The importance of breastfeeding
Since Gisele became mother, the Top model has been outspoken when expressing her feelings about motherhood and life. In a recent interview for the September issue of Harper’s Bazaar UK, Gisele talked about the importance of breastfeeding in the first months of a child’s life. Now, Gisele writes first-hand on the impact caused by the comment.
My intention in making a comment about the importance of breastfeeding has nothing to do with the law. It comes from my passion and beliefs about children. Becoming a new mom has brought a lot of questions, I feel like I am in a constant search for answers on what might be the best for my child. It’s unfortunate that in an interview sometimes things can seem so black and white. I am sure if I would just be sitting talking about my experiences with other mothers, we would just be sharing opinions. I understand that everyone has their own experience and opinions and I am not here to judge. I believe that bringing a life into this world is the single most important thing a person can undertake and it can also be the most challenging. I think as mothers we are all just trying our best.
There are 353 comments to “The importance of breastfeeding”
I am behind you 100% regarding your comments about how women should breastfeed! And I can’t believe people got offended by them!
Oi Gisele,
Sou brasileira e vivo em Boston, eu sempre te admirei. Você é uma mulher forte, que tem voz. Infelizmente algumas pessoas não gostam de ouvir a verdade. Eu não li sua entrevista, li apenas seu blog e sua matéria sobre amamentação por sinal eu amei. Eu te admiro a cada dia mais, você é tão linda e se preocupa suas causas. E isso que é importante. Eu tenho muito orgulho, e admiração por você. Eu também gosto de lutar por causas que acho importantes. Eu tenho dois filhos Lucas de 5 anos e Raphael de 4 anos ½, eu amamentei meus filhos ate 1 ano ½. Eles quiseram parar, eu fiquei muito triste, pois perdi aqueles momentos que só uma mãe que amamenta conhece… A maior troca de amor (que saudades). Eu também tenho um blog e escrevi sobre amamentação se algum dia você quiser conhecer minha historia eu tenho dois blogs um sobre a historia da minha vida e outro de utilidade publica para ajudar mães que tem filhos com autismo. Não se retrate, pois você tem muitas pessoas que apóiam sua opinião. Que Deus abençoe você e sua linda família. Um grande beijo Fernanda
Você é uma pessoa iluminada que se preocupa com seu ideal. Eu não sei se você sabe algo sobre autismo. Uma em cada 110 crianças nascidas no USA são diagnosticadas com autismo. Eu tenho dois anjinhos especiais em casa se você quiser conhecer e nos ajudar nessa causa vou deixar meu blog para você. Admiro-te um beijo
Gisele,
amamentar deve ser prioridade, é o melhor, mais saudável e natural, importantíssimo para o bebê e para a mãe, vale aqui dizer que em muitos países as leis trabalhistas não dão o suporte necessário à este momento; no entanto, a lata de leite em pó não pode ser demonizada, o stress, as rachaduras, pouco leite e outros tantos e diversos problemas infelizmente acabam impossibilitando uma amamentação adequada e, nestes casos, considero a mamadeira muito bem vinda. Tenho dois filhos, a amamentação do primeiro foi maravilhosa, não tive problema algum, ele mamou por um ano e três meses. Já com minha filha, no início pensei em desistir por conta da dor triste das rachaduras e acho que só não o fiz por já saber que passado o problema (o que aconteceu uns vinte dias depois com o uso de pomada de lanolina, tomando sol – um santo remédio e usando bicos de silicone) a amamentação seria o melhor. Ela mamou por 3 anos, era aquele carinho na hora de dormir, uma benção, eu amava e ela também e por isso demorei tanto pra tirar, mas confesso que apesar de não sentir mais dor nenhuma a sensibilidade da amamentação dela foi diferente, era como se eu sentisse uma lembrança da dor, não sei explicar! Sempre acompanho de perto a amamentação de irmãs, cunhadas e amigas e fico feliz que a vontade de amamentar prevalece, mas por vezes fica tão difícil que a mãe acaba desistindo, principalmente porque não quer ver que seu bebê com fome e sem ganhar peso. Assim como tudo em nossas vidas na amamentação os problemas podem acontecer, a dica é estudar, se preparar e persistir em vencê-los porque amamentar é simplesmente THE BEST!!! Mas, se não der, não vai ser uma mamadeira que vai te impedir de ser a melhor mãe do mundo.
Je suis complètement d’accord avec lui, les mères doivent faire des efforts pour nourrir de façon naturelle ses bébés. Aujourd’hui on est bombardé par des nourritures industrielles partout… et cela n’est pas vraiment la meilleure manière de nourrir quelqu’un qui est en croissance. Bravo Gisele!!
Espero que pessoas sigam seu exemplo e cuidem de seus filhos como deve ser.
realmente temos sempre que pensar no melhor para essas jóias raras que acontecem em nossas vidas
Most of what you articulate is supprisingly precise and it makes me wonder the reason why I had not looked at this in this light before. Your piece really did switch the light on for me personally as far as this specific issue goes. Nevertheless there is actually 1 position I am not necessarily too comfy with and whilst I try to reconcile that with the main idea of the issue, permit me observe exactly what the rest of the visitors have to say.Nicely done.
hello Gisele
it s a real pleasure to see how you re acting to help people to become “green”
my company is specialised in bio based plastic and we should be more than happy to build a project for special “tongs” designed by yourself and made of our resin! we have also additional ideas to make a product as green as possible!
I should be happy to talk about it with you.
best regards and big kiss to Benjamin !
Pascal
Segue uma dica para todas as novas mamães.
Comprei todos os produtos que o meu filho precisa pela internet através da loja Vo Coruja. O site e a loja são muito bons e os vendedores muito solicitos. Comprei vários artigos para amamentação por la. De uma olhada em:
http://www.vocoruja.com.br/categoria/Amamentação/4.html
Vale a pena conferir..
This is as good a time as any to refer readers of this site to Everybody’s Libraries, a new blog I’ve started about “libraries for everybody, by everybody, shared with everybody, about everything”
Gi….
Espero que esse ano vc seja a madrinha da semana do aleitamento materno no Brasil, no ano passado pedi votos pra vc, esse ano farei a mesma coisa!
Continue falando isso, espalhando coisas boas, pq todos sabem q amamentar eh o melhor, mas elas não querem ver e negam, até ofendendo quem pratica o melhor.
Também acho que deveria ser lei amamentar até os seis meses, principalemente no Brasil, pois a mulher tem direito a lincença maternidade de 6 meses. O que será q algumas mulheres pensam sobre se afastar do trabalho por alguns meses? Pra dar mamadeira? Claro que não, é pq ela não pode ficar separada do filho por longos periodos pq ela tem o único alimento que o nutre. Será q é tão dificil de entender essa naturalidade.
Beijos,
Lorenna.
Continue assim! pleaseeeeeeeeeee
HI Gisele,
For goodness sakes….if more people realized the importance of using organic, earth-made daily items like you do, they wouldnt be so SHOCKED to hear about or apalled for you suggesting it. THis just shows how far away we as Americans especially (humans in general though also) have gotten from the earth, from eating healthy foods, our spirituality, and all that is healthy and positive.
I love that you speak out about this. I feel the same as you do and speak with my friends (and not friends) the same way.
Nice job! Brian in Northern Calif.
Oi Gisele, hoje de manha assisti no HLN comentarios ignorantes sobre seu comentario sobre breastfeeding, eu sempre fui a favor, como uma boa brasileira, ontem mesmo assisti o documentario chamado The Business on being born, muito bom!! Se vc nao conferiu ainda, vale muito a pena, outra coisa muito boa a ser discutida o nascimento natural. Eu moro na Carolina do Norte. Vc como uma pessoa da midia esta fazendo um exelente trabalho pondo esse alerta na midio, estou muito orgulhosa por representar tao bem as brasileiras aqui, me sinto orgulhosa deles terem uma imagem como a sua a mulher brasileira. Mesmo que muitas mulheres aqui sao tao mal informadas e nao sabem o que estao perdendo e deixando de oferecer aos seus filhos. Gostaria de saber como podiamos ter uma campanha maior para que se haja mais conhecimento dos beneficios de dar de mamar. Pode contar comigo!! Obrigada! Lilian
My sister and I were breastfed and we NEVER get sick. My mom has even joked its because we were breast fed. I thought that was silly at first, but I have began to believe it now that I am older. Literally all throughout high school people were always sick staying home from school,sniffling,coughing,blowing their noses,…and a few times a year too! Then I myself wasn’t even getting sick during flu season. Neither anyone in my household. We do eat healthy which probably helps somewhat as well. My mom’s friend who had a baby was bottle fed. He died of SIDS after a month.,her other children were also bottle fed whom I babysat for, and I couldn’t believe how sick they always were. They stayed home from school at least once per month. It was astonishing! From my own experiences I am starting to see a very strong correlation between it all. Breast IS BEST! I even did some research on the women who cannot breast feed and studies say it is less than 2% of women who physically CANNOT. The majority of women who got mad at you, were simply taking their angst out on you, because you are a Supermodel and already had preconceived notions about you from the media and saw an opportunity to complain about you.
All that matters is little Benjamin is safe,happy and healthy. Boy does he always have a cute little smile on his face too. Its evident he is beyond taken care of and loved.
Best wishes and God Bless!
OLÁ GISELE,
ESTOU MUITO FELIZ POR ESTAR COMENTANDO NO SEU BLOG….
GOSTARIA DE SER UMA SEGUIDORA SE POSSÍVEL.
VISITE MEU BLOG TAMBÉM:
http://www.diadasteens.blogspot.com
UM BEIJÃO PARA VOCÊ..
MARIANA
Sabe Gisele,
Você comentou pela sua experiência, mas analise do seguinte angulo:
Para a criança, vale muito mais uma mamadeira dada com amor, do que o seio de uma mãe raivosa.
Existem estruturas e estruturas.
Um grande beijo
Gisele,
I agree a 100 per cent! I do believe one of the reasons I do not get sick so often is because my mother breastfeed us. And my sister has a over one year old boy and everything she gives to him is homemade! Lembrei de voce agora pois estou assistindo a Julie Chen no David Letterman e ela disse que o filho dela esta obsessed com a cantora brasileira Xuxa, com a musica Ila, ira, i, e…… Otimo o seu blog, parabens sempre!
I totally agree with Gisele. I can see the difference between my younger brother and myself. My younger brother was breastfed till he was 2 (which is the recommended length of time) and I was breastfed for about 4 months. I can clearly see the difference this has on our immune systems as my brother is very seldom sick, whereas I get sick very quickly. I would recommend that mothers breastfeed for as long as they can, up to 2 years. I know that some women can’t, due to complications or milk drying up, but if you are by the means, please do breastfeed, its the best gift you can give your child.
Voce é simplesmente adorável, cada dia que passa , vc supera vc mesma!!! Realmente ser mãe é a melhor coisa do mundo… Seja muito feliz minha caríssima e que DEUS te ilumine sempre!!! Parabéns pelos 15 anos de carreira!!!
Go, Gisele!
Couldn’t agree more! Will be waiting for your next posts….
By the way, you look sooooo beautiful and peaceful in that picture above…
oooooooooooooooooooiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii como vai ? vc é mt bonita
BRAVO GISELE.
AM A MOTHER OF SEVEN – AND HAVE ALWAYS ADMIRED YOU, FROM THE BEGINNING OF YOUR CAREER.
LADIES – ALL VACCINES AND FORMULAS ARE CRIMINAL. WAKE UP AND SEARCH WHAT IS REALLY INSIDE THEM. DO NOT BELIEVE YOUR DOCTORS WHO RECEIVE BENEFITS TO TELL YOU LIES.
GOD BLESS EVERYONE OF YOU YOUNG MOTHERS.
Thank you for making a strong statement in support of breastfeeding. OK, maybe it was not perfectly politically correct but you weren’t wrong. Formula should NOT be about choice. It should be about helping the few babies to survive that truly need it. Breastfeeding has so many benefits for both mother and child that the true scandal is that companies have been allowed to devalue it and market this as some sort of lifestyle choice. It is a travesty. Keep advocating for breastfeeding please. And women who think another woman should not voice an opinion just because she is beautiful are misogynists of the highest order. You go girl!
While I respect everyone’s right to make their own parenting choices, breastfeeding rates are declining around the world and it is great that the spotlight has been shone on the issue. I initially struggled with breastfeeding my children, but I persisted, and I’m so pleased that I was able to overcome those initial obstacles for the benefit of my kids.
Go Gisele! while you may have lost a few you certainly gained double! (supporters) I see on your twitter and facebook friends has risen by the hundreds. More and likely
I love that a woman of beuty and power is reminding the world of their god given obligation to breast feed their baby. All the studies show that itis so much better for them. Ihope that she encourages more wimpy women do it.
Como dizemos em Porto Alegre, “bah! me caiu os butias do bolso” quando li tantos comentarios indignados de maes que, “supostamente”, nao gostaram do teu comentario sobre amamentacao.
Fico mais indignada ainda pela vasta divulgacao negativa que houve aqui em Nova Iorque em todos os meios de comunicacao.
Quero te parabenizar pela tua coragem de comentar sobre a importancia, tao ignorada, da amamentacao. Tenha certeza que toda essa repercursao negativa foi muito bem “bancada” pelas poderosas industrias de formulas de leite infantil!
Felicidades!
Gisele,
I am so thankful for your comments about breastfeeding. It is the single most important thing we as mothers can give to our children. To do what God designed out bodies to do is the best thing for our children. If women are going to have babies and carry them in their bodies for 9 long months and then send them into the world with bellies full of chemicals is abhorrent in my opinion. Thank you for saying what people need to hear. When it stirs up controversy, you know you said the right thing.
-Mackenzie Kelver
justtryingtolivebetter.blogspot.com
Hola Gisele!
Encuentro increíble que se critique un comentario a favor de la lactancia materna, claramente Bethenny Frankel demuestra un enorme egoísmo al criticar tus declaraciones y señalar que la lactancia no es para todos. Al contrario de lo que dice, para amamantar a tu hijo sólo se requiere de esfuerzo y paciencia. Levantarse en la noche o las veces que sean necesarias, es algo que las mujeres ya no están dispuestas a hacer… Dicen que hacen lo mejor para sus hijos pero, en verdad, hacen lo mejor para ellas… es pura comodidad!
Ojalá que cada vez mujeres como tú, defiendan públicamente la lactancia exclusiva hasta los 6 meses!
Yo amamanté a mis dos hijos durante 1 año! No fue fácil, terminé agotada pero lo hice por ellos y ese esfuerzo es un regalo que se los ofrezco a ellos!
Un abrazo
Loreto
(Brookline, MA)
Me encantó tu manera de ver la maternidad y la importancia que le has dado a la crianza de tu hijo. La lactancia materna es e alimento NATURAL para nuestros hijos y al amamantarlos les das todo lo que necesitan, tanto fisicamente (como el alimento) como emocionalmente. Es escencial que las mujeres volvamos a nuestros raices, y busquemos lo mejor para nuestros hijos. Se necesita más personas “publicas” que apoyen esta forma de criar, y lo den a conocer. Gracias.
Felicidades Gisele, felicidades a todas las madres que amamantan y quieren lo mejor para sus hijos.
Comparto tu opinión al señalar que no tenemos que dar “alimentos químicos a nuestros pequeños”, la lactancia es algo muy natural, que lamentablemente se está perdiendo. Que extraño criticar a una madre amamantando y no extrañarnos al ver a un bebé con biberón y leche artificial.
Amamantar es mucho mas que alimentar a un bebé, solo quienes han vivido esa experiencia maravillosa pueden describirlo, y los beneficios no solo se reflejan en la salud del pequeño y de la mamá, la lactancia materna repercute en toda la familia, la sociedad (hay beneficios físicos, emocionales, económicos, etc.)
Gisele, apesar de voce e sua imagem serem de alcance tao internacionais, percebo e acredito que voce tenha claro seu amor pela sua Patria, pelas suas raizes, por toda a historia que sua familia plantou pra voce existir como eh. Me orgulho de voce ser brasileira como eu. Quer apoiar um projeto de educacao e promocao da cultura brasileira para criancas que moram fora do Brasil, falantes de heranca? Nos de uma chance de te contar sobre a iniciativa da ABRACE – Associacao Brasileira de Cultura e Educacao, atuando nos Estados Unidos. Muito obrigada!!! Ana Lucia Lico
Thank you for your comments Gisele! I appreciate your passion and concern. I believe that the culture of breastfeeding and maternal support around the neonatal time in this country is a very big problem for parents, and I hope that culture will change soon. I don’t think that it’s a coincidence that this country has such high rates of anxiety/depression/mental illness AND very little support for breastfeeding and quality maternity/paternity leave for bonding with children…. I’m glad you spoke out and I’m sorry that the haters out there are upset with you for voicing your opinion. I hope we can find a way for mothers to feel good about both working AND parenting, and not feel like they have to choose one or the other– or feel like they aren’t “feminists” if they chose parenting.
Agree 100% and don’t feel an explanation was necessary. Your comment inspired this blog http://www.maternitywomen.com/blog-all.html . Keep up the good work!!
Hi Gisele I agree with you and I think its real funny you write nice positive blogs posts here on your blog, yet no one reacts, but as soon as there is something negative to talk about (or turn into a negative) there is 300+ comments. why is america obsessed with negativity/publicity over good news/positive light? lol
ñ tenho filhos mas fui amamentada até os cinco anos e acho muito importante isso na vida de uma pessoa.
gisele, vendo você, uma estrela mundial pensando igual a mim acho que estou certa
I agree with you breastfeeding comment whole heartedly. We can’t blame mothers who don’t breastfeed because the multinational companies selling baby formula market their products very well to mothers who haven’t taken the time or don’t have the time to research the matter. but being that children are the most important beings in one’s life, this should be a priority to every parent, to make sure they are providing their children with the very best they can, and not third rate food that is meant for calfs not humans. well done gisele.
Its shed a great light on such an important issue, that no doctors or health care providers can reach at an imperative level as a celebrity can. Thanks Gisele!
Gisele, I just wanted to say you are just the advocate we breastfeeding moms need. I’m still breastfeeding my 23 month old son, and loving every day of it!
Gisele- Cheers to you and the dialogue you have initiated about breastfeeding. It is certainly a passionate issue whether you support breastfeeding or not. I find it ridiculous that physicians in the US do not encourage all of their patients to breastfeed in fear of making mothers feel “guilty.” The research is quite clear and the AAP and WHO both state that human milk is teh preferred food for ALL infants. Our US culture does present many challenges to breastfeeding but mothers who are motivated and committed CAN make it work! Mothers who are not successful breastfeeding should not feel guilty if they tried their best and sought out the help of an IBCLC. Thank you for illuminating this subject as I am sure you have convinced some women who maybe were on the fence about breastfeeding to go and do it!!!
Olá Gisele! Concordo a 300% com você… Eu também fui mãe há 1 ano e amamentei a minha Maria do Mar até aos 6 meses e foi, sem qualquer dúvida, uma das melhores experiências da minha vida! Não consigo entender, apesar de respeitar, as mães que não querem passar por esta experiência maravilhosa que é poderem amamamentar os seus filhos… Até porque, para além do so leite materno ser de uma importância extrema para os bebés, como toda a gente sabe e os pediatras recomendam, o momento da amamentação é de uma cumplicidade, partilha, amor, entre a Mãe e o bebé! Por tudo isto e por tudo o que você representa no mundo da Moda (e não só), muitos PARABÉNS Gisele! Um abraço, Rita
I agree that breastfeeding your baby is the best thing for you and your little one. I still breastfeed my 17 month old daughter. Maybe should not be a “law” for the few that are truely unable to nurse or the Mothers that have no choice but to go back to work very soon to take care of their family financially. But it was nice to just get people talking about it. Sometimes all they see is formula these days and they dont even try to nurse. So thank you, and don’t worry about all the ‘flack” you may be getting from the media etc….for the comments. You have a right to your opinion too. Happy Nursing!
I’m pretty sure that Gisele did not meant to be judgmental or sound to be self righteous at all about the breastfeeding thing. Since she’s a new mom and she just wants what she thinks what is highly best for her child and thus, wants to share her opinion and good interest to all the mothers in the world. It’s clearly not big of a deal, so why oppose her? Gisele is not only a beautiful woman who just pose for the cameras, she just have a big heart and the right intentions for everyone to share with.
Hi,Gisele, I praise you for speaking out. Im 28 yrs. old, I have three girls. I wasn’t able to breastfeed my first born for that long. I breastfeed my second baby for eighteen months, and im still feeding my nine month old baby. I have notice the difference between my oldest who wasn’t breastfeed and the ones who where. Coming from a hispanic background I was always told since a child the importance of breastfeeding. My sister is in the army (reserves), and when she leaves for her training I breastfeed her baby girl since they are the same age. Im very happy for you and congratulation on your baby. I wish you both very good health and happiness. Hope you continue breastfeeding for a while, its a great experience!!!!!
Thank you very much Gisele for your supporting on breastfeeding, I’m a mom to be (8 months of pregnancy), I agree with you. I write you from Spain, here less than 15% of mothers feed their babies naturally, your words can change so many people’s minds, thank you.
hi. i can see through the mistaken words for sure, breastmilk is best for babies. We do have to consider the mothers who cannot provide this for their babies. It is too bad that commerical formula is way cheaper than banked breastmilk as an alternative way for mothers to give their babies breastmilk. It costs somewhere between 4 and 5 dollars an ounce- only a price very elite mothers could possibly pay. A truly giving and amazing way for you to show this understanding would be to open a non-profit breastmilk bank where mothers could donate breastmilk to be sterilized and sold at a comperable price to that of commerical formula. You are obviously intelligent, as you are trying to do what is best for your baby and you want other mothers to do whats best for their babies too. A great way to prove this to everyone would be to open a nonprofit to help mothers who cannot give breastmilk to their babies on their own. I’ll be the first to donate, and I’ll help if you like
Giselle, thank you for your courage in supporting breastfeeding. So, you’re doing something great for the current human being. You know that, right?
Querida Gisele,
yo tengo una niña de mas de 2 años y estoy esperando el segundo, a punto de dar a luz. Yo le sigo dando el pecho a mi hija aun estando embarazada, siempre cuando ella me lo pide.
La lactancia es un tema que me apasiona, y con conocimiento de causa puedo decir que es totalmente psicologico, esto es lo apasionante de la raza humana. me pasa algunas veces que cuando escucho un bebe llorar siento como se me llenan los pechos de leche, obvio que no es como cuando se escucha un bebé llorar porque se ha caido. Nuestro subconsciente sabe distinguir la diferencia, ES APASIONANTE!
Por eso tambien pienso que a lo mejor haya mujeres a las cuales algunos problemas aunque no parezcan tales nos hagan no producir leche. Yo estoy seguro que un minimo de tres meses o asi salvo excepciones las mujeres pueden amamantar seguro, hay que estar tranquilas lo mas posibles, todos tenemos problemas algunos mas otros menos pero tenemos que pensar ahora estoy con mi bebe y no puedo cambiar las cosas.
Hay que dedicar tiempo a los bebes, conocerles y conocernos porque tambien nosotras cambiamos, a veces creemos que en este mundo frenetico no podemos o no nos podemos permitir el lujo de ir mas despacio y gozar de esos momentos que tan pocas veces se nos presentan en la vida como dar a luz. QUERER ES PODER!!!!! Pero hay que desearlo bien.
un abrazo Charlie
Gisele, you are an inspiration to American breastfeeding mommys! I think it’s sad how defensive people get about not breastfeeding. It’s true, some woman physically or mentally cannot breastfeed, but some just find it inconviniant, or “gross,” america is to busy glorifying breasts sexually. I can honestly say, if a woman’s excuse for not breatfeeding is “work,” like I’ve heard many news anchors use, that is BS. I work as a waitresss, and even though it’s hard, I’ve been pumping every 3 hours at work since 6 weeks pp, when I was forced to return to work. Why? Not because it’s best for me or my job, but it’s best for my baby. I’m glad there’s a law that my job must allow me to pump. They don’t male it easy, and they don’t make me feel comfortable about it, but I make sure they let me do it. I wish America would make this easier for woman so more would feel as if they too could share in the joy of breastfeeding. I do regret that I had to introduce a bottle to my baby at such a young age. If America supported at longer maternity leave my baby would probably be more willing to take the breast. I mostly feed him expressed milk because he’s rarely Willing to breastfeed.
I love that a woman of beuty and power is reminding the world of their god given obligation to breast feed their baby. All the studies show that itis so much better for them. Ihope that she encourages more wimpy women do it.
An article about the article on Harpers
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/melissawhitworth/100049733/my-interview-with-gisele-bundchen-is-it-really-breastfeeding-causing-all-this-hysteria/
This is a link to an article about the cultural and governmental support for breastfeeding around the world, We have such a long way to go in terms of acceptance of this very natural and beautiful way to nourish our babies.
http://www.beautedemaman.com/2010/08/breastfeeding-and-the-law/
I think this is such an important discussion, especially regarding the workplace and expression of breast milk. Gisele should be commended for bringing this to the forefront. Bravo
Dear Gisele,
Of course, to breastfeed is the best act you can do as a mother, with your newborn.
