This article on Salem-News.com is notable because Portland, Oregon recently became the first city in the US where none of the major hospitals are giving out those marketing bags of infant formula. I'm following this situation with great interest.
Massachusetts was poised to become the first state in the nation to ban in-hospital marketing by Big Pharma, but the Public Health Council was undermined by our Governor.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Monday, February 11, 2008
Australian MPs allowed to vote while breastfeeding
From Australia, we have this bit of news - Parliamentarians no longer have to choose between voting and breastfeeding.
I think this is great! What do you think?
I think this is great! What do you think?
You can't do that in here
Looks like the comic strip Stone Soup is taking on the topic of nursing in public... let's see where it goes...
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Editorial in Brockton Enterprise
There's a great editorial piece in today's Brockton Enterprise on the breastfeeding bill which is currently in play here in Massachusetts.
If you're so inclined, let them know you appreciate the opinion!
If you're so inclined, let them know you appreciate the opinion!
Monday, February 04, 2008
Update on breastfeeding legislation
From the Massachusetts Breastfeeding Coalition:
1) We need your action NOW on a bill in the US House of Reps, by Carolyn Maloney, the Breastfeeding Promotion Act, HR 2236. The bill currently has only 23 cosponsors, and needs about 200 cosponsors to move forward. The only current cosponsors from MA are Reps. Frank and Olver. Please contact your Rep now and urge him/her to cosponsor this bill.
To contact your Representative about this bill, you can either go through MomsRising at:
http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/momsrising/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=13731 or the Children's Hospital advocacy page at: http://capwiz.com/childadvocacy/home/
This bill makes breastpumps tax deductible, provides for safety standards for them, and gives incentives to employers to help moms pump. To read the text of the bill, and see a list of cosponsors, go to: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-2236
2) As you may have heard in the news, state Sen. Fargo's bill on breastfeeding in public easily passed the Senate, and has moved on to the House. Her office is currently soliciting letters of support from leading health organizations to help move this bill forward. The bill, formerly S78, has been renumbered S 2438, and no longer includes worksite measures. We support this bill!
The text is at http://www.mass.gov/legis/bills/senate/185/st02pdf/st02438.pdf
Melissa Bartick, MD
Mass. Breastfeeding Coalition
1) We need your action NOW on a bill in the US House of Reps, by Carolyn Maloney, the Breastfeeding Promotion Act, HR 2236. The bill currently has only 23 cosponsors, and needs about 200 cosponsors to move forward. The only current cosponsors from MA are Reps. Frank and Olver. Please contact your Rep now and urge him/her to cosponsor this bill.
To contact your Representative about this bill, you can either go through MomsRising at:
http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/momsrising/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=13731 or the Children's Hospital advocacy page at: http://capwiz.com/childadvocacy/home/
This bill makes breastpumps tax deductible, provides for safety standards for them, and gives incentives to employers to help moms pump. To read the text of the bill, and see a list of cosponsors, go to: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-2236
2) As you may have heard in the news, state Sen. Fargo's bill on breastfeeding in public easily passed the Senate, and has moved on to the House. Her office is currently soliciting letters of support from leading health organizations to help move this bill forward. The bill, formerly S78, has been renumbered S 2438, and no longer includes worksite measures. We support this bill!
The text is at http://www.mass.gov/legis/bills/senate/185/st02pdf/st02438.pdf
Melissa Bartick, MD
Mass. Breastfeeding Coalition
Sunday, February 03, 2008
February
My blog has been on hiatus for a while now. The past couple of years have been rough ones in our family. And life, rightly so, has thus taken precedence.
I've also felt that there are a number of blogs out there in the breastfeeding field which are far more interesting and, well, just plain better at what they do. If you're not reading the following blogs, then you really ought to be:
The Lactivist
The Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog
Human Milk Patent Pending
These blogs are written by smart, savvy women who are passionate about their topic. At my best, I've never been as good as they are!
I'd also like to point you in the direction of another blog, that of the amazing and wonderful WhyMommy. WhyMommy is recovering from a double mastectomy, and is a battle tested warrior in the fight against breast cancer. I am especially grateful to WhyMommy, who took the time to discuss inflammatory breast cancer with me last fall when several troubling symptoms presented themselves. At her urging, I pushed my doctor for further tests, and when my first doctor was dismissive I found another. My story has a happy ending - after lots of tests, and more sleepless and fearful nights than I care to recount, I am happy to report that I have nothing more serious than fibrocystic breast disease. I will be forever grateful for WhyMommy, as she gave me the confidence to insist on a doctor who treated me with respect and took me seriously.
Getting back to the topic of breastfeeding... I'm not sure how often I will be posting here, or what direction these posts will take - we'll just have to take it as it comes.
I've also felt that there are a number of blogs out there in the breastfeeding field which are far more interesting and, well, just plain better at what they do. If you're not reading the following blogs, then you really ought to be:
The Lactivist
The Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog
Human Milk Patent Pending
These blogs are written by smart, savvy women who are passionate about their topic. At my best, I've never been as good as they are!
I'd also like to point you in the direction of another blog, that of the amazing and wonderful WhyMommy. WhyMommy is recovering from a double mastectomy, and is a battle tested warrior in the fight against breast cancer. I am especially grateful to WhyMommy, who took the time to discuss inflammatory breast cancer with me last fall when several troubling symptoms presented themselves. At her urging, I pushed my doctor for further tests, and when my first doctor was dismissive I found another. My story has a happy ending - after lots of tests, and more sleepless and fearful nights than I care to recount, I am happy to report that I have nothing more serious than fibrocystic breast disease. I will be forever grateful for WhyMommy, as she gave me the confidence to insist on a doctor who treated me with respect and took me seriously.
Getting back to the topic of breastfeeding... I'm not sure how often I will be posting here, or what direction these posts will take - we'll just have to take it as it comes.
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