New BFing commercials featuring weight loss (vent)

TarheelsInNJ · October 2010

Have you all seen these commercials lately, promoting breastfeeding as a way to get your body back? They may just be in our area, not sure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjoWWUYDKQM

I have to say, as a person who has been nursing for a year, I find them a little offensive! This is NOT meant to start a BF vs. FF war or anything, btw.

But honestly, if your main motivation for breastfeeding is to lose weight, I really don't think you'll stick with it, because it's hard! I think the commercials do a disservice to new moms because it makes it seem easy... in reality, breastfeeding takes a lot of commitment, and I think women would be better served by knowing what resources are out there to help. I also think it trivializes the importance of breastfeeding... it is not a diet trick, but a nutritional choice for your child!!

Also, breastfeeding is certainly not a miracle weight loss cure! At least it wasn't for me.

Okay, now I work in advertising, and I totally get the idea of trying a new and edgy way to get your message across... but I think there's also so much general misinformation about breastfeeding that this is too casual a way to promote it. One could assume that this is poking fun at weight loss commercials, and everyone will get the joke - but I'm honestly not sure that's true.

Vent over.

AggieGrl · October 2010

I haven't seen that particular commercial, but I have seen others like it around here. It rubs me the wrong way too. If it talked about helping you get back to your postpartum weight, that is one thing, but it doesn't say anything about pregnancy at the beginning. It's like, "Hey, are you fat? Then get pregnant so you can breastfeed and be skinny like me!"

FWIW, I EPed for 6 months and I didn't magically lose weight either.

Ivana_Stolichnaya · October 2010

....then

sgrl · October 2010

LOL. I partial breastfed for 8.5 months and lost weight vverrrrrry slowly. I've lost quite a bit since I stopped. Lies, lies, all lies. Everybody's different. There's no magic bullet and there are so many reasons to breastfeed beyond weight loss.

Mereou12 · October 2010

What a freakin' load of BS!

I agree with everything you said. Breastfeeding is FAR harder than any diet plan I've tried...and believe me, I've done 'em all in the last 10 or so years. And even BFing hasn't been a miracle weight loss plan. I'm definitely still hanging on to 7ish pounds of flub that most every experienced former BFer tells me will likely drop as soon as I wean.

ella.mabel · October 2010

No doubt. In order for me to keep my supply up, i have to eat a LOT. Every time i try to cut calories a little, i can barely pump an ounce. I have actually gained weight (shameful, i know). Jeans that fit me in March are now too tight. I'm going to work on losing the weight again after i hit the one year mark. BF'ing is definitely not the weight loss cure, not for me at least.

A S-ski · October 2010

Other than the fact that it is kind of cheaply done and cheesy, it doesn't bother me. We live in a vain country and this may be one way to get someone to BF that otherwise might not consider it. BFing did work for me as far as weight loss goes. I've been 5lbs lighter than my pre-preg weight since LO was about 3 or 4 months old. Also, for me, BFing was easy. I can't imagine having to wash bottles and measure things out. That sounds like a huge PITA to me. Just the bottles of BM I have to wash from DC make me crazy. I tell people all the time that I BF because I'm lazy and I'm only half kidding.

I know everyone's experience isn't the same but if this gets someone to try BFing that wasn't considering it before, then I don't see the harm in it.

Jerseygirl16 · October 2010

I haven't seen the ads but weight loss really is a big side effect to BFing for a lot of women (it sure was for me) and I think any positive that can be stressed and at least get women to give it a try is a good thing. I BF my daughters for a year each and my son for 4 months. While I was pregnant with my first DD I have to admit I was pretty scared of the whole thing. I did it just as much because I knew it was good for her as I did because it was cheaper and I read it would help me drop weight faster. So whatever my motivation I'm glad I pressed through and gave it a try and found out that it was way easier (I was blessed with a daughter that caught right on and things went very well) than I had expected. If there are Mom's out there that aren't as big into research as me and get their info from a tv ad then I say play up every good point you can.

