--- description: Updated guidelines clarify what images users can and cannot share. title: Instagram Now Allows Photos of Women Breastfeeding image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt307faf692a4d146c/6987eb9a35ba6f1a80c0aec9/instagram.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Newsfeed](/tag/time-section-newsfeed/) ## Newsfeed Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Instagram Now Allows Photos of Women Breast-Feeding by [Samantha Grossman](/author/samantha-grossman/) ## Samantha Grossman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 16, 2015 9:51 PM CUT  FAIRFAX, CA - DECEMBER 18: The Instagram logo is displayed on an Apple iPhone on December 18, 2012 in Fairfax, California. Users of the popular photo-sharing app Instagram are angered over language in Instagram's new terms of service that states that a business may use any of the users photographs in advertising without compensation to the user. The policy is set to go into effect on January 16, 2013\. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) FAIRFAX, CA - DECEMBER 18: The Instagram logo is displayed on an Apple iPhone on December 18, 2012 in Fairfax, California. Users of the popular photo-sharing app Instagram are angered over language in Instagram's new terms of service that states that a business may use any of the users photographs in advertising without compensation to the user. The policy is set to go into effect on January 16, 2013\. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)Justin Sullivan—Getty Images by [Samantha Grossman](/author/samantha-grossman/) ## Samantha Grossman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 16, 2015 9:51 PM CUT Last year, one mom [said](http://www.people.com/article/heather-mays-instagram-breast-feeding "undefined") she had her Instagram account shut down after commenters complained about photos that showed her breast-feeding. She said she got her account back up and running after launching a social-media campaign. Now, in an updated [set of guidelines](https://help.instagram.com/477434105621119/ "undefined"), Instagram has clarified that photos of “women actively breast-feeding” are 100% permitted. Photos of post-mastectomy scars are fair game too. (Images of “sexual intercourse, genitals and close-ups of fully nude buttocks” are banned.) Breast-feeding photos on Instagram have long been a point of contention. In October actress Alyssa Milano posted a photo that showed her breast-feeding her baby and [said](http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-moms/news/alyssa-milano-defends-her-breastfeeding-selfie-disses-kim-kardashian--2014412 "undefined") she was surprised that it sparked backlash. Milano said she “got really sad” that she received so many hateful messages about her choice to share the photo. The new guidelines also remind users not to share messages that “support or praise terrorism, organized crime or hate groups” or that offer illegal services. Read Instagram’s complete guidelines [here](https://help.instagram.com/477434105621119/ "undefined"). ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3825923/instagram-women-breastfeeding-photos/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3825923/instagram-women-breastfeeding-photos/"},"headline":"Instagram Now Allows Photos of Women Breast-Feeding","datePublished":"2015-04-16T21:51:04.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T07:18:49.367Z","description":"Updated guidelines clarify what images users can and cannot share","url":"https://time.com/3825923/instagram-women-breastfeeding-photos/","keywords":["Newsfeed","Technology"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt307faf692a4d146c/6987eb9a35ba6f1a80c0aec9/instagram.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Samantha Grossman","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/samantha-grossman/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt307faf692a4d146c/6987eb9a35ba6f1a80c0aec9/instagram.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Instagram Changes Terms Of Service, Stirs Anger Among Users","caption":"Instagram Changes Terms Of Service, Stirs Anger Among Users","creditText":"Justin Sullivan—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3825923/instagram-women-breastfeeding-photos/","name":"Instagram Now Allows Photos of Women Breast-Feeding"}}]}] ```