Before the advent of infant formula and feeding bottles, wet nursing was a widespread practice. Additionally, a woman who can produce milk naturally in her body has the option to utilize it in a positive manner. This is exactly what Salma Hayek, the long-time advocate for women’s welfare, did by providing her milk to a malnourished and hungry baby of a complete stranger.
Welcome, to yet another heartwarming story of a Hollywood actress who shows us how even the smallest act of kindness matters.
A selfless and noble act from the actress
In September 2008, actress and producer Salma Hayek visited Sierra Leone as a humanitarian participating in an African charity mission. During a hospital tour, she encountered a mother who had depleted her milk supply. Despite the attention of numerous camera crews, Hayek, who had a one-year-old daughter herself, took the starving one-week-old son of the stranger and began breastfeeding him.
She also motivates her daughter to become a generous and caring person growing up
Talking about the incident, Salma Hayek confessed to having mixed feelings, fearing she might have betrayed her own daughter by sharing her milk. However, she later concluded that her daughter would likely be proud of her compassionate act. The Puss in Boots star expressed her belief that nurturing generosity and kindness in her daughter is the best gift she can provide as a mother.
Kindness and selflessness run in the blood
Moreover, Hayek shared that aiding a child in this manner was a longstanding tradition within her family. Many years ago, in a Mexican village, her great-grandmother alleviated the hunger of a crying stranger’s baby by breastfeeding them, and even stopped them from crying immediately.
To Hayek, breastfeeding is a choice
Hayek asserted that her choice to breastfeed a stranger’s child was also an effort to reduce the stigma surrounding women breastfeeding. Through this act of kindness, she emphasized the importance of women having the freedom to make choices about their bodies without fear or judgment.
Do you agree that women can breastfeed a child who is not theirs? Make sure to leave us a comment here.