Motherhood is often described as a ‘beautiful experience’. Right from the moment, they’re pregnant, women are told they’re going through one of the most beautiful phases of life. The internet is scattered with ‘maternity looks’, ‘post-baby body’ and ‘supermoms’. However, the truth is that motherhood isn’t the bed of roses popular culture would have you believe.
Pregnancy can leave many women feeling sick and fatigued a lot of the time, and childbirth is an extremely difficult process that takes a toll on their body. Motherhood can be beautiful, but it is also exhausting, lonely and anxiety-inducing. And while you’re waiting for your body to recover and heal, you also feel pressured about losing your pregnancy weight, when to get back to work, the best way to take care of your baby and not feeling guilty about wanting a little time to yourself.
However, a postpartum care company for women, Frida Mom, is breaking all those stereotypes by showing up the raw, honest side of motherhood through a commercial. In the ad, we see a new mother just a few days after giving birth, coming to terms with the reality of the changes her body is going through. The video shows a reality that is seldom shown in the media–her postpartum belly, the mesh underwear given to new moms at the hospital, her struggle to go to the bathroom, the pad she must wear as her body continues to bleed. And, the entire time, her baby can be heard crying in the background. Watch the video here:
New mothers across the globe have hailed the commercial for showcasing such an honest portrayal of motherhood to the masses. However, it turns out that not everyone appreciated the rawness of the ad. According to Frida Mom, the ad was supposed to be screened at the Oscars this year but was rejected even though it’s not violent, political, or sexual.
Also Read: 11 Things You’ll Totally Relate To You’re Expecting A Baby!
The company released the ad on social media platforms and took to Instagram to speak up about the incident, saying, “The ad is just a new mom, home with her baby and her new body for the first time. Yet it was rejected. And we wonder why new moms feel unprepared.”
Allegedly, the Academy rejected the ad because it is “too graphic with partial nudity and product demonstration.” We’re glad that Frida Mom called out an institution as influential as The Academy for such blatant misogyny. Because how will new mothers be prepared for what’s to come when the media keeps feeding them unrealistic images of ‘perfect motherhood’?
Here’s hoping Frida Mom continues to make such important ads, and that Indian companies follow suit!
Featured Image: Youtube
