Salma Hayek just got married on Valentine's Day in Paris, but she also made headlines recently for breastfeeding a week old African baby boy whose mother was unable to feed him herself. Hayek's willingness to share her breast milk with a baby other than her own (her own daughter is one year old) has evoked strong emotions. While some feel Hayek acted inappropriately, others feel she committed an incredible act of love. Any woman who has breastfed a baby knows that it is a profoundly pure and intimate experience between a mother and her child. But it is not difficult to understand Hayek's urge to reach out in a very compassionate way to an infant who was suffering.
In the video (found at the end of this article), Hayek explains why she felt compelled to nurse this tiny baby. Her story reminds us that women have nourished their children through breast milk since the beginning of the human race. It is truly one of the most natural things in the world, and it has been proven time and again to be absolutely the best source of nutrition for an infant. But, in the beginning, new mothers often find breastfeeding to be a difficult and extremely frustrating experience. Fortunately, there are many resources for nursing mothers and their babies.
The La Leche League of Albuquerque New Mexico provides support and education to women who are interested in breastfeeding. They offer monthly meetings where babies are always welcome, information on breastfeeding supplies, and a lending library with resources related to pregnancy, breastfeeding, and childcare. They even have a telephone hotline staffed by accredited leaders who are happy to answer questions on all aspects of breastfeeding.
The New Mexico Breastfeeding Task Force is another great resource for anyone interested in breastfeeding. The goal of the Task Force is to encourage more New Mexico mothers to breastfeed, and their website contains information on a variety of things related to breastfeeding. For example, on their website you can learn about the New Mexico laws concerning breastfeeding, drugs and breastfeeding, and the science of breastfeeding--just to name a few.
If you are an employee or student at the University of New Mexico and are breastfeeding, the Women's Resource Center is there to make it easier for you. UNM's Breastfeeding Support Program provides on-campus lactation rooms with hospital grade breast pumps, links to breastfeeding resources, and the program helps promote communication between breastfeeding mothers.
The American Academy of Pediatrics is an excellent on-line resource for general information about breastfeeding. Their website answers questions about everything from what you should eat to why you shouldn't smoke while you're breastfeeding.
Although breastfeeding does not always come as easily and comfortably as a mother might hope, it is well worth the effort to keep trying.
Comments
This is a beautiful story. I don't understand how there could be any kind of controversy around this unless one believes that the only reason breasts exist is to attract a man.
I, too, was surprised over the controversy. I think her actions would be more accepted in other countries. For some reason, many Americans insist on sexualizing breastfeeding. Thanks for your comment!
Back before formula, this was called being a wetnurse. If you couldn't feed your kid, you found a willing mom to do it for you. It's milk, that's all. Glad she makes enough that she could share.
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