Hayek Breastfeeding: Why Do We Care?

[NudonyII]

As one might expect, the US press is making a big hoopla about Salma Hayek breastfeeding an African baby. The article explores the "issue."

But why does America care so much?

"We're messed up," said Dr. Miriam Labbok, a physician, professor and director for the Carolina Global

I think she said it best.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=6864594&page=1

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[nimrod]

I say good for her, there need to more out there that would do the same.

[Rick_42]

We Americans seem to have a hard time with the idea that a female breast is anything other than a sexual plaything. We can't get it through our thick skulls that its primary purpose is to nourish infants.

In many ohter cultures breastfeeding is a common and accepted practice. There is nothing wrong with nursing another woman's child. Why shouldn't nuturing be shared?

The American way isn't always the right way.

[enertronik]

Definitely props to her, there is nothing wrong with that, it's a very generous gesture. I don't know why anyone would have a problem with that.

[Bob S.]

People are talking about it because she was breastfeeding another mother's child who she had just met. Had this been her own child, nothing would have been made of the story.

Breastfeeding someone else's child isn't new, however. Wet nurses are known to exist as far back as Ancient Egypt, but these wet nurses would not just breastfeed a child whose mother they just met minutes before I would think.

Interestingly on "The View" this morning, they were talking about this issue and when they showed a censored picture of it, Whoopi Goldberg got indignant that they would censor the Selma Hayek's breast.

Bob S.

[Pete Knight]

" Brings a new meaning to the phrase The milk of human kindness" and it matters not that she met the baby only moments before. Here was a baby that needed nourishment, she had the capability, she did good, so how anyone could get uptight about it escapes me.

There are some animals (Elephants I think!) that share the nursing responsibilities. And as already stated, wet nursing is not a new concept.

There are some really screwed up people in this world if all they have to do is whinge about someone doing good.

Pete Knight

[ken0254]

Only in America do we make such a big deal about a woman breastfeeding a baby not her own. Good for Whoopie for raising a fuss over Selma's breast being censored out. It's ONLY a breast people!!!!!

[walter05]

I am more amazed the baby latched on.

[Boreas]

I am more amazed the baby latched on.

Why? It is instinct for a baby to feed from a breast. If you rub a baby's cheek it will open its mouth and look for a nipple. Selma provided a safe and nurturing place for the baby to feed. It did what was natural.

[walter05]

My wife breast fed all of our kids. On three occasions, other nusing mothers tried to breast feed them. None of them would do it.

They would only successfully latch on my wife.

Whenever my wife would give birth, there was a period where the baby would have to learn how to latch on. It may be that there was a set of non-verbal queues the baby was expecting. The other women did not provide them.

Walter

[Naturist Mark]

Oh my GAWD! She fed a hungry child! What a FREAK!

Someday I hope we can become civilized.

[MoonShadow]

I mean, really, Mark! :D 'tis amazing.

[Mike2Nude]

As long as the mother (of the baby) has no problem, why should anyone else? When my step mom and her sisters were nursing, they would all feed any baby that was hungry. There are also milk banks now that collect milk for babies that need it. The only difference in what Hayek did was she cut out the middle man. Maybe their the ones that are raising the stink.

[Naturist Mark]

As long as the mother (of the baby) has no problem, why should anyone else? When my step mom and her sisters were nursing, they would all feed any baby that was hungry. There are also milk banks now that collect milk for babies that need it. The only difference in what Hayek did was she cut out the middle man. Maybe their the ones that are raising the stink.

No, the ones raising the stink are the retards* who think nursing is sexual.

-Mark

*meaning socially retarded because of their voluntary foolishness - not because of any physical developmental limitations.

[CHICK]

Oh my gawd!!! Maybe the retards are angry that the little black baby drank WHITE MILK!!!! OH,THE HUMANITY!!!!! You watch! I'll bet that that child will break out in a Barry Manilow song at any moment! HE MIGHT EVEN START SQUARE DANCE LESSONS!!!!!
I'll bet most of those uptight freaks are just jealous that it's the BABY whose latched on to Selma and not them.

[NudeAl]

I agree this is such a ridiculous thing make an issue over. I was jsut thinking that not so long ago they had these things called wet nurses. This was of course before formula and was a luxury for those who could afford it.

[naturistoftheyear]

Hayek just did the humane thing to do.
All the rest is fussing about nothing, really. Whoever thinks she was wrong, must have a really deranged set of priorities.

[Nude in the North]

" Brings a new meaning to the phrase The milk of human kindness"

Or that IS the true meaning of the phrase.

It's hard to believe people think of her as comming from a "less developed" country.

