Blake Lively praised by mothers for ‘normalising’ pumping breast milk in public

‘Gossip Girl’ star and husband Ryan Reynolds welcomed their fourth child in early 2023

Blake Lively has been applauded by fellow mothers for normalising pumping in public.

The mother of four recently took to Instagram to reflect on memorable highlights from the past year, including a family trip to Disneyland Paris. In her post - which was shared on Saturday 30 December - Lively included snaps of herself posing in front of the Sleeping Beauty Castle, a photo taken inside the It’s a Small World ride, and an amusing image of herself with some Ratatouille characters.

However, the Gossip Girl alum was also seen sporting an accessory that many new mothers could relate to: her breast pump. As Lively took photos wearing a long-sleeve yellow shirt and light wash denim jeans, her portable breast pump was clipped onto the pocket of her jeans.

“2023 Highlights: Pumping at @disneylandparis,” the 36-year-old actor captioned her post. “Cheers Remy.”

It didn’t take long for fans to praise Lively, who welcomed her fourth child with husband Ryan Reynolds in early 2023, for normalising pumping in public.

“Love normalising pumping in public,” commented one Instagram user.

“Love seeing pumping normalised!” another fan wrote. “Get it mama! Happy new year!”

“Only BL can pump in public and look gorgeous at the same time!” a third user said.

Meanwhile, one fan thanked Lively for “helping to make a positive change for the next generation of pumping moms out there”.

“I’m hoping that by the time my daughters become moms they’ll live in a society where moms feel comfortable and empowered to take care of their babies wherever they are. The more people see women breastfeeding in public, the more normal it becomes, so thank you for being a part of that,” she said.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants star has spoken candidly about the realities of motherhood. Back in May, Lively shared a photo of herself pumping breast milk after fans were disappointed she was absent from the 2023 Met Gala. She joked about her plans for the annual fashion event on Instagram, where she posted a photo of herself pumping in a bathroom.

“First Monday in May,” she captioned the photo.

Lively previously shared that becoming a mother has made her feel more “confident” in her own body. During an interview with Forbes in 2022, she said: “I think having children, for me, made me feel so much more in my skin. I never felt more myself or at ease in my own body or more confident.

“Not to say that there aren’t a bevy of insecurities coming at me a million times a day, but I just feel incredibly settled,” she added.

Lively and Reynolds, who have been married since 2012, share four children: daughters James, nine, Inez, seven, and Betty, four. In February 2023, Lively revealed that she and Reynolds had quietly welcomed their fourth baby.