This is not a NY-only phenom. Similar adverts are in the mid-west (television and print) spouting that you burn an extra 600 calories a day, and isn't that great for everyone?!

Ugh. I'm all for increasing the rates of breastfeeding, but there definitely needs to be systemic change rather than a "nursing as weight loss" campaign. And I'm also happy to do away with the "nine months up, nine months down" adage. We all lose weight at our own rate - breastfeeding didn't magically melt away my baby weight, but it's slowly coming off now that I'm back into a groove of cooking meals, eating healthy, and finding some time to myself to exercise, none of which happened in the first 9 months of my daughter's life because being a new mom is hard.

So yeah, this advert could be seen as another way to shame women into "getting their bodies back" and returning to "normal" rather than embracing their new figure and their new status as mothers. Motherhood is not a temporary condition, it's a permanent change in outlook and appearance.

I've had several friends give birth rather recently. All wanted to breastfeed, but some were more successful than others. The problem I heard most was nurses pushing them to bottle-feed, especially if they didn't start producing right away. Now, it's quite normal for things to not flow "right" soon after birth, but in one case the nurses lied and said that the baby was too dehydrated and had to be fed NOW. Later inspection of the records showed that was wrong. Unfortunately, the mother gave in as she was too tired too argue and now she has had no luck breast-feeding. Such a shame!

But there are definitely other issues as well including a cultural stigma. I'm not sure how that ad influences that, though I think it might make it more acceptable when -- sadly -- other things haven't.

"it requires changes in the workplace and family leave policies that make it possible for women to realistically combine breastfeeding with the demands of their jobs."

Damn right, it does! When is the United States going to get a progressive mat leave policy?

In Canada, employed women can take up to a year off, and draw from their employment insurance. It's an income hit, but it does make the first year of breastfeeding and bonding more practical.

in my opinion, if it gets another woman breastfeeding, there's nothing wrong with it.

Breastfeeding can make a woman ravenously hungry. I predict a lot of women will try this, continue to eat as they feel the need, and will actually GAIN weight compared to the pre-baby weight (what happened to my mother with all three of her breast-fed babies). Some might say "well, at least their babies got a little breastmilk" but if that's the only reason they were doing it, they're gonna tell everyone they know it didn't work, and maybe caused weight gain, and they'll resent breastfeeding and discourage their friends and family from trying it with their children. This could actually cause LOWER breastfeeding rates.

"For my baby, for me"

What is fundamentally wrong with this? It is appealing to our culture of weight loss - and what is wrong with that? How is it fat shaming to recognize that many women want to lose weight after a pregnancy? Clearly a 30 second ad isn't going to tell you everything you need to know about breast feeding, but if it gets a mother interested when previously she wasn't, that's a good thing.

Lots of women don't breastfeed because they fear the affects on their bodies/breasts. So, what's wrong with the PSA trying to counter this fear by informing mothers of the possibility that they might like some of the affects?

So tired of hearing people complain about breastfeeding awareness efforts. Of course, not everyone can breastfeed - but doesn't the public health community have the obligation to tell us it is best when it really is? That you should try? And that it might even benefit you, the mother, too?

Tired of commentors on this blog twisting every piece of health advice into the establishment trying to make everyone feel guilty about themselves. We have a right to know what is healthy for our babies and what isn't.

The ad is misleading because weight-loss while lactating is very far from universal. As Basiorana pointed out above, weight gain is not uncommon while lactating. It should have been worded along the lines of "some women find it easier to lose weight while breastfeeding......." But that is hardly as convincing as flashing some fat pants - or in this case completely normal, healthy pregnant woman maternity pants - and then dancing around in skinny leggings.

Beyond that though - this ad is part of a series of ads that highlight some of the many benefits of breastfeeding, and within that context I don't think it is terrible. As a WIC breastfeeding peer counselor (not in NYC) I routinely mention a possible boost in weight loss as one of many many good things about breastfeeding for both mom and baby - not the most important thing - but one of the things.

One thing I really like about this ad is that it features a toddler. I think the toddler suggests that it will likely take awhile - like over a year - to shed the baby weight and that's ok. It also gives the subtle suggestion that is ok to breastfeed beyond a year - a practice that is virtually taboo in large segments of our culture.

I have read in some article that breastfeeding really helps in loosing weight. Producing milk for baby needs a lot of energy,about 200-500 extra calories I think. So it's really help a lot for mommies.

Of course breastfeeding *can* help with weightloss - that's partly why the weight is there. But a woman who breastfeeds and eats such a low amount as to be 500 calories in deficit every day is very likely to be missing out on the micronutrients that are important to replenish her body's stores, which are depleted following pregnancy and by breastfeeding. It is very hard to get adequate nutrition when dieting, and women's bodies burn use stored minerals and vitamins during breastmilk production. So I don't buy the idea that weight-loss is "for her health" at that time. A woman whose body is starved of micronutrients is not in optimal health. But then that's never stopped the diet message yet.

Gwen,
What's your angle?
- - - "Prolific sender-inner Dmitriy T.M. ???" - - -

What did DTM do to get on your derogated-er-ed side?

His aims seem clearly weller-wisher, while yours are obscure
and vaguely demeaning?

YAY, DTM.

( oh, and BOO, me; whataB )

It reminds me a bit of that fastfood=heroin commercial. Saying harming things to get a harmless message across.

