Pinay moms take a stand to dispel negative views on breastfeeding

Eight Filipino mothers have taken a stand to dispel negative views on breastfeeding by agreeing to be photographed and filmed while nursing their children.

The women took part in #GoBreastfeedBoldly, a campaign to educate and empower parents to breastfeed. It also encourages the public to support breastfeeding through photos and videos that will be posted on GoBreastfeed.com.  

"There is power in the image of a breastfeeding mother. It can inspire another mother to breastfeed her child. Or it can tell people that breastfeeding is normal. It is an act of infant feeding and not an indecent display of flesh," GoBreastfeed.com creator and editor Kate Delos Reyes said.

A former country editor of Yahoo Philippines, Delos Reyes is a trained breastfeeding peer counselor and a mother to a three-year-old. She was among the eight women shot by photographer Apy Arevalo for the campaign.  

The others were Katrina Ambion, Armi Baticados, Cheryl Chan-Wong, Bing Guevara, Vanessa Librero, Claire Mogol, and Kaice Romero, who were photographed with their children.

"I am happy to have been a part of this worthwhile project, which allowed me to creatively portray women who promote breastfeeding boldly. I believe these images can change society's negative perceptions about breastfeeding," Arevalo said.

The women who joined the campaign also shared personal stories of body acceptance, as filmed by Javinchi Studios.

"Contrary to what I expected, there was no awkward moment while filming these women. Being a breastfeeding mom myself, I'm proud to be part of such an inspiring project. Brave women can truly be instruments of change," said videographer Jacel Ann Chiu.

#GoBreastfeedBoldly was launched this month, which is National Breastfeeding Awareness Month. Another notable event held in August was the Hakab Na! simultaneous breastfeeding in several cities nationwide.

According to the 2011 Family Health Survey (FHS), 92 percent of children in the Philippines aged 6 – 35 months old had been breastfed at least some of the time. Only 27 percent were exclusively breastfed.

However, figures from the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) showed that exclusive breastfeeding rates have risen from 36 percent in 2008 to 47 percent in 2011. Moreover, the initiation of breastfeeding within one hour of delivery has increased from 32 percent in 2008 to 52 percent in 2011.

But Delos Reyes still thinks that there should be wider breastfeeding awareness to help advance child health.

"Educating parents about its benefits is key to successful breastfeeding. But making the society more open-minded and supportive is just as crucial," she said.

For instance, a study suggests that breastfeeding a baby for at least six months may be linked to a lower risk of childhood leukemia.

Body acceptance

Aside from promoting improving a child's health, breastfeeding can also help mothers accept their bodies.

"This campaign speaks to many women who feel insecure about their bodies, more so when they became mothers. It also reaches out to Filipinos who are inclined to judge women when they nurse in public," Delos Reyes said.

A 2014 survey commissioned by a local beauty brand showed that 93 percent of Filipino women don't like how they look. Moreover, a 2009 study published in the Philippine Journal of Science also found that six out of 10 poor Filipino women were not satisfied with their bodies.

"#GoBreastfeedBoldly champions breastfeeding in public and body acceptance, which go hand in hand. Women who feel confident about their bodies are likely to breastfeed in public without hesitation," Delos Reyes said.

"Now I feel real. This is the body that God has blessed me with," she added. — BM, GMA News