In Search of an Icon: Breastfeeding Symbol Contest

The image of a baby bottle announcing the location of a "parents lounge" in an airport got us thinking: Is there an international symbol for breastfeeding? Similar to the familiar icons we've all seen indicating a handicapped parking spot or the women's restroom, this image would be a recognizable symbol indicating that a place is breastfeeding friendly. Ideally, the space would be private, quiet, with a comfortable chair and an electrical outlet for pumping.

We called around and spoke to lactivists and breastfeeding organizations all over the world. We heard of a symbol in Canada and one in Singapore, but there doesn't seem to be one international symbol for breastfeeding.

So we put out a call. We received an overwhelming response, over 500 entries from both the design and breastfeeding communities. While the images are currently copyrighted by the artists, we plan to make the winning image available worldwide (copyright-free, as a public domain image) with recommendations that it be used in workplaces, airports, malls, restaurants, conferences/expos, libraries, parks, or any public place. We've already heard from an airport and a university interested in using the winning symbol.

Calculating votes from the public, breastfeeding organizations, and Mothering's icon committee, the winner will be announced on the website November 13th. A photo of the winner and the winning entry will be featured in the Jan/Feb issue of Mothering.

The Three Finalists

The Twelve Semi-Finalists

We have a number of images that are not finalists for the icon, but were voted the Most Artistic. These could be used for logos or other uses.

And here are those that Just Made Us Smile.