This CBS News video on the Challenges of Breastfeeding is wonderful in so many ways it is hard to know where to start. Especially on the heels of our disappointment with ABC News, and more dirt on their ties with industry, I think it is really important to give a huge shout out to CBS for getting breastfeeding right, and giving moms a huge boost in beating the “Booby Traps.” Below is what I like about the video; read to the end for the REAL punchline-I’m issuing a challenge!
Here’s what I loved about the video right off the bat:
- The breastfeeding depictions in the opening help normalize breastfeeding in our squeamish culture.
- Dr. Jennifer Ashton is attractive, sympathetic and articulate. Her image can help give breastfeeding a makeover and make it mainstream. Move over, Dr. Nancy Snyderman! I love that Dr. Ashton shares that breastfeeding was challenging for her personally, and how she was much more successful with baby #2, just like most moms (but we hope that someday, baby #1 won’t get the short end of the breastfeeding stick any more, once the barriers are gone.)
- Ashton notes that breastfeeding is important for the baby AND the mother! Yes! Too often the focus is just on the baby, but moms get huge health and emotional benefits from breastfeeding too, and they are worth it. Personally I have no problem with any mom who breastfeeds because it’s good for HER.
- That delicious breastfeeding baby with all the hair! Rooting away, sucking on Rosenfeld’s practiced finger, I was practically cheering that little babe on.
- Watching a master at work. Expert lactation consultant (IBCLC) Freda Rosenfeld is the kind of LC I wish all moms had PAID, INSURED access to instead of some of the imposters out there. What a great role model to expose the mainstream public to, when not enough mothers know about ILCA.org and how to find the right A-team to support them through birth & breastfeeding! Rosenfeld was wonderful on camera, and a joy to watch. I absolutely worship the true “Boob Whisperers” out there, and delight in how they handle babies and mothers with supreme knowledge, skill, intuition and love.
- Lots of breastfeeding footage and even a little bit of nipple. In the right context (think Salma Hayek or Angelina Jolie on the cover of W magazine); I have total faith that the American public can embrace breastfeeding in full view.
- Highlighting the uniqueness of every mom-baby breastfeeding experience. Moms need to know to have no expectations, but to have the mindset that breastfeeding is an adventure; and that as long as you are not being booby-trapped or have medical contraindications you will probably get the hang of it just like riding a bike. Helping moms understand that they need to get help right away if they are having difficulty.
There are some things that annoyed me like the heavy-handed focus on pumps and featuring a product made by a company that is not WHO Code Compliant, but I am not going to nitpick. Overall the story was fantastic.
However, I fear that this video clip will not spread like wildfire throughout the ‘net and blogosphere. Let’s face it, media coverage or blogs that stir up the mommy wars and send everyone into a tweeting, commenting, posting, judging frenzy generate a lot more hits and a lot more attention than an informative, positive, supportive view of breastfeeding. But how can we encourage huge media outlets like CBS to get awesome messages about breastfeeding under the nose (literally) of the mainstream public if we only focus on the negative? Just like in parenting, we need to provide MORE positive reinforcement. So I am issuing a challenge to you:
Please write CBS and tell them how much you appreciate the fantastic video and what a great service they provided for mothers and babies. Then come back and comment that you did it; then tweet it and facebook it! I bet we can get 100 people to send them a letter. If enough of us flood them with gratitude for this feature, maybe other media outlets will follow suit. Are you listening, ABC News?
@BestforBabes
Best For Babes
Done!
Done!!!
Sent!
Fabulous! Wrote CBS right away.
did it! thanks for posting and making it so easy to view it and comment.
Just left a message. They really got it right interviewing Freda. She’s the best!!
Done! Now off to Facebook to post a link to your website for others to see the blog!
Done! thanks for posting!
Sent a message and posted it on FB! Thanks : )
Sent note to CBS… that was AWESOME!
I sent a note to CBS, it is refreshing to see mainstream media finally putting breastfeeding in a positive light.
Done! My DD is 11 months old today and still nursing~
Letter sent. Great to see!!
Nice job CBS! Letter sent. Thank you again Bettina!
I breastfed both my children past the age of 2. My first and I struggled in the beginning because he was premature. I was so glad my mother had BF my siblings and me. She was very supportive and taught me many fine points,got me on the right track, made me homemade soup, meals as her mom had done for her. Hugs.
I just submitted my feedback! Thank you so much for sharing this video… I have several friends who are expecting, and I can’t wait to share this video with them as well.
Keep up the good work, ladies!
i sent my email, tweeted the link and Facebooked it! YAY CBS!!!
Comment sent! Now to share on Facebook! And yes, that newborn was TOO adorable. Where can I get one??
Did it! Thank you for sharing!
i commented cbs. i thought it was a good video! wish i knew so much when i started breastfeeding. live and learn, i suppose. =)
sent a thank you email to cbs!
I sent a very positive review to CBS! Thanks for sharing it with us!
Finally did it!
I am way late, but I did email them and wanted you to know! Thanks for sharing this and keeping the Booby Traps out of the way for women!!
I sent them a thank you letter! And thank you for issuing the challenge!
Just sent a note to CBS! Sorry, not on FB or Twitter so I can’t post there, but I’ll let my friends know about it via old fashioned e-mail.