This bridesmaid was pumping in the wedding photos—with the bride’s full support

This viral photo is a breathtaking display of bridal beauty, supportive friends and the lengths breastfeeding mamas go to to fit pumping into schedules.

The photo, shot in 2019 and shared on Facebook in 2020 by photographer Amber Fletcher, shows bride Rachael Downs surrounded by her bridesmaids. One of them, Allison Hepler, is rocking an accessory the rest aren’t: a breast pump. 

In a recent interview with Popsugar, Helper explained: “Rachael has always been supportive and knew exactly what I needed as she had already been down that road…So I was pumping four times a day at the time of her wedding. One was while we were getting ready and the other was right before the ceremony. I was trying to squeeze in a session while Amber photographed the groom and groomsmen.” 

We know it’s hard to be a bridesmaid when you’re pregnant or postpartum, so we commend Helper for what happened next. When the photographer asked if Helper would mind wearing the pump for some pics, she was on board. “I told her I didn’t mind doing it since I’m all for normalizing breastfeeding and exclusively pumping,” she told Popsugar. “I walked out like that while some people were already arriving for the wedding!” 

At Motherly we fully support pumping mamas and the normalization of everything it takes to feed a baby.

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