Boots, a large pharmacy chain in the U.K., has put out an ad for nipple cream that has sparked some anger from the UK public and women’s groups, including the Association of Breastfeeding Mothers and the National Childbirth Trust. Take a look at this ad. I don’t know about you, but my initial reaction upon seeing this ad was “Girlfriend, stop tugging your nipple like that. Pop the latch! Pop the latch!”

The magazine ad shows a woman complaining that breastfeeding gives her sore nipples, she even wishes “For the first time in my life I wish I had three nipples.”

In spite of the protests and the 19 complaints that the ad was “misleading and offensive,” the Guardian reports that the ad has been approved by the Advertising Standards Authority. The Guardian reports:

Complainants said the ads were misleading because they implied that sore nipples were normal when breastfeeding, whereas in fact it was usually due to incorrect feeding techniques.

The complainants added that the ad was misleading because Boots positioned its cream as the only product that could alleviate the problem of sore nipples.

They also argued that the ads were irresponsible, because they might discourage new mothers from seeking professional guidance about correct feeding, and offensive because they presented an “unfair and negative image of breastfeeding”.

In its ruling, the ASA replied that breastfeeding moms have most likely learnt the causes of sore nipples from attending prenatal classes and reading breastfeeding literature and they would not ban the ad assuming most mothers have prior knowledge and would not find this ad discouraging.

So you tell me, are the protestors right? Do you think this ad could convince women that breastfeeding pain is normal? Could it scare women away from breastfeeding altogether? Does the ad present an ”unfair and negative image of breastfeeding”?  Or is it just a “lighthearted and humourous” way to present a common breastfeeding difficulty? Should we assume that moms know the true causes of breast or nipple pain?

Is that a valid assumption? As I move into the childbirth and breastfeeding fields, I am amazed at how much new moms DON’T know about breastfeeding, including getting a good latch or how it should feel, regardless of childbirth classes or endless reading. Reading and lectures are different from actually doing, then take account adult learning styles and it’s a no, I don’t think you can assume that all moms know.

But I have another question, is the nipple cream itself any good? 

There’s an article over at Babble about moms who choose to exclusively pump.

It’s an interesting article. It addresses some of the challenges faced by moms which lead them to exclusively pump and also notes some of the problems with exclusive pumping, such as what a baby misses out on, like proper jaw development, a higher risk of obesity and the physiological closeness of mouth to breast.

I enjoyed the article (it got me thinking) and for lack of time, I thought it was a good one to pass on. Go check it out and tell me your thoughts! I will come back with my thoughts on pumping and breastfeeding, exclusive and mixed, so stay tuned!