Singingmama · October 2010

As a mother who tried EVERYTHING under the sun to make her body produce enough milk to breastfeed, I find this commercial very offensive. The one thing that I KNEW I would do with my baby was breastfeed and I was completely heartbroken when I finally had to come to terms with the fact that my body wasn't going to produce enough milk. My daughter lost a pound from her birth weight (she was only 6 lbs 4 oz to begin with) and was a skinny and almost malnurished looking baby, before I finally gave in and started heavily supplementing.

Now, she's a happy, healthy, thriving 10 month old and I look back on those first few weeks of her life and think about how much precious time I wasted being so caught up in HAVING to breastfeed. I definitely think breastfeeding is best for baby and I will try to breastfeed my next child, but I still have a lot of resentment towards the fact that it didn't work with my baby girl. I get really frustrated when I hear/see commercials that make it sound like EVERYONE can breastfeed and it's sooo... easy, blah, blah, blah...

It's not easy, not everyone can and it's not the end of the world and you are not a bad mother, if for some reason you cannot breastfeed.

chloephoebecali · October 2010

I don't have a problem with the commercials. It just states that you can burn up to 500 calories. Isn't that true? If it wasn't then I'd think it was misleading. At no point do they say bfing is easy. They are only saying it burns calories.
Who cares what someone's motivation is to bf. It doesn't bother me. There isn't that much time on a commercial to go into how hard bfing is and the purpose of the commercial is to promote, not dissuade. People can do their own research if that is what they chose, not to mention WIC apparently offers programs that support women that want to bf.

Summerbaby · October 2010

I am so sick of people saying you loss weight b/c of bfeeding!! I bf one child and ff the other child and lost the SAME weight at the same amount of time!! I wish it was true:)

Lucky428 · October 2010

chloephoebecali:
I don't have a problem with the commercials. It just states that you can burn up to 500 calories. Isn't that true? If it wasn't then I'd think it was misleading. At no point do they say bfing is easy. They are only saying it burns calories.
Who cares what someone's motivation is to bf. It doesn't bother me. There isn't that much time on a commercial to go into how hard bfing is and the purpose of the commercial is to promote, not dissuade. People can do their own research if that is what they chose, not to mention WIC apparently offers programs that support women that want to bf.

This. Weight loss was a major motivator and the only reason I stopped BF (When he was 7 months) was because I was hospitalized and my doctors insisted I stopped. I guess I'm lucky because I lost all the weight really quickly.

TarheelsInNJ · October 2010

chloephoebecali:
I don't have a problem with the commercials. It just states that you can burn up to 500 calories. Isn't that true? If it wasn't then I'd think it was misleading. At no point do they say bfing is easy. They are only saying it burns calories.
Who cares what someone's motivation is to bf. It doesn't bother me. There isn't that much time on a commercial to go into how hard bfing is and the purpose of the commercial is to promote, not dissuade. People can do their own research if that is what they chose, not to mention WIC apparently offers programs that support women that want to bf.

I have no problem at all if weight loss motivates people to breastfeed. Whatever works! My concern is more that if that's your only motivation, you're not going to be prepared for how hard it can be, and you might not be as committed to stick it out. I just think it makes it sound too easy.

I also think that people like us are online, doing research, asking questions, etc. But a lot of people aren't like that, and I feel like there is a serious lack of information out there about breastfeeding and the resources that can help.

LissaLee · October 2010

I don't find this offensive at all. The benefits to baby have been shown over and over again, and this commercial is just trying to show that you aren't just going through all of the trouble to breastfeed ONLY to benefit your baby, but that there are benefits to mom as well.

Statistically speaking, a large percentage of moms are able to return back to pre-pregnancy weight quicker if they breastfeed. Sorry that it doesn't happen for everyone, but that's no reason not to advertise it- it may help motivate a mom who isn't sure whether or not she wants to attempt breastfeeding.

