Only 14% of Mexican women breastfeed their children during the first six months of life, which has led to love promote breastfeeding with the campaign "Do not turn your back, breastfeed! And it is that the country occupies the last place in America in breastfeeding rates, a trend that is sought to change.
The campaign uses the image and experiences of famous Mexican women, Camila Sodi, Maribel Guardia (actresses and singers), Cecilia Galiano (actress and model) and boxer Mariana "La Barbie" Juárez, who speak to us in the video to promote breastfeeding.
In addition, the proposal includes a new lactation law, the inauguration of milk banks in hospitals, "lactaries" (environments where working mothers can extract milk and keep it in proper conditions) and specialized care for mothers in the Federal District.
In the video we see a long spot in which the experiences of the four mothers are mixed, followed by shorter ones dedicated to each of the women. By the way, some of them did not like the final result because they look too "great" and do not give a real picture of the woman who breastfeeds. Is it that you can not do and be great, even if it is not usual?
The fact is that if you want to normalize breastfeeding all types of women must be portrayed. Surely if they had taken "real" women for the campaign this would not have such an impact, but it is clear that they have decided to take public figures from the entertainment world, very beautiful by the way, in this first phase that has been "on the air" a few months.
In addition, it seems that one of the intentions was precisely to show that these mothers who breastfed their babies retain their figure (although this is not one of the reasons they give).
They explain the advantages of breastfeeding, both health and emotional, in a close way, which is why I think they reach the public very well. Some even appear with their children, one of whom is quite "grown-up" (19 years old), which has also earned criticism.
The fact that, in the posters of the campaign, women's breasts appear covered as a "censorship" also does not fit very well with the message you want to give and perhaps it is too much for women who pose for photographs , stereotyped (it is the image that "sells" in advertising, cinema, music ...).
Anyway, in the following phases of the campaign we will see "real women" breastfeeding, and the initiative is structured in several times. It is good to talk about the subject, and although the motto seems quite striking, perhaps there is a "but."
Turn your back on your son?
What I do not like so much is that reference is made to "turn your back" on a baby because you do not breastfeed, when most times the mother tries, wants to do it and of course does not turn her back on her baby. It does not affect the problems that mothers may have when breastfeeding, while with that motto they can be blamed, they are "required" that behavior without considering variables.
More help and information for mothers who want to breastfeed are necessary, we will wait to see the rest of the campaign, but I am sure that not breastfeeding your child is not because you want to "turn your back", abandon it in that sense, at least in cases where mothers tried and breastfeeding failed.
In other cases, due to ignorance, you may not breastfeed and there also have to influence this and other campaigns, starting with the training of professionals and assistance to pregnant women and mothers.
Also, although it is commendable that it is intended to make it easier for women to express their milk in their jobs, other possibilities must be considered, lengthen maternal casualties, insufficient clearly in Mexico (Two months in many cases: working outside the home and trying to exclusively feed breast milk to the baby until six months is really complicated ...).
We hope to the breastfeeding campaign "Do not turn your back, breastfeed" other initiatives and true legal changes that guarantee the right of babies and mothers are added. And that both in Mexico and in other countries the importance of giving the best to the baby is increasingly understood.
Video | Youtube
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