Unfortunately, Mother Nature has not given this chance to every woman (this is why wet nurses exist)
I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl fifteen months ago and due to a complicated delivery, I wasn’t able to breastfeed my child. I tried and tried but my tiring body, just said no. And I had to accept it.
And I am happy.
Happy to see that my child is growing up just fine.
Happy to be a mother
And Happy to make my child happy.
Hola Gisele!
Yo me uno al grupo de mujeres que una vez convertidas en madrs buscamos lo mejor de lo mejor para nuestros hijos, Esos sin duda es darles de lactar, o acaso la naturaleza nos dio un par de tetas solo para exhibirlas…
Que pena que hayan mujeres que se digan feministas y que les molesten sus tetas, y mas dar el pecho! Yo lacto a mi niña de 17 meses y SIN DUDA alguna esta ha sido la MEJOR experiencia de mi vida.
Me da gusto saber que a pesar de lo que dicen de tu carrera, tú estes amamantando y estés criando con amor y naturalemnte a tu bebé! Ojalá y muchas mujeres que te admiran sigan tu ejemplo!
really nice write up by an MD. I couldn’t agree with him more.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jay-gordon/gisele-bundchen-nutrition_b_675130.html
Hola desde Canarias, España!
Gisele, bravo por quedarte embarazada, aún a riesgo de estropear tu precioso cuerpo; bravo por superar el cambio que la maternidad supone en tu carrera; y ¡bravo! por tus declaraciones a favor de la lactancia.
Tú tienes que medir cada palabra que dices de cara al público porque todo el mundo se cree con derecho a opinar sobre ti, mientras que yo, desde mi anonimato, puedo hablar a favor o en contra de quien sea. Ya ves, tantas generaciones han luchado para que podamos ejercer el sagrado derecho a expresar nuestras opiniones y tú todavía estás condenada a cargar con lo que los demás opinen de ti.
Si tú has pasado por una experiencia tan deseada y tan maravillosa que te parece que todo el mundo debería hacer lo mismo, simplemente, expresa lo que sientes. Unos estamos de acuerdo contigo, otros no lo están. Pero los que ahora no comparten tus ideas no pedirán tu opinión cuando en el futuro quieran manifestar sus pensamientos. Todos queremos ser escuchados y respetados, pero a muchos se les olvida que TODOS DEBEMOS respetar las opiniones ajenas.
Así que no des explicaciones sobre lo que sientes y dices, no des importancia a los juicios a que los demás se creen que pueden someterte. ¿Sientes que la lactancia es tan buena que todo el mundo debería hacer lo mismo? Pues dilo así. Yo también.
Here a 22 months breasfeeder. The natural always is the best, for our babies and for us, for the planet, for every body, except for formula makers, for every mom who decide breasfeed pharmaceuticals and formula makers have millionaries losts, cause breasfeefing does not create allergies, or inmune sepressed children who consume thousands of $$$ in medicines and visits to the doctor.
Congratulations Giselle and Benjamin, go for natural weaning!!!
Well done Gisele on giving your baby the best start in life. I understand your comments were blown completely out of proportion and totally understand where you are coming from. I had terrible problems breastfeeding my first child, but thanks to a wonderful midwife, lactation consultant and supportive husband I persevered through the cracked and bleeding nipples. At six week’s of age my baby was breastfeeding well, my milk supply was well established and my nipples had recovered. I went on to feed her till she was 2 years old.
All the very best to you and your family
The more publicity… the more awareness… the more attention to this… the BETTER!
we’ve been groomed to be sensitive to things like this. We’ve been trained to recoil and shut out the things that make us uncomfortable. This is exactly what “they” want us to do. “They” want us to find this offensive and to avert our eyes. Because by doing so, we’ll forget about this sooner or later. And that’s just what “they” want.
thanks Gisele to have made a strong statement here that begs us all to question our complacency towards topics like this.
The media and “news” today is so censored, so filtered that it has gotten to a point where it’s become very unsettling for us when we hear or see the realities of the world. It threatens our comfort…the comfort of eating our fast food, sitting on our couches watching our FOX news. It hasn’t always been that way…there was a time when real news and real facts were so much a part of the day to day that citizens had no choice but to become passionate and take action and take control. That’s no longer the culture we live in. We’re too coddled.
Gisele,
Congratulations on your new baby boy Benjamin! I heard you had a home birth. And we all know you have chosen to breastfeed. Well good for you Gisele. Nice nutritional choice.
Let me cut to the chase. I want to comment on your quote in Bazaar. As a lactation consultant I have worked with hundreds of new mothers all over this country and while you may think that many American mothers choose not to breastfeed, I want to bring up a point that you may not know; we have lousy lactation support. The first and biggest problem is not all women have access to lactation services and these women need help. When help is not available, cracking open a can of formula is easier. The second problem, in my experience, is many new moms have negative first encounters with the very professionals that are suppose to help them, the lactation consultants. Moms become discouraged and give up.
I realize firsthand how busy hospital employees are and lactation consultants are not exempt; they are stretched very thin. However, regardless of patient load, a lactation consultant should possess a gentle, supportive approach when working with anxious, hormonal mothers. For some reason, many (not all!!!) lactation consultants do not possess these attributes. I know. This makes no sense. It’s the truth though. This has to change.
What every new American mom needs is excellent lactation support and breastfeeding rates would rise dramatically.
All the best,
Melanie R. Silverman MS, RD, IBCLC
http://www.feedingphilosophies.com
blog.feedingphilosophies.com
FACEBOOK: Feeding Philosophies
An updated letter to you…more in-depth.
http://blog.feedingphilosophies.com/2010/08/dear-gisele.html
You’re right Gisele, is unfortunately how sometimes we want to say something and it comes out in a different way. And I’m sitting here, talking to you about my experience, and maybe you can also understand better.
However, as a mum who wanted to breastfeed (twice) and is bottlefeeding, this kind of comments hurt.
I want the best for my kids, just like you, Salma Hayek, or Cindy Crawford- to name a few examples of celebrities that are fighting for our rights to breastfeed- and in my opinion is breastmilk. But not all women have straightforward deliveries without problems and not all find easy to breastfeed- because they got sick (my case after the c-section) or very low levels of iron (my case after the birth of my daughter, in another country, with my partner without days to stay with me, having to use a pump every 3 hours because they told me I didn’t have enough supply and with another 2 year old kid demanding attention that he deserves, besides not being a milliardaire who can have help taking care of the house). And like me, thousands, or just hundreds…
We wanted to breastfeed. We had no support, not even from people or other women – that are always sayin how good, how healthy for both mum & baby is breastfeeding. NOBODY HELPED US! And still we have to hear that formula is poison, that our kids will grow less healthy, with more risks of getting sick – risks that we know. But the other choice… the healthy choice could be letting them starve. I’m tired, angry and sad because of that and there’s no day that I feel of myself sometimes as a failure because Nature also failed me. But I actuallly am? Or I choose the best for them: I choose them to live?
If a lot of women, like me, want to change the reality of things, we must focus precisely in this, reality. And there are some things: first, REAL AND MATERIAL SUPPORT, no matter what, to women who have issues breastfeeding (and that also means more free time for the father so he can support her, more time of maternity leave), GETTING HELP AT THE HOSPITAL – breastmilk supplies there – , TRAINED STAFF, RESPECT FOR THOSE WOMEN WHO CHOOSE NOT TO BREASTFEED AND A CAMPAIGN ASKING FOR A HEALTHIER FORMULA. Otherwise, if we’re not part of the solution, we’re part of the problem
Thanks a lot Gisele, and congrats on your kid and your breastfeeding.
“There ought to be a law against overreacting to celebrities’ comments.”
ENhorabuena por tu maternidad y por tener las ideas tan claras, es una alegria que una modelo diga esto, porque parece que las mayores preocupaciones de algunas madres es que la teta es una exclavitud, que se te caen los pechos por amamantar y bobadas del estilo.
Disfruta de tu bebe.
¿y no es verdad? aunque no sea importante, es verdad, ¿no?
saludos,
M&J, ocho meses de LM exclusiva.
I noticed Heidi Klum is always speaking of her pregnancies and how loving and simple it was and how she gets her body back, but yet she doesnt get crucified by the press….I think people love to just pick on Gisele. It really just shows how powerful she is in my opinion. She has a voice and Im glad she chooses to use it in the right way! Never bad mouths anyone in public,never talks about anyone,just her life and her experiences, and not one dang thing wrong with it!!! Also Claudia Schiffer recently said she didnt gain hardly any weight and stayed in her original clothing, and the weight was easy to come off, but did we hear the press gang up on her?? NO. Gisele is not the first to talk about it, and she certainly isn’t the last! She never said she was either. Maybe when HUGE magazines stop wanting to interview her (which is highly unlikely) than you wont have to gang up on her, but until then either take it in as good info, or dont read!
Dear Giselle,
Go ahead!
Start a movement saving the lives of babies by way of breastfeeding.
There are many who will join you!
I don’t have kids personally, but I do have an opinion on all this. I think ALL mothers (new or experienced) should be allowed to express their points of view. Just because you don’t agree with what someone says doesn’t mean they are wrong and you are right. As a single person, I am judged all the time for not living a full life because I CHOOSE not to have kids.
Whether the topic if that or breastfeeding it doesn’t matter, we all need to really just mind our own goddamn business!!!
A big thank you to you for being so honest and open about your opinions on breastfeeding. I think that you are fabulous and you sound like a very caring, nurturing mama. Thanks again for being such a positive voice for moms!
Yay, go Giselle!! Thank you for speaking out about breastfeeding, you are really strong and courageous in a way that not many other people are. I think you talking about it will inspire so many people. I can only imagine how hard it is to be the subject of so much anger over something you said. Stay strong girl!
Claire (I have been BFing my son for 18 months now, 9 months exclusively)
The sheer quality of this article enthralls me in so many aspects which even you, the originator of this art may not understand. May this long keep going. Best Regards, Emile Decroo
How refreshing to have this subject in the daily press. I’ve followed the articles and now the response with great interest as I am passionate about giving women the information they need about pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding and other parenting choices be it vaccinations, nappies or nutrition. It’s been great to have Gisele show the world what is possible. Hopefully now more women will question the medicalisation of birth and not question their body’s ability to birth and feed thir baby.
There are amazing organisations and people out there offering support for natural birth and breastfeeding, I hope that by doing our bit we can help a few more people become concious about thier choices and realise the impact it has on them, their family and ultimately the planet and it’s inhabitants.
Eva
I´m agree with you, it´s healthy and increase the communication between the baby and his mother. My son is now 6 years and I gave him breastfeed for 26 month; he has grown healthy and strong without any important illness during all his short life. In Spain, my country, the goverment is supporting this kind of feeding and increasing this kind of culture between mothers, helped by sanitary services.
Thank you, Gisele for being such a good mom! Most women who are against you are from United States, the country where majority is over overweight and where french fries are considered a vegetable. Of course formula and fast food addicts don’t know nothing about healthy children.
Oi Gisele mãe,primeiro desejo que vc esteja curtindo muito este momento tão especial ao lado de seu filho,não só agora, como para sempre,com relação a sua declaração,posso dizer o seguinte para voçê,nós conhecemos sua história de vida,entendemos a declaração sobre o que vc disse que,todas as mães devem amamentar seus filhos,no minimo até os 06 meses de idade,vc falou com o coração e humildade,sem colocar maldades em que isso poderia ocasionar,pois como trata-se de vc Gisele,um pessoa conhecida mundialmente,aumentaram em muita sua declaração.Mas a vida Gisele é um aprendizado,continue falando com o coração e caso vc tiver que pedir desculpas,peça,pois como vc mesmo admira,também admiramos vc pela sua humildade e sinceridade em sua entrevistas e declarações.
Aproveite cada momento da sua vida e seja muito Feliz ão lado de seu filho e não se preoculpe,não vai ser a primeiro e nem a última declaração que eles vão distorcer e conte sempre com comigo e seus muitos admiradores do mundo inteiro.
Abraços com carinho,
José Américo Toledo
Juiz de Fora-MG
Ouch. I am from the USA. I BF my first for 15 months and my second for 2 1/2 years. Neither child ever had formula. I don’t believe that french fries are vegtables and I’m not addicted to Fast Food but thank you for grouping us all together like that.
I applaude you Giselle and hope that women use you as a role model to breastfeed their babies past the one year mark. It helps when women have the support of others.
Thank you again.
Felicidades por querer amamantar a tu bebé.
Es un gran apoyo tanto para las futuras mamás como para las que ya lo somos, que una persona con la proyección mediática que tú tienes apoye la lactancia ya que hay mucho desconocimiento sobre ello (por lo menos en España).
Mi hija de 1 año todavía sigue mamando y hay quien lo ve mal.
Enhorabuena, sigue así y que nada ni nadie te haga cambiar de opinión; es lo mejor que le podemos dar a nuestros hijos.
Marta
I finally read the whole interview and I am utterly APPALLED by….THE MEDIA! what a beautiful,thoughtful,insightful,intellectual,warm interview! You are an amazing role model Gisele you actually inspire me to do better in life. thanks! now that’s what I call a role model!
If people see it as bragging and not as someone just giving her thoughts and good insight on things, than I consider you girls get some self esteem asap! It did nothing but almost make me cry, thats how great it was. The interview even mentioned at the end, this attitude that she has on life, has gotten her where she is and has helped make her the most successful supermodel of all times, and I couldn’t agree more!!!!!!! BRAVO GISELE! I am now an even bigger fan of hers.
I have breastfeed my first baby for over 3 YEARS and it has been the most wonderful thing in my life! My second baby was born 5 months ago so… I have been breastfeeding non-stop for more than 3 years!
I support you entirely and completely understand your feelings. Keep going!!
Montse
Nicola, while everyone has the right to decide how to feed their child, I have to agree with Gisele in saying that breastmilk is best and should be strongly encouraged. The examples you have given for women unable to breastfeed are pretty extreme. I think what troubles me is the fact that there are mothers who simply refuse to try for whatever reason (I have heard ‘just don’t like it’, ‘it’ll make my boobs saggy’, ‘it’s inconvenient’ and the list goes on. I think it’s such a special and important act you can do for your baby, and it’s such a shame the act of breastfeeding is often considered a mere personal preference, something to take or leave. It ideally should go hand in hand with having a baby. I realise what I have said may upset some, but I’m saying this with only infants in mind and I can take the rap.
Well done Gisele for breastfeeding so far – the world could definitely benefit from more visible role models.
Hi!
I am a mum and I breastfeed my child for two years. Personally I do not agree with your statement. Obbligation should not be the way to get things done.
We can better offer good information and a good support network to all future and recent mothers and we certainly should fight to get more maternity leave if we want all mothers to breastfreed for at least 6 months.
Bravo, Giselle!!!
ok, Gisele
Gisele Querida!
I AGREE 100% AND BREASTFEEDING IS THE BEST NO DOUBT!!
The lactation lady Elaine who left a comment puts it black and white so true!!
bravo gisele ! let´s not forget the big picture and the real important thing : children: the only reason you said is it´s because you feel, like so many of us, that for our children “only the best” is worth it and our own Milk, if you are not on drugs or taking any medicine that could be harmful (!!!) IS THE BEST…. all those critics forget about this, for their only reason is to blame you for their guilt or envy…I, like yourself have brestfead my two little children (now 3 and 5) for over a year when they were babies, 7 months exclusively and later on introducing food slowly to their diet. and it´s absolutely true : you do not have to do any diet to get back in shape when you breastfeed. I was about 10kgs heavier at the end of my pregnancy, it´s true that being 1,81m tall I “hid” them better, but kgs are kgs and weather you are tall or short you will have them and you can loose them….. I was in my jeans (us size 2) 2 weeks after giving birth, had huge breasts but was slim as always and my children were big (55,5cm amd 56cm long) and heavy (3,7kg and 4,3kg) so it´s not that I have been dieting throughout my pregnancy just eating healthy and making excersize everyday until the last days. It all depends of course if you do not have any basic problems, but healthy women can get pregnant without becoming whales, brestfeed and get back in shape in little time with a little bit of winners attitude, discipline and positive thinking. And also being willing to give up many things for staying available constantly as breastfeeding means you are the only food supplier and you have to take care of what you eat, drink, any cream that you use could get into the bloodstream and into the milk, etc…..but I loved it and only see benefits from it : my children NEVER cought a cold until both were about 3 years old; did not react with fever to any vaccine and grew, thank Gd, strong and happy. And I was happy to see my body come back so soon and to feel I am doing the best for them, to feel strong. To all my friends say the same, “try to brestfeed, don´t stress out for if or when the milk comes, just relax, lay back, drink enough water and enjoy the gift of life, listen to your feeling, mother´s sixth sense, all will work out”. Many doctors do not have a clue about bfestfeeding, even some nurses in the hospitals so you have to be aware, try to read about it and relax, really.
i would do it over and over again. Gisele, I can only tell you : don´t bother for the critics, the ones who do not see the real message behind your words do not WANT to hear them. Big kiss from Madrid
Very courageous! To those who complain that Ms. Bündchen shouldn’t give lessons because she is “genetically perfect”, please remember that breastfeeding actually helps losing (using, in fact) the fat that the body stores during pregnancy. This fat is stored precisely with the purpose of facilitating breastfeeding. I have 2 kids; I know what I’m talking about! On top, is medically proven that breastfed babies grow healthier and smarter. Congratulations for bringing breastfeeding to the forefront, Ms. Bündchen!
yo tengo una niña de cuatro años y sigue con la lactancia materna, a ella le gusta ,pero yo disfruto aun mas dandosela.¿ hasta cuando? hasta que ella quiera,porque no tengo ningun inconveniente en seguir dandosela,aunque de cara a la sociedad esta muy mal visto ya con la edad que tiene. un saludo
I just bacame a fan! She is so strong and beautiful! I use Gisele as an example to my pregnant daughter to show how one should take care of themselves and their baby. I had my babies at home and breastfed all 3 for a year. I am so proud that now when my oldest (who is 25) is having one of her own that she is taking my advice and example, and I am so glad that she can see women like Gisele who are on the same page as we are on this subject.
I completely support you Gisele…I know what you were saying and I think most people with an ounce of common sense understand that you weren’t trying to be political or dogmatic, but were just expressing your passion for breastfeeding and rightly so. I understand the feeling of frustration with women who like to give themselves an excuse for not breastfeeding when it so obviously far superior in every way possible. People like to talk about how breastfeeding is so difficult and its not worth the trouble when you can just give your baby formula…I say if its too much trouble to feed your baby the best thing possible for him, then maybe you shouldn’t have had a child. I know that may sound harsh to some, but after working with so many moms that give the flimsiest of excuses as to why they can’t breastfeed for this or that reason (many of them even before they have their baby), so they can go out or not be “tied down”, it is hard to swallow the whole “some people can’t breastfeed argument”. In reality, I believe La Leche League says that there are somewhere between 2% and 5% of moms who can’t breastfeed for some kind of medical reason and that it is exceedingly rare for moms to just not be able to breastfeed. With support and encouragement, most everyone would be able to breastfeed if they so chose. I think its good and proper to draw attention to the social norms in this country which allows moms to give themselves an arbitrary excuse to not breastfeed. In my opinion, once breastfeeding is established (which can be difficult for some, but well worth it), it is actually so much easier than having to tote formula and a bottle around. If everyone breastfed, our country would eventually be a much healthier place.
Bravo Gisele! It is nice to see a celebrity mom tout the virtues of natural childbirth and breastfeeding (of course some women can’t and obviously don’t they love their children less!! People take things so literally) It is so important for people to realize the value & impact it has on mamas and their babies
Thank you for your views. I must say i agree with you and i support you wholeheartly.
I wish you and your family all the happiness in the world.
Oh and please ignore your critisizers small-minded pettiness.
Bravo for your courage; breastfeeding is a must for babies and moms need to be encouraged and helped in the process. Formula is not for babies. Formula was created to form a for profit market, furthermore, I believe, the control of woman as well.
Gisele, you obviously have the right to state your opinion, and I think everyone knows you didn’t mean this comment in a literal way but that you were just passionate about it. Those who hype on this are just troublemakers. The media hype of this is ridiculous. Fox’s own reporting that it divides moms is their own culprit.
Hello Gisele I just want to say keep your head up high! You DID nothing wrong. If people take what a model says (no offense) in a Harper’s Bazaar Interview as life or death (lol) than I really worry about the sanity of them and their unfullfilled lives. When I read it, I just figured you meant normal,healthy women SHOULD choose breastfeeding over bottle. (not the less than 1% who can’t for medical reasons)…I mean I guess I dont take what people say overtly literally, so I didnt with this as well. You are a model being asked questions for an interview (i think many people dont realize you are the big model being asked questions) its not like you are randomly talking about it. Its called an interview people!!!! BUT I am so gald you did talk about it! I think its awesome for such an amazing role model to talk about real life issues, instead of all your glamorous parts of your life. that is amazing and if anything women around the world should be tahnking you for being so down to earth, not scolding!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ugh makes me sick how some insecure women have acted. I will say this, I dont know of the unhealthy moms who cant breastfeed for whatever reason (that is fine) but all my young teen moms, who panned their child off to grandma for thew weekend with a bag full of formula, so they could go party all weekend, are the moms who I mostly feel Gisele was referring to (trust me there are TOO many of those!). there are more of those types of moms than the 1% who are unable to breastfeed.
I agree that people are taking the comment too seriously, but part of the problem is the tremendous misunderstandings about breastfeeding that are perpetuated all over the internet. One of the biggest is this idea that “only 1% of women cannot breastfeed.” This may be true in the sense that only 1% of women have a medical condition that makes them unable to breastfeed. It is NOT TRUE that only 1% of women have so much difficulty breastfeeding that it isn’t worth it. In a very recent study, 88% of the women surveyed initiated breastfeeding, but only 1.4% exclusively breastfed until their baby was 6 months old. That means about 86% of women tried to breastfeed and for some reason found it too difficult to continue as planned. What is happening with that 86% of women? The real truth about breastfeeding is that it can have so many challenges as to make a new mother completely insane and miserable. Formula today is wonderful, healthy, life-saving stuff. Maybe breast milk is better, but for those who suffer tremendously during breastfeeding because they can’t make it work, formula is definitely better. What a baby needs more than anything is a happy, healthy mom who can take good care of it. If the mother is miserable and distressed about breastfeeding, that baby is suffering. There are so many other things that happen in life to cause these things. The 1% statement that people keep throwing around is not as true.
I think 1% is probably a low estimate. I’m sure and “worth it” is relative. Formula is some pretty good stuff I have rescued orphaned animals a lot and feeding them baby formula works really good. But it’s rare that a healthy mother animal won’t nurse her young. How often do you have to bottle feed puppies for example? Are we to believe humans are that much less healthy than every other mammal?
Formula is not wonderful and it’s not definitely better if mother feels miserable. Breastfeeding training must begin long before delivery, with a good psychological preparation. And natural delivery is required too.
Formula is a bad substitute; cow milk protein is allergenic and doesn’t have immunoglobulin or immune cells. Babies need breastfeeding and 99% of mothers are anatomically and physiologically prepared for breastfeed (100 years ago, the “natural way” was that babies were breastfed). Psychological support is needed because western culture changed the way mothers see and feel their reproductive responsibilities.
I must say, the first I’ve heard about all of this is today. I’ve read the article and know how often things are miscontrued by journalists. I must say, however, how refreshing it is to hear a “celebrity” talking about being able to breastfeed and displaying a passion for it – most just say they “couldn’t” and that’s all people hear. Less than 1% of women (UK) “can’t” breastfeed, yet very few do.
As a mother who breastfed my son until he was 13 months old (I stopped as was pregnant with #2), it is soooo refreshing – I was put under a lot of pressure to stop – “don’t you think he wants some real food?” from about 4 months. “Why don’t you give him a bottle and give yourself a rest?”. I turned round to say, “why would I go out and pay for something when what I can give him is 1, free & 2, better?”
As I said, refreshing to hear a celeb has fed her baby, and you shouldn’t have to apologise or correct the article – they should report correctly in the first place.
Congratulations Louise!
You are great!
I’m so happy to welcome you to the world of mothers who are able to experience the truly magnificent miracle of breastfeeding their infants. I’m so happy for you and your baby and I’m also very proud of you–from one human mother to another. Breastfeeding is perfectly amazing and renewed my sense of spiritual awareness–something/someone divine must be behind this amazing design! Take care and continue enjoying the gifts of motherhood. Much love to you and your wonderful baby and family, too.
