The wait is over. Apple CEO Tim Cook tweeted the release of new emojis for 2017, and, thanks to popular demand, the new batch now includes an emoji of a mother breastfeeding. From tweets to a petition on Change.org, this upcoming emoji has been highly requested, with nurse Rachel Lee submitting an official proposal for it.
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Until now, mamas everywhere had to use the bottle emoji for a quick way to communicate that they were feeding their children, but many took issue with this as yet another sign of our culture’s discomfort with images of women breastfeeding. Many hope that having this emoji so publicly available will be the next step in the Normalize Breastfeeding movement, which was founded by photographer Vanessa A. Simmons to create and spread images that show the beauty of breastfeeding and normalize it for our society.
But this isn’t just about empowerment. The CDC has stated that the “CDC’s goal is to increase breastfeeding rates in the United States and to promote optimal breastfeeding practices” because “one of the most highly effective preventative measures a mother can take to protect the health of her infant is to breastfeed.”
With emojis being such a part of our daily lives now, this seemingly small move could empower many women and have real health implications for our society, not to mention celebrate the God-given miracle that is motherhood.
And today we celebrate...