Most moms have heard to be careful what we put into our bodies while we are pregnant. For those of us who choose to nurse, we are told that what we eat and drink does have an impact on our babies. The idea that our “child is what we eat” isn’t a new concept. However, a Brazilian children’s group created an ad campaign that has many moms scratching their heads.
The organization, SPRS (Sociedade de Pediatria do Rio Grande do Sul), created the campaign to educate women about why it is important to eat healthy while nursing. The words “Your child is what you eat” is painted on nursing mother’s chests beside images of junk food or soda. It looks like the baby is eating the donut or drinking the soda.
The posters tell mothers that “habits in the first thousand days of gestation can prevent your child from developing serious diseases.” There is plenty of research that shows healthy diets in pregnant and nursing moms can impact genes and immunity in babies. It is vitally important for mothers to eat right and limit anything that would negatively impact their child’s health. However, these posters seem a little strong for some women.
One donut won’t hurt a baby for life, maybe a dozen a day. One soda isn’t going to cause diabetes in an infant. Sure, too much of something can cause problems, but are these pictures trying to guilt moms into eating only healthy foods? Are they giving new parents one more thing to stress about?
