The inflatable breasts spotted all over London from March 31 to April 1 to coincide with Mother’s Day as a part of FreetheFeed awareness campaign by women’s tech company Elvie to fight the stigma around breastfeeding and pumping milk in public.
Elvie is known as the inventor of the world’s first silent, wearable breast pump. It fits under the bra, allows to pump on the move. The new campaign aims to empower women to feel safe and comfortable breastfeeding or pumping anytime, anywhere and encourage the British public to support them.
Tania Boler, CEO of femtech firm Elvie, which came up with the campaign, said: “The #FreetheFeed campaign is an invitation to everyone to stand with all those women that have felt shamed or confined when breastfeeding or pumping.
“We know the giant boobs will raise a few eyebrows, but we want to make sure no one overlooks the way that this stigma has been used to repress women.”
Boobs of various sizes and skin tones were popped at Shoreditch Grind, Old Street; Village Underground, Holywell Lane; Neutral, Colombia Road; Ely’s Yard, Brick Lane, and Huntington Estate, east London.
According to research almost half (45%) of UK mothers say that everyday life situations, such as office meetings, prevent them from breastfeeding or pumping due to common perceptions of nudity in public.
For some, the larger-than-life breasts may seem familiar that’s because this isn’t their first time making a public appearance. On Mother’s Day in 2017, creative agency Mother London first launched the #FreeTheFeed campaign with the same breasts in the same spots.
Elvie and Mother London have worked together before on a music video released in September that takes an irreverent look at the realities of breast pumping, but sadly, stigma is still rife.
Just last month, a Danish MP was told she was “not welcome” in parliament when she attempted to breastfeed her baby at work. Stories like that woman who breastfeed their babies in public are often shamed, forcing them to feed their babies in bathrooms and other uncomfortable settings.
Elvie said “Get involved by sharing your breastfeeding or pumping pic (old or new) with #FreeTheFeed! We want to empower mothers to feel safe and comfortable to feed how and where they choose to”.