Ok, I read through the article and all the comments so far before watching the video. My initial feelings of the ad were turned around. My original thoughts were that it's generally ok to appeal to vanity for a good cause, although I learned more through the comments that it's not a guarantee of weight loss, and that despite what I may have heard about the benefits of breast-feeding for the baby, they may be over-stated, and in line to shame people (women/moms) who are unable to measure up to "perfection".

Then I watched the ad, and I was appalled by its presentation like a common diet plan or pill. I don't think it's always the right approach for people to accept their weight gain, I mean it's not something everyone is happy or should be forced to accept - how you want your body is how you want your body, is it society telling you to be thin or society telling you you should accept being heavy - what about what a person wants for themselves? I gained weight for bad reasons (eating/drinking my pain) and I lost weight from bad lifestyle (living temporarily within strict means=eating a lot less than typically considered adequate). People are always complimenting me on my weight loss but it's not a recommended route! I feel better personally and think I look better, but what am I hearing? I got what I wanted but not by intention; I was depressed overweight, but did not have will power except by extreme measures of financial deprivation. Is there something wrong with people who intend to lose weight, and are appealed by the benefits of breast-feeding, after they have gone through besides being pregnant, but the side-effect of weight gain? Is this "motherhood" thing, something people should glorify and accept every darn part of their body cooperating with nature instead of what they would rather?

I just thought this commercial made it seem amazing and miraculous like the barrage of advertising around New Year's resolutions for gyms and weight loss plans, but SURPRISE ENDING! To get on this plan, you have to bear a child - another social expectation of women. Not just to want to be mothers but from the other side, to let go of vanity, to not be pressured by the ill effects of society convincing them to be thin and pretty, but to embrace motherhood as some kind of obligation to bear children but also to embrace weight gain and not be concerned with their appearance. I would be more willing to accept an ad which mentions this, because I don't think there should be anything wrong with wanting to attain a certain appearance, or to look how you feel, to not succumb to an either/or, let yourself go-that's what happens-what did you expect to keep your figure after you have a baby, what are you nuts??? kind of attitude. They're both ugly to me in some shared "motherhood" experience I don't share but that is what I'm built for and my body knows better for me what I want than I do (re: gaining weight and my brain having to accept it, as well as get on the baby-making train) - it's exclusive. I don't think this ad is great. I think it plays to everyone caught in a diet trap and a "mommy" thing as well. "It wasn't a fad diet. (Everyone expects you to make babies)."

Hey Great Post! Breast feeding didnt help in losing my baby fat. I guess it works with some women.

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Yes the ad is overblown (and corny) but the reaction to it disturbs me. In fact breastfeeding does promote weight loss, which is not just a cosmetic thing -- it is healthy for the mother. Some are complaining that the ad "doesn't even address the baby except at the end." Some others are complaining that breastfeeding "propaganda" focuses too *much* on the baby and treats women like vending machines. How about this: breastfeeding benefits both mother and child about equally. And speaking more about one than the other for a stretch of a minute does not mean you are dehumanizing the mother (or the child).

I do not judge a woman who does not want to breastfeed for any reason, personal, physical, whatever. But there are many women who are not ever educated on breast feeding's benefits for themselves or their baby. There are many good reasons to breastfeed (finance, convenience, health, as well as relationship based) that many disadvantaged women are not informed of and not encouraged to explore.

Re Katerina --Yes there are many here saying breast feeding's benefits are overblown, but do not take any commenters' opinions here as fact. Research this matter your own benefit.

While I'm not very happy about this particular PSA, I'm not sure I understand why people get so angry about pro-breastfeeding campaigns in general. Formula companies are sophisticated, have tons of money, and are often manipulative (like many large companies), especially among the poor (you should read about what Nestle does in various communities in Africa), and though I'm glad formula is out there for those who need it, breastfeeding really doesn't have the support in American culture that bottle feeding does. Just think of what children see on the toy shelves - baby dolls with bottles. And so many American children grow up without ever seeing a woman breastfeed, but see lots of bottle feeding on t.v. Women who breastfeed without a cover are often told they are being disgusting or offensive, and are sometimes encouraged to wean early so as not to "harm" their child with dependency or inappropriate sexual behavior (b/c our culture is weird about boobs, but not about bottles).

But the fact is, breastfeeding is nutritionally better, and why is that so strange? It's human milk for humans instead of cow's milk or soy milk for humans. It isn't a judgment on mothers to say that, it's just the way it is. Given that information, a mother can then make an informed decision for her and her child that others should respect. But regardless, women's bodies are incredible! They adjust the nutrients of breastmilk according to a child's needs and age, they pass on white blood cells and immunity building as needed through the milk, women's milk is antibacterial and can heal a child's eye infections or mouth sores or heal cracked nipples, their bodies regulate the temperature of the milk and adjust the amount according to a child's growth needs. Where are the feminists saying how amazing women's bodies are? Insead, I hear so many feminists saying how breastfeeding advocates are "nazis" and are setting up a standard of impossible perfection (um... women have been breastfeeding since the beginning of humanity. When did this become an impossibility?) It might not work for everyone, but with the proper support and education it can work for most - it's just that American culture doesn't provide support or education and is quick to move a baby to the bottle, quick to say "you're not making enough milk" when in reality this is true of only a very tiny minority.

Now as to this ad, well, I'd much rather they say that breastfeeding has benefits for the mother as well as the baby and list those (incl. possible pregnancy weight loss) rather than make bfing seem like a diet plan and set up a standard and expectation for women that may not work for many. Bfing can be really hard at first for many women, so to give them the encouragement that they aren't just "vending machines" is a great thing, but I do think focusing on weight loss alone does much more harm than good. It isn't empowering, it's the opposite.