Another day, another ad to make you stressed about your baby’s health. Sorry.
We’re all familiar with the saying ‘you are what you eat’, but women who are pregnant or breastfeeding tend to be eating for two.
A new ad campaign, designed to educate women about the importance of eating healthily while nursing, plays on this idea with the slogan “your child is what you eat.”
In a series of disturbing posters from Brazilian Paediatric organisation SPRS, the words are painted across mothers’ breasts alongside images of junk food — creating the illusion of babies consuming fast food.
Each of the posters declares that the “habits in the first thousand days of gestation can prevent your child from developing serious diseases.”
According to the SPRS website, “love and affection are vital, but it is important to educate and inform mothers about the procedures necessary for proper nutrition and baby care.”
The campaign draws on research by Robert Waterland, a professor at the Baylor College of Medicine, which revealed that healthy diets in pregnant women actually affect genetic expression of their babies and can protect them from developing tumours.
The flipside of which is that unhealthy diets were found to negatively affect children’s immune systems.
Breast milk is composed of proteins, fats, vitamins, and carbohydrates, which supply newborns with nutrients they need to build healthy immune systems.
It’s important for pregnant women and breast feeding mums to increase their daily calorie intake, and yes, make good decisions at meal times.
But for already anxious new mums, we’re not sure this ad is remotely helpful.
What do you think of the ad? Is it a little over the top?
Top Comments
When I was pregnant I would throw up healthy veggies but could keep down a cheeseburger. I figured something was better than nothing.
I am 23 weeks pregnant with my first, and I have actually found shaming to be the other way with some people... Because I am going with general pregnancy dietary rules (no deli meats/caffeine/alcohol/ aspartame/ limited sugar) multiple women have felt that it is okay to roll their eyes and say things like "Oh, first baby over here" and act generally superior about it, like they know better (and I mean, some of these women have literally only had two children, so they have been pregnant exactly one more time than me.) It really annoys me! I have no problem giving those things up, why should they care?
Yes, I'm also pregnant with my first, I LOVE red wine but don't want to have a even a small glass every now and then, and I am constantly told "it's fine, there's no harm, I did it " blah blah, I honestly don't care if people choose to have the odd drink when pregnant, I'm sure it is fine, I just personally don't want to and feel like I'm always having to explain why not (its mainly because if I have 1 i'd probably want 2 or 3 more, so best not to get a taste for it).