I think she explained her actions very well. There should be an award for kindness to humanity given at the Oscars. She just became my favorite Celebrity.

[FireProf]

Oh my gawd!!! Maybe the retards are angry that the little black baby drank WHITE MILK!!!!

LOL.......

Actually...it's all whitish in color but................. for giggles....actually she would have Milk Chocolate milk and not white! LOL

FP ;)

Seriously........I was a big fan of Selma's for quite sometime.......now.....I'm even more of a fan.

[spafan83]

Thought this was going to be about breast-feeding in public. Pleased to see it was not.

Historically in the UK the upper classes would employ 'wet nurses' to breast feed their babies (before formula was available I guess). This was simply the norm. It was a commercial transaction.

What Hayek did was a generous and spontaneous act, and should be applauded be everyone.

[nakedstudent]

haha a few years before I started college, I held the misconception that the milk a mother carried for it's child carried similar DNA and that breastfeeding a different child could lead to bad stuff!!!


I quickly became more educated on the topic with the hoopla about breastfeeding in public and found out how ridiculous that misconception was.

We do need to move past all of this breastfeeding nonsense. It's the way nature/God intended babies to be fed until they're strong enough for other foods. To deny that natural process is completely absurd.

[jon71]

I think this is beautiful and I have great respect for Selma Hayek for this. I remember when I was 10 and holding my baby sister and she latched onto my nose and tried to suckly. I just froze not knowing what to do. I guess mom got her from me and took care of her but I don't remember for sure.

[Pumpkinpie]

Where is the humanity in this society my Lord where is the "Love" hope no one gets offended but do it matter if it a "White or Black - Chinese's- Jew-Indian baby Hummmmm, then they have all these commercial and asking for help to feed the poor people the hungry kids all over the world, now that Salma is breast feeding a hungry baby they making a big stink about it I pray for those heartless!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I give Salma the utter most respect more than ever now :angel: comes in different forms you need not have wings.

[jon71]

Where is the humanity in this society my Lord where is the "Love" hope no one gets offended but do it matter if it a "White or Black - Chinese's- Jew-Indian baby Hummmmm, then they have all these commercial and asking for help to feed the poor people the hungry kids all over the world, now that Salma is breast feeding a hungry baby they making a big stink about it I pray for those heartless!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I give Salma the utter most respect more than ever now :angel: comes in different forms you need not have wings.

AMEN! I love what you're saying.

[simonsebs]

The sad thing about this whole situation is that nobody even talked about why she did this in the first place. About the extreme poverty and taboo about nursing mothers that has led to the wide-spread starvation among the children of Sierra Leon.

There's a problem in this country when people talked more about the fact that Selma Hayek has large breasts than about the suffering of other human beings.

[Pete Knight]

The sad thing about this whole situation is that nobody even talked about why she did this in the first place. About the extreme poverty and taboo about nursing mothers that has led to the wide-spread starvation among the children of Sierra Leon.

There's a problem in this country when people talked more about the fact that Selma Hayek has large breasts than about the suffering of other human beings.
Another sad thing is large Western companies selling formula milk to third world countries, and encouraging them to use it instead of breast feeding, that is criminal!

Once they make the societies of third world countries dependent on formula milk it's difficult to bring about a change in attitude to feeding babies, as we well know here in the west.

Pete Knight

[Kari P]

Another sad thing is large Western companies selling formula milk to third world countries, and encouraging them to use it instead of breast feeding, that is criminal!


A real problem is that too often the mothers haven't clean water to mix the formula. Because of the use of contaminated water their babies get sick. Breast feeding is the most hygienic and health preserving choice.

[Fitz1980]

There are even other benefits to breast feeding that can really help mothers in those countries. Often birth control is hard to come by in many of those nations, either because of poverty or religious prohibition of it. Breast feeding is a natural form of birth control. A breast feeding women's body releases hormones that prevent pregnancy.

[Pete Knight]

There are even other benefits to breast feeding that can really help mothers in those countries. Often birth control is hard to come by in many of those nations, either because of poverty or religious prohibition of it. Breast feeding is a natural form of birth control. A breast feeding women's body releases hormones that prevent pregnancy.
Very good point, so apart from mothers milk being best for baby, the added benefits are birth control instead of corporate control of the population.

Pete Knight

[G I Joe]

That is one lucky kid--right time--right place.

[kynudist]

Why does everyone make such a big deal about breast feeding? It's what breasts are for after all. It's also one of the most natural things to do.
I guess I'll never understand people on this issue.

[simonsebs]

That is one lucky kid--right time--right place.

Before I actually reply to this statement, I would like to know what exactly you mean by that.