National Breastfeeding Month

August

Spot the Odd One Out

The first three images are unstaged and natural. The third picture on the left is actress Salma Hayek breasfeeding a newborn African baby in 2009. The baby’s mother was unable to feed the baby and so Salma donated her own breastmilk as she was weaning her own daughter. The fourth is a glamorous photoshoot for a magazine.

Breastmilk is an instinctive and mobile food resource that is not reliant on finance. It is the only food a baby needs for the first six months of his/her life and as long as the mother and child wish to do so. But, there is a stigma of public feeding and sexualisation of the breasts against the role of motherhood. It’s wonderful that public figures use their influence to navigate their ‘followers’ towards good causes and breastfeeding. What happens when Salma, who is a natural and humble person is seen feeding her child? The glamour mob jump in and cash in on what becomes an instagram trend. Is it for the right reasons? Do you need to wear high heels and strip down to feed your child on camera? As I scrolled through images and posts on breastfeeding, the famous ones were entitled sexiest, sizzling and smouldering. Is this #metoo dynamics branching out? It is worrying that women are exploiting their bodies and their babies to win male and female audiences. This is not feminism. Salma and the other quiet heroines are listening to their bodies without the flash on.

Why is breastfeeding in the real world still seen as a poverty symbol? The media marketing of bottled formula milk, ‘dummies’ (or should I call them ‘soothers’ as it doesn’t grate others as much?), bottle warmers and the ‘yummy mummy’ designer bags to carry it all in; all signify wealth. The woman turfed out of a shop for trying to feed her baby had ‘distressed’ or made other people ‘uncomfortable;’ is this the world of equality and feminist progress?

Breastfeeding is not a powdered formula sold and pushed by hospital marketing on new mothers. Breastmilk is not a calf being removed from its mother and fed from a bottle of processed substitute by a school bus full of brainwashed children. It’s a choice between plastic and skin to skin, unrecyclable and reusable. Freedom should not come at a cost. If you don’t agree with something; don’t stare or force others to remove themselves from your issues and lack of empathy. Express yourself and let others also.