Paige
I personally agree with Gisele and am grateful that someone of her status/position in society and in the media has the guts (and brains) to stand up for what she is passionate about. I am also a breastfeeding mother and feel very strongly that breast is best for babies; it is what our bodies do naturally and for a very good reason. I am not at all insensitive to the challenges that breastfeeding presents, it is truly a labor of love, but ladies there comes a time when what you want is not as important as what your child NEEDS. Health reasons, a problem with the infant’s latch, etc I get. There is no shame & you should never feel like a failure if you really give it your best shot and do not succeed. However, to just dismiss the thought of nursing because of “lifestyle conflicts” or other selfish reasons is disgusting. I have a friend who pumps around the clock to provide her newborn son with breast milk because he has a weak latch and can’t nurse but she is still determined to give him the best that she can despite the discomfort & inconvenience it may cause her. Being a mother is not just about you, it is about that innocent, precious little one who depends on you for survival. People would not have to make comments about topics like this if everyone had the common sense to just do the right thing without being told like children ‘you know, it really is healthier for your baby’ – If you are woman enough to bring life into this world you should assume full responsibility for that life instead of just wanting things to be easy and convenient. Motherhood is neither of those things! In these modern times, pregnancy does not have to equal baby thus, the only reason to become a mother is because you want to. I’m not just talking about abortion either; there are plenty of people who are desperate to be parents who biologically cannot. And these idiots, who are so offended by her statements, give me a freaking break!!! She is just as entitled to her opinions as anyone, I don’t at all see why there are jealous, high school quality comments being made questioning the validity of her opinions just because she is a model, does that make her any less of a person? Does that make her any less qualified to be a good mother? It’s very sad to me that some women are so quick to dismiss a fellow woman who has the potential to be a strong, powerful role model who believes in giving our children the very best of what nature intended. Why do we have to make something like this out to be negative instead of realizing that it was said out of care and concern? I wish there weren’t women out there willing to sacrifice their child’s health for their own agenda, women who crucify another for stating an opinion instead of joining together to support a very important cause, and women willing to claw and scratch at another’s image just because she is blessed and hard working enough to drop baby weight instead of hiding behind it as an excuse to stay lazy and out of shape. But no, ratings are more important than being a good person, and you and your little clucking group of hens can sit and snicker all the while deep down inside knowing that someone’s success like Gisele’s does nothing but make you feel insecure and inferior. So, by all means, tell yourselves whatever you need to in order to make it through the day… “She has no right to tell us how to parent”, “she said labor doesn’t hurt”, “she lost 30 lbs of baby weight” bla bla bla freaking bla… Who cares??? The journey to and through motherhood is a beautiful and very personal thing, who has the right to stifle another mommy from sharing her joy and new mommy wisdom when she is doing it with the best of intentions? No one! Feeling empowered after accomplishing something like childbirth and wanting to talk about it, even brag a little doesn’t seem out of the question to me. It is the greatest and most challenging things a person can ever physically do, let’s be proud of ourselves and of each other! Let’s support each other, and be big enough to cheer and pat each other on the backs instead of needlessly tearing each other down! If other mothers were secure in their parenting decisions things like this would never ruffle their feathers, but they get all upset because they know that there is truth to what she said, and not one person on earth can argue with the bottom line which is BREASTFEEDING IS GOOD AND NATURAL AND IS THE BEST THING FOR BABIES (and benefits the mothers in many many ways as well).
I am so pleased that your body is naturally able to breastfeed your baby… as are most women. However, there are some of us that are not as fortunate and when you have inverted nipples and your baby cannot latch and empty your breasts because you have so much milk which leads to mastitis and eventually an abscess that you have to have your breast cut open to remove….it makes it alot harder to tell yourself that breast is best, especially when a baby needs a happy mother who can give it all the love and attention it needs, as well as a full belly which helps baby to grow whether it’s formula or not!
My daughter is 3 and is super healthy, never gets ill or picks up infections that other kids have at nursery and we couldn’t be closer…whereas I know mothers who solely breastfeed, their kids are often suffering from chest infections, ear infections, allergies etc….
Most of us are always trying to do what we feel is best and we have to respect that what may work for some, doesn’t always work for others…THE BEST THING FOR BABIES IS TO LOVE AND NURTURE THEM AND SEE TO ALL THEIR NEEDS!!
I respect any moms beliefs about making the best future possiable for their own children. When I heard about this making it a law for breast feeding, and I belive there was a “our not doing your part as a mom if you dont” type of comment in with it I was outraged. I shouldnt be, I know better than to actually listen to the media. They twist EVERYTHING, and though I wouldnt know, Im sure they will take a simple harmless comment and make it seem so horrid.
I wanted to breast feed my baby, I couldnt. After birth I got very very ill, and the anti-biotics I HAD to take would go to my milk and hurt my baby if I didnt. By the time I fought thru and was well enough, my baby had taken very well to formula and I wasnt able to switch her back. But I made sure she had the best, and to this day she is my 1st priority. I do belive in where you are comming from ,and it sucks that it blew way out of proprotion. Breat feeding awareness should be more out there, and moms should know how more healthy it is. But dont forget moms who for whatever reason really cant. Thanks for clearing this up as best as you can:) I wish the best for your new family!
I am glad that you are able to breastfeed your child, I try and am still trying. My child is 12 weeks old, I don’t have a good supply and he has latch issues so I pump. He gets alot of formula but I give him all the breastmilk I have. I can see how they could have misused your words, I just hope you are looking at both sides of the spectrum.
Take care of yourself, Jessica. Your baby wants a happy mama, and you deserve to be enjoying this time with your baby as much as possible.
Its crazy how you say something and someone gets all offensive. I think whoever started anything with you has some serious underlying issues. The message you are trying to state is clear for me. And that is you are all for nursing your babies. Same here! Its such a win/win situation for both mommy and baby. Mommy doesn’t have to crawl out of bed in the middle of the night to make a bottle or worry about sterilizing and buying bottles. Baby gets nutrients to get thier new little lives started out right. What better way to start than with great health?! Nursing offers that. Kudos to you for being heard and being so strong.
Yeah, why didn’t we think of that…God, you make it sound so easy….mothers who don’t breastfeed must be so selfish..having to get up and make a bottle when your child is starving and you CANNOT breastfeed is a godsend. People like you sound so ignorant when you make comments like this!
I am totally happy with the decision I made to not breastfeed after having my breasts cut open to remove abscesses after not being able to drain the breast because i had so much milk and inverted nipples…after 12 weeks of antibiotics (which is passed into the milk) I decided bottle was best for my baby and for me…get off your high horse and stop being so judgemental! We are all trying to do the best we can!
Dear Gisele,
I wanted to say I commend you for speaking out on the importance of breastfeeding. I too am a huge advocate. I know your public point of view will make a difference in the lives of so many.
Be strong and God bless you,
Kindest regards,
Franceen
Dear Gisele, I feel very sad that you were more or less forced into apologising for your views on breastfeeding, please, please don’t let somewhat distorted media coverage cause you any unhappiness. I think you are wonderful in not being afraid to speak out about this, you are a role model for young women all over the world, and your views could really make a difference, I think. With the right help, from well-trained, dedicated professionals and from organisations such as La Leche League (internationally) and the National Childbirth Trust (in the UK), most women are able to breastfeed, even if it is not easy at first. My own experience of breastfeeding ranges from giving up trying to feed my first child when he was just 6 weeks old, to feeding my second child for 11 months, to feeding my third (and healthiest, 12 years on) for several years. If only I had had the right help when my first child was born – in fact due to a genetic problem I have very fragile skin which was probably the cause of most of the problems I suffered. I am NOT looking for applause for overcoming my difficulties – I am simply stating the facts – and having both bottlefed and breastfed my children, I can say unequivocally that, once it is established, breastfeeding has many other benefits other than health benefits for both baby and mother – it brings a wonderful warmth and closeness to the relationship between mother and child, and it is more convenient, easier, and, of course, cheaper than bottlefeeding! My heart goes out to those mothers who do not have the support they need, and to those, like Denise Van Outen, who feel so much pressure that they give up. On behalf of mothers and their children everywhere, thank you from the bottom of my heart for saying what you did, and my very best wishes to you and your family.
Being a mom is easier now than it ever has been.
No, it’s not easy. It’s easier.
The poster who said “being a mom in this day and age is harder than it’s ever been” is just wrong.
Try being a mom during the plague.
I am continuously saddened by how much misinformation is out there and how scared doctors and nurses are to push women to breastfeed for fear that the new mom will be offended and go find another doctor who will support their not wanting to even try breastfeeding. I live outside New York city in an affluent area, where one would think you would have ready access to the newest medical advice – I am shocked at how little advice and support is out there unless you seek it out yourself. I must say I feel so sorry for the babies whose mothers decide not to even try, when there is nothing more natural than nourishing a baby with its mother’s milk. Gisele thank you for bringing this issue into the spot light. I do hope that you use your stardom to support education on breastfeeding before mother’s have their babies and helping to change the mindset of conventional doctors who still do not push their patients to do so.
Well done you Gisele for coming out and saying something that you feel!!!!! I’m so glad to hear someone in a very glamorous, body conscious industry, support something which is generally seen as UNglamorous… thank you!!!!!
Thank U Gisele,
Here we are in 2010 thinking that BREASTS arefor everything but BREAST FEEDING our BABIES!!!!
Thank U for the Lesson. Keep speaking THE TRUTH without apology.
Marilyn
Hi dear
I never heard ur name before, but through the BBC story, i learned that u r in a constant search for better things regarding ur baby.
I m a muslim, and in our religion, it is advised that those mothers who can, they should feed their children upto two years (thats max).That is what majority of muslims mothers in the east practice
I don’t want u to take my advice, rather search for the optimum length of time for urself, and u would find the 2 year time is the optimum one
God bless ur child
Bye
Hi Gisele
I totally applaud your statement regarding breast feeding, I am still breast feeding my son aged 7 months and find nothing wrong with it. Too many girls give in these days and dont bother even trying, Where I live its one of the lowest rates in the whole of the UK. Also I feel alot is to do with the benefit system over here and the fact they give out milk tokens so why bother breast feeding when you can get formula for free, I believe if you have no medical reason not to breastfeed then you should rather than relying on the govement for milk token handouts !!!!
I applaud your support for breast feeding. I think one of the key reasons undermining the ability for American mothers to continue to breast feed to 6 months is the lack of real maternity leave. When working women receive only 6 weeks maternity leave it is often impractical for them to continue to breast feed. Some women are able to pump at work and continue to provide breast milk but for most this is difficult and often going back to work diminishes your supply so as to make this impossible. Given your public position in society maybe you have a chance to use social action to support better maternity benefits for american mothers – more paid leave, more unpaid leave with the opportunity to return to the same job after a year out etc, the type of benefits enjoyed by mothers in northern europe.
I understand exactly what was trying to be said and agree that Breastfeeding is really important and I think it was a shame that the comment was twisted in such a way that an apology was felt to be needed. However I think why a number of people were upset was because some people cannot breast feed. I have a medical condition which meant that I never produced enough milk for my Son. It was heart breaking feeling that I couldn’t give him what I knew was best for him, and made me feel like a failure as a mother. What was worse were the people who told me I should breast feed exclusively and that I was a bad mother because I didn’t. It got so bad that I ended up telling a health care professional that she didn’t know what she was talking about. If I didn’t give my son formula he would die as my milk had dried up. There are a lot of vulnerable women out there in the same position who need support. I think this is probably why it has become such an explosive issue.
At least your blog got a lot of hits! Opinions are free. You can say whatever you want to say. The reaction from these women are totally misguided.
I’m pleased that Gisele has clarified her comments. I desperately wanted to breast feed but my son was tongue-tied and so unintentionally was biting me when he fed. I also got nipple thrush which I passed onto him. Because of the non-stop ‘breast is best’ indoctrination here in the UK, I expressed for 2 months. It was agony. I am now so pleased that I have given it up. My son is still an extremely happy and bouncy 14 week old.
Gisele, thank you for speaking out in support of breastfeeding. I breastfed my son until he was 2 1/2 and here (USA) people were actually disgusted and angered by it. Our country is sadly so backwards in its thinking about a woman’s body, especially our breasts. Okay to sexualize, not okay to use for the natural purpose. Sigh. I personally think it is selfish not to breastfeed if you and your child are physically (and mentally) able to but that is just my opinion. I know plenty of women, my own friends included, who would disagree. We should be able to do that without such viciousness. I am sorry you have to deal with such anger and meanness for expressing your own opinion. You seem to be a beautiful person inside as well and I wish you all the luck and happiness in the world.
Jill
Isso não foi um pedido de desculpas, foi apenas um esclarecimento. Pede-se desculpas por erros, não por opiniões. Acho que é difícil demais tentar entender alguém caso o veja mascarado em um rótulo, e por isso vi ofensas à Gisele, como se sua intenção fosse fazer com que mulheres que não podem amamentar por quaisquer motivos se sentissem mal consigo mesmas. A própria jornalista escreveu um texto defendendo-a, e ainda assim nos comentários a insistência era criticar e insistir em não entender. E mais uma vez ela se mostra maior que tudo isso.. parabéns!
Why can’t the media, focus getting children who are abducted,molested,abused reach headline news rather than a mom who breastfeeds & bonds with her child. unbelievable.
I am a young mother who prepared mentally and physically for breastfeeding while pregnant, and thought that formula would never be on the menu. Once my beautiful daughter arrived, I endured 4 weeks of lactation consultants, breastpumps and every other resource that was available to me to help me nurse my daughter and guess what? It just wasn’t for us. My daughter was miserable and hungry, I was miserable and felt like a failure and we were spending far too much time and negative energy on something that wasn’t working.
Hi there, it’s interesting when people say things about their babies being miserable and hungry during breastfeeding. If you had not been lactating the child would have been starving. The only obvious problem is maybe that you were suprised by the baby’s dependancy on the breast. As a lactation counsellor I see many women who have no inkling about the amount of feeding they will have to do for their child. I also witness a culture that has built up baby-rearing around bottle-feeding with things that undermine the bf relationship such as cot-sleeping and the intensity with which we obsess about getting our children to sleep or seperate them from us in prams etc. Our lifestyle is often unsuitable fo r the intimacy required for a truely successful bf relationship. For example many mothers who are suprised by the amount their child needs to feed or indeed wakes to feed, are very relieved when after turning to formula their baby seems to sleep deeply and for longer, as though more satisfied. This is because the baby is, to a certain extent, doped by the foodstuff in formula. They literally have to sleep for the gut to attempt to digest it; abit like after you have eaten a very heavy meal you might feel lethargic. The other thing is that we do not have a carrying culture..we do not carry our babies. Due to this we have observably more fractious and confused babies compared to carrying cultures. So for example should a mother just have finished breastfeeding her child and attempts to put it down the child may protest and will quickly learn that the only way to be close to the mother is to cling onto the breast. This could lead to the mother assuming that the child is still hungry due to it’s constant desire for the breast and that therefore her milk is not sufficient etc. The other variable is the child’s need to suckle. The sucking instinct is extremely important. A child does not understand ‘hunger’ as such, he only has ‘need’ which manifests itself in sucking or crying. Sucking satisfys him emotionally and should a mother sate that need with a dummy rather than her breast (babies comfort suckle alot, it is instrumental in creating milk supply and satisfying his emotional need!) the child may adapt and demand less milk simply because his suckling need is being taken care of he will not necessarily recognise his lack. The balance between the mother and baby for breastfeeding is so delicate and many modern western mothers are wondering why it doesn’t ‘work’. In the first 4 vulnerable weeks of motherhood the misery and confusion you might have felt towards the commitment that is breastfeeding I can understand is very daunting. I do not judge you for making the choice to turn to bottles at all but I want women to truely understand the many factors and variables that are involved in their ‘choice’, because for me…I KNOW I damn well read every piece of information I could get my hands on that wasn’t mainstream (with its cultural, corporate bias), and because I HAD that information…it wasn’t a CHOICE to breastfeed…in fact I didn’t see myself as having a choice at all…I had to because that was her biological birth right…and had I been truely physiologically unable (like the supposed perhaps 1-2% of the world…of the WORLD!) she’d have had breastmilk from elsewhere. I say this only because there seems to be such a divide and resentment between bottle and bf mums when actually all mothers should be angry. Angry at a system that has let down them and their children (and I’m sorry, it has!)…but angry at activist breastfeeders? There needs to be official acknowledgement from bottle feeders that although NO-ONE DOUBTS they love their kids…it was not ‘better’ for their kids to be bottlefed. Sad, but true.
Firstly, to all those who say not everywoman can breast feed, that is not the point of setting out a law that woud specify a freedom much akin to a humanright for women to breastfeed for the first 6 months of their child’s life.
There is more than enough evidence to show the medical value to the baby.
The aspiration behind such a law is not to impose it in such a way that mother’s who physically cannot breastfeed are therefore breaking ” a law.”
This is taking the concept of a breast feeding ” law” too literally and missing the case that a genuine crime is now common place in our modern society.
It is even more essential for women in poor communities to have the basic right to breast feed their babies for 6 months while rich countries steal the resources and the powder milk firms are making profits on their poverty.
Sure, powder milk is a miracle in times of diasters and epidemics, women who cannot breast feed but that is missing the point of a freedom -law of choice for women to breastfeed for 6 months.
As for modern women who have no time too busy keeping the roof on — this is the tragedy and the whole point of a visioning a law that would bring in a statue of rights for all women to be enabled and allowed to breastfeed for the first 6 months if they choose.
Such a law would require supportive legistlation regarding conditions of work, finance and well-being –a quaity of life worth living.
As someone working in the area of culture and future ciities — I believe this to be a crucial and timely much needed law that would have huge impact on many issues to do with women and mothering internationally.
This new criteria would assist to weigh up the value of economic growth indicator to the social economics of the human development index.
In the past women were not allowed to vote because they were not considered equal and too busy looking after families. Now many women can vote and work yet no longer time or encouraged to breast feed their babies.
Gisele — you are more correct than you can possible imagine.. dont step down now, instead find the words and diplomatic activities, do everything you can to make this freedom for all mothers.
May I point out to you that formula is certainly not a miracle worker in times of disaster and epidemics. This is a gross misunderstanding. To communities and countries suffering from disease, unsanitary conditions and climatic turbulance, formula is a killer. Breastmilk is essential in building the immune system. A child who is exposed to disease either from dirty water (through drinking formula) or catches it from others is much MORE likely to die if he is not breastfed. The death toll in developing countries that can be directly attributed to the babies drinking formula is astromomic! Formula even with clean water causes infections and diarrhoa etc in the developed world. This may not be a problem in a country with HEALTHCARE and SANITARY environments but in other conditions it is likely to mean DEATH! Bottle feeding involves sterilising, having money to pay for the damn stuff (which increases with a growing child) and having heating facilities. This is not a given for lots of women. The only reason that formula has it’s place in culture is that without advertising restrictions these powerful companies can make extravagant claims and lie about their shitty powdered milk.
As for ‘epidemics’ , I don’t know which diseases you are referring to but should you take a child off breastmilk he is DEFINITELY more at risk from disease. If you are suggesting that formula saves the lives of orphans that is slightly different but it is important to remember that the intense marketing of formula has broken down breastfeeding cultures worldwide. An orphan would very often be fed by other lactating women, because in a breastfeeding culture, there would be many. Again, this gives the child much more protection! Women who ‘cannot breastfeed’ as we (perhaps wrongly) put it, become more in number as the techniques and parenting specifics that go with it become lost. So formula has NOT been a force for good in the world.
Here is an example. The recent floods in Pakistan or the Haiti earthquakes, the millions affected…are the babies who are bottle fed more at risk through contaminated water or lack of supplies or isolation? Or are the babies who are orphaned but breastfed more likely to be found wet nurses or possibly who are not orphaned but their mothers can still continue to breastfeed them throughout the disaster. Even with famine the bf babies have more of a chance. Research shows that even when a mother is nearly at starvation point her breastmilk is still suprisingly high in fat and can sustain her child. Also, in that instance it will be far more economical for an aid worker to have to get food for just the mother rather than source formula, bottles and clean water for her infant.
Some people talk about how HIV mothers cannot feed their kids so formula is good for them. Again, lets look at this. HIV is immune attacking. The chances that the child will get HIV from living in an HIV culture may be higher than it’s chances of getting it through being breastfed. Should the child get HIV the immune systems would still be stronger than that of a bottle fed kid. He still has more options, chances in life especially if, should his mother choose formula, he would be at risk from more diseases and infections that might be just as lethal to him as HIV,!
I totally agree with your views regarding breastfeeding. 2 of my 3 children were breast fed well after 6 months, my oldest son still having breast milk at 14 months!
It provides for the healthiest start in life.
The milk is produced for a reason just like any other mammal. Unfortunately some mothers who intend to breast feed cannot produce enough milk or it becomes painful. This happened with my 3 child. After I switched to formula milk he became consistently bloated and hampered with a gastrointestinal disorder which he has only just recently overcome 6 years later.
Good luck.
Sandra
Hi
I totally agree. I was breastfeed by mother for aleast 2 years, since my sister was born next year to my birth so i took her share also..:) Even in our indian mythology it is proved that nothing is more healthy than mother’s milk for children. It helps for developing good brain. No comparison though but i take decision fast and correct as compare to my sister…might be some correlated though..
it should be atleast 1 year …six months wont help….
Making Gisele feel bad for her way of thinking, is the same as when you make your homosexual son feel bad for his. Do you make him apologize and feel like crap when he comes out of the closet?
Oh but how dare we have opinions against that! but a woman makes HER stance on breastfeeding and the world tells her she is wrong and needs to apologize??? we really got our moralistic points of view all messed up.
I am appalled our American Society makes us feel like we have to apologize for our opinions….
everyone has them! pro/con,w/e we all have opinions, and if we can’t express them and are expected to be robots, than I don’t have much hope for America!!!!!!!!!!!!! If people don’t like anothers opinions, tuff! deal with it. don’t make them feel like they have to apologize for their way of thinking! that is absurd! Now maybe you didn’t all agree with what Gisele said, but take it with a grain of salt and move on. I can’t even believe its such a big deal to be honest. quite humerus that some people are acting as if this is life or death, lol. Its an opinion (last time I checked we all had those) big whoop!
It’s a shame that a mother’s excitement over nurturing and loving her baby was misinterpreted by many. I know how it happens, though.
For those of you who have been so hard to Gisele, please open your hearts.
Gizelle,
I am in the field of counseling breastfeeding women for WIC. I think many of us whether we admit it or not have gone through a full spectrum of feelings and ideas with relation to breastfeeding which, transforms as we help each woman. Pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding puts women on oxytocin high’s that can make you want to share the benefits and the experience with everyone. Your comments are really reflective of a two things: passion to help others and the ignorance (I don’t mean that in a rude way) with regard to what keeps women from breastfeeding in the world. I am tempering your comments with some of the other things you advocate for and can see your heart is in the right place…
Best Wishes,
Janel
To Giselle,
Breastfeeding is definitely best, if you can swing it. I agree that it should be promoted and encouraged, and that is why the La Leche League and other organizations exist. In my case, I was not able to breastfeed my son for more than 4 months as he refused to nurse at that time, I was forced to seek other nourishment for him. My daughters, twins, spent the first month of their lives in the NICU. As I had another child to care for, I was unable to spend much time with my daughters until they came home. Although I had a breast pump and expressed milk as regularly as I could, I was unable to build up a supply to feed 2 girls, plus neither would latch on after a month of bottle feeding in the hospital. Time would not allow pumping and feeding 2 babies every 3 hours if I was to ever sleep, and in my case I decided sleep was a priority so I could continue to care for my children. I wish I had been able to breastfeed the girls, but I don’t think, given the circumstance, that I could have without seriously compromising myself, and therefore, the care of my son and new babies. I try not to dwell on the fact that the girls only had one month of breast milk, and that we missed that bonding opportunity. They are one year old now, and I try to give them plenty of fruits and veggies with every meal. I am sure that you were not condemning mothers who could not breastfeed by your comments in the interview. I think sometimes the press deliberately “misunderstands” people to create a sensation, and it is wrong. You may consider endorsing a society that promotes breastfeeding, as your voice is obviouslly one that is heard, but I could understand it you just wanted to stay as far away from the subject as possible in the media too. Good luck with your life and family. I know it is hard to walk the tightrope of celebrity and still stay true to yourself and your family. Most people are not put under so much scrutiny. I know I couldn’t survive it. Again, good luck.
When I read that you had suggested mandating breastfeeding, I thought “Great! Finally, someone is standing up for babys’ health and common sense.” We’re so obsessed with individual rights these days, that no one tells mothers that they need to breastfeed to protect their infants from diseases, allergies, obesity and as you pointed out, the chemical foods being fed to such little ones. I was saddened to hear that you had backed away from your strong and correct opinion. I assume the initial shock of people’s reaction to being told what to do may have prompted your apology. Maybe you will return to your important stance on this issue.
I have an idea: what if artificial milk was only available under medical prespription, only for REAL special need cases? Then again, doctors would need to have breastfeeding expertise, since we know that they realy enjoy recommanding formula, only because they miss information. What if the only ones who could do the prescription would be those who were trained by La Leche League experts? 99% of breastfeeding problems (such as “I don’t have enough milk”) could be avoided if women could be supported by REAL expertise, such as La Leche League. Don’t give up too fast, there’s always a solution, and a friendly help out there! Thank you Gisele for your courage, it’s about time we start defending all those babies out there! We always defend human rights, what about babies rights? We have this huge responsability towards them. We can’t miss on that. It’s too important. So go ahead and give your baby the ONLY thing nature what you to.
