Diversity in Infant Feeding

Louise Oliver

Diversity in Infant Feeding is a project that developed organically after breastfeeding counsellor Louise Oliver noticed the distinct lack of representation in infant feeding imagery. Initially, the project focused on the need for breastfeeding images involving families from ethnic backgrounds, but after launching on social media, people began to reach out and speak about how they were not represented either. This saw the project grow beyond capturing diverse families feeding their babies, resulting in a new aim to secure images that represented a broad scope of feeding, from direct breastfeeding and chestfeeding to expressing, tube feeding and more! 

The impact of capturing and sharing pictures depicting the diversity of families and the many ways in which they feed their babies has been far-reaching. Diversity in Infant Feeding ignited conversations that influenced major organisations, breastfeeding charities, NHS Trusts, and feeding support across the UK to reassess the imagery they use on their websites, in publications, and in training and support materials.

Although some have been able to generate more inclusive images themselves, it quickly became clear that there was a need for a resource that provides a wide range of pictures to increase levels of representation more easily. Diversity in Infant Feeding plans to become that resource and is currently developing a bank of images in the hope that one day the true breadth and depth of how babies are fed is represented equitably.

Share your own images via the website, or if you are interested in supporting the project please email info@diversityinfeeding.org.

Watch Louise talking about the project here.