I always thought it was weird that women back in the day used to have their nannies breastfeed their babies. It seemed wrong on so many levels. And, I wasn’t even a mami at the time.

Now, after having breastfed my own child and knowing how much joy it brought to both of us, it seems completely insane to think that I could let another woman breastfeed my child.

But, on the same token…if you’re a parent, then you know that you will do anything necessary to be sure your baby has what he/she needs.

When I heard on the radio this morning that Salma Hayek breastfed another woman’s baby while on a trip to Africa, I had to force myself to stop and think before I reacted. There had to be a reason. Surely, it wasn’t just a stunt.

After reading up on it, I had many reasons to praise Salma Hayek:

1. She was in Sierra Leone promoting her work with UNICEF and Pampers for fighting tetanus.
2. She saw a hungry, crying baby whose mother was unable to feed him and did what I hope most of us moms would have done if we had milk – she fed him.
3. Even if she didn’t intend to, she helped promote breastfeeding in general.

I then read that in Africa there is a belief that women can’t have sex if they’re breastfeeding. You know what that means for the men, right? They discourage the women from nursing, of course!

So, Salma Hayek…I already liked your short latina self. Now, I’m happy to call myself a fan. Definite props to you for doing this.

Watch the video to hear Salma Hayek relay the experience in her own words.

What was your reaction when you heard? Do you think it was a good thing for Salma Hayek to feed the baby?