Hats off! After breastfeeding 3 kids – I have a 7 mo old who currently is fat and happy – I am a huge advocate. So many women (specifically American women) give up right away. They don’t even give it a chance – we wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for someone breast feeding some ancestor along the way! I don’t need to sell it – health, economic, etc. benefit are boundless. Unfortunately, there is such a stigma about breasts in this country. They serve a utilitarian purpose and we seem to have a real problem with that. It’s Breastfeeding month, too Making it law is a little extreme, but it is so ok to just accept the “I couldn’t do it” excuse. Try. Get support.
There is a socio-economic dimension to this in the US as well. There is a stigma among certain people who have been on the lower economic rungs of society that being able to purchase formula proves that you have you have financia means. This needs to be thwarted. So much of federal and state funded welfare programs are used to pay for formula rather than at least showing these women HOW to breastfeed and encouraging it. It has become something done more by the middle class.
I’d like to comment on the “evils of immunizations”. This is flat out ignorant. The study done that initiated this unwarranted hysteria was done on a very small number of subjects who were known to the research physician. Since then, there have been broad longitudinal studies all over the world that have refuted it. We are seeing diseases rebounding that were virtually eliminated. Polio is the strongest example of this. It has been proven that Autism is NOT linked to immunizations. Altering the immunization schedule is a perfect way of reducing any reaction risks. DO NOT pass on immunizing your children. Why take the risk of them developing a preventable disease? And why are you exposing your child who is at higher risk for these serious ailments to my immunized child? I have one who has not received all of his yet and I don’t appreciate knowing that your ignorance is putting him at potential risk. If you have already taken the steps by breastfeeding to insure their health, why wouldn’t you immunize? Arm your kids for an already daunting future with environmental hazards, etc. The increased numbers of diagnosed autisim are the result of 1)ability to recognize it and seek help and 2)that it is still a catch all term for a number of other disorders. This is not opinion. This is well documented fact. The earth is round. Evolution is real.
Breastmilk is made of NUTRIENTS
Formula of INGREDIENTS
They will never be the same.
You are just stating FACT.
Fact should not make so many people upset.
It is simply the truth.
Gisele,
Dont retract your views. Gisele, you are a strong woman, if the people dont like to hear it. Tough. Take a stand, dont apologize. Just like its LAW to have useless vaccines that only poison and damage our kids, why cant something as pure, healthy and natural be LAW too. I am with you. If we have more famous people come out with courage and say the truth, we can make a change. Dont retract your words. They are yours, dont let others intimidate you. You are you, you are unique, just like all of us. Freedom of choice comes from our uniqueness, if we were all the same, follow the same regimes and never express our views, ourselves, our values, then we are only slaves.
Nicely put Gisele! I have two children of my own, a son (4 years old), and a daughter (2 years old). I breastfeed both of my children during their entire first year of life. It became such a passion for me. I encourage ALL mothers to at least try it. It can be very difficult at times, but it is so worth it in the long run. I admire you, Gisele, for standing up and saying what you said, and I totally agree. Afterall, making parents put their children in car seats is the law, why should breastfeeding be looked at any differently. It’s putting the child’s health or safety first!
Hi Gisele,
I agree with you wholeheartedly and know that you meant well when you spoke up about breastfeeding…there are so many hidden agendas regarding health in general and I think it’s
quite brave of you to express your beliefs so honestly. Lots and lots of love to you and your family…and thank-you for your consciousness in all that you are doing.
XO Karin
Go Gisele! while you may have lost a few you certainly gained double! (supporters) I see on your twitter and facebook friends has risen by the hundreds. More and likely professional,mature,adult,probreast-feeding women, so that’s a plus! you’re in good company.
keep your head up beautiful! As long as Benjamin is happy,healthy,and so are you..that’s all that matters at the end of the day! now I hope you go give that precious boy some hugs and kissses right now. maybe bond with him some more and breastfeed.
breastmilk is SOOOO healthy (and natural) and Gi all your REGULAR fans/followers know you are all about natural and living healthy, of course you believes in this. Its no surprise to me what-so-ever.
Glad to see that other women from other countries writing here on your blog, are so pro breastfeeding and they can breastfeed anywhere and not be scoffed at by the public and they can take leave of work for a long time. WOW America really is lacking somewhere! from their morals to the use of relying on so much technology and new ways of living. really sad :/ its all about convenience here, instead of what truly is best for the baby. For the moms who cannot breastfeed for some reason or another, I truly did not think Gisele was having all scenarios like that in her mind, when she said what she said. She was thinking about the healthy moms who are too busy or dont want to pull their breasts for their own reasons,not the babies. Don’t take things so literal.
Gisele, sou sua grande fã há tempos, por isso me preocupo com a repercussão de suas declarações.
A defesa de boas ideias pode ser comprometida pela má escolha das palavras, infelizmente. Pode gerar rejeição e passar a imagem de arrogancia e/ou prepotência, principalmente vindas de uma pessoa de projeção internacional como você, alvo de muita inveja. Como você mesma disse, uma coisa é um papo informal com um grupo de mães, outra coisa é uma entrevista em publicação internacional.
olá gisele td bem??
qta saudade
faz muito tempo que não entro aui pra ver o seu blog
foi foi mae neh ganhou um presete de deus vc merece este filho vai ser td na sua vida ti adoramos bjos
Obrigada, Gisele, por suas palavras corajosas. Uma pessoa famosa como tu, tem poder de formar opiniões. Parabéns pelo incentivo posistivo a amamentação e ao parto natural.
É bom que a população em geral saiba que parto natural e amamentação não é coisa de “bicho-grilo” ou de “natureba”, mas sim de pessoas normais como eu ou famosas como tu. Que trabalham, cuidam dos ~filhos e da família.
Fantastic, well done for speaking up. Powder milk like vaccines have evil purposes.
Gisele I am happy for you, I hope that you continue to breastfeed your child for as long as you both decide. I share in your believe and I am happy that you share you experience with us all. I work with pregnant and breastfeeding women and have seen firsthand how challenging breastfeeding is for women. You are very lucky to have had all the information to help you make the best decision, breastfeed. I hope that you continue to support and promote breastfeeding, the more women openly breastfeed the more other people will see breastfeeding as the normal way of feeding their infants. Happy World Breastfeeding Week (August 1 – 7).
Love Edith
Bravo! I applaud you on speaking up. Most people live in ignorance and you said something that broke the ignorance illusion – and that is why people are upset. You said nothing wrong, every woman should breast feed, it is natural, healthy, and the best for our babies! Mother’s should be more responsible and take responsibility for breast feeding their children, and not denying their children the best start. Feeding chemicals is irresponsible, lazy, and negligent. Mothers should take the time to find out how harmful these formula really are!
Don’t back down. Stay strong to your beliefs. You are a role model and have the responsibility to stand up for what is right.
“Feeding chemicals is irresponsible, lazy, and negligent.” This is so true, but unfortunately some people follow everything its told to them. I hope we can make them wake up, snap from that hypnosis. Spread the word.
I agree with you, its important to breastfeed the baby. I live in Norway, and 50% still breastfeed the baby when its 6 months old. But I do understand its difficult to do that i USA. First, because the mothers have to go back to work after 6 weeks (poor moms!!) while they stay at home with full pay from the goverment for a year. Next, in USA I understand you have to “hide away” to breastfeed, because people of some odd reason think sex when they see a mother breastfeeding? In Norway, mothers breastfeed everywhere. In parks, in malls, etc. Not in cafees and churches of course, but noone look at them with embarressment, they think its a naturale thing. And it is!
I agree with your original statement about breastfeeding. I’m only sorry it was so taken out of proportion by the media. Too many new moms make the excuse that they couldn’t breastfeed. It’s hard work and not easy at all, so thank you for promoting breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding is a gift for our babies. If we think about health as a legacy for our little ones, that is what we are doing through breastfeeding.
New moms just look at the statistics of healthy and unhealthy babies and some of the studies conducted. You will really will understand that the right thing to do is breastfeeding.
It is so sad how many moms think that formula is the same. No way. Formula is a business and a big business.
You Rock! Way to go for taking a stand! It’s so nice to hear a mom make an educated decision and statement! You have done a marvelous job in promoting and supporting breastfeeding. Don’t back down!
Gisele foi covarde por se desculpar?? O que é isso? Vivemos numa ditadura, aonde não podemos mais dar nossa opinião? A ditadura está naqueles que não suportam as divergências. Para o inferno esses… Você deveria reafirmar a sua opinião, respeitando aqueles que pensam diferentes, mas sem se desculpar para com estes…
No need to apologize. We should not need a law. Breastfeeding is the natural way to feed a baby. If our society understood that and supported that, we would not have to take a “stance” on feeding our babies. As we celebrate World Breastfeeding Week, I am wishing and hoping that when my sons become fathers, the issue of to breastfeed or not, won’t even be an issue. Breastfeeding will once again just be the way we feed our babes.
And YES, I am a “working mom” and NOT a celebrity or even rich (other than the richness given to me in the form of two healthy children), and I did not choose to breastfeed to make a “statement”, I breastfed (and continue to do so) because it is what my body was made to do.
Keep your head up. You are doing a wonderful thing for breastfeeding moms everywhere by being so outspoken in your convictions. Don’t ever apologize for how you have decided to raise your family.
Elizabeth S.
Gisele,
My husband called me today at work asking me if I heard the news about the comment you had made in a magazine. Which I hadn’t but once he told me what you had said about breastfeeding your son and the choices we make as mothers I felt extremely proud of you and myself and all breastfeeding mothers. We make a choice to have a baby and to bring this new life into this world with every intention to do what is best. Some women can not breastfeed for whatever reason or excuse. But to me there was no other choice I went thru so much pain in the beginning and had surgery but I stuck to it. I was determined to give my son the best.
For mothers who make the choice not to breastfeed is just that their choice. But to criticize breastfeeding mothers is a choice that we make and is not respected. I have been put under intense stress at my work for my choice. Fellow coworkers have written letters to the CEO of our company about how long I take when I pump on my break. My company stood behind and supported me and did everything they could to help ease my stress. But the damage was done that a fellow woman would keep tabs on me while I am doing my motherly duty is just sad.
Gisele don’t apologize for your choice, and don’t stop being our voice, speaking out for this elite club of breastfeeding mothers. Thank you!
I very strongly agree that USUALLY breastfeeding is the best option for both mom and baby, but that is not always the case. I breastfed my first daughter and when I got pregnant again I assumed that I would breastfeed again, even after I found out I was having twins. Things changed however after they were born. My sons were born 7 weeks early. When they were born they were having trouble with apnea and with keeping their oxygen sats up. They had to have feeding tubes because they were unable to suck. I tried using the breast pumps provided in the NICU to get my milk supply going. I worked with the lactation consultants in the hospital. When I was discharged from the hospital without my babies my insurance company provided a pump for me to use at home. Despite my best efforts, and a lot of help from professionals, I had a lot of trouble getting my milk supply up enough to feed two babies.
Another problem I was running into is that the boys were having trouble learning to latch on properly. Also, because of their prematurity and small size they just didn’t have the stamina to eat enough once they were latched on. Breastfeeding is a lot of work for the baby! In a healthy full term baby it’s not a bad thing, but when you are dealing with a premie who is putting all their energy into breathing and growing it can be too much. I was able to pump and provide some breastmilk for the nurses to give the babies through the feeding tubes and eventually from bottles, but for us it just wasn’t the best option. My boys were switched to a special high calorie, high protein formula for premature infants. It had more nutrients than just breastmilk to help them grow faster. My boys will be one year old in 2 days and if you saw them now you would never guess that they started their lives in the newborn intensive care unit. Even their doctors are amazed with how well they are doing and how fast they have caught up physically and developmentally with full term babies their age!
When I first made the decision to switch my babies entirely to formula I felt horrible. I felt like a failure as a mother. I still believe that breastfeeding has amazing benefits for both mother and child, however I now understand that it is a personal decision that everyone has to make for themselves. My babies are proof that even bottle fed babies can grow up strong and healthy.
Hi Gisele.
Don’t keep searching for what is right for your baby or what is best for your baby. Look inside yourself and you will know. Don’t depend on what others tell you; make that decision for yourself. When I was a first-time mother, I was just the same. I thought I needed to follow all the rules, written or unwritten, on how to be the very best mother and how to provide all the best for my child. The answer is much more simple than everyone leads you to believe: a child needs patience, attention, and a loving touch. A child needs shelter, but that shelter can be a mobile home or a mansion. A child needs clothing, but that clothing can be Garanimals or Baby Gap. A child needs nourishment, but that can be breastmilk or it can be formula.
Formula is definitely not the best choice for a baby, but it is NOT harmful to babies. Formula companies sometimes do push their product on mothers, but it is our responsibility to be sensible about that. WE (all mothers, including you and me) need to make that decision about the best way to nourish our babies while at the same time balancing the rest of our responsibilities: family, work, mental and physical health.
I agree breastfeeding is best. No doubt about it. But like you said (about interviews) it’s not just black and white. Some moms have medical reasons why they can’t breastfeed. Some babies have physical issues with breastmilk. Some women just don’t want to. That’s their choice about what is best for their child.
Like working and leaving a child in the care of someone else. As a working mother, I’m assuming you will go back to work. I do not believe that a mother, working outside the home, is the BEST choice for a child. But that’s my choice and it’s not my place to tell you to do otherwise.
Being an outspoken person with controversial comments is very brave. Just be ready to stand up for your beliefs when people are throwing rotten tomatoes at you.
Breastfeeding is a very natural and healthy way to feed your baby. I had always thought that I would breastfeed my child and, in fact, planned on breastfeeding (natural child birth classes; breastfeeding classes; working with a lactation consultant, etc.).
That being said, it is not always possible for women to feed their babies in this way. My son and I both had problems with breastfeeding (too long and complicated to mention here), which led to my son losing weight and constantly crying and my being left to feel like a shell of a person who couldn’t even provide for her child the way that nature intended. Later, other issues presented themselves and, after much research, counseling, and testing, we learned that my son is autistic. While I am not 100% certain that this was the reason for the breastfeeding issues, I cannot help but wonder if it at least contributed to what my son and I experienced.
I applaud you and all of those women who CAN breastfeed their children. I say “go for it” and “more power to you”. For those of us who are and/or were unable to do so, know that you’re not alone in experiencing the difficulty and, at least for me, the heartbreak that comes with not being able to naturally feed your child. It is not a sin and it is not a crime to NOT breastfeed your child. There are many, extremely important ways in which mothers can provide for their children and ensure their well being. I wish the best of luck to you and all the mothers out there. Parenting is the most important job anyone can ever do – we all need to make a concerted effort to do it well.
Yeah!! Thank you for saying and more importantly making the right choices for you and your baby!! Stay strong and believe in yourself and the excellent decisions you are making. Breastfeeding is SO much more important than most people realize and has life long effects on babies. As a mother of two that dedicated myself to breastfeeding my two children when they were young and who are now 21 years and 19 years old and are healthy and strong I thank you for your statements and beliefs. Keep the faith.
Giselle, thank you for your comments, you should not have to backtrack for anyone who didn’t like them. I love them and totally agree…it is way too easy here to get formula and better to breastfeed.
One caution though – the pressure to breastfeed can be very counterproductive to sucessful breastfeeding. I breastfed my baby for 9 months and it became a very sweet and wonderful experience. The first six weeks was pure hell. She had a very difficult time latching and soon she screamed bloody murder every time I tried to breastfeed her and I nearly lost my mind trying every conceivable fix, positive I would be a bad mom if I couldn’t do it. I was on a round the clock schedule of (trying) breastfeeding her, supplementing her with my pumped milk, pumping, cleaning the pump supplies, then getting 10 minutes to sleep before I had to repeat the process. She was the sweetest best baby. She literally never cried except when I tried to breatfeed her. She would get so incredibly frustrated with it. Then one day, when she was six weeks old, she simply figured it out and it was smooth sailing. Now looking back, I strongly feel we were not as successful as we could have been because I was so stressed out by the crushing feeling from society that I would be a bad mom if I failed. If everyone had left well enough alone, I think we would have been just fine.
Gisele,
Uma pena as pessoas acreditarem que porque não aconteceu com elas que não pode ser maravilhoso. Eu sei que da para ser uma mãe perfeita não precisa ter sentido o cheiro do parto, não precisa ter parido no próprio ninho . Ma não ter seu filho separado de vc só pq vc rompeu o primeiro vinculo do cordão umbilical é maravilhoso. Sei que dá para ser uma mãe perfeita sem sentir aquele azedinho gostoso de leite materno que foca no pescocinho depois de terem mamado infinito e terem ficado com aquela cara que estão em outro planeta. Sei que da para amar infinito sem ver aquele sorriso doce de alegria por ver um tete na sua frente. Mas tenho que admitir que viver com tudo isso torna a vida melhor e mais fácil.
É bom conseguir ver a vida por esse lado, digo por mim que sou mais feliz.
beijo
Thank you, Gisele for being a brestfeeding advocate! You have such an influence over many women and hopefully your public support will encourage many others to breastfeed their babies. I was so moved by what you said today and you have many, many new fans! Thank you from all the everyday moms who do everything they can to provide the best nutrition to their babies!
Hi Gisele-
Thanks for speaking out on this important issue. I had significant difficulties breastfeeding my son-and luckily found the support of a wonderful lactation consultant who helped us through. He is still nursing at 13 months. It wasn’t easy-but with support, guidance and commitment obstacles can be overcome. Giving your child the best nutrition possible from birth should be the goal of all mothers and pediatricians.
hang in there! A lot of modern mothers don’t breastfeed due to laziness and selfish reasons (not wanting to control diet, time, etc). It’s about time people brought this issue into the light to let people know this is not acceptable
Let me start by saying I’m not slamming you at all. Everyone has the right to their views. I must, however, respectfully ask because you’re quoted as saying:
” There should be a worldwide law, in my opinion, that mothers should breastfeed their babies for six months.” If the magazine misquoted you, they owe a retraction and apology.
If nyou did say those words, then I would like to point out a few things. Many woman don’t have the abilty to breast feed, try as they may. Others have post partum depression and take medcines that aren’t good for baby.
Also one must consider some women work to keep a roof over the family’s heads, so they can’t breast feed. Maybe they can’t afford breat pumps or get home every few hours to feed?
I know all too well that new mother’s relish their role, I can still remember holding my daughter for the first time, like it was yesterday and she is 12. I know you were speaking from the heart (and I know magazines have penchant for saying things that will sell) but perhaps a better message would be to legislate to allow mothers to stay home with thier kids for a full year with benefits.
I hope you don’t feel offended by my words, I’ve always admired you and think you’re a true natural beauty. Your little boy is just precious:-)
All the best,
Karen
Gisele-
Thank you for what you said about breastfeeding. So many babies are cheated out of this necessary nourishment oftentimes because our society (America in particular) is more into convenience. There are always exceptions that are understandable (i.e., medical reasons), but there is no excuse for so many babies being fed chemicals (and being denied antibodies, bonding with mom, etc.). If moms don’t want to breastfeed or don’t find it convenient, maybe they shouldn’t have had a baby to begin with.
THANK YOU for standing up to the status quo on this very important issue!!
Regards,
Stacy
I agree. One of the things I like about Giselle’s comments is they show other women how wrong they are. Face up to it ladies, you are not independent and individuals with human rights and all that other nonsense. You have a biological duty to have children and then make sure those children are correctly. Your tits are not your own and part of your bodies, they belong to the children who suck on them. Please stop being delusional women and more like the fantastic example of Gisele. Gisele is right.
ALL WOMAN MUST TRY TO BE MORE LIKE GISEELLLLE! MUST BRESAFSTFEED. MUST BE READY TO MAKE COMMENTS! GISELLE IS AN EXAMPEL TO ALL WOMAN!!!
hello /b/
HI GISELLE
I WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW I REALLY AGREE WITH WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY!!! YOU ARE RIGHT!!! GOD BLESS YOU GISELLLE FOR BEING AN EXAMPLEOF HOW WOMAN MUST BE!!!! HAIL GISELLLE!
Go Gisele!
I find this awesome! While the law notion is definitely overarching, from a nutritional point of view as well as general health perspective wise I fully agree. Can fertility, pregnancy, childbearing and yes, breastfeeding go a bit more back to being natural, please?
Gisele, não tenho dúvida quanto à tua intenção, pois a amamentação é realmante muito importante para a saúde da criança e também para fortalecer o vínculo entre o binômio mamãe-bebê. No entanto, não posso deixar de alertar sobre questões importantes no que se refere à impossibilidade de amamentar, como no caso das mães portadoras do HIV. Sou enfermeira e já trabalhei com gestantes e puérperas portadoras e não portadoras do vírus. Como profissional aprendi que nesta questão tudo é relativo. Sou plenamente a favor da amamentação exclusiva e acho importante que isso seja explicado para as mamães no pré-natal e no puerpério. Mas, também penso que faltam mais informações na mídia sobre a importância da não amamentação como nos casos das mães soropositivas, pois desta forma elas estão protegendo seus bebês, e demonstrando muito amor por eles. Posso te dizer com certeza, que para essas mães é muito difícil saber que o leite materno é o melhor e que elas não podem amamentar, pior ainda, muitas vezes elas passam pelo constrangimento de ter que justificar para outras pacientes na enfermaria da maternidade, com qualquer desculpa o motivo de não amamentarem, pois o HIV ainda é uma questão velada para muitas pessoas. Bom, resolvi te escrever porque sei que teu blog é acessado por muitas mulheres, espero que essa questão possa servir para as pessoas refletirem sobre isso. Sinto falta de mais divulgação sobre essa questão que é de saúde pública.
Um beijão querida e parabéns pelo teu sucesso!!!
Gisele,
I am a mother of a 6.5 month old baby girl. I have been breastfeeding my daughter since she was born. I only had 3 months of maternity leave but once I started working again, I pumped at work so my daughter can still drink breastmilk. We are starting to introduce formula to her recently–once/twice a day but the majority of her foods come from breastmilk. I think breastfeeding is the best feeling in the world. I love every minute I spend breastfeeding my baby. I feel the bond and the connection. I love my daughter very much and she is worth all the troubles I have to go through to produce these milk for her.
I don’t know how long I am going to have this milk supply for but I plan on breastfeeding my baby as long as I can.
Thank you for taking the time to make people aware of the importance of breastfeeding.
xoxo,
Lita
Sou fã de Gisele e tenho acompanhado sua trajetoria frequentemente, fico com muita inveja por ela ter recuperado a forma de seu corpo depois do parto de seu bebê, fico feliz por ela esta nos transmintindo a mensagem sobre amamentaçõa e sou suspeita a dizer pois eu tenho três filhos, um de 12 anos, um de 5 anos e minha caçulinha que ira completar 2 anos agora dia 27/08 e até hoje amamenta o leite materno, e fico muito feliz em poder estar curtindo tudo isto!
I completely agree about the importance of breast feeding babies. Unfortunatly I was not able to breast feed either of daughters, due to improper latching and frustration. I had some help from a couple lactation nurses and I gave up when things just didn’t seem to be going right and was causing more frustration than anthing for both of us. But I still wanted the best for my baby, so I used an electric breast pump and bottle fed both of my daughters. My first daughter I did this for 6 months and my second daughter was 5 months. It is alot of work and does cut into your already minimal sleep schedule, but I would do it again, because it is what I know and believe is best for my child.
I don’t understand why a mother would give her child infant formula in a plastic bottle! There is no way manufactured food could be as good as mothers milk. I wish this was not even an issue and mother everywhere saw the beauty in feeding their children with mothers’ milk. Thank you for speaking out for what you believe in.
i had premature twins and for medical reasons had to feed them formula. Not everyone uses formula because they just don’ feel like it.
I totally agree with Gisele!! My thoughts exactly. I have a 3* year old and I breast fed, for 2.5 years!! Yeah, seems odd, but here in Canada they recommend 2 years. IN S.America they do it for years beyond. Who is it to say when to quit!!
I completely agree with what you said about breast feeding. Unfortunately in the U.S. formula is pushed as the easy way out. So many women rely on it and if we just took the time to breast feed I think many women would see that it is much easier than mixing formula, sooo much better for the baby and for the mom. It is a natural thing to do and should be viewed as such. Congratulations on speaking your mind. The more we open up dialog about healthy and naturals ways to care for our babies the better.
Kay = )
I agree that breast is best. I was able to breastfeed all my childrens, My first for 10 months, and 2nd and 3rd children for 3 months each, unfortunately I needed chemotherapy after the 2nd and 3rd children. I was so sad that I was unable to provide breast milk for them, but it was better for them to have a Mother!
I have a couple of friends who have tried to bread feed but were not able to, saying the infant did not latch on or their milk did not come in. Breastfeeding is hard the first time and it can take practice and patience for both Mom and infant. KEEp trying, yes it can be painful at first, but it gets better…and take care of right away any ailments your breasts may develop (infection) – this is a mistake I notice a lot of Mom’s make. Read the books, check out the websites and consult your doctor. There are lots of tips and tricks to breastfeeding.
