On Thursday, the emoji gods, aka Unicode, announced a delightful addition of 56 new emojis for 2017. Among these quirky characters is a highly anticipated breastfeeding emoji, designed to bring representation to nursing mothers everywhere. From zombies to elves, this update has something for everyone — but let’s be real, the breastfeeding emoji is the shining star here.
Since the introduction of the baby bottle emoji in 2010, breastfeeding has been left out of the emoji conversation. This gap is significant, especially when you consider that breastfeeding rates in the U.S. hover around 49.4% at six months, with many mothers supplementing with formula or food. The CDC aims for these numbers to rise by 2020, but to achieve this, we need to make breastfeeding more visible and accepted in society.
Enter the breastfeeding emoji, championed by a passionate advocate, Sarah Martinez, a nurse from London. She emphasized that breastfeeding is a universal practice across cultures and history, and the emoji will help normalize and promote breastfeeding in our digital conversations. After all, it’s time to ditch the stigma and celebrate those late-night nursing sessions with friends: “Up at 3 am with the baby [breastfeeding emoji]” could soon be a common sight on social media.
While the emoji is a fantastic start, it does come with its drawbacks. Currently, it features a yellow tone that many interpret as white, which doesn’t reflect the diversity of nursing mothers globally. However, Unicode has promised to expand its offerings to include various skin tones, which is crucial for inclusivity, especially when aiming to boost breastfeeding rates among underrepresented communities.
Although Sarah wisely cautioned that a single emoji won’t magically transform societal attitudes toward breastfeeding, it’s a step in the right direction. Just think about how the formula industry has used images of bottle-feeding to market their products. The breastfeeding emoji could help shift the narrative and foster a culture that embraces nursing as a natural part of motherhood.
The earliest we might see this emoji is summer 2017, and let’s hope it encourages discussions that lead to greater support for breastfeeding moms. After all, creating awareness is half the battle.
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In summary, the introduction of the breastfeeding emoji is a monumental step toward normalizing nursing in our society. While it won’t solve all the challenges nursing mothers face, it serves as a conversation starter and a badge of honor for those who breastfeed. We can only hope that this little icon inspires more support and acceptance for breastfeeding in public spaces.