I don't get these commercials where I live, but keep in mind that this appears to be one of multiple commercials made, so while this one may be focusing on weight loss, another in the same marketing campaign may focus on other benefits to mom (decreased risk of breast cancer, diabetes, obesity etc) or to baby (increased immunity, IQ, decreased risk of infection, diabetes, obesity etc).

sgrl · October 2010

Singingmama:

As a mother who tried EVERYTHING under the sun to make her body produce enough milk to breastfeed, I find this commercial very offensive. The one thing that I KNEW I would do with my baby was breastfeed and I was completely heartbroken when I finally had to come to terms with the fact that my body wasn't going to produce enough milk. My daughter lost a pound from her birth weight (she was only 6 lbs 4 oz to begin with) and was a skinny and almost malnurished looking baby, before I finally gave in and started heavily supplementing.

Now, she's a happy, healthy, thriving 10 month old and I look back on those first few weeks of her life and think about how much precious time I wasted being so caught up in HAVING to breastfeed. I definitely think breastfeeding is best for baby and I will try to breastfeed my next child, but I still have a lot of resentment towards the fact that it didn't work with my baby girl. I get really frustrated when I hear/see commercials that make it sound like EVERYONE can breastfeed and it's sooo... easy, blah, blah, blah...

It's not easy, not everyone can and it's not the end of the world and you are not a bad mother, if for some reason you cannot breastfeed.

Yes

epphd · October 2010

I think the commercial is cheesy, but nothing about it is inaccurate or misleading. Studies have shown that statistically speaking, women who breastfeed are more likely to return to pre-pregnancy weight and do so faster. It is one more reason to BF and if that is what induces a woman to try it - fine by me. It is not as though this commercial is the only information out there about BFing, nor is it even the only PSA about its benefits. It is one more tool to reach a broader audience.

FWIW, I easily lost all pregnancy weight (close to 60 pounds) and then some, and now weigh close to 10 pounds less than I did prior. I certainly have benefited from BFing in that sense.

epphd · October 2010

sgrl:
Singingmama:

As a mother who tried EVERYTHING under the sun to make her body produce enough milk to breastfeed, I find this commercial very offensive. The one thing that I KNEW I would do with my baby was breastfeed and I was completely heartbroken when I finally had to come to terms with the fact that my body wasn't going to produce enough milk. My daughter lost a pound from her birth weight (she was only 6 lbs 4 oz to begin with) and was a skinny and almost malnurished looking baby, before I finally gave in and started heavily supplementing.

Now, she's a happy, healthy, thriving 10 month old and I look back on those first few weeks of her life and think about how much precious time I wasted being so caught up in HAVING to breastfeed. I definitely think breastfeeding is best for baby and I will try to breastfeed my next child, but I still have a lot of resentment towards the fact that it didn't work with my baby girl. I get really frustrated when I hear/see commercials that make it sound like EVERYONE can breastfeed and it's sooo... easy, blah, blah, blah...

It's not easy, not everyone can and it's not the end of the world and you are not a bad mother, if for some reason you cannot breastfeed.

I am so sympathetic to the difficulties of BFing - I had two bouts of mastitis and a baby with jaundice so I remember the insane difficulties early on. But those difficulties in no way change the fact that BFing has been shown over and over again to have health benefits for mother and baby. A PSA describing those benefits is no more offensive to someone who does not breastfeed than a commercial promoting birth control is to someone who is infertile.

Of course our value as mothers is not defined by what we feed our children - breastfeeding PSAs in no way state that.

12bailey18 · October 2010

This commercial bothers me every time I see it.

berrysweet · October 2010

Before having LO, all I heard was that breastfeeding was a great way to lose the baby weight, how pounds melted off, etc.

However, I didn't lose a single pound when breastfeeding, despite religiously doing the 30 Day Shred, running, and eating well. I had never worked out that hard in my life without seeing results. Then, I started to hear more and more stories about friends who also didn't lose ANY weight while they were breastfeeding. I wish that I would have heard some of those stories while I was pregnant--I think it would have given me more realistic expectations.

I think the downfall of ads like this is that they may set women up for false expectations of how their body will respond post-pregnancy.

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