It WILL be worth it.
Kudos for you for breastfeeding your baby! Instead of over-reacting to what you said that some people took too literally, they should applaud you for not thinking it would ruin your super model body to breastfeed. On the contrary, not only is it the best for baby, it actually gets your body back in shape faster by helping your uterus back to normal size and burns tons of calories. I learned this by being a member of La Leche League many years ago. Don’t be afraid to breastfeed even for the first year, most kids have bottles way longer than that, Good Luck to you, the baby & Tom!
Moms need to know that there is a different in not being able to lactate and not being able to breastfeed!
Even if you cannot lactate you can still breastfeed and get all the attachments and bonding benefits of breastfeeding by nursing with the aid of a Lact-Aid and/or Supplemental Nursing System with donor breast milk or formula. See http://www.Lact-aid.com and http://www.medela.com for more information on these!
I have successfully helped MANY mothers that could not lactate to breastfeed using these nursing support aids!
It is about education, getting this information out there, and knowing that there are options and choices! Most don’t even know that these are valid options! Which to me is sad, and I work very hard to try to inform moms that they CAN breastfeed even if they are not able to lactate!
Peace and Blessings,
Leigh Anne
Thank YOU Gisele!
It’s time we talked about breastfeeding and how important it is. My daughter is 21months and my goal is to make it to at least 2yrs. My son quit after a year. If I had more support problems could have been avoided and we could have gone longer. Even LeLecheLeague needs support. Talk and EDUCATE! Thank You!
She is right.
I am glad my mother breastfed me during the first months of my life on this earth. Many women are so worried about their bodies (figures) and they forget that the most important thing in life is health.
Now, if you have a health condition that does not allow for breastfeeding, well, that’s different…But don’t put Gisele down for expressing her opinion.
You GO Gisele !!!! Enjoy your MOTHERHOOD !!!
Gisele,
Good for you for speaking out about the importance of breastfeeding! I totally agree, and think the best thing for babies is breast milk. Why give your child chemicals when a mother produces what’s best! Of course there are circumstances when a mother cannot breastfeed, but most can! Thank you for speaking out on the subject.
I totally agree with u that everyone should be made to breastfeed, its great for the child , i did til 9 months. I support you girl, please be a great role model for woman as well to be decent in this crazy world we live in, thanks
Hello Gisele,
I did not see the article but I saw your response. Your passion for breastfeeding should be applauded! We need more women like you who are in the spotlight to talk about the importance of breastfeeding. You can help make breastfeeding cool. It is the best source of nutrition for the first 6 months of life and it is amazing that our bodies are designed to provide this superior milk for our babies. It would be nice if we could help more women understand how important breastfeeding really is. You are super… don’t let the negative people get you down.
Congratulations on your new son.
Thank you so very much for taking to the media what has been put aside by formula companies for decades. Breastmilk is what was intended for our babies. Having chemicals created to poison our babies should be outlawed!!!!! No one wants to do a study linking child cancers, allergies, attention problems, autism, etc to the use of formula.
My first son was breastfed exclusive ’til 6 months, I pumped and continued the closeness until he was 2 years. I am still permitting my second son to have that close bond at nap time or when he just needs to reconnect, he just turned 2.
I do not judge, but I sure wish Mom’s would read those formula labels, if you do not know what those chemicals are, why feed them to your kids?! And breastmilk is FREE!!!!!
All the best for you and your family.
Before I became a mom 16 months ago I was not an advocate of breastfeeding. I didn’t oppose it, I just wasn’t a fan of the whole concept for selfish reasons. After the birth of my son I elected to nurse him until he was 13 months old (when he started biting me). I didn’t make this commitment at the onset – it was month to month until I felt it was no longer necessary to nurse him. For some women it is not physically possible to breastfeed their babies, and I get that, but for most women breastfeeding IS an option. While I don’t necessarily promote breastfeeding for 13 months (it was a huge commitment on my part), I feel sadness for the babies whose moms decline the opportunity to nourish their children the way nature intended. Aside from the health benefits for the babies, there is a tremendous bonding opportunity to enjoy as well. I know Gisele is not seriously advocating implementation of a world wide law, and I wish people could put her enthusiasm into perspective, but I do agree with her sentiment that every woman who can should nurse their children.
thats why god gave us breast not to fill out a bathing suit i have the healthest sons no allergies please everyone at least try breat feeding
Thrilled her comments made people stop and think about something as important as breastfeeding. I just wish the self-righteous population of “don’t-judge-me” would stop and think about what formula does to the health of their precious babies.
She is just expressing a feeling that she has for her children. Luckily we are free to decide which way we want to go with our children. Back in old times they didn’t have formula and breast fed or used milk maids. I have breast fed all 3 children. At times it was uncomfortable, but it takes patience and time. Breast feeding has always been a hot debate and some women are just to selfish to even attempt to breast feed. We all do what we can for our babies and no one looks down on you when you do or don’t breast feed. Well I guess some do, but shame on them its a decison..Just like smoking or drinking when you are pregnant and so many women do!
We know you mean well and you love your child:)
Olá Gisele,
Assim como você, também estou vivendo os encantos e as emoções de ser mae e de amamentar.
Amamentar e um gesto de amor e uma experiência maravilhosa.
Sinto-me orgulhosa por ser brasileira e ter você como “porta-voz” dessa nobre causa.
Parabéns!!
Fernanda
Gisele,
Thank you for supporting breastfeeding. More women should educate themselves on how important it is to breastfeed and realise that it takes effort to breastfeed. Breastfeeding like any thing else is a learned activity. Many women are not given all the facts or help they need to sucessfully breastfeed. Time, effort and patience is required when breastfeeding especially when working outside the home. I speak from personally experience and support a woman’s right to choose what works for her and her baby but more needs to be done to support women and breastfeeding.
Deveria sim haver uma lei, entendo a necessidade de vc pedir desculpas. porém se alguém vem em público se desculpar por falar palavras preconceituosas, abobrinhas, etc. essas sim merecem se desculpar. Não vc por expor um dos bens mais essenciais ao ser humano, a amamentação no PEITO, além de toda a riqueza desse ato está claro todo afeto, segurança, altruísmo, coisas essas transferidas simplismente pelo ato de amamentar.
parabéns pelas suas palavras.
Giselle, I had my son 11 years ago & breastfed him for 2 years… but like you as a new Mom I discovered all the good our bodies are prepared to give our kids… Like you, I went on sort of a “crusade” and spoke to all soon to be Mom’s about the benefits of breastfeeding… The feedback varied but like you I didn’t judge… I only hoped my recommendation served good to their kids…
In my research, I remembered the 80’s being a big Bottle-Feed phase, Mom’s were also Career Women & bottles served good to the kids while Mom’s were away working..It became chic… or as you may be aware the Bottle Companies marketed it that way. Now we live in an era were we are environmentally aware & things have changed.
Please do not be discouraged by negative feedback… Most of the replies for your blog its positive… The Mom’s who breastfed understand your comment and know it’s not black & white or a law issue…
Keep up the good work!
Breastfeeding is downright essential. The manufactured stuff is more harmful than good for the baby.
Que bom que ela si explico…eu como mae entendo o ponto de vista…essa coisa de lei.. pra quem nao sabe.. tem mae q nao tem leite.. como vc obriga uma mae q o leite dela nao desceu a amamentar::: e essas que trabalham…tem gente que nao tem dinheiro esbanjando…que depois que acabo os tres meses de licenca nao tem baba pra ficar levando a crianca no servico pra mama…e algo a ser pensado neh Gisele, infelizmente ou FELIZMENTE voce e uma pessoa publica….ai qql comentario si transforma…toma rumos nao intencionados…
The interviewer from Harper’s Bazaar has left a statement:
“My Interview With Gisele Bundchen: Is it really Breast-feeding causing all this hysteria?”
A furor has broken out over an interview I wrote for British Harper’s Bazaar about Gisele Bundchen. It’s really a gloriously celebratory piece about her post-partum body, her unparalleled modelling career and her infectious joie de vivre. But yes, she also made some comments about the importance of breastfeeding. Gisele has always been extremely passionate about a variety of issues – environmental preservation, mental and physical health and motherhood. And now it seems we can add breastfeeding to that list.
The bit that outraged the mummy brigade was where she said it should be “a law” for mothers to breastfeed for at least six months. “How dare someone so beautiful and rich make us feel bad about ourselves?”, they shrieked.
I can understand why. Gisele has bounced back to her pre-motherhood weight, but that surely is just a freak of genetics. She finds breastfeeding to be easy. But we all know mothers who don’t, despite their best efforts, and thus have to rely on formula. In America, where maternity leave lasts all of five minutes and employers think they are being incredibly kind to provide office “lactation rooms”, six months is an impossible length of time. Which is exactly what Gisele is trying to highlight. Gisele knows only too well that not every mother can enjoy the freedoms she does. And she is not a politician. So hold on a sec: the Gisele Breastfeeding Rule is not waiting to be signed into law. She is just a passionate new mother with an opinion?
I found her to be warm, maternal, energetic, nurturing and passionate – quite the opposite to the steely glamour queen we see swaggering down the runway and gracing the world’s press today.
The resulting outcry shows just how passionately women feel about the issues Gisele has raised. So let’s celebrate the fact that she’s made us talk about the pros and cons of breastfeeding, and not hang the supermodel out to dry.
”
Thank you for sharing your experiences. I am a true believer in breastfeeding and think it’s important for woman to share their experiences with each other for support. More women would stick with it if they had support.
I support Gisele’s comment in that our culture should be more supportive of breastfeeding. I am almost a year into nursing my infant daughter and it was harder to learn to nurse in public than getting my baby to latch! I am a busy, working mom and have chosen to rearrange my life to be able to nurse. Giving my baby the best start in life and health is very important to me.
The backlash that Gisele’s comments have garnered have also exposed the lack of support for breastfeeding in a group that should be the most supportive…modern moms! With the exception of mothers or babes that were unable to nurse, all mothers should be encouraged to nurse and be supported by all.
P.S. It’s called hyperbole.
It is important to breastfeeding unfortunately every woman can not…..take me for example. At the age of 16 I had a breast reduction because I was a size 38DD from the age of 12. My reduction was major and my ducts were cut and they never reattached themselves therefore I was unable to breast freed. I just had my first child at the age of 39 and I feel inadequate when other mother’s look down on me for not breastfeeding.
I wish there was additional information out there about alternatives when a woman is unable to breastfeed besides Soy products I felt helpless because all of my friend breastfeed and not every one was supportive to my choice of formula for my son.
I don’t get why women get so offended and outraged when someone speaks the truth “breastfeeding is the best!!!”. Its natural, isn’t it so amazing and beautiful that your body can supply food for your vulnerable infant, and that you are passing in that milk the gift of life? Breastfeeding in my opinion is the most special opportunity to unite harmoniously with your small infant. If we weren’t suppose to breast feed pregnant women would produce milk, and since we do its our privilege, and our children’s right. I do understand some one might not be able to breastfeed, but if you can why wouldn’t you? Why would you deny your child such a precious right?
Gisele,
I agree that breastfeeding is absolutely the best start for babies, and I truly appreciate your comments in Harper’s Bazaar UK. It is quite disturbing to me that some many women don’t even try breastfeeding and so many more give up just because it can be tough at the beginning. Yes, a very few number of women aren’t medically able to breastfeed, but most of the time the reason for it not working is because they give up too quickly.
I feel the dedication to breastfeeding is a responsibility as a mother. It does take a significant commitment, but I work full-time outside of the home and maintain an active social life, and breastfeeding has been an important (and cherished) element of my life! It’s so selfish for a woman to not give their child the benefits of breast milk!
Thanks for helping to bring awareness to this issue!
Hello, Gisele:
Just a quick note of support to let you know that the thoughts you expressed were not wrong and that others feel as you do, despite what an over vocal minority would make it seem. Enjoy your beautiful son, family, and life! Kind regards.
Gisele, as a mother, I applaud you for your message to the world. The biological and emotional benefits of breastfeeding a baby are overwhelmingly postiive. I don’t think you need to apologize for your statement. xoxoxo
breastfeeding is so important and so beautiful and so much cheaper than formula and so nutritious. it should just be common sense for every women to do it . thanks for speaking out for something so important. i am a mom of four, and i breastfeed them all
Hello Gisele,
Having breastfed all 3 of my children and now to see my children do the same for my grandchildren is truly a gift. Au Naturel is the way to go and the benefits are tremendous….Keep up your good work you have alot of support of mothers and grandmothers here…Celia
At first I was concerned about what was obviously misinterpreted by the media. I thought your comment was so beautifully put when you said “single most important thing a person can undertake and it can also be the most challenging. I think as mothers we are all just trying our best. That really moved me.
I was not able to breastfeed. When I tell people this, no one believes me. I’ve been flat chested my entire life. During both my pregnancies, my breasts did not change at all. After delivery, I rented the hospital grade pumps, pumped religously, took herbs, and followed the lactation nurses instructions – with absolutley no milk production. I’m one of the few that apparently don’t have functioning milk ducts. I was absolutely devistated with my first child. With my second, I was dissapointed – but knew what to expect. In light of my lack to produce my own milk, I chose to give both of my babies Similac Organic. I felt that this was the best choice, given my situation. I continue to give my babies organic foods and snacks as much as possible. I feel that nutrition, as well as healthy living is so incredibly important – along with good parenting, education, love and support.
I found your opinion incredibly refreshing and uplifting. Best wishes to you and your family.
its her opinion & its her belief breastfeeding is very health for the baby
It is not just her opinion or her belief that breastfeeding is very healthy and the best source of food for newborn babies, it is a proven fact. Many official studies prove this. No factory or formula can reproduce the beneficial elements that are found in breastmilk. Society can label it or try to deminish it but it is not about opinion it is a real human fact. It is true that not every woman has the opportunity to breastfeed or may feel that it is not the right choice for her, but that doesn’t change the fact that breastmilk is designed for newborns and is the best food source for a babies during the first 6 months of life. I applaud Gisele’s passion!
Mando uma sugestão de sites indicados para mães, amamentação, parto domiciliar e equipe especializada… enfim; tudo sobre maternidade! GAMA – grupo da maternidade ativa: para troca de experiências de gestantes, puérperas, aspirantes, mães, pais e profissionais da saúde, partocomprazer.com.br, parto do princípio, projeto acalanto dentre outros que estão “linkados” para abrir as cabecinhas mais quadradinhas ..rsrsrs
Só temos de agradecer a você por tentar passar a mensagem certa e não a mais conveniente para deixar um sorriso na opinião pública! Também tive minhas filhas em casa, também as tive na água, pedi demissão para podê-las amamentá-las durante 6 meses e por isso sou chamada de maluca por quem me rodeia… me sinto triste por terem tão poucas pessoas aqui no Brasil que compartilham da mesma opinião que a minha… De certa maneira você foi minha voz aos que me julgaram na época…
)
The fact is that less than 1% of the population can NOT breastfeed. That is a fact. And until the doctors and media start telling the truth about the dangers of not breastfeeding and the facts and solutions to real problems as to why women have problems nursing (and help us instead of just being lazy and saying we can’t nurse-humans would have died out yrs ago if these many women could not have breastfed OK- then as mothers of children we did not breastfeed because of poor information from Drs. and the children we did nurse when we knew better-these bold statements need to be made -and we as mothers need to learn the truth to make an informed decision about the health of our children. Not just trust the DR because they have a degree-the best advice I ever got as a parent was from a DR-he told me he did not know everything and that I was in fact the best person to identify what is wrong with my child because
I am her mother and no one not even he knows better than me-and don’t let anyone not even a DR take that away from me.
There are more poisonous things in formula then we will ever know and as a parent you will not see or know the effects of the damage until your child is older and then it’s to late. And yes I know this from personal experience and I wish I would have listened to my instincts and others around me -not just assumed the formula I gave her was safe because it wasn’t -
And the fact is that any women who did not breastfeed based on her story as with mine it does not matter-no one is blaming you I am not I did it to. What my hope is that we put our own petty guilt aside and do what we need to to stop this crime against our babies. Demand a safe supplement if that is what we so choose-one that does not rape the planet and poison our babies -nothing will ever come close because human milk is alive(yes it is research it-well all milk from the source is-milk is species specific) but these horrible companies can stop using the bottom of the barrel ingredients and at the very least stop poisoning with salmonella and ecol-i and for GODS sake tell us when you recall a formula so we can stop feeding it to our babies! don’t just pull it off the shelves and only notify the store! WE HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW WHAT WE ARE PUTTING INTO OUR CHILDREN!
Can you define what is meant by “can’t breastfeed”? It seems that when you start to look at all the reasons why breastfeeding is difficult to impossible, there is no line between “can with a lot of effort” and “can’t”, so how is it possible to say that “1% of women can’t breastfeed”?
Gisele, parabéns por sua posição quanto ao aleitamento materno.
Tenho 4 filhos, e amamentei a todos. Raramente pegam um resfriado e até hj nunca tiveram uma doença mais grave. Quando nos tornamos mães, um amor incondicional pelos nossos filhos supre qualquer outro problema mais grave.
Quando ponho o bebê de 2 anos para dormir, e ele afaga meu rosto tenho certeza q ele percebe todo o meu amor. Quando minha cama está cheia, com os quatro sinto-me completamente realizada.
Bjs e parabéns pela musa q vc é.
Adriana
Hi Gisele,
I respect and appreciate your opinions on breastfeeding. My daughter was born in February and I desperately wanted to breastfeed her. I too hate the idea of putting chemicals in her body. Unfortunately I struggled from day one as she has trouble latching. I perservered and despite horribly painful cuts, I was eventually able to make it work with a mixture of breastfeeding and pumping. Still a month later, I was still feeding her despite all the pain I was feeling and developed a very severe bout of mastitis. I was hospitalized for five days, and was put on several different antibiotics and my fever continued to rise. Finally one of them worked and I was able to avoid surgery in the hospital. I continued to pump when I left the hospital but because the infection was so severe, one of my milk ducts ruptured. I went to a surgeon’s office to get it drained weekly but eventually my only choice was somewhat extensive breast surgery or letting my milk dry up.
I was devastated that I failed to breastfeed my daughter despite my best efforts and that the choice came down to breastfeeding or major surgery. I wish my experiences had been as positive as yours but I only write this long-winded comment to make sure you and others understand that breastfeeding for some women is not just difficult but frankly dangerous. I will do my best to breastfeed my future children should I be lucky enough to have them.
Olá Gisele,
parabéns pela mãe dedicada que vc é. Sou mãe recente e também amo esta experiência. Meu filho (Heitor) tem 2 anos e 4 meses e amamento até hoje. Amamos ficar olhando um para outro na hora da amamentação. Muita gente acha que sou louca por amamenta-lo. Tô nem aí. Amo o que faço, amo o Heitor, amo ser mãe.
Beijos!
Great work mama….breastfeeding is important and should be valued more in American society. Formula has a purpose in cases where mama and baby need it, but to have a MANUFACTURED product be the majority soure of nutrition for infants is unacceptable. Why do you think there are so many health goals targeted to raising breastfeeding rates in America?
Sometimes it’s hard to swallow the truth-but breast is better. No arguement. Own the choice, if one HAS to use formula due to medical reasons you won’t feel guilt because you’ve done everything possible to maintain breast milk and nursing and are doing the medically right thing.
YES THIS COUNTRY IS BEHIND THIRD WORLD COUNTIES , WHEN IT COMES TO INFANT HELATH , WE ARE LIKE WAY BEHIND SO MANY THRID WORLD ONES !!! ITS VERY GOOD THAT SHE HAS BROUGHT THIS TO THIS COUNRTIES ATTEN. PEOPLE WHO DO NOT LIKE HER ARE SIMPLY JEALOUS OF HER SUCCESS AND MONEY ,VERY OBVIOUS !!
Com certeza é muito bom ter a possibilidade de amamentar seu filho ao menos até o 6 mes.
Hoje meu bebe esta entrando no 3 mes e devido meu retorno ao trabalho no proximo mes o pediatra já solicitou que eu oferecesse outro tipo de leite ao meu filho.
Ele tentou o leite Nan e descobrir que ele tem alergia a Lactose e tentei também o de soja ele não reagiu bem ao leite. Se ao menos eu tivesse a possibilidade de amamentá-lo até o sexto mês ele estaria mais maduro para receber outro alimentos. Me parte o coração saber que meu pequeno saira do peito com 4 meses. Acho uma delicia amamentar e ver a carinha dele de satisfeito e feliz apos a mamada.
Gisele
Oi Gisele,
As repercussões na imprensa parecem aquela brincadeira: telefone sem fio. A pessoa fala uma coisa e as demais vão repassando de forma diferente. Quando chega no final da fila a idéia transmitida acaba sendo bem diferente do que a idéia inicial.
Também sou mãe e embora não tenha voltado a forma como você, tive a sorte de poder amamentar por mais de 6 meses. Talvez devesse sim, existir uma lei, que permitisse as mães que tivessem leite pudessem amamentar seus filhos. O que ocorre com a maioria das mães é que elas precisam voltar ao trabalho antes dos 4 meses de idade dos seus filhos e acabam parando de amamentar no mesmo período devido a esta dificuldade. Talvez a licença maternidade devesse ser estendida. Não seria uma boa idéia que as mães pudessem trabalhar apenas um turno até que a criança tivesse um ano? Assim, não ficariam longe do trabalho e nem longe do filho neste período tão importante.
Embora não tenha as mesmas convicções que tu e não tivesse a coragem de fazer um parto em casa, admiro o fato de você, sendo uma pessoa com condições de ter babás, participe tanto da vida do seu filho. Quisera eu poder participar mais da vida do meu. Como você mesma disse, todas as mães buscam o melhor para os seus filhos. Eu busco o melhor que é possível pra mim e cada um tem uma realidade diferente.
Não se deixe abater pelos comentários raivosos que se vê pela internet. Eles não são contra você, são contra a versão distorcida de algo que você pode ter falado. Muita luz para sua família.
Achei este link que as mães em fase de amamentação ou que estão prestes a ter esta sorte podem achar interessante:
http://delas.ig.com.br/filhos/10+motivos+para+amamentar+seu+bebe/n1237738151752.html
Gisele,
I totally agree and support your oppinion on breastfeeding.
I breastfed my daughter (now almost 2 years old) and I’m currently breastfeeding my son that was born 3 weeks ago.
I’m breastfeeding exclusively and intend to do so for 6 months after introducing solids and then keep doing that until he’s 1 year old.
With my daughter we introduced solids and 1 bottle of formula per day after she was 4 months old (before that I was only breastfeeding) because my Mom is a bid advocate of giving formula togeter with breastfeeding because she thinks we don’t have time for anything else when we breastfeed around the clock like I’m doing now.
But what happened was that with my daughter, when she was 6 months old my milk supply was decreasing and she started waking up at night to eat because my milk before bedtime wasn’t enough anymore and I had to give one bottle of formula after breastfeeding. By the time she was 7 or 9 months old I almost didn’t have any more milk, only a little in one breast so I don’t want the same to happen with my son now so I’ll only breastfeed for 6 months and pump when I have to be away from him so my Mom can feed him with my milk.
Breastfeeding is the best gift a mother can give to her baby and it is very nurturing and creates an incredible bond between the two.
I understand that some women have to go back to work quick and I’m fortunate to work out of my house so I can breastfeed my baby so I can’t judge women that have to go to work because I hate pumping, it is time consuming and I don’t like the feeling.
But I understand your comment and I totally agree if the mother is fortunate enough to have an understanding husband like we have and if she is able to stay home with her baby.
My daughter only got sick with a common cold 2 times and she recovered very quick and I think it could be because I breastfed her so why not give this wonderful gift to your baby if we have the chance?
Good luck and God bless you and your family!
Parabéns pela forma linda que você deu a luz ao seu filho e obrigada por compartilhar conosco suas experiências e dúvidas. É sempre bom saber que não passamos por isso sozinhas. Obrigada
I know you’re getting a lot of flack for your statement, but I thought it was a beautiful and bold statement in support of breastfeeding. And, yes, that is the sort of thing Moms can say to each other!
Totally agree with this.
Gisele, estamos na Semana Mundial do Aleitamento Materno e desde 2008 apoio essa causa com exposições de fotos. Esse ano fotografei mães doadoras do Banco de Leite de São José do Rio Preto, interior de São Paulo, onde moro. É um trabalho voluntário, porque, como você, estou consciente da importância para a saúde e equilíbrio emocional da mãe e bebê.
Foi sincronicidade ou você sabia da Semana?
Em entrevista à Tv Band local, eu disse que quando você soubesse da campanha, com certeza aceitaria ser nossa madrinha!
Há 12 anos Rio Preto tem sua Semana, junto com a Mundial, e o Banco de Leite tem quase 2 anos de existência, possibilitando que as mães continuem oferecendo exclusivamente seu leite quando voltam a trabalhar. Esse leite também é doado para bebês cujas mães não puderam amamentar.
Enfim, o movimento em Rio Preto está sólido e crescendo!
