Rachel McAdams pumping milk in Versace sparks celebration and debate
A photo of actor and new mum Rachel McAdams dressed to the nines has sparked a LOT of chatter about breastfeeding and motherhood.
“The greatest thing that’s ever happened”
The photo was shared by Girls Girls Girls magazine on Instagram and shows a couture-clad Rachel putting in a solid session of pumping milk for her baby.
The Mean Girls and The Notebook star welcomed her first child with partner Jamie Linden this year, and while we don’t know a lot about her baby boy we do know that Rachel’s taken to motherhood like a duck to water.
She recently told The Sunday Times that motherhood has been “the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me, hands down.”
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“Rachel McAdams looks incredible”
“A million reasons why I wanted to post this picture. Obviously, Rachel McAdams looks incredible and was quite literally the dream to work with but also this shoot was about 6 months post her giving birth to her son, so between shots she was expressing/pumping as still breastfeeding,” Girls Girls Girls editor Claire Rothstein wrote.
“Breastfeeding is the most normal thing in the world, like breathing and I can’t for the life of me imagine why or how it is ever frowned upon … I don’t even think it needs explaining but just wanted to put this out there, as if it even changes one person’s perception of something so natural, so normal, so amazing then that’s great.”
“This is everything”
Lots of people on social media loved this image and were keen to share their views.
“Incredible, beautiful and empowering shot. Loving you right now Rachel McAdams!” one Instagrammer posted.
“She looks like she has just slain all of her opposing enemies … and I’m living for it,” another person gushed.
“This is everything and more. Pure perfection. Brilliant depiction of a woman and mother,” someone else wrote.
“Is this more pressure on new mums?”
However, not everyone was completely sold on this arresting shot, partly because it’s a pretty unattainable view of motherhood and skims over the fact that breastfeeding is not always easy or picture perfect.
Marie Claire founder Jackie Frank raised some interesting points when she reposted the image online.
“Not sure how I feel about this,” Jackie wrote on Instagram. “I had so much trouble breastfeeding my kids and the pressure was intense to keep my breast milk up that I sat for hours on end with a pump to do it till my doctor said enough is enough! Here Rachel McAdams, all glammed up pumping between takes on set. She makes it look sooooo easy! Is this more pressure on new mums? ”
A celebration of breastfeeding?
Editor Clare Rothstein partly addressed this in a footnote when she shared the original Rachel shot, noting “I did not look anywhere near as fabulous as this when feeding/pumping. And that’s ok too”
But really the shot IS about how fabulous Rachel looks and it’s going viral because it’s a) NOT what most mums look like and b) NOT how we usually see Rachel.
Here’s hoping we can appreciate it the way the team behind it say it was intended – a celebration of breastfeeding and a glimpse at Rachel’s experience … and that other mums don’t feel the need to compare their exhausted selves to this pretty idyllic portrayal of mum life.
Viva mums with messy hair in activewear! And viva glam pumper Rachel too! Each to their own, etc!
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