Image credit SPRS via dailymail.co.uk
Image credit SPRS via dailymail.co.uk
This really riled me – maybe it was because last week was so crappy, or because I’m so firmly against any kind of mother shaming – I don’t know, it just really incensed me. A new campaign (funded by Nestle – surprise surprise) has been designed in Brazil to encourage breastfeeding women to think about what they are eating, as it can transfer into the breastmilk, thus passing on to baby. A recent studies has shown that women who have a healthier and more nutritious diet can pass on cancer suppressing gene variant. Some have hailed the campaign, dubbed the ‘Your child is what you eat’ campaign, as wonderful, whereas others have felt that it is fat and mother shaming combined. In case you didn’t get the vibe of this post from the opening gambit, I’ve firmly planted my derrière in the latter category, after all, this is a derrière that you can tell enjoys the odd chocolate bar and hasn’t seen a Pilates class for a time. I wouldn’t want to be a hypocrite now.
Image credit SPRS via dailymail.co.uk
Here’s the thing, I really feel that with those wonderful hormones ping ponging around your body, and after you have just spent 2 freakin hours feeding a baby through cracked nipples and blood blisters, you should be able to tuck into your Big Mac without the guilt and in peace! Seriously? It’s just one more thing to pile on to an already stressed out, over tired mother. Why do it? Realistically, your baby is nursing from you, so if you don’t have a terribly good diet, that can cause problems – that being said, my diet has largely consisted of coffee and pleas for at least two hours worth of undisturbed sleep, and guess what?! Edith’s fine, and I sincerely doubt that I am increasing her chances of getting tumour in later life. While I appreciate that there is a need to educate people about food, and what is or isn’t good for us outside of the moderation check zone, I can’t stand the thought of a woman tucking into her Saturday night take out, feeling guilty because it might affect her baby. I hate it and it makes me so angry.
As a society the pressure we put on new mothers is shameful. Really it is. Firstly, there is pressure to give birth the right way, no paid meds, calmly and with the appropriate level of zen. Anyone who has had another human being come out of their vagina and doesn’t lose their shit the tiniest bit is not normal in my eyes. I remember going to my antenatal classes when I was pregnant with Reuben and I sat listening to the midwife telling us all of the awful ways in which these pain medicines would harm our baby – didn’t you know it would make it harder to breastfeed if you had meptid? It makes baby very sleepy, which isn’t good, we need them alert so they can latch properly. Then there is the pressure to breastfeed – it comes from the midwives, the health visitors, the media and, hardest of all, it often comes from within. So, picture a woman who has had an absolutely horrendous birth experience and ended up having all manner of pain relief, forceps, episiotomy and finally an emergency section, she already feels like a failure but at least she’s been able to breastfeed. After all the tears and hard work, the lactation consultant has finally managed to help her and her baby get that latch. She’s bruised, blistered and so sore, her nipples are bleeding but she’s powering through it. Then, in her hormonal state, she sees an advert that tells her she’s doing ANOTHER thing wrong and her breastmilk is now bad for baby because she can’t control those cravings.
To me, that is just a one way ticket to post natal depression for a lot of women, and it’s avoidable. Nestle, keep your mother shaming to yourself, yeah? We don’t need any more of it.
Harriet x
This is propaganda funded by Nestle. See various links below explaining why the science behind this ad campaign is a bunch of crap. The truth is this is a MARKETING campaign not a health campaign and that is why it is insidious.
The reason why this is marketing genius is because no mother is PERFECT and by creating a ridiculous ideal whereby tired, stressed and hungry breastfeeding women have to maintain a perfect diet or else they will injure their babies is fear mongering. No one has a PERFECT diet, and some mothers are partial to burgers (*gasp*) so why don’t they cut their losses and just open the tin of formula instead of harming their babies with their burger-y breasts? You can’t be perfect but you can be “OK” with formula. What a bunch of crap. I’m mad about this too!
A legitimate study could have been published in any of the respected scientific journals but instead they hired a creative advertising agency and some graphic designers to really draw it out for us. Total crap.
https://www.facebook.com/DrJackNewman/posts/455268277957557?hc_location=ufi
http://kellymom.com/nutrition/mothers-diet/mom-diet/
“A meta-analysis examining research from around the globe found that only in famine or near-famine conditions does a formerly well-nourished mother’s milk production or milk quality start to suffer. Even under those conditions baby should continue to be breastfed and the diets of their mothers supplemented rather than providing alternative feeding for babies. The antibodies and antimicrobial properties of breastmilk cannot be reproduced in manufactured baby foods and these qualities are vital to the health and survival of the baby whether that baby is living in stressed conditions or not.” – Prentice, Goldberg & Prentice 1994 & LLL Canada.
Hi Maddi, thank you so much for sharing this. It’s positively diabolical that these big companies get away with such unethical and underhanded marketing. I really can’t stand it. 🙂
I nursed my first little girl (now 3) for a year and half and now nursing my 4 month old and will carry on until we both feel necessary to stop (probably same as 1st baby) i dont read anything good or bad on breast/bottle feeding as i feel its my baby so ill do what i feels right! People do have opinions and thats their choice weather the air them or not! Im not the healthiest person i feel i eat a varied diet of good and bad things and ive got 2 very happy healthy children!
As for all the ‘do this do that to stop things later in life’ none of it has been found to be 100% true its all theories and experiments… If someone said to me eat this and it will guarantee your kids will be 100% healthy and live a long happy life then obviously i would but until its proven 100% then im gojng to live mine and help my kids live their lives as best we can right now.. Enjoy everyday as I’ve seen how fast life can be snatched away! (May not be worded how i mean what i mean but i know what im trying to say!) doesnt matter what we do or dont do there will always be someone somewhere in the world saying different! So do what you feels right for you and your baby and enjoy life!
Brilliant comment Ellese – so very true. I get you 100% – life is precious and should be enjoyed, it goes waaaay to fast and this kind of thing is purely to bring breastfeeders down. Thanks for the comment 🙂 x
Ive got nothing against formula feeding so wouldn’t and don’t push breastfeeding on anyone! When i found out i was pregnant with first baby and looked into what i wanted to do with feeding it looked to faffy for me to do bottles! Im glad i made the decision i did as its tiring enough been pregnant for 9 months, been uncomfortable and tired then having a newborn to look after, the thought of making sure enough bottles were washed and sterilised and ready gave me shivers! And i like the fact that its me that my girls need, they dont rely on anyone else to feed them, its a beautiful bonding moment whenever they feed 🙂
It is such a lovely bonding experience isn’t it? I really do love those moments with Edith, I’ve tried to explain it to Adam but he can’t quite see what I mean, maybe its a mother/child thing. H x