Há também profissionais (pediatras, enfermeiras e psicólogas, entre outras) que trabalham com gestantes, esclarecendo a importância do parto normal, amamentação e do apoio que maridos, mães, sogras e/ou amigas, podem dar nessas fases da vida (gestação/amamentação).
Eu tive tudo isso quando engravidei do meu filho mais velho, hoje com 19 anos e QUERO MUITO passar para o maior número de pessoas que eu puder.
Espero que você leia e possa nos ajudar!
Parabéns, por tudo que você é e representa!!!!!!!!!!!
Muita harmonia e saúde para você e toda sua família!
Obrigada pela sua atenção.
Gisele Spiewak – Fotógrafa
What I really can’t understand is why this was even blown out of proportion in the first place? I bet not even half of the women really read the real interview yet. Because I did, and let me tell you, the gossip sites who started it all took it way out of context and did a 360 on all of her words. (so yes I guess I can see why there was a backlash) because many gossip site lurkers, read it and got appalled without even really reading the real deal. there was no weight talk,etc…Its absurd how some websites made it out to be worse than it really was! (but I guess that is expected from gossip sites, they are rarely accuarate and LOVE to stretch the truth, along with an ever so eye-catching headline, lol) I guess I am not offended on the “law” part because I am not a literal person, who takes everything literally. I say “figures of speech” constantly in my everyday life, and wow I hope to God not everyone thinks Im serious. LOL. Like after a long intense workout, I look over at my friend and tell her “i think im dying” well I hope she won’t go call my mom and dad, my boyfriend and the ambulances next time!!!!!
seriously speaking though, I have watched Gisele plenty of times in interviews and she is always cracking jokes,uses sarcasm,etc…she is never too literal and serious. Maybe she should be though. no forget that, dont change for no one!
Giselle,
Gisele –
I understand that you see the world through the lense of your experience and for you it seems crazy that any mother would use formula to feed her child. For me – that is the only choice. Before I had my 1st child, I went to breast feeding class, I bought a pump, I bought nursing tanks, I got access to the nursing room at work so I could continue to breastfeed after I returned to work. I did everything I could to be prepared to breastfeed and I was looking forward to that experience. After my son was born, I started nursing him in the 1st 30 minutes and continued to nurse him every 2 – 3 hours. He was born almost 4 weeks early and was only 5 lbs and 11 ounces and I was heartbroken when his weight dipped under 5 lbs and the Dr. said we had to start giving him formula. But, I continued to nurse him…..because I was certain that we could get his weight up and I would be able to nurse exclusively. So, each feeding I nursed him for at least 20 minutes on each side, bottle fed him and then pumped for 15 minutes to stimulate my breasts to make more milk. This process took almost 2 hours and by the end of the process he was usually ready to eat again. I did this for 7 weeks and never made more than 4 ounces of milk in one day (combination of what my son transfered when nursing and what I was able to pump). I took fenugreek, drank special tea to increase my milk and made sure I was drinking and eating the right calories and volume for milk production. Still…..just 4 ounces was all I could make. At the end of 7 weeks I was the walking dead and my lactation consultant told me that I needed to stop nursing and pumping because my milk volume would never exceed 4 ounces per day and I was not enjoying/bonding with my son. It was a horrible day when I realized that I would not have that experience of providing for my son in that way. What I came to learn is that I physically can not make much milk because I do not have enough milk glands in my breasts. Nothing I could do as a mother would change that. After I gave up the fight, I finally was able to go out and about and on one of my first outings a breatsfeeding mom saw me make a formula bottle and came over to me to “shame” me for not breastfeeding my child. Can you imagine how that hurt me. I tried everything! I wanted to have that experience for him and for myself. I could not. I was stunned when that mother told me that I should be ashamed that I was getting ready to feed formula to my son. She started to keep berating me , but I cut in to let her know that I was unable to produce breastmilk and would gladly feed my son her milk if she wanted to pump and donate it to me. I put on a strong face, but was shattered by her comments and how she approched me with such judgement.
There is so much out there to encourage women to breastfeed, but no acknowledgement that some moms will not be able to breastfeed no matter what they do. I am on my second child now and have been able to make eight ounces of milk a day (about 1 ounce every time my son eats). While that is still not near what my child needs, I am thrilled to be able to make it and I am trying to enjoy the experience of nursing even though I have to follow it up with a formula bottle.
Oi Gisele, concordo com vc em varios pontos, principalmente qdo vc diz que quando nos tornamos maes nos questionamos o tempo todo sobre o melhor pros nossos filhos.
Porem temos que tomar cuidado com as palavras, pq existem muitas maes que sonham ou sonharam em amamentar seus bebes e nao podem ou puderam por ‘n” razoes.
No meu caso, descobriram em mim aos 8 meses de gravidez um cancer incuravel, e quinze dias depois ja estava fazendo quimio e lutando pela minha vida entao imagina se nao existisse leite arificial.
Amamentar é lindo, era meu sonho tb, mas qdo nao é possivel, é melhor mamadeirar com amor e sem culpa, pq mae feliz é que faz um bebe saudavel e feliz.
Parabens pelo seu menino, é lindo!
Saude pra vocês sempre.
Olá!
Eu concordo contigo Gisele. Ainda não sou mãe, mas acho de fundamental importância a amamentação. Sou altamente contra a situações do tipo. Encurtar o período de amamentação ou tampouco o não contato da criança com o colo da mãe! Não se trata somente de a alimentação em si, mas do conforto, carinho, atenção, cuidado, amor que é transmitido com esse gesto! A criança precisa disso, faz paerte da formação. Admiro sua postura e a sua gratidão por ser mãe. Isto é dádiva de Deus! Existem muitas que não tem esta possibilidade. Eu agradeço todos os dias por ter sinais mensalmente da minha fertilidade. Fica com Deus Gisele! Um beijo gostoso em seu BB.
MÃE QUE É MÃE DÁ O PEITO PRO FILHO!
Não há profissão nem dinheiro no mundo que pague esse ato de puro amor e respeito pela criança. O Leite que jorra do peito vem de Deus!
Essas americanas “de plástico” não conhecem o amor, não conhecem Deus, não são humanos. São robôs programados para se auto-destruirem…
Parabéns Gisele! É isso aí… Mãezona!!!
Um beijo.
*******************************************************************************
MOTHER MOTHER WHAT GIVES SON PRO CHEST!
There is no profession, no money in the world that pays this act of pure love and respect for the child. The breast milk flowing from God!
These American “plastic” does not know love, know no God, not humans. Robots are programmed to self-destruct …
Gisele Congratulations! Yeah … Big mamma!
A kiss.
Já era fã de Gisele, mas agora, acompanhando sua tragetória como mãe, virei super mega fã.
Essa questão da amamentação só faz aumentar minha admiração pela modelo/mãe/mulher.
Recebi um email q fala de uma entrevista dada pela modelo onde ela comenta sobre trabalho de parto e fala que trabalho de parto não é fácil não, senão seria férias.
Alguém sabe onde encontro essa entrevista?
bjs
Oi Gisele!
Cara, minha irmã teve a Duda em casa e até o sexto mês a Duda só teve leite materno. Hoje com 2 anos a Duda é uma criança saudavel, linda e muito ativa. Minha mãe trabalha com amamentação e parto participativo. Te dou uma dica, quando estiver em Porto Alegre visita o Banco de Leite Humano do Hospital Fêmina. É lindo o trabalho que eles fazem lá. Creio que mães e tias (no meu caso) sempre querem o melhor para nossas crianças. Muito obrigada por expor suas ideias que alem de quebrar certos tabús elas mostram o amor de mãe mais puro que não só remedia na hora que precisa mas previne qualquer problema dando afeto e protegendo com o alimento mais natural possivel.
Beijos
Bruna Gabrielle Guterres dos Santos
Querida Gisele, te admiro como mãe e penso exatamente com tu pensas. Sou uma mãe apaixonada e faço de tudo pelos meus “pitocos”.
Só acho que existe um fato muito importante a ser colocado: nem todas as mães conseguem amamentar seus filhos exclusivamente. Meus filhos nasceram prematuros (um casal de gêmeos) e precisaram se alimentar de sonda e depois mamadeira na UTI Neonatal, claro que eu ficava o dia todo lá e depois comecei a amamentá-los, quando puderam.
Quando conseguimos todos ir para casa, a amamentação não pôde ser exclusiva pois meu leite não era suficiente para os dois,… embora tenha conseguido amamentá-los até os 7 meses. Minha sorte foi que, por inssistência, eles não deixaram de pegar o seio, pois já estavam usando mamadeira na UTI por mais de 20 dias…
Falo isso, pois muitas mãe acabam não tendo leite suficiente para amamentar exclusivamente, e eu, sei por mim, pois fiz de tudo para pelo menos mantê-los amamentando o quanto foi possível, pois sei da importância da amamentação, em todos os sentidos.
Um beijo e parabéns pela linda conduta enquanto mãe!
I totally agree that breastfeeding is SO important. I was very opinionated about this BEFORE my children were born.
I gave birth in February ‘10 to big, healthy, almost full-term twins. They didn’t have to go to the NICU and everything about them seemed so perfect, the doctors had to continue to remind us that they were ‘preemies’. This was especially evident when my son wouldn’t latch or take to breastfeeding in general. My daughter was a little better but preemies are usually not good nursers since they aren’t as mature and not nearly as willing to work for their food. It was one thing to try to breastfeed, pump every 3-4 hours, bottle-feed every 2-3 hours (babies weren’t on same schedule for MONTHS) and recover from major surgery while in the hospital but it was another thing to try to do it when I got home and was ALONE (not to mention the unexpected postpartum depression that I also SUFFERED.)
One thing led to another and despite the breastfeeding class I took before the babies were born, the strong conviction and determination, the constant pumping and efforts to get both babies to breast, after a month I had to give up. I pumped 8 times a day and most times wouldn’t get more than an ounce. I saved every drop for them and tried as hard as I could but I just wasn’t producing milk.
It took me months to be able to talk about it. I was truly devestated. Life is so different now, the twins are almost 6 months old and I have this down to a science. I love every minute I spend with them! I just wanted to ‘put it out there’…breastfeeding is so beneficial but NOT EVERYONE CAN DO IT. It’s great if you can try but it is a hugely personal issue.
Hello Everyone,
When my children were young, I did not breastfeed. It wasn’t popular or supported at all. The nutritional facts were not publicly available (no internet) and it was considered a radical way and unnecessary way to feed your baby.
Thirty years later times have really changed and we now know the endless benefits of breastfeeding. The facts are undeniable that mother’s milk gives her baby everything it needs to survive and is full of immune boosting antibodies proven to provide the optimal nutrition for babies. Those a the facts.
Gisele, I hope what comes out of this controversy is this:
1. Women who are sick and simply unable to breastfeed should not be judged or condemmed.
2. The nutritional facts and benefits will be discussed and women will be educated. Formula is not a real substitute for mother’s milk. It doesn’t even compare.
3. Most importantly, I hope women take a long hard look at themselves. Let’s be honest. Breastfeeding is a sacrifice a mother makes for the sake of her child in order to give them the best food possible for their babies little bodies – physically and emotionally.
We live in a very selfish world. Breastfeeding is inconvenient. Women are more concerned about their own “personal freedom” and “personal choice”, and “their free time” and are overlooking the nutritional benefits and letting their pride and personal freedom dictate the needs of their baby. They don’t want to feel guilty.
Guilt is not a bad thing. It’s designed to help us stop and think hard about the decisions we make. It’s a natural instinct and guides us to do what’s right. What about those babies? What about what’s best for them? Many women want to be able to be free to drink, get their bodies back in shape, and satisfy all their own needs. It’s all about them. Aren’t they are putting their own needs before the needs of their babies? Who’s going to speak for them?
If I could change one thing in my life it would be to go back in time make that sacrifice for my children. I can’t and I regret it every day.
Debora, it is not a sacrifice, is a gift for both!
This is a powerful statement from a mom who didn’t breastfeed. Love it that you can look back objectively, and not beat yourself up for something that wasn’t really your fault, but society’s. I bet this kind of attitude made you an awesome mom!
I would like to make a small comment and say that breastfeeding is not a sacrifice, it may require effort, and yes it may keep you close to your baby (a delight!), but it is a rewarding, amazing, empowering, pleasurable experience.
MY kids (5) were all breastfed for at least their first year ( and yes, I worked part time)..they are now in their late 20’s, early 30’s…NO there was no internet, but YES there was PLENTY of information on the huge benefits of breastfeeding…even “back then”. All of my friends breastfed then, as all of my grandchildren are all breastfed now.
Breastfeeding is NOT inconvenient…it couldn’t be any MORE convenient. I have a sister who nursed for 3 months and stopped when she returned to work. She was SORRY because bottle-feeding was such a PAIN! You need to BUY IT, MIX IT, CLEAN THE NIPPLES & BOTTLES, MAKE SURE IT STAYS CLEAN & COLD WHEN YOU GO OUT AND THEN YOU HAVE TO HAVE A WAY TO WARM IT UP TO GIVE TO THE BABY AND GUESS IF IT IS “STILL GOOD” IF YOU ARE OUT TOO LONG ON A HOT DAY! I just nursed my kid 12 times while you did all that crap. My milk was always sterile, the correct temperature, ready to go and it’s was FREE!!! And it wasn’t full of garbage….
Studies PROVE that breastfed babies are sick far less than bottle fed, babies, nursing helps protect your baby against type 1& 2 diabetes, asthma, obesity, respiratory infections, childhood leukemia, dermatitis and SIDS! Breastfed babies have greater brain growth and eye development. Breastfeeding is good for the mother also, helping to protect her against breast cancer, type 2 diabetes, ovarian cancer and postpartum depression. …and don’t even get me started about the hormone prolactin that mom produces when she nurses her baby..they call it “The feel good” hormone. Sorry to “out” the mothers who bottle fed BY CHOICE, but formula is NO WAY even close to being the best you can do for your precious new baby. T
That is an amazing thing to have come to terms with this. That is a wonderful, honest thing to say. You are now fighting, not just for your children who were let down by the system, but for the children who are STILL not being breastfed. Attitudes like your own with the experience you have are invaluable to the rest of the WORLD. I hope this might give you some peace. xxx
Deliah, I think what Debora is saying is for some women it certainly IS a sacrifice. Not everyone feels the maternal pull more than the need to look amazing, go out and party. Also, LOADS of women don’t hav e CLUE about how much a newborn needs to feed and it freaks them out! And I think that 30 years go bottle feeding was at it’s peak popularity and before advertising restrictions were in play, had been allowed to make lying, extravagant claims. I think everyone knowing then that ‘breast was still kinda best and your kids don’t get as sick’ was not the same as what we now know – that formula is frickin awful!
Bonjour Gisèle
Il faut respecter le choix des mamans, il y en a qui ne peuvent pas allaiter comme moi leur petit bébé, n’ayant pas assez de lait.
Je lui ai choisi un lait d’agriculture biologique. (organic milk) et ma fille se porte à merveille.
pouponner bien …
Amicalement
kat sautour
NAO SEI SE VOÇE CHEGARA A LER ESTE COMENTARIO, MAS CONCORDO PLENAMENTE QUE TODAS AS CRIANÇAS DEVERIAM SER AMAMENTADAS O TEMPO CERTO OU MAIS SE POSSIVEL. SOU MAE DE UM FILHO(14 ANOS) E ELE AMAMENTOU ATE OS 2 ANOS. GRAÇAS AO BOM DEUS TIVE CONDIÇAO DE FICAR POR CONTA DELE, COISA QUE INFELIZMENTE NEM TODAS PODEM, PRINCIPALMENTE AQUI (EUA). SE FOSSE OLHAR POR MIM HOJE MORANDO AQUI(EUA) NAO TERIA CONDIÇAO, DEVIDO AO TEMPO E $. TALVEZ SEJA POR ISTO QUE EU CONTINUE TENDO APENAS UM FILHO.
Thank You! The more we get talking about nursing the BETTER!
I personally feel that while it may not be a possibility for ALL moms to nurse it is right for ALL babies <3
I really did not like the way Good Morning America presented your comments. It was sooo negative towards bfing! Their Dr. said that many women in his practice wanted to nurse their babies but it didn't "fit" into their lives!
I think that Gisele makes some valid points. In terms of law, no one can be made to breastfeed and they should not have to but should want to. Most especially regarding low income families- rather than receive free formula that the taxpayers pay for they should breastfeed for free. I agree with Gisele overall and think that all mothers should breastfeed for at least the first 6 months of their baby’s life. I did myself and can vouch for the many benefits.
Oh my!!! Maybe this is a cultural thing but I really don’t get it how you did wrong here!!! I mean we say things like “it should be gainst the law” to do this or that ,ten times a day, when we feel strongly about an issue.It is called FIGURE of speech…dahh…And it is obvious that for a young and outspoken person who has just become a parent breastfeeding is a thing worth getting worked up on.And it is also obvious to the a person of a standard IQ that you were talking about women who CAN breastfeed and choose not to and for trivial reasons such as recovering their pre pregnancy figure and such. And it is also something that we should ALL women agree upon : Breastfeeding is our right, not just our duty, and that we should all demand society to give us all help in work and home, in order to be able to have this priceless and unique in life experience. I thought this is what emancipation was about and not just our right to look like teens when over forty!!!
Gisele as always I think like you and I feel the same on a lot of issues (and sometimes me too, I feel like no one agrees with me) but I don’t care. I have high morals and believe in saying what YOU feel strongly about. There is not one thing wrong with it! If anything it shows me you are a willing,learning,very active new mom, who just lives,breathes their child. (as most moms do (or should). Keep doing what you are doing! You are a great role model, and I would rather have my favorite model talk about her life and motherhood, than stumbling drunk out of clubs everynight and not spending much time with their sons/daughters. At least to me, you seem real dedicated. All your new interviews are about motherhood and I know why, you can’t stop thinking about that beautiful little boy Benjamin, even when you are working, lol. You are amazing,don’t ever change. You got to the top and have stayed there for a reason. No one has a Gisele personality!
take care, lots of kisses
Oi Gisele!!!!
Que maravilha de comentário!!!!! Te admiro ainda mais depois que virou MÃE!!!!!
Eu entendo perfeitamente o que tu diz pois também sou mãe de um guri. Até o 6º mês de vida dele só tomou peito e nada mais, nem aguá eu dei a ele, só PEITO.
Hoje ele tem 1 ano e 4 meses e segue tomando peito. Além do vinculo que se cria entre nós (mae e filho) ele NUNCA teve uma gripe, alergia ou qualquer outra doença é forte e parece um touro.
Que bom se todas as mães tivessem esta opinião.
Um abraço!
Martha Amaral
Querida Gisèle,
Não posso deixar de expressar o meu respeito e profunda admiração por esta campanha em favor da amamentação. É um crime privar a criança recém-nascida do leite materno. Aqui na Europa as mulheres ficaram insanas e desequilibradas. Elas pretendem não serem “vacas” mas na realidade os filhos delas são produto das vacas pois são nutridos com o leite delas. Não se deixe abater pelas críticas ou pelas reações de pessoas hipócritas e invejosas. Você é bonita por dentro e por fora; você é inteira.
alexandra trifler
Hi Gisele,
As a new mother myself, I admire your convictions about breastfeeding. I hope it will inspire other mothers to learn a little more about the benefits of it.
However, in most countries, maternity leaves are too short for mothers to breastfeed for an extended period. In many of them, such as the US, there are no laws concerning maternity leave at all. I think that THOSE are the laws that we should focusing on pushing.
Parabens pelo menino,
XX,
Ines.
While there aren’t laws in the United States on maternity leave, there are laws on breastfeeding. In the US, by law, companies must give you the time and a clean, private location to pump while you’re at work. Granted, there is no law mandating that companies must pay you while you’re pumping, but they must give you the time and a place. So having a short maternity leave and going back to work soon after delivery is no excuse not to keep baby on only breast milk!
Gisele,
Keep on doing good work. The word needs to get out there for breastfeeding. You are stating comments that women around the world believe in wholeheartedly. I believe in what you say and I applaud you. God Bless You and Your Family. Con Amor. Rebecca
Gisele, I applaud you for sharing your views on this subject. Is is a shame that your message was torn apart and critisized. Hopefully, the media will not keep you from sharing your views in the future.
I wholeheartedly agree that every child should be breastfed (when possible). Breastfed children are healthier, more alert, have better cognitive and communication skills. The benefits go beyond that though…. I personally nursed all three of my children past their first birthday. As a mom with a full time job in addition to my Mom duties, this was difficult, but the results I saw were worth it when my children were compared with formula fed children.
There are mothers out there who cant breast feed their children for reasons beyond their control, but there are many mothers who could, but don’t, for selfish reasons.
Continue doing what you are doing.
Hi, I would like to congratulate Gisele on her choice of breastfeeding her child, that is after all the way nature intended for a child to be fed. I considered it a privileged to have fed my 3 sons, the first 2 for 2 years, and the last one for 3 years. I often had people saying rude things to me, like that is disgusting ! But they are all healthy grown up into well adjusted secure young men who never suffered from allergies and food allergies. I do believe that being breastfed helped them.
Life is not easy today, we all suffer from an overloaded schedule, but breast is best, don’t compromise.
Gisele o que pesou foi o termo LEI. Lei exige obrigações, é algo forçado, não espontâneo.
A real como homem as vezes me pergunto como pode ter mulheres que dizem querer ter filhos e depois não amamentam corretamente. Tudo culpa da famosa estética dos seios.
Sinceramente acredito que oferecer para uma criança novinha papinhas industrializadas é forçar demais a natureza do mamífero Homem.
O leite materno existe para quê? Se a Natureza fez com que as mulheres tivessem leite, e desde o princípio da raça humana a mãe amamenta o filho, porque mudar o ciclo natural da Vida?
Sei que cada situação é uma situação, mas dentro de uma normalidade amamentar o filho não é apenas um ato de amor, mas de sobrevivência da criança, pois já está provado tudo de positivo que o leite materno traz para a criança.
Olha Gisele, nem sou fã de você, não sou do mundo da Moda. A única coisa que sei é que você é uma mãe de VERDADE, afinal como rica, famosa poderia nem vir a público expor estas tuas opiniões, ou simplesmente dar leite industrializado para o teu filho, e ninguém saberia disso.
Parabéns. Num mundo aonde nós seres humanos já destruímos muito toda a Natureza, estamos pelo jeito entrando já algumas décadas também alterando o curso da Natureza da espécie humana.
Para os homens como eu peço que SEMPRE incentivem as suas esposas a amamentarem osseus filhos, e se puderem está junto melhor ainda. Façam carinhos em seus filhos os momentos que estiverem sendo amamentados.
Melhor amor do que este não existe.
Parabéns Gisele.
Hi Gisele,
Firt of all it is very nice that you take a point of view and stand to some very important facts in life! In many cases I do agree that action has to be taken. And you use wisely the talents you have! I do also agree that you can use power that comes along with it to get things done for the better. Good job!
But do want to point out one thing about the whole breast feeding issue. Please keep in mind that there out there many women who never managed to give the breast feeding they wanted to give their child. Breast feeding premature babies is very hard. I had to try myself. While my little baby was fighting out there for his life I was concentrated on producing enough milk. Tried out every trick to get out every little drop. But still it was not enough for him. Every cc that I managed to catch into a bottle made me smile.
The aspect of breast feeding was one of the things I had truely looked forward and this was one of the first things that I was not granted the moment my child was born. Other things kept him alive. The weeks I have been spending insde in hospital surrounded by kids who are true heroes but in many cases don’t get the breast I was happy that there were other ways to keep him fed.
Believe me I felt guilty about it and hurt. The best moment after the c-section was the first milk they got out of my by a machine. I looked at as being worth gold. Twice I got an breast infection and suffered pain. Still feeling guilty!
So, please forgive me, and don’t take this personal but when very happy women make statements as such I feel the need to speak up for all these women who have tried but feel ‘failed’. I had to be a very strong mother in order to survive the first two months before I was allowed to take my son home. When a breastfeeding nurse was so kind to take away all the brochures about breastfeeding that were lying around in my house I felt rather relieved! ‘Nice hey all the bliss they tell you in there!’, she said,’But in your case they are a bit unrealistic!’
So yes ,I do still think that breastfeeding is very important but please be careful when you make statements like this because out there there are many women who have others story to tell when it comes down to breastfeeding.
Good luck with all your projects and raising the future!
Well said!!!
I agree, well said Caroline! I want to add a few details so that all the pro-breastfeeding women reading here, who breezily say “breast is best” because they had an easy time breastfeeding, can understand that it’s not nearly as simple as is being expressed in most of these posts.
Breast is not best when your baby is starving and dehydrated because she is unable to take milk from your breast.
Breast is not best when you are losing your sanity because you’re nursing for two hours out of every three around the clock, and your baby is still crying out of hunger.
Breast is not best when the only way to get sufficient milk is to pump and nurse, and your baby screams whenever you put her down so that you can pump.
Breast is not best when you’re crying while trying to get your newborn to suck on a tiny tube that you have to tape to your chest at 2am so that she will get milk while learning how to nurse (this is called the SNS feeding tube system).
