I like it when celebrities are photographed nursing their babies.
But I really, really love that Salma Hayek breastfed someone else’s newborn on camera. I’m also glad she talked about it afterwards.
I honestly do not understand what the big deal is. Mothers make breastmilk. Babies nurse. Sometimes a mother can’t make enough milk, sometimes a baby can’t nurse from their own mothers. I’ve donated my expressed breastmilk to moms who have wanted to feed their adopted babies breastmilk instead of formula*. I would allow another woman to nurse my baby if it was necessary, or feed him their expressed breastmilk in a bottle. And I would nurse someone else’s baby if I had milk to give and the baby needed it and the mother was okay with it.
Salma Hayek is awesome.
I saw the clip and just melted. She is my hero!
It brought tears to my eyes. I’ve always liked Selma Hayek.
Remember a couple of years ago, when that woman her children were trapped in their van in a snow storm and she kept everyone hydrated by giving them breastmilk? Amazing!
I think she did a good thing, for certain, but I’d like to think more lactating women than not would make the same choice in such a heartbreaking situation. A baby needs food, and we have the ability to make food and to share it.
I think the part that makes me feel squishy, though, is that she’s so celebrated for this action. African women were forced to be nursemaids for other women’s, privileged women’s, children for ages, and that was never considered a noble act–it was degraded. I’m glad attitudes about BF have changed, but–I dunno–I think there’s something a little icky about the celebration of celebrities doing their acts of service, and this really does bump into some old, oppressive ideas.
Musing out loud. Probably should have saved this for my own journal. I *am* glad you shared this!
I was nursing my daughter when Hurricane Katrina hit and I had the strangest dream of lying on a mattress in the superdome and feeding baby after baby after baby. I think it was after seeing those awful shots of that dehydrated baby & so wanted to be able to do something for those moms & babies. It was the most vivid and kind of strange dream that I will always remember. I guess this is Selma’s way of helping out!