Baby Dove in Canada have commissioned world-class photographers to capture the real side of motherhood.
99% of Canadian mothers feel pressure to be perfect. Baby Dove say:
“Baby Dove believes being real is so much more beautiful than being perfect. So we asked some of the world’s top photojournalists to immerse themselves in six real moms’ lives and capture the beauty 24/7.
Sometimes our moms had it all together and sometimes they seemed to be falling apart. Some did things by the book and others made it up as they went along. But always, our moms trusted their way. And their way is beautifully captured in our Gallery of Real Moms by some of the world’s top photographers”
Baby Dove have been running their “There are no perfect moms” Campaign worldwide.
Lynsey Addario
Lynsey Addario is a Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist who has covered nearly every humanitarian crisis of her generation, often with a focus on women’s issues. Lynsey Addario photographed Jonelle. Baby Dove said:
“Jonelle is a loving and dedicated single mother to her adorable, but often demanding, 15-week-old son Asher. She’s taken a year off work, but this doesn’t mean she can relax.
She’s actually just switching from one 40 hour, five-day-a-week job to one that is 24/7. Like many moms, she is learning to find time to eat, pay bills, and tend to an insatiable breastfeeder. The difference is, she’s doing it on her own. Despite the sleep deprivation from hours of nightly ball bouncing to soothe her colicky baby who just started teething, she manages to keep it all together. She’s even found a way to go back to school. Jonelle welcomes support from wherever she can: from strangers helping her carry a stroller onto a busy streetcar, to daily visits from a loving family.
With the amazing devotion and support of her mother, father and sister, this incredible blended family helps her take motherhood in stride. Baby Dove knows there are no perfect moms. Just beautifully-real ones like Jonelle.”
Ami Vitale
Ami Vitale is a world-renowned photojournalist who captures civil unrest and violence, but also the surreal beauty and power of the human spirit. Ami Vitale photographed Shauna. Baby Dove said:
“After devoting their lives to raising sheep and dairy cows on their prize-winning farm, Shauna and her husband are now even more devoted to raising their first child, four-month-old Adam.
Farm life is already offering Adam unique experiences that most children will only experience on the internet and in petting zoos. Because pregnancy didn’t come easy for Shauna, when Adam finally came into this world, he was very wanted, loved and welcomed. Shauna was committed to feeding her son breast milk, but a latching issue got in the way. So she took all her experience pumping cow’s milk and put it to good use pumping her own milk for Adam. Bottles and nipples are sterilized daily and the farm chores still need to be done.
Time and sleep are in short supply and the work is rarely pretty, but farmers aren’t complainers and Shauna simply pushes through her daily chores with Adam strapped to her chest. Baby Dove knows there are no perfect moms. Just beautifully-real ones like Shauna.”
Eran Sudds
Eran Sudds is a Canadian photographer who was inspired to represent the raw beauty of motherhood after becoming a mother herself. Eran Sudds photographed Sabrina. Baby Dove said:
“1+1=3 is math that only a twin mom like Sabrina can understand. After years of fertility treatments, she finally got to hold her precious twins, Penelope and Charlotte.
But it didn’t take long for her to discover that the two girls who brought her twice the joy, would also bring her three times the challenges and a bout of postpartum anxiety. The anxiety is under control, but her mayhem-filled life as a stay-at-home mom with two energetic 20-month-olds, two cats and a rabbit, is still going strong. Sabrina is always on the hunt for twin mom hacks, like sliding couches around the room to create a makeshift playpen and only going to stores with shopping carts built for two. Naptime struggles, exhausting outings with two in tow and crying fits in stereo are just the tip of her twin challenges.
Nonetheless, she wouldn’t trade her doubly wonderful life for anyone’s, and she’s even contemplating more kids. Baby Dove knows there are no perfect moms. Just beautifully-real ones like Sabrina. ”
Links
http://www.dove.com/ca/en/baby/more-from-baby-dove/about-baby-dove/there-are-no-perfect-moms.html
