By Lauren – Gold Coast Mum
An advertising campaign that aims to spread awareness about the effects that expectant mothers' diets can have on the health of their children is doing a disservice to breastfeeding according to many nursing mums.
This campaign follows
on from a recent study
that found that women with good nutrition are more likely to have babies born
with a cancer-suppressing gene variant.
Concerned mothers have expressed their outrage, saying the
campaign could discourage breastfeeding as it suggests that what a mother
consumes is passed directly onto her infant via breastmilk, which isn’t
entirely accurate.
Feedback has included:
“I can't believe they would use breastfeeding shaming to make a point about pregnancy diets”.
“Stupid campaign gives the wrong message to breastfeeding mothers”.
“What a way to discourage breastfeeding”.
“I can't believe they would use breastfeeding shaming to make a point about pregnancy diets”.
“Stupid campaign gives the wrong message to breastfeeding mothers”.
“What a way to discourage breastfeeding”.
Let’s be clear.
As we all know, it is generally recommended that cigarettes, smoke, alcohol, and a variety of other chemicals should be avoided for mums-to-be and breastfeeding mothers.
And, as the study by Robert Waterland, an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Molecular and Human Genetics at Baylor College of Medicine, found - healthy diets of pregnant mothers can result in babies developing a gene variant that suppresses tumors.
(If a pregnant mother does not have good nutrition, her baby's immune system is less likely to activate the cancer-fighting gene variant.)
However, such an ad campaign/illustration that suggests a lactating woman shouldn’t eat soft drink/cheeseburgers is ludicrous.
What the mother eats, and what goes into her stomach, doesn’t completely transfer to her baby via breast milk.
And this suggestion could have a variety of ramifications.
As one mother suggested, “Perhaps the illustrations could have showed a mother scoffing a burger with mini burgers going through the umbilical cord to a fetus/baby in utero? This would be a more accurate example.”
Could this campaign put women off breastfeeding, or do you think it sends the right message that women should be more cautious about their diet and maintaining healthy eating habits during pregnancy and breastfeeding?
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