Breast is not best when your baby is suffering terrible pain because she is sensitive to something in your diet and you can’t figure out what it is.
Breast is not best when you limit your diet radically in an effort to figure out what your baby is sensitive to.
Breast is not best when you have to take a cocktail of herbs and drugs to try to get sufficient supply.
Breast is not best when you have to take Vitamin D supplements because breast milk is deficient in Vitamin D.
Breast is not best when you’re suffering in pain from bleeding nipples, mastitis, thrush, blisters, plugged ducts…
Breast is not best when you have to go back to work when your baby is 6 weeks old and you only get a few ounces of milk from pumping.
Breast is not best when you have to take an hour or more out of your work day to pump, find a place to pump when your office is a shared cubicle, find a way to store breast milk and breast pumping supplies at work, and schedule your work day around pumping.
There are so many reasons that breastfeeding is challenging for many women. It is not just a matter of whether or not the mother or baby are “medically unable,” and it’s not about breastfeeding being “inconvenient.” Rather, for many women it’s a matter of reaching the point where it is no longer worth it to struggle, to be stressed or in pain, to make your family suffer because you are miserable with trying to make it work. No one has any right to tell other women what their threshold should be for enduring the challenges of breastfeeding. And although I believe every woman should at least try to breastfeed, it is not my place to judge women who choose not to, whatever their reason.
My baby was formula fed. We went to a Lactation Consultant on her 4th day because she was losing weight and constantly hungry, and it was the Lactation Consultant who gave her formula. I made many efforts to continue breastfeeding, but ultimately it was not worth losing my sanity over, and everyone in my family was suffering from my unhappiness. My daughter is now near 50th% for weight, even though she was born well below the weight charts. She is strong and healthy, and very bright. She gets occasional day care colds, but not too bad and always recovers quickly. She is very verbal, social, and happy. I can’t imagine how she could be better off if she had been fed breast milk instead of formula.
And with all due respect, I have to address the comment below about better bonding through breastfeeding. Bottle fed babies are perfectly well bonded to their mothers, perhaps more so because you can make eye contact with your baby while you bottle feed. And the baby can also have that bond with the father as well. What could be better than that?
Best to you and your son.
Gisele, I think you are the inspiration for every mother. I really appreciate about what you do with your little one (Benjamin), give him your best as mother by breastfeed him. I think as a mother we should try gave our kids rights as a baby is breastfeed them although in starting those process maybe someway for others mother that wasn’t easy but at lease we have to try. What you do also as campaign the importance of breastfeeding, there are a lot of benefit from breastfeeding for children and also for mother it self. I hope it will be publicly to promote breastfeeding that high profile women do so. Once again you are the inspiration for every mother, starting from how should we prepared our self in pregnancy, give birth and breastfeed our child.
Warm regards,
Els (ummi Faiz), Jakarta, Indonesia
You are ABSOLUTELY CORRECT! I understand some women are unable, for whatever reason. But there are now milk banks…. Every child should have that start in life. I nursed my son for 4 years. He has never had an ear infection. I can count how many “common colds” he has had. He is now 16 STRONG, HEALTHY and so SMART. I atribuate that to nursing. Just my opinion.
I’m sorry to address this again, but I just don’t understand. My daughter is strong, healthy, and smart. She has never had an ear infection and only gets minor colds because she’s in a big daycare. She was formula fed. So, can I attribute her good health, strength and intelligence to being formula fed?
I’m sorry to debunk your opinion, but there are just too many healthy, strong, smart, and happy formula fed children in the world. I’m glad for you that your son is doing so well, but I bet it has more to do with what good parents he has and less to do with the source of nutrition during his early years.
Gisele cresceu na vida pela beleza e a mantem pela inteligencia, parabens menina !
Meditaçao + Amamentaçao sao para pessoas inteligentes. A primeira eh soh questao de disciplina, nao precisa ter grana e a segunda eh sabedoria. Amamentar nao eh soh para crescer saudavel eh um conjunto de sentimentos entre maes e filhos.
O Brasil jah estah bem adiantado comparando a paises ditos de “primeiro mundo”.
Keep going Gisele !
Hi Gisele, I applaud you for your passion on these topics! I am a young midwife in Australia and I believe with all my heart in the ability of women to birth at home and breastfeed their babies exclusively for six months. I feel so sad that women such as yourself with the right attitudes and practices are a rare breed in today’s society. It breaks my heart to see mothers put their babies on formula for none other than social reasons. I have seen first hand the damage that formula does to a newborn’s health. I am not a mother yet myself but my mother breastfed me for eighteen months and I am so grateful and knowing she did that for me makes me love her all the more. Your beautiful son Benjamin will be so proud and thankful that you gave him the very best start in life. Congratulations!
I agree that breast is best. Absolutely. But for those of us whose breasts don’t produce (yes, this happens!), formula literally saves our babies lives.
My baby and I have an incredible bond, and she was almost exclusively bottle fed due to my inability to nurse.
I envy those who can exclusively breastfeed their babies. But I’m very grateful that there are other options.
I am so proud of the stance you have taken on breastfeeding and I agree with you 100%. Don’t let anyone make you feel bad. You go girl!
Thank you Gisele for having the courage to speak out on such an important topic. I too cannot fathom why mother’s choose not to breast feed when it is the single most important bonding experience you can give your child, in addition to the immense health benefits. I nursed my first child until she was 21 months….and only quit when she wanted to. This beautiful child of mine has never been sick….outside of 2 colds…in her 3 years of life. Her brother, my 7 month old son, is also being nursed and has never (not even a sniffle) been sick. I don’t think people realize just how heathy the stuff really is. And it wasn’t easy for me either. I suffered, perforated nipples which caused my first born to ingest my blood, a galactocele (clogged milk duct which grew to the size of a golf ball and had to be drained twice) and had difficulty with getting my first born to latch on initially (something we cured with the help of a lactation consultant). More than once, people told me to “give up” and questioned why I would continue with the various pitfalls I encountered. But I was determined and stuck with it, and I am so glad that I did. So many times I’ve wanted to tell other women to “suck it up” when they complain it hurts. Yes it hurts initially, but our babies are worth the little bit of pain. So keep speaking out on breastfeeding Gisele. And for those that can’t, I am so sorry. I realize not every woman can who wants to. But the vast majority who choose not to, do so for selfish reasons.
you are totally right! all women should breastfeed their babies at least 6 months. I did it for 10 months and it was incredible! my Maya is a strong and healthy girl and the bond between us is unique!
I admire you Gisele! you are such a great woman
)
Ola, sem duvida concordo plenamente com Gisele. Tenho dois filhos e amamentei os dois ate os 9 meses a primeira que hj esta com 5 aninhos parou sozinha simplismente deixou. O outro que agora esta com quase dois anos me deu muito trabalho porque sempre muito apegado a mim nao quis deixar porem eu chorava mais que ele (rsrs). Este e um momento magico que realmente so sente que ja passou por isso. E eh tambem sem duvida o melhor alimento ate os 6 meses de idade.
Cheers to you!!!
Gisele,
a “lei” não será criada, mas tenho certeza que suas atitudes e sua campanha pro amamentação tem contribuído para que muitas mulheres que tanto te admiram amamentem seus filhos!
Que pena que cada palavra acabe tornando uma repercussão diferente a aquela que teria sido a idéia original…
Continue nessa batalha! Parabéns!
It would be awesome if all women were built with the ability to have it flow naturally, fact of the matter is many cannot.
My wife tried with our first and he wouldnt latch. She spent an extra 2 hours a day PUMPING for more than 5 months. Same with number 2.
While I agree all women should be encouraged to try and try and try to breast feed for health and financial reasons (do you know how damn expensive formula is?) the end result is many women can’t.
We tried. We tried.
While I believe breastfeeding is important, not all women can. It was the most painful experience of my life with my daughter. Literally, tears would shoot out of my eyes when she latched on. My husband was begging me to stop. Then, I was shunned by my mother’s group for stopping after 10 weeks.
I tried again with my son. He was born over 10 pounds and was not getting enough milk from me. After feeding on both sides for 20 minutes, he then required 2 oz bottle at 2 weeks old. It was physically draining to feed for an hour and then start over in an hour and a half. He wasn’t gaining weight and the doctor’s told me he had to have formula so, I stopped at six weeks with him.
I think each mother has to do what is right for themselves and their child.
I strongly believe that it every mother should be encouraged to breastfeed. On the other hand, not all women can breastfeed.
There are some of us who would not, nor want to breast feed.
We each have a choice.
THANK YOU. It’s called Freedom. Apparently, the rest of the world doesn’t place much value on it.
thank you, it is so important for everyday people to see celebrities making this important decision. thank you for having the courage to say it, and stick to it.
great job!
Gisele, I appreciate that you have clarified your position. While most may agree that breastfeeding is best, I think it’s unfair to judge others for choices they make. My daughter and I struggled with breastfeeding, and by the second week i was crying every time she cried because it was such an ordeal. My doctor was actually the one who recommended that I start to bottle feed, and it was the best decision I ever made! I was able to enjoy my daughter instead of feeling like a failure every time I tried to feed her. Sometimes the “nurture” part of child-rearing becomes too tightly woven with nursing over bottle-feeding. I know I made the right decision for both my daughter and myself, and I have a healthy, happy and intelligent 9 year old to show for it.
I wish you all the best and much joy as a new mom, whatever choices you make
Gisele, no caminho para um mundo melhor, a qualidade do vinculo mãe-bebe é fundamental com certeza! Se desde pequenas todas as crianças pudessem exerimentar isso num parto mais natural e com a amamentação, o mundo com certeza já seria melhor, mas infelizmente, orbigar as mães a amamentar, nao traz a qualidade necessária para q isso aconteça.. as maes deveriam desejar amamentar os filhos, pelo menos as que querem se tornar mães de verdade, ne!? Mas com certeza a conciência é o caminho certo! Se todos se informassem melhor assim como você fez no seu processo de se tornar mãe o mundo já seria outro… Admiro mto você e fico muito feliz em te usar de exemplo em todas as conversar e palestras sobre maternidade conciente! Você é um icone mundial que está ajudando muito no despertar da conciência! Um grande beijo
I do agree that breast feeding is the best choice but as a mother of 3 kids 3 and under i had a very difficult time. My 1st son i nursed until I got pregnant with my 2nd (5 months later) and had to supplement because i only got milk in on one breast. My 2nd son I nursed for 8 months and again only got milk on one side. When I had my daughter I actually got milk in both breasts but could only nurse for 1 week. She got very ill and I had to stop and give her special formula (she had bad allergies). I do think that mothers milk is the best way to go but do not agree with you comments.
I am a Yoga instructor and live a very healthy lifestyle and do not like it when people who really don’t know how difficult it is for some (or traumatising and dissapointing) of us out there to try to nurse. I had a midwife and natural child birth as you did but nursing was not easy.
I was able to stay home and take care of my children and can’t even imagine how difficult it is for new moms that have to go back to work but they should not be put down for giving their babies a bottle.
Gisele,
Sinto vergonha pela ignorancia de tanta gente que se opoem a sua idéia e lhe ofende.
Amamentação é essencial para qualquer bebê tanto pelo lado da nutrição, quanto pelo lado do vinculo/interação da mãe com o seu filho. Amamentar não influencia só na infância, também influencia na fase adulta desse filho. A mãe quando amamente demonstra afeto, e este afeto traz ao futuro adulto, segurança e auto-estima. Isto tudo não é somente no que acredito ou deixo de acreditar, são baseados em estudos e pesquisas realizadas. Entao…
As mães que lhe julgam, provavelmente não aproveitaram a maternidade do jeito que deveria e poderia.E certamente, as pessoas que relacionam este assunto com a suposta facilidade por você ser modelo não são e nunca foram modelos.
Eu acredito que para julgar alguém, primeiro deva passar por aquela exata situação para ai sim saber o que esta julgando.
Beijinhos a todas as mamães, que elas merecem! Pois ser mãe é uma profissão.
Thank you for being upfront and honest about what women (should) at least attempt to do. Some women do have a hard time breastfeeding or producing milk, but I do believe every women should at least try to breastfeed their baby for many reasons. But there are many others that are just simply lazy or ignorant and feel that formula is the easiest solution. I also applaud you for talking publicly about your home water birth. We had a home water birth too and had most of our family against it (again due to ignorance) and I was so happy to see you talking openly about it. My hope is that people make informed decisions and not just let fear, ignorance, and laziness rule what is best for them and their children.
Gisele,
Sou brasileira tenho 30 anos e sou mãe de tre filhos, é isso mesmo 3 filhos, os tres eu amamentei exclusivamente de seio materno até pelo menos 6 meses de vida ( a minha filha mais velha mamou ate 3 anos de idade ( sei que foi um exagero mas é coisa de mãe de primeira viagem). Gostaria de parabeniza-la pelo exemplo que vem dado a muitas mães minha filha mais velha esta com 9 anos e nunca teve nenhuma doença infantil( nenhuma mesmo) nem os outros e são crianças super saudaveis e sei que isso tudo é graças ao mesu esforço e luta para amamenta-los pois sabemos que no inicio não é nada facil mas vale muito a pena. E quanto e estetica é pura lenda voltei ao meu peso muito rapido apos o parto e foi com certeza graças a amamentação, hj tenho 30 anos 1,70 cm e 57 kg, tá bom para vc? rsrsrss Bjs enormes e seja feliz e linda como sempre amamente o quanto vc achar necessario seu bebe, pois só a mãe pode saber a hora de parar!!!
I agree w/ you, women should put their babies first, & since breastfeeding is the best food choice for a baby, why is this controversial? I think if women knew the benefits and were a little better educated about nursing, there wouldn’t be such an uproar about it. Keep opening your pretty mouth.
There is a great article about women from a small town in Brazil that do not breastfeed and the issues that come from not being involved this phase of a child’s upbringing (or you can just google the article name “Death without Weeping”
http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~jdowd/scheper-hughes%20-%20death%20without%20weeping.pdf
There have also been a number of studies showing that breastfeeding creates a bond w/ mother and child that can not be substituted in another way. Just my opinion.
I agree that breastfeeding is important. But in many cases there are mothers who can’t physical, or they gave birth to multiples and keep up the demand of production or have babies born prematurely that couldn’t handle breast milk. Both my sister in law and I had problems with it. I couldn’t produce milk, and my SIL gave birth to triplets and she could not produce that much that much milk and their delicate bodies rejected breastmilk.
Hi Giselle,
I wanted to provide you with some information regarding your comments on breastfeeding. Please understand first that I am a mother of 2 young girls 3 & 5 years old and I am in favor of breastfeeding whenever possible. With that said I would also like to talk about why as a mother I did not breastfeed my children. Trust me when I tell you that my every intention was to breastfeed. In fact I tried for 7 full days with barely any production before my daughter’s pediatrician advised me against proceeding with breastfeeding as I was doing harm to my child. I, like many other mother’s, was unable to produce milk. This was not an option or an ideal outcome for me. We discovered that I was not properly producing after 48 hours. My child was literally starving so I made the difficult decision to start supplementing her with formula (which has drastically improved and is much more natural then you may believe). Although I agree that if a woman can they should breastfeed because it is the most natural thing to do and the best thing not only for the child, but for a new mother too. Unfortunately, to say it should be law would have forced me to use another women’s breast milk to feed my child…something I would not have been comfortable with. After experience a similar fate after my second daughter was born I was more willing to accept the outcome and saw the harm I had inflicted in confusing my first child. I now have two very healthy children. In fact I am often told that they rarely get sick. This is a product of me accepting formula, loving my children and properly feeding them. I believe that as a new mother one becomes very passionate, but I ask in the future that you refrain from generalizing so much without properly educating yourself on all aspects of the subject. For some women this is truly one of the hardest things they go through after giving birth and is very sensitve for them. Please be understanding for these women.
Thank you for reading this and I love that you are a passionate mother who loves her child…there is nothing better then the love for a child and the love you receive back.
Regards,
Robin
Hi, Gisele!
I’ve been a fan for a while and I just wanted to say how disgusted I am by the media. They were the ones who spun your quotes out of context and made your comments controversal. They wanted to sell magazines. You just spoke your mind on something you feel passionately about and was misquoted in the process. There is nothing wrong with what you said. I for one am sick of people being so sensitive and not seeing the full picture. People are so quick to jump to conclusions and thinking the worst. Keep being true to yourself, Gisele. We need more bold and brave women like you in the world!
While I commend you for successfully breast feeding you son, some of us were not that successful. I agree breast milk is best but mothers who turn to formula should not be criticize for their choice. How one cares for their child is their own decision and choice. I was upset when I read the article but I was able to sit back and see where you were coming from with no judgement, an excited, first time mom. Congrats to you and your family but understand that breast feeding is not something that comes easily to some.
Gisele -
I can appreciate that you are enjoying being a Mom and you like to share your personal experience. It is not so easy for Moms who need to go back to work and don’t have help to juggle breastfeeding as well. Sure the baby is a priority but there is a lot else that is required from a new mother to ensure his/her well being. Please realize that your financial situation most likely make things a lot easier for you than the average citizen. With that said, good for you, you are a good person, you have alsoe worked hard. Take the time to enjoy your newborn. It is a very special time in your life!
Pediatric societies recommend at least 6 months of breastfeeding. However, the socieities also understand that some woman are not capable of breastfeeding. And in some instances it is highly recommended that women with certain medical conditions not breastfeed. So though we applaud your passion for breastfeeding your son…always remember your ability to do so is a gift.
When I read about this via a news website I was very annoyed about the comments that it should be made a law however I appreciate it is your opinion and that things can be taken out of context in interviews etc.
I do agree that breastfeeding should be more accepted because it is a very natural thing to do and I believe more people would breastfeed if everyone got used to the fact that it’s normal (no matter where in the world you are). I live in England and breastfeeding has become more accepted over the years but there are still some places/people who frown upon it.
With my first child I wanted to breastfeed and I tried but my son and I had many problems with breastfeeding and I eventually had to change to bottle feeding. I am now pregnant with my second child and although I would like to breastfeed I am quite nervous about it due to the problems I had with my first child. Although I hope I am more successful second time around I do believe that breastfeeding is not for every woman and no one should feel guilty for not breastfeeding.
Gisele, sou pai de 5 filhos de dois casamentos , hoje moro em Londres com a minha esposa de 25 anos de casamento e DECLARO aqui que vi meus 5 filhos ( hoje de 30 anos a 15 anos) crescerem sem problemas de saude devido a amamentacao no seio ateh pelo menos 6 meses de idade ( o mais novo ate com 1 ano e era um glutao) e mais: olho para os seios da minha mulher de 56 anos e os vejo muito mais bonitos que os de muita jovem por ai.
Eh impressionante ver esse primeiro mundo ser “moderno” em quase tudo e rejeitar o que Deus deu para nos humanos. Eu e minha esposa estamos com voce.
Some Mom’s do not have the luxury to breastfeed after a couple of weeks. Family leave does not pay for extra time off. Working 10 hour shifts in a factory is not conducive for breastfeeding. Most women have to help provide for their families and would love to be able to do this.
Gisele parabéns por sua conduta, que reforça mais ainda a admiração que eu tenho por ti.
Críticas, sempre existirão, assim como existirá pessoas se aproveitando das suas declarações e da espontaniedade natural ao falar.
Bjos Saúde
oi gisele, acho muito legal vc utilizar a sua pessoa publica p reforcar a importancia da amamentacao. mostra q vc tem resposabilidade social e nao eh mulher bonita apenas por fora.
moro na holanda e aqui as mulheres ficam de topless na maior naturalidade p dar “sol aos seios”, mas nas horas em q eu ia amamentar minha caculinha em espacos publicos, notava os olhares criticos (apesar de cobrir com paninhos)…e os comentarios inclusive da familia eram desencorajadores…
…10x mais facil dar mamadeira e tem uma industria toda por tras, p dar apoio ne?
continue o bom trabalho!! take care
Hola Gisele,
Me gustaria darte la enhrabuena por el nacimiento de tu hijo y desearte más felicidades aún de las que ya tienes. Estoy convencida que vas a ser una super heroina para tus hijos igual que a sido tu madre para ti y para tus hermanas.
Tus palabras transmiten un amor incondicional y sin limites, eso es muy hermoso.
Felicidades familia
Besos
Tetê
I hope you are able to read this and know that they are many women in the U.S. that do feel the same way. I applaud you for speaking up and putting yourself out there. Breastfeeding is soooo important and for some reason it is not socially acceptable in the U.S.
We should be making it a priority and educating people of the importance. Thank you and know that you are supported.
It is the mothers choice. But people are not educated and informed. Mothers are making choices without being educated. The reason most mothers choose to bottle feed is out convenience. People do not know how difficult it is and quit when it doesnt’ go well. I worked hard to nurse my three children. It was not easy. It was a huge sacrafice. Being a parent is a huge sacrafice.
I understand where your comment came from. It was out of love. Thank you!!!
I totally agree. It is an amazing gift to breastfeed ones little ones! One of the challenges for Moms who do not breastfeed or are reluctant to is because they do not receive support from family, friends and society! It is such a shame.
In Canada, Moms get one year maternity leave to help them nurse their babies for that time, the government there also strongly promote Moms to breastfeed and the hospitals help new Moms learn the ropes early on to reduce problems associated with ‘latching on’ etc.
Congratulations on coming out and expressing the importance to provide what is only natural for our children. Considering you are a young Mom, who many young Moms look up to, it helps to have someone like you who is a public figure speak out about what is important to society. Keep up the good work!
With thanks,
Very proud to be part of the very elite MMC – Mom’s Milk Club
Hi,
I agree that breastfeeding is wonderful and optimal, and educating people about the importance of breastfeeding is so important. I don’t agree that ‘for some reason it is not socially acceptable in the U.S.’. That is not true at all from my first hand experience. Every woman I have known has breast fed; some for a few weeks, some for a few years. Usually the ones who did it for a very short time stopped because they were unable to produce milk or it was physically painful or just not possible. Not every woman has an easy breastfeeding experience. I have known women brought to the brink of intense pain trying to breastfeed, and devastated, had to stop. Or, their bodies simply did not produce enough milk. I could tell these poor women felt SO guilty and like such failures. My advice to them was, “feeding your child is your main goal—how you get there is not as important as them getting the nutrition: whether by breast, by pump to bottle, by formula, etc”. That helped alleviate some of their guilt by knowing that their baby was happy to have a full belly and in the end did not know the difference. I also feel personally affronted as an adoptive mother by dictates on breastfeeding. OF COURSE if i COULD have breastfed my baby, I would have. But sadly, I was unable to. I felt sad over it and like a failure and I hated the fact that it seemed like a ‘can of chemicals’, but in the end, even though my son DID get donated breast milk the first 3 weeks of his life, luckily, that is not realistic for most women, for it is very expensive to do it and ironically, it raises judgment by many. I told few we got donated breastmilk from my best friend, because many were ‘grossed out’ by it, which was very hurtful, and ignorant. I just want to let you know my child is totally intelligent, healthy, well adjusted and bonded with me, even WITHOUT breastfeeding. Don’t get me wrong, I love breastfeeding, but us adoptive mothers have very few choices BUT to formula/bottle feed, and it’s hurtful to feel judged by those who are blessed to become pregnant, carry, birth and breastfeed their own baby. Please keep in mind people like me…
Gisele, please don’t feel that you need to backpedal due to all the irate women who took offense at your comments about breastfeeding. They are absolutely true. Breastfeeding is amazing… it does take off weight (for many women), it’s so healthy for mom and baby, and yes formula is full of chemicals. It would be nice if there were a law – although of course, that won’t happen. But certainly, if countries would put a ton more money into promoting breastfeeding – and also limit the power of the formula companies – that would make a huge difference. Women will always get offended when it comes to parenting issues because we are so fragile and worried we’re not good enough. It’s no reason not to say them or to soften the message. So please, continue speaking out!!! You have the power and the platform to change lives….
Gisele…
Tudo de bom e de positivo nas suas declarações.
Concordo e assino em baixo.
Uma das minhas maiores alegrias foi ter amamentado meus dois filhos. Alimento e carinhos juntos.
Amamentar faz parte da nossa natureza de mãe.
Parabéns!
Giselle, thank you for your honesty and integrity. You are speaking the truth that (contrary to what society says) birth does not have to be painful, harmful, or traumatic for mother or baby, and all ways of feeding babies are not created equal. People will criticize you for speaking the truth, but don’t let them stop you.
Gisele,
while i understand your comments were taken out of context, i agree with them 100%!! it should be illegal unless there is a real reason you cannot breastfeed. you are providing comfort, nutrition and immune system support for your child, why wouldn’t you breast feed??? there is no excuse for the laziness! it may not be convenient, but your life is now about your children, not about you. you must do what is best for them. keep speaking your mind!! good luck!!
Thanking you for speaking out and provoking conversations. As an OB nurse and lactation consultant there are those some cases in which there is a difficulty mom or baby that makes breastfeeding not possible.
