Salma Hayek breastfeeds african baby

[tasha99]

Let's see...I'm in Africa with no bottles and no formula and I'm still lactating. A baby is very hungry and crying for food.

I can't imagine *not* feeding him.

 

[Tink&SquirtsMom]

I just found nursing my baby extremely intimate. It's not something I could do for a stranger. I'd have no problem giving away the milk, but I don't think this was about nourishing this baby.

This was to make a statement.

There are a lot of hungry babies in the world, and donating formula(which she could afford to do) would be more helpful than breastfeeding one baby.

Formula requires access to clean water. Even ready to use products require access to stores (ie money & location) to purchase formula, bottles, nipples, etc. Even donated formula requires access to a distribution clinic. It is NOT a valid resource to address the issue in the areas of Africa that are most affected by maternal deaths and infant malnutrition.

FWIW, I know a bit about this. This September will be my 4th trip to East Africa to address orphan care issues, and it has impacted my immediate family as well.

My youngest son's almost died due to malnutrition after his first mother passed away. They were in rural Ethiopia a good 40km (a distance that he would have had to walk) from the nearest store in which his father could have purchased formula, much further from the nearest clinic or NGO aid station that might have donated it. The cost of one can of formula was more than he spent on feeding his other children for 2 weeks, and certainly out of his price range, before even adding in cost of bottles, etc. He was infrequently nursed by other women and Plumpy Nut was what eventually helped him overcome malnourished status but that was not recieved until after being placed in an orphanage. Solutions need to be found to help the child and family before it reaches the point where the family must relinquish the child to save his life.

Breastfeeding by others does saves MANY children's lives who do not have access to anything else. It is the best immediate solution for a child who is starving right then. If you have ever come face to face with a starving child, then yes if you can you are going to nurse that child. I cannot imagine not doing that.

It is far from a perfect solution however as breastfeeding is a known method of transferring the HIV virus, and the same areas which lack the funding or resources to provide formula or alternate feeding methods, lack testing for and education about HIV transmission.

IMHO, the best way to effectively treat this issue is to reduce the maternal death rate, by increasing the rate of girls who recieve an education. Girls who recieve an education are considered a resource to their family and are married an average of 4 years later. That additional 4 years in which the body is able to mature dramatically reduces the maternal death rate. In addition their education elevates their status in that they can obtain an income and statistically FAR more women then men who recieve education in these highly impacted areas use that education for the betterment of their local community (such as by starting medical clinics and teaching schools). Educated men are more likely to head to the urban areas, or apply for immigration out of the country. Unfortunately the male child is far more likely to recieve an education IF (and thats a big if) any of the children recieve an education at all. This however is a longterm solution, breastfeeding is immediate.

 

[SadieDog]

Let's see...I'm in Africa with no bottles and no formula and I'm still lactating. A baby is very hungry and crying for food.

I can't imagine *not* feeding him.

Either can I. It is a beautiful video.

 

[MelanieC]

Well, I don't think that she just flew there to feed one random baby and then go home. This is the first I've heard of this, but I would assume she was there for another reason and this was just something that happened during her trip. Does anyone have the background?

She was there with Unicef actually promoting tetanus vaccinations. Tetanus kills so many infants over in Africa. One child in the world dies every 3 minutes because of Tetanus.

It only costs about $1.20 to vaccinate a woman and that will protect her, her unborn babies and future babies.

Pamper's has a program where they are donating one vaccination for each package of diapers sold. This is in conjuction with Unicef.

 

[MelanieC]

Let's see...I'm in Africa with no bottles and no formula and I'm still lactating. A baby is very hungry and crying for food.

I can't imagine *not* feeding him.

I totally agree - It would be a no brainer for me.

 

[Scornelius]

Let's see...I'm in Africa with no bottles and no formula and I'm still lactating. A baby is very hungry and crying for food.

I can't imagine *not* feeding him.

Bingo!

 

[Mamiamjo]

I just found nursing my baby extremely intimate. It's not something I could do for a stranger. I'd have no problem giving away the milk, but I don't think this was about nourishing this baby.

This was to make a statement.

There are a lot of hungry babies in the world, and donating formula(which she could afford to do) would be more helpful than breastfeeding one baby.

I have to agree with you (although being a guy, I couldn't even breast feed my own children )

 

[autumnpalm]

A beautiful video. Thank you for sharing.

 

[scrump]

This made me cry! What an incredible person Selma is! I can honestly say I would absolutely have done the same thing. No need for a pump -- these babies need human contact as well as nourishment. This was such a great thing to see this morning. Thanks for posting!

This made me cry, too, and watching the baby reminded me of my own little guy. And I couldn't agree more about the human contact. I think she did a beautiful thing.

 

[tzolkin]

She was there with Unicef actually promoting tetanus vaccinations. Tetanus kills so many infants over in Africa. One child in the world dies every 3 minutes because of Tetanus.

It only costs about $1.20 to vaccinate a woman and that will protect her, her unborn babies and future babies.

Pamper's has a program where they are donating one vaccination for each package of diapers sold. This is in conjuction with Unicef.

Thanks. I do now remember hearing about her involvement with this.

 

[BabyPiglet]

Wow, I teared up a little. That was a beautiful thing for her to do.

I don't see the big deal people are making about it. She happened to be there, saw the starving child, and did something about it.

Salma Hayek doesn't seem like the type of person who would do this just for attention.

