About the Project & Book
BREASTFEEDING 101
A book that wasn’t intended as a manual but may serve as one.
It is fitting that, during World Breastfeeding Awareness Week (1 – 7 August 2019), professional photographer Leah Hawker shines a spotlight on 101 women sharing their stories about the realities of breastfeeding, an act that’s often hidden from the public eye.
Her book, Breastfeeding 101, explores personal truths, myths and attitudes towards the subject, inevitably raising topical questions about how women feel about themselves, how they are seen by others and how they are marketed to. These candid accounts are accompanied by portraits of each woman standing tall, feeding her child in public.
“This was an important project to me because the subject is a central axis for current debates and highlights the current influences and outside factors affecting women, breastfeeding and infant health,” says Hawker. “The book tells unique stories and reveals surprisingly uncommon knowledge. My interest, as an image maker, is looking at women’s entire identities and the multitude of facets that these can be composed of.”
Title: Breastfeeding 101
Publisher: Self-published via Staging Post
Format: Hardcover, 22 x 27cm, 224 pages
Price: R385
Available for purchase via Exclusive Books, The Book Lounge and directly from the author as of 1st August 2019.