Saturday, October 6, 2012

Breastfeeding is glamorous...really?

On the eve of the last day of the 20th edition of World Breastfeeding Week, here in Quebec we have gone as far as making the act of feeding your child a glamorous act. Mahée Paiement is the spokesperson for the week long event and she recently released a video where she has presented breastfeeding as being a very glamour. Dressed in a sexy black dress, hair all made up and posing in a velvet and leather decor with a baby on her boob. You can see the picture right here
If I am a mom who is presently breastfeeding, I fail to see how this represents my reality. On the other hand, if I am a mom who had trouble breastfeeding or failed to breastfeed, I still do not see how this can help. Finally if I am a mom to be and have no idea what to expect from breastfeeding, should this be the example in my mind???
Being 32 weeks pregnant with twins getting ready to breastfeed again after a very short break (my son was weaned only a few weeks before I got pregnant at 14 months) this sort of publicity stunt bothers me. I can see that having a celebrity endorse breastfeeding has the potential to encourage some women to take on the challenge. Only 48% of women in Quebec actually breastfeed.
I am no marketing guru by all means, but this seems to me like this was an amazing publicity opportunity to promote breastfeeding that missed the target. I could imagine many different scenarios that are very real and concrete where one promotes breastfeeding. A mom at the restaurant, or in the shopping mall, perhaps a shot at home with some other mom friends who are also breastfeeding. But all dressed up to go to a gala or something...how is that real? I, for one, if my presence was required at a gala and I had to breastfeed, I would do it before I put my sexy black dress on, or I would use the pump. One thing is for sure, I would not be wearing my 6 inch heals sitting on the edge of a leather office chair!

No comments:

Followers