The moment a mother breastfeeds is when both are connected to the universe.
That is what photographer Ivette Ivens wants to convey through beautiful portraits that capture that moment.
Photographer Ivette Ivens recently made a big splash when she published an impressive set of photos of breastfeeding mothers – a very familiar and intimate image.
‘My ‘models’ can be anyone – from celebrities to housewives – Ivens – ‘All these mothers have different stories: Yes Some people can only breastfeed for 1 week, while others can only breastfeed for 6 years.
She captures the image of a nursing mother with soaring and artistic camera angles.
‘What I’ve wanted from the very beginning is to show people how natural, beautiful and pure the moment a mother breastfeeds is,’ Ivens said.
‘I want people to look at the pictures, or pictures of breastfeeding mothers that you see in real life, and feel there is no problem with them.
Every photo I take has a story behind it.
Breastfeeding is one of a million ways a mother shows her love and care for her babies, and I hope people can see that in my pictures.”
Ivens says it’s heartbreaking that people have to work to normalize the image of a breastfeeding mother. ‘A mother doesn’t have to hide when she needs to feed her baby,’ she said.
‘I find it very sad, and sometimes surprising, because how can a mother’s breastfeeding lead to such negative emotions and hate?
I just hope that by the time my child is an adult, that reaction has ceased to exist.”
Ivens shared that while she doesn’t always receive negative comments about her photos, they often come from the women themselves.
‘I just want to encourage mothers and all women to try and be a support for each other instead of hurting each other’ – Ivens shared.
According to New Family Newspaper