I can't imagine being there and being able to feed the baby, and NOT doing it.

 

[Sandy321]

ITA. What a great story. You are correct that babies need to be held when they are feeding-that gentleness and human interaction mean the world to them.
I teared up

Yep - and I have to say, when I was a new mom - dh and I helped one of his coworkers move - well the wife was a new mom ( a one month old I think) and she was overwhelmed - ran out to the store for something - she was gone longer than she thought - when her baby started screaming in hunger - my milk came in - we started to think - well maybe I should "help" luckily within minutes mom came running in (her own milk had come in to remind her!!) and so I didnt need to answer that what if...

only I knew I would have done it if not for what others would have thought of me - and I know from this thread - negative thoughts and breastfeeding happen more often than not...

I think I would have too. I would do anything to help a sick baby-especially looking into that baby's eyes. I think this was beautiful. Salma Hayek is a wonderful person!

ITA

I'm wondering what nourishing a single baby for one day really accomplishes though. That baby might be hungry again tomorrow.

I'm not saying that she didn't mean well. It just seems rather pointless.

Her point I think was to promote breastfeeding - what a simple solution! So she made a point - breastfeed babies

 

[TLSnell1981]

If I were lactating...I'd have no qualms breastfeeding a child that wasn't mine.

 

[luvmy3]

Yep - and I have to say, when I was a new mom - dh and I helped one of his coworkers move - well the wife was a new mom ( a one month old I think) and she was overwhelmed - ran out to the store for something - she was gone longer than she thought - when her baby started screaming in hunger - my milk came in - we started to think - well maybe I should "help" luckily within minutes mom came running in (her own milk had come in to remind her!!) and so I didnt need to answer that what if...

only I knew I would have done it if not for what others would have thought of me - and I know from this thread - negative thoughts and breastfeeding happen more often than not...

As a mother who breastfed all 3 of my children I think I would have had a flipping cow if I walked in and found someone else breastfeeding my child. The Hand that Rocks the Cradle comes to mind. Wanting to help is great but breastfeeding another person's child without their permission just isn't right. I know your heart was in the right place but I'm glad you didn't Who knows how that mother would have reacted.

 

[MrsKreamer]

That video made me tear up. I thought it was beautiful. I can imagine nursing other people's children, when I was still breastfeeding.

 

[Buckalew11]

As a mother who breastfed all 3 of my children I think I would have had a flipping cow if I walked in and found someone else breastfeeding my child. The Hand that Rocks the Cradle comes to mind. Wanting to help is great but breastfeeding another person's child without their permission just isn't right. I know your heart was in the right place but I'm glad you didn't Who knows how that mother would have reacted.

I agree. My sister BF all 4 of her kids and we weren't allowed to feed any of them, period. That was her territory and she would have had a coniption (sp).

If you could have called an asked first, I think it would OK but otherwise, oh.my.God.

I bottlefed and was OK with someone else giving DD and bottle 9as long as they did it right LOL )

 

[HomeSweetDisney]

Let's see...I'm in Africa with no bottles and no formula and I'm still lactating. A baby is very hungry and crying for food.

I can't imagine *not* feeding him.

ITA.

I don't find this weird at all. I can honestly say that if I had been in that situation I would do the same.

 

[luvmy3]

I agree. My sister BF all 4 of her kids and we weren't allowed to feed any of them, period. That was her territory and she would have had a coniption (sp).

If you could have called an asked first, I think it would OK but otherwise, oh.my.God.

I bottlefed and was OK with someone else giving DD and bottle 9as long as they did it right LOL )

Yes bottle feeding with formula or pumped breast milk is fine, but no way would my child be taking milk from someone elses breast. I always had breast milk pumped and ready to go in the fridge just in case.

 

[Sandy321]

As a mother who breastfed all 3 of my children I think I would have had a flipping cow if I walked in and found someone else breastfeeding my child. The Hand that Rocks the Cradle comes to mind. Wanting to help is great but breastfeeding another person's child without their permission just isn't right. I know your heart was in the right place but I'm glad you didn't Who knows how that mother would have reacted.

ITA now that I'm older - but I was in my 20's then, and everyone around me was also in their 20['s and the kid was screaming - it was a freak out - and honestly my heart wasnt in that place - it was a very confusing night and I think I was very hormonal new mom of a month old baby!! (dont want you to take things out of context - but my memory isnt what it used to be!! I also breastfed all 3 of my babies - and there is an 11 year span between #2 and #3 I was much more relaxed with #3 than #1)

but like I said - it NEVER came to that!! but honestly the "what ifs" came into play later - and we all decided if the mom had died in a horrible accident it would've been ok for me to be the lactating mother!!

and back in the 1800's mind you those aristocrats didnt nurse - they paid a lactating person to come in to nurse their babies (again, this was all part of that discussion many moons ago!)

 

[Tink&SquirtsMom]

Yes bottle feeding with formula or pumped breast milk is fine, but no way would my child be taking milk from someone elses breast. I always had breast milk pumped and ready to go in the fridge just in case.

Which is a prefectly reasonable expectation here. I would have felt the same.

In Africa however, this situation comes up when the mother is dead, or has health compromised in such a way that her body no longer produces milk. One of the images I have seared into my brain is a starving child trying desperately to breastfeed of his dying mother. In impacted areas in Africa it's not a choice of formula, pumped milk (whose buying the pump, bottles and nipples), it's a choice of life or death.