images of such a natural - and necessary - occurrence on platforms with millions of followers will only do good.

First sharing an image three days after she gave birth, she shared the happy news with her fans, captioning the post: "Sylvester Apollo Bear has joined us earth side. Sly arrived 3/8/21 on the most surreal, beautiful, and love-filled morning of my life."

A photo posted by on

On March 24th, she shared another breastfeeding snap with the simple caption 'beautiful boy.'

And this week, she's shared another sweet image of her and her newborn. The new mum looks besotted, and wears two necklaces, one with the words 'mama' and one with her son's name on it.

A photo posted by on

Despite breastfeeding being one of the most natural things for a new mum and baby to have to go through - it is literally a baby being fed - it's still shrouded in stigma and shame for many. Stories of mothers not feeling comfortable feeding their babies in public, or being called out for doing so, are sadly all too common.

Emily's candid family shots come the same month lawyers are asking for the law to be changed to include paid leave for mothers who have miscarried, and the NHS has announced that maternal mental health hubs will be opening across the UK.

This will hopefully only continue to change as the world moves towards celebrating women's bodies for all they can do, and respecting the birth process, too.

Loads of other celebrities commented on the image, inexplicably sharing their support of the move.

We're here for it.

Ally Head
Senior Health, Sustainability and Relationships Editor

Ally Head is Marie Claire UK's Senior Health, Sustainability, and Relationships Editor, nine-time marathoner, and Boston Qualifying runner. Day-to-day, she works across site strategy, features, and e-commerce, reporting on the latest health updates, writing the must-read health and wellness content, and rounding up the genuinely sustainable and squat-proof gym leggings worth *adding to basket*. She's won a BSME for her sustainability work, regularly hosts panels and presents for events like the Sustainability Awards, and saw nine million total impressions on the January 2023 Wellness Issue she oversaw. Follow Ally on Instagram for more or get in touch.