However, I have also seen so many of our American women sabataged by “well meaning” family, friends, and medical providers. Rather than protecting, supporting, encouraging our new moms, instead from the day they give birth many have to start planning to return to work, or take on household responsibilites with little help or support. We don’t encourage just retreating and nesting with your newborn and stepping out of the world for a bit.
If I had a dream and could find the financial backing it would be to have a post partum retreat where a mom, dad and baby could come and be pampered for a couple of days after getting released from the hospital. staff would be there to teach, support and encourage. Hopefully breastfeeding would be fully established and mom would feel very confident in her skills when she leaves.
Cathy,
That sounds wonderful if the US would have the resources. I truly believe in what you say. Both times I B/F my children I had wonderful support from the lacatation consultants. Keep on doing wonderful work for women and families. God Bless You!
Oi Gisele parabéns pelo seu comentario sobre a amamentação
eu amamentei exclusivo por 6 meses minha filha
hoje ela tem 2 anos e continuo amamentando
sou 200% a favor do leite materno
bjs
Oi, Gisele! Tu tens toda razão! É incrível como muita gente não tem a mínima noção sobre a responsabilidade de se ter um filho. O problema vai muito além da amamentação. O que tu falastes sobre os alimentos cheios de químicos é uma grande realidade. Os supermercados estão cheios de porcarias e conseguir comprar produtos realmente bons, sem tantos aditivos é uma maratona. O pior é que me sinto quase uma extraterrestre quando falo que minha filha de 2 anos só come alimentos saudáveis, sem gordura trans, sem glutamato, sem “tinta” e de preferência, só orgânicos. Mas fazer o quê? Prefiro ser de outro mundo! Até já pensei em abrir uma lógica para pessoas que pensam como eu, mas acho que meu negócio iria quebrar, pois me parece que teria poucos clientes. Ah, já leste sobre as mamadeiras? A maioria que tem no mercado aqui no Brasil é altamente tóxica…e ninguém dá a mínima! Lembre- se de usar mamadeiras feitas em PES ou ainda melhor, de vidro. Beijos de Porto Alegre, Clarice
Thank-you, Gisele, for speaking out about the importance of breastfeeding. I was also committed to breastfeeding my children and did so successfully until they were 18 months and 23 months old. I firmly believe it did wonders for their overall health and strengthened their tiny immune systems. It was also very beneficial to me. Nursing my babies was one of the things that I enjoyed the most about the infant/toddler stages and I will look back on the experience fondly for the rest of my life. I wish that more high profile women would publicly encourage and promote breastfeeding.
Warm regards,
Shawna, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada
Gisele, parabens por sua dedicação e por seu exemplo, realmente é muito legal ter voce agindo dessa forma, obrigado. Porem, penso que o que voce menos precisa neste momento é se expor e criar polemicas desnecessarias, como no caso da amamentaçao (concordo com voce). Seja essa mamãezinha fofa que voce está sendo (e esposa também, claro). Torço por voces.
Dear Giselle:
I am writing in English so our American friends can understand. I am Brazilian like you, living in the USA. I breastfed both my daughters until they were one year old. It was the best experience and I suspect it really helped them in being very healthy and intelligent. As well as emotionally very secure. It creates a wonderful bond between mother and child.
I wish more women wouldn’t give up. Yes, some mothers are unable to nurse their kids for medical reasons, but some women just give up too soon. You can learn. I urge my daughters to do the same with their babies, no matter how busy they are.
Thanks for helping bring this to light. A little controversy helps! Obrigada!
Querida Gisele, voce e demais!!! Te adoro, e voce e referencia de talento e dedicacao nacional e internacional , temos que dispor de muito tempo lendo o trabalho dedicado, por tantos se referindo a seu respeito. As mulheres que se sentiram frustradas em relacao a sua felicidade, digo, de poder amamentar e perceber o quanto, realmente, tem importancia para o bebe, alias teu filho e uma fofura, ja era de esperar, sempre existe o lado frustrado das pessoas, normal. Mas, tambem temos de mencionar a opiniao de pessoas realmente importantes que, sem duvida, tem conhecimento em suas opinioes e te apoiam, alias a maioria. Que Deus continue te iluminando, trazendo tantas ideias maravilhosas sobre moda e beleza, e tambem sobre a naturesa, muito bem representada por ti, e em teu lindo site. Muito obrigada por ser assim verdadeira, inteligente, dedicada …
Quando vejo celebridades da moda, da TV e do cinema levantarem sua voz para defenderem um estilo superficial de vida onde só a aparência importa não me surpreendo, mas quando vejo alguém do mesmo meio levantando sua voz para falar de responsabilidade, de amor à vida e aos filhos, de querer amamentar e preparar-se com afinco para dar à luz um filho, tenho que confessar que me surpreendo. Me surpreendo porque, como psicólogo, o que mais vejo em meu consultório são pessoas buscando esse tipo de coragem, no fundo todas as mães querem se doar a seus filhos e seus maridos e os maridos querem se doar à suas famílias, mas como se sentem pressionados pelo meio social a fazer diferente, a defenderem suas aparências, seu status!
Parabéns, Gisele! Estou certo que suas atitudes ajudam a fazer deste nosso mundo, um lugar onde os seres humanos são realmente bem-vindos. Big beijo!
voce esta certissima, parabens beijo
Gisele– Thank you so much for promoting breastfeeding. I agree that it’s wonderful and important. I’ve been breastfeeding for 6 months now and have had a wonderful experience. I also had a natural childbirth, and also used meditation.
I think so much that people say about how painful and “hard” childbirth and breastfeeding are sets women up to fail at it. They expect that they won’t be “able” to do it and then don’t. As women our bodies have been made to carry children, deliver them without interventions, and to breastfeed. That’s how it’s worked for thousands of years. There are some exceptions to this, of course, but the far majority of women CAN deliver naturally and CAN breastfeed, and the babies’ and womens’ health and happiness would be the better for it. Thank You for speaking up!!
Infelizmente no Brasil a licença maternidade não nos possibilita amamentar seis meses.
Oi Janaina, aqui nos Estados Unidos a licença maternidade é por 6 semanas, voce pode extender para 12 semanas, mas é sem salario, e o seguro privado só cobre as 6 primeiras semanas do seu salario. Bom, de qualquer forma, aqui a licença maternidade e por muito pouco tempo!! mas nem por isso voce tem que deisitir de amamentar; eu vou utilizar a bomba para extrair meu leite e deixar pronto para meu bebe. E ainda existem metodos manuais para quem nao pode comprar uma bomba. Bem, é só uma ideia!! se vc quiser mais informaçoes sobre como amamentar enquanto volta ao trabalho acese o site da Leche League: http://www.llli.org/NB/NBworking.html
espero que seja de ajuda!
Oi Janaina!
Você e a Fani (a menina abaixo podem usar o metodo do copinho por exemplo.
Voce tira e deixa em vidros o leite e depois pode dar em um copinho para seu nenem.
Já ouvi varios comentarios sobre esse metodo. Até de mães que tiram leite (sem bombinha mesmo) colocam em vidros com tampa e depois a pessoa que fica com a criança pode dar o leite na hora. Bom vocês podem ter mais informaçoes nos sites http://www.fordosul.com ou no http://www.aleitamento.com
beijos
olá Gisele,
Sim, concordo plenamente com vc, tb sou mãe e sempre penso em dar o melhor ( dentro do que posso) para minha filha….eu tive a sorte de ter muuuiito leite e doei para um banco de leite até minha filha completar 3 meses, pois ela não dava vazão do que eu fornecia, acho que isso é ser mãe, se dar, se doar, querer o bem, fazer valer a palavra mãe! É isso aí e é bom ver que pessoas como você se preocupa com isso ! VALEU !!! Beijos
concordo , vc e uma excelente mae ,meu apoio total mae 100% beijo linda.
Gisele, boa tarde!
Li sua entrevista e concordo plenamente com sua opinião, pois tenho uma filha de 9 meses e com ela não pensei diferente de você, pois ser mãe é isso, pensar 1º no bem estar do filho. Acho que o fato de virar lei amamentar eté os seis meses pelo menos, seria uma boa idéia, pois, so assim a irresponsabilidade que parte na alimentação de algumas crianças seria amenisada e a troca de olhar e o vinclo que cria com a criança ao amamentar seria cada vez maior pois essa sensação é inesplicável.
Ser amamentado é direito de toda criança!!!
Hi Gisele I wanted to say I appreciate you to speak your mind and share your thoughts and opinions. Why it is seen as a crime, I will never know. I admire a celeb more for being real, than acting fake and saying things to the public, that their public relations lady tells them to say and do. Not everyone has to agree on the same things, but I don’t think opinions should be blasted. They should be embraced. No two people are going to feel and think exactly the same way. My mom breastfed me, and always spoke highly about it as well. I dont think there should even be any issue here. I think Brazilians are more open-minded reading some of these blog comments. Shame Americans are acting so one minded.
It’s not so much one-minded, some of us simply cannot breastfeed no matter what we try, and some of us have tried everything!
I don’t think her comment was focused on those with physical (or psychological) limitations – but rather the capable mothers who think that to breastfeed is a ‘worse’ choice.
Madeleine, I agree with you completely! Breastfeeding did not work for me with my first daughter (believe me, we tried!) , and I was horrified at how judgmental and rude some people were – complete strangers telling me how badly it would affect my daughter because she was formula fed! I spent the first 3 weeks of my baby’s life feeling completely miserable for having failed her – looking back now and seeing my strong, healthy and intelligent daughter, I realize that my bottle-fed baby has turned out perfectly fine. And remember – there are women who can (and do) breastfeed who are terrible mothers to their children. My daughter is 9 now, and I have no regrets
Nobody should be made to feel miserable because they did or did not breastfeed their babies. For some it’s a matter of choice (and obviously the better choice is to breastfeed) but for some it’s not and it’s not the place of strangers or even well-meaning friends and relatives to be judgmental when women can’t breastfeed. My best friend could not because of a medical condition and, while I may be a bit partial, I think she’s a great mom. Fortunately most people were aware of her medical condition and did not judge her. Perhaps the law should be that women should receive the best care, assistance and education to raise their children to the best of their ability.
Olá,
Concordo com a maneira de pensar da Gisele.
Amamentei uma filha que hoje está com 26 anos. De dei a ela todo o afeto desse período, objetivando seu bom desenvolvimento e formação de caráter.
Muitos sentimentos são passados durante a amamentação; o respeito, através do momento de privacidade, aconchego e pequenos toques de carinho; a autoconfiança, através da interação mãe-filho, durante o momento de cada mamada. E o que exatamente mais falta aos seres racionais: o amor, a ternura, a aceitação, o amparo, a doação, o bem-querer.
Amamentar é algo que proteje e prepara para o futuro.
Às vezes, penso que esse “pacote de sentimentos” da amamentação dura para sempre nas mulheres-mães-humanas. Porque, mesmo que de forma velada, continuamos a nos preocupar com a nossa criança e passamos a nos preocupar com as demais crianças.
Uma grande transformação ocorre com a mulher, um grande senso de respeito , proteção e “tudo posso” se desenvolve em nós. Afinal, literalmente, sentimos na pele a formação de um ser.
A responsabilidade é grande. E talvez seja por isso que desejamos um mundo com pessoas mais humanas, conscientes, coerente, responsáveis, para que nossos filhos continuem protegidos.
Também passamos esperança durante o ato de amamentar.
Procurei racionalmente educar minhas palavras e atitudes. E instintinvamente fiz uma base forte de sentimentos bons que refletiram na formação da Carolina, que hoje é uma mulher íntegra, disposta a enfrentar as adversidades da vida, que levanta minha auto-estima e senta no meu colo quando estou triste. Que me devolve os sentimentos da amamentação, em forma de carinho.
Realmente, teríamos pessoas melhores se as mulheres que tivessem filhos realmente amamentassem suas crianças, com leite materno e sentimentos.
Mesmo quando o período da amamentação propriamente dita tem fim, os sentimentos devem continuar.
Tudo o que é feito com a criança reflete na formação do seu caráter.
É possível que, pela falta dos sentimentos que envolvem a amamentação, tenhamos tantas pessoas sem o menor sentimento de respeito e escrúpulo ocupando cargos de direção de seres humanos. Possivelmente não foram amamentadas, respeitadas,… amadas.
Eu concordo com a Gisele, tem mãe que realmente tem problemas em amamentar,não tem leite e etc.,mas aquelas que podem, deveriam sim ser obrigadas a amamentar, pois algumas mulheres ficam mais preocupadas com sua aparência que esquecem o verdadeiro sentido de ser realmente mãe. É muito importante a amamentação tanto para mãe qto para a criança.
Gisele,
I agree with you. You are absolutely right!
Claro que a amamentação deveria ser aderida 100%.
Infelizmente a maioria das pessoas estão mais preocupadas consigo mesmas, mesmo que o próximo seja o seu próprio filho.
Gisele,
Parabéns !!! Você tem a consciência e a coragem para dizer e fazer o que é certo !! Você está em busca do que é melhor para o seu filho, enquanto algumas mães buscam o que é mais prático.
Mas o resultado está aí: seu filho está lindo e saudável e você cada vez mais linda!
Agora mais do que nunca sou sua fã !
Um grande beijo.
I would like to comment in regards to your breastfeeding article.
Thank heavens I read your blog from your own website. After reading the article I went to your website in order to write a comment on you being so judgmental in regards to new mothers choosing to breastfeed or not. After reading your blog, I now know that articles can be miscontrued, and lead readers to have a very different opinion in regards to the subject.
I am 49 years old, and had my children when I was 23 & 25. I did breastfeed both my children, however, both were not successful breastfeeders. My first child struggled terribly, so after 2 months I switched to bottles and formula and my second was breastfed to 10 months with no formula. I am so glad that I was not judged as a horrible mother for not breastfeeding, as being a new mother is stressful enough, without the judgement of others.
Thank you for clarifying my misconceptions in your blog, I’m sure I am not the only one who was disheartened after reading that article.
I wish you every success with your children. Being a Mother is the hardest and most rewarding and joyful job in the world, and communication with others is very important to help us all be better parents.
Cara Gisele,
Uma vez li uma entrevista em que você dizia que lavava suas próprias calcinhas no chuveiro. Tenho duas filhas e a vida inteira ensinei-as a fazer assim com suas roupas intimas, assim como minha mãe me ensinou. Você deu o exemplo de alguém que pode ter uma legião de escravos fazendo isso mas tem este habito civilizado.
Agora com sua posição firme em relação à amamentação ,volto a achar que você é mesmo uma pessoa importante para a educação de uma geração. Tenho 4 filhos. Amamentei três. O primeiro infelizmente não amamentei porque ele nasceu com sérios problemas de saúde. Mas os outros três, até 6 meses pelo menos conheciam apenas o leite do peito como alimento. Nem água bebiam. Sei dos benefícios da amamentação e da importância para o desenvolvimento das crianças. Sei o quanto falta instrução neste sentido para as mulheres mais pobres que são massacradas pela industria de alimentos para bebes. O que você disse é muito valioso. Parabéns Gisele, você alem de deslumbrante é generosa nas suas convicções e corajosa de dizer o que pensa. Milhões de carinhos para você e sua linda família.
Olivia
bem, acredito que a expressão “ser criada uma lei” provavelmente foi usada mais pela importância dada ao tema do que pela criação de uma regra em si, já que, obviamente, seria impossível saber se as mães, dentro de suas casas, estão amamentando ou não.
uma dica: não seria interessante adicionar no “faça a sua parte” uma recomendação para a diminuição do consumo de carne? assim, o indivíduo estaria contribuindo para a diminuição do desmatamento, da poluição da água e do solo, como também para a sensibilização pelo terrível sofrimento dos animais abatidos.
um abraço!
Na verdade todos sabem a importancia da amamentaçao…so que por motivo de vaidade ou descuido muitas mulheres inventam mil e uma razoes para dizer que isso nao e importante. Nao e todos que nascerem para ser mae… eu nao tenho filho ainda mas tenho certeza de quando ter, amamentar minha crianca vais ser uma das coisas mais felizes da minha vida!
Gisele, vc esta certissima quanto a isso…VC E UMA MAE DE VERDADE!!!!!
Eu não li a entrevista nem os comentários (alguém tem ai fácil?)
Mas já até imagino…
Hoje em dia tem esse policiamente contra quem apoia parto normal e amamentação, como se a simples menção de dizer que isso é o melhor para o bebê (e para a màe), e que é o mais correto a se fazer fosse uma acusação com quem não fez (seja pela razão que for).
Um porre tudo isso.
Isso Gisele, vc não é musa à toa!!!
Bjoks
Paula
A importância da amamentação | Blog da Gisele…
I found your entry interesting do I’ve added a Trackback to it on my weblog
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Dear Gisele: I’ve just received the link about your interview for Harper’s Bazaar. And I’d like to thank you that you put the “Breastfeeding Issue” on the spot of the midia. Many people and organizations around the world have worked hard, with wisdom and passion, helping to support, promote and protect Breastfeeding. And now you are having the unique oportunnity to feel and live this experience. As an example and a “behavior maker”, your interest, open mind and clever talking about this issue, in all the places and opportunities you may have from now and on, will certainly help a lot many other women around the world to think about how important is for their babies, themselves and we humankind as a whole to breastfeed your baby, as long as possible and under your conditions you may have. Thanks.
Roberto Mario Issler, Pediatrician, Professor of Pediatrics (Faculdade de Medicina, UFRGS)
IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant).
Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
Bom dia Gisele!
Acho que agora uma frase resume tudo. “Gisele, você está além do nosso tempo”!
A evolução e as suas experiências te proporcionaram uma visão de vida que é muito mais amadurecida e inteligente do que os padrões e conceitos do nosso tempo atual.
Ser mãe é uma experiência incompreensível para a nossa mente racional, e os instintos e o inconsciente falam mais alto, mesmo sendo homem e pai, e ter estudado na psicanálise toda a evolução do ser humano, nunca irei compreender o que é ser mãe. E muitas mulheres também não compreenderão este grande fenômeno da maternidade, por isso, continue assim, tendo suas próprias opiniões, e continue se dedicando aos estudos e a compreensão prática da maternidade.
Acho que seja na área ambiental, ou no que diz respeito ao aleitamento materno, sempre romperemos tabus quando o assunto é saúde e comportamento, pois quando somos verdadeiros, às vezes, contrariamos os interesses de outras pessoas que não visam a saúde ou o comportamento saudável. Por exemplo, eu sou assim, como a pediatra da minha filha indicou, eu apoiei e acompanhei a mãe da minha filha a amamentar e alimentar unicamente com leite materno a minha filha até os seis meses, nem água e nem papinha até os seis meses, só e exclusivamente leite materno. Seja por motivos psicológicos e biológicos.
Agora quando dizemos para não alimentar com papinha industrializadas um bebê de quatro meses, estamos, na maior da boa vontade, indo contra conceitos pré estabelecidos pela sociedade, pela industria e pela propaganda. Por isso essa reação em cadeia, a indústria e a sociedade se condicionaram aos meios prátricos dos alimentos prontos e à falsa verdade que amamentação é substituível. Mas o aleitamento materno é imprencindível e insubstituível.
Mas o fato, é que devemos ser verdadeiros e sempre apoiar a saúde e os comportamentos saudáveis, mas acontece que muitas pessoas não querem mudar e nem conseguem compreender certos assuntos, o que acaba gerando pré conceitos. É parecido com o que acontece na Psicologia Clínica, às vezes a própria pessoa tem que desejar inconscientemente evoluir e ser saudável, certas coisas se não partirem das próprias pessoas, não adiantará forçar, há a necessidade de vontade de mudança interior.
Obrigado Gisele pelo espaço, acho que novamente escrevi demais, mas a minha intenção é poder colaborar com o esclarecimento de um ato que eu defendo e incentivo, a amamentação, e claro meu intuito é sempre tentar gerar saúde, seja mental ou física, e a felicidade da Gisele é também a minha felicidade.
As pessoas pensam pequeno, o problema é esse.
Bom dia!
Gisele,concordo plenamete com o seu comentário;”trazer uma vida para este mundo é o compromisso mais importante que uma pessoa pode assumir e pode ser o mais desafiador também”,e a coisa mais bela também,no qual tem que ser encarado com muito responsabilidade.
Parabéns!!
Eu também sou mãe e sei como a amamentação pode ser dura nas primeiras semanas, mas acredito que é um esforço necessário para que a criança fique saudável. E, depois que o bebê mama e se acostuma, é só alegria. Admiro sua postura, pois você é uma pessoa real e não virou aquelas celebridades fúteis.
Thank you Gisele for adressing the REAL truth of what you were trying to say. As I read the interview (unlike many) who just read the gossip, and I knew right from the start since I follow you and know your personality, that you meant the law of your beliefs and your heart, not an ACTUAL law. I think people should not read too deep into things. Brazilians communicate differently than Americans/English speaking people. Also she is being asked these questions for Huge magazine publications, it is not like she is telling people what to do. Harper’s Bazaar was asking her, and she told her belief, as we all do, like many are doing right now in this situation….
I read the interview in Harper’s Bazaar UK September 2010 and then I saw some gossip and I said huh? she said this in the interview? because I did not read it..It is totally wrong that the crappy gossip source, completely did a 180 on everything she said. They are not a reputable source of info anyways, and its sad most people didn’t even read the REAL article yet, because its not half as bad as what this site reported. Its real horrible how in hollywood,things some celebs say get wayyyy taken out of context, and this is exactly that case!
Gisele is a wonderful mother. Benjamin is always so happy. Gisele has had great success, because of her heart and amazing personality.
Gisele as a new mom I understand you are extremely excited and are wanting to do everything in your power to do what you concieve to be right for your new child. In being in the spot light you have an opportunity to express your beliefs and what you yourself feel is good for you and your child. However for those same exact reasons sometimes the words and beliefs that can be expressed in the media can cause more harm than good. Yes, breast feeding in the first few months of a childs life are important. But, what message are you sending to women who are unable to breast feed for a large varity of reasons most of which are medical. Does this mean that they love their children less or want their kids to be less healthy than all the rest. My mother had 4 kids and none of us were breast fed and none of us had any serious health issues or mental deficiences. I know my mother didn’t love me less because she didn’t breast feed me, she just was not able to produce milk. So then I suppose it then comes down to this, I think this means she loves me more- because even though she felt like a failure, yes, thats how she felt because she was unable to do what the health proffesionals and others told her was the right thing to do, she loved me and so was able to provide me with sustenance, in whatever form, so that I would grow strong and healthy and be the woman I am today.
I congratulate you on the birth of your child and hope you both are healthy and well, this is all any of us can wish for, for every mother and child all over the world .
Regards,
Sarah xx
Before I read this, I was wondering who you were to say that all mothers should breastfeed. My daughter is almost 6 months old and is mostly breastfed. The first 10 weeks of breastfeeding were HELL!! I was in tears with every feed andy many times thought of giving up. My daughter now has one formula feed a day plus her breastfeeds. I
You may have been taken out of context, and I hope you were. The descision to breastfeed should be the mothers decision.
I wish you all the best with you Son. I hope he lights up your life, like my daughter lights up mine.
God will smile on you and your son my dear Gisele, take care and peace.
Hi Gisele,
Unfortunately I have not had the chance to read your full interview with Harpers Bazaar UK, however, the healines it has generated have angered me.
Like all new mothers I am sure that you only want to do what is absolutely best for you and your darling newborn. And you are in a financial & health position to be able to do that.
Unfortunately due to the state of this planet these days that is not possible for all new mothers.
Those who are starving and cannot produce enough milk to sustain their dying children rely on the formula provided by charity organisations.
Those who are forced to work full time and cannot afford the time to stop and “pump” milk for their loved ones.
Those who are unable to feed their babies due to health issues – consider the mothers who have had masectomies or survived breast cancer, their actions may have survived their lives, but left them unable to give to their babies. And then there are those who’s babies refuse to suckle, without the nutrients in formula these babies would not progress.
As a new Mother’s we put so much pressure on ourselves to do the absolute best for our babies. While we all want to do the best for our babies, we may not be in a position to breast feed them.
Enjoy your little bundle of joy – they surely are gifts from above.
Love this post! My thoughts exactly.
I would add that many women cannot or choose not to nurse due to sexual assualt and negative psychological feelings about giving their bodies to another person.
Being a mom is really tough in this day and age. We have to juggle motherhood, work, health, finances and so much more. If one of these fragile elements are “off” in the system, nursing for the 6 months…. heck…. the first 3 months may simply be impossible.
For those of us that could nurse, lordy we were blessed. For those of us that could not, lordy you were blessed just as much! And that’s because we became moms.
Hi Gisele, I think its real horrible how some people will misconstrue your words, and then the true (good!) meaning of what you were trying to say, never gets across. Instead they like to turn something positive into a negative. (real sad
I know you mean well. You are just a proud mama, and should be. I wish you will not work for Harpers Bazaar UK ever again, even if it is one of the most beautiful works Ive seen from you.
take care, and send Benjamin lots of kisses, as I know you do
xoxo
Gisele, você é realmente uma pessoa evoluida.
Admiro muito você!
Parabéns.
abraço
Tati