Breast-feeding emoji π€± (and the bottle-feeding emoji)
π€± is breast-feeding: a woman nursing a baby. Added in Emoji 5.0 (2017) after a campaign by a nurse for an emoji that showed a normal part of motherhood, it meansβ¦
Published Β· Updated
What the breast-feeding π€± (and the bottle-feeding) emoji means
π€± is breast-feeding: a woman nursing a baby. Added in Emoji 5.0 (2017) after a campaign by a nurse for an emoji that showed a normal part of motherhood, it means breastfeeding, nursing, new motherhood and is used in parenting posts, feeding-support groups and Motherβs Day messages. The bottle-feeding trio arrived in Emoji 13.0 (2020): π§βπΌ person feeding baby, π©βπΌ woman feeding baby and π¨βπΌ man feeding baby, so dads and any carer have an emoji too. All take skin tones. The baby set β πΆ baby, πΌ baby bottle, π€° pregnant woman β completes it.
Unicode name: breast-feeding Β· U+1F931 Β· Emoji 5.0 (2017) Β· group: People & Body.
How people use it
- Breastfeeding: support, milestones, awareness week
- New parents: night feeds, newborn life
- Motherβs Day: with π and π
- Dads feeding (π¨βπΌ): shared parenting
Compare the options
| Emoji | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| breast-feedingU+1F931 | Nursing a baby | |
| person feeding babyU+1F9D1 U+200D U+1F37C | Bottle, neutral | |
| woman feeding babyU+1F469 U+200D U+1F37C | Bottle, woman | |
| man feeding babyU+1F468 U+200D U+1F37C | Bottle, man | |
| baby bottleU+1F37C | The bottle | |
| babyU+1F476 | The baby |
Skin tones and feeding alternatives
The π€± emoji supports five skin tones, just like other people emoji. π€±π» is the light skin tone version, π€±πΌ is medium-light, π€±π½ is medium, π€±πΎ is medium-dark and π€±πΏ is dark. The meaning stays the same across all tones: a person breastfeeding a baby. Choosing a tone simply lets you match the emoji to your own appearance or the person you are talking about.
You add a skin tone by long-pressing the π€± emoji on most phones, then selecting the tone you want. If the tone picker does not appear, copy the specific variation from the list below.
- π€±π» light skin tone
- π€±πΌ medium-light skin tone
- π€±π½ medium skin tone
- π€±πΎ medium-dark skin tone
- π€±πΏ dark skin tone
π€± is a clear visual for motherhood, even though it specifically depicts breastfeeding. It shows a mother cradling her baby while feeding.
If you want a feeding symbol that is not specific to breastfeeding, the woman feeding baby emoji π©βπΌ and the man feeding baby emoji π¨βπΌ are alternatives. Both support skin tones. The baby bottle πΌ alone is a neutral feeding symbol.
Questions people ask
Is there a mother emoji?
No single one. π€± breast-feeding, π©βπΌ woman feeding baby, π€° pregnant woman and the family emoji cover motherhood.
Is there a dad feeding a baby emoji?
Yes, π¨βπΌ man feeding baby, added in 2020.
What does π€± mean?
Breastfeeding β literally, and as shorthand for new motherhood.
Is there a mom holding baby emoji?
There is no emoji officially called βmom holding babyβ. The closest are π€± breast-feeding, which shows a woman nursing, and π©πΌ woman feeding baby, which shows bottle-feeding.
About this guide
Written and maintained by the Emoji Directory editorial team, without ads or sponsorship. Meanings describe how the emoji is commonly used in public posts and messages, not an official definition. Names, code points, versions, keywords and translations come from the Unicode Emoji 18.0 and CLDR data; shortcodes from the gemoji project. Last reviewed . Spotted a mistake or a new usage? Tell us, or read how the directory is made.
