A handful of mothers who nursed their babies Saturday at Colonial Brookwood Village said they were celebrating a new state law that protects a woman's right to breast-feed in public.
"I'm not a confrontational person, but I wanted to bring attention to the new law," said Kelly Kelley, who drove 50 miles from her home in Chilton County to participate.
The law took effect Saturday, and Kelley handed out badges to the other mothers that said, "Got Breastmilk? Alabama does!" Her 8½-month-old daughter wore a shirt that said, "Breastmilk, the real comfort proteins."
click to read more...
Monday, July 03, 2006
Woman Fights For Breast-Feeding Rights (cbs13.com)
(AP) RACINE, Wis. A woman offended when Victoria's Secret staff gave her only the option of an employee restroom in which to nurse her baby organized a nursing protest in front of the store.
About 20 women and children came out in support of Rebecca Cook in front of the Victoria's Secret store at the Regency Mall in Racine on Saturday.
Cook said she was shopping at the store with a friend last week when she asked to use a dressing room where she could nurse her daughter. When she was told no room was available, she offered to sit in the rear of the dressing room hallway but was told that was unacceptable, she said.
"They opened up their employee restroom, which is disgusting," she said. "I said, `No, I don't eat in the bathroom and my daughter doesn't eat in the bathroom."'
click to read more...
About 20 women and children came out in support of Rebecca Cook in front of the Victoria's Secret store at the Regency Mall in Racine on Saturday.
Cook said she was shopping at the store with a friend last week when she asked to use a dressing room where she could nurse her daughter. When she was told no room was available, she offered to sit in the rear of the dressing room hallway but was told that was unacceptable, she said.
"They opened up their employee restroom, which is disgusting," she said. "I said, `No, I don't eat in the bathroom and my daughter doesn't eat in the bathroom."'
click to read more...
Breastfeeding Moms Blast Victoria's Secret in Nationwide Protests (Daily News Central)
Saturday was a day of protest against Victoria's Secret as mothers gathered to nurse their babies in front of the sexy lingerie stores at malls across the US.
The women were expressing solidarity with two mothers who were told by Victoria's Secret staff to use bathrooms to breastfeed their infants in separate incidents in Wisconsin and Massachusetts.
click to read more...
The women were expressing solidarity with two mothers who were told by Victoria's Secret staff to use bathrooms to breastfeed their infants in separate incidents in Wisconsin and Massachusetts.
click to read more...
Breast-Feeding Moms Protest Victoria's Secret (ABC News)
RACINE, Wis. -- A woman who said she was offended when Victoria's Secret staff asked her to nurse her baby in an employee restroom organized a nursing protest in front of the store as part of a national nurse-in.
About 20 women and children came out in support of Rebecca Cook in front of the Victoria's Secret store at the Regency Mall in Racine on Saturday.
Cook said she was shopping at the store with a friend last week when she asked to use a dressing room to nurse her daughter. When she was told no room was available, she offered to sit in the rear of the dressing room hallway but was told that was unacceptable, she said.
"They opened up their employee restroom, which is disgusting," she said. "I said, 'No, I don't eat in the bathroom and my daughter doesn't eat in the bathroom."'
click to read more...
About 20 women and children came out in support of Rebecca Cook in front of the Victoria's Secret store at the Regency Mall in Racine on Saturday.
Cook said she was shopping at the store with a friend last week when she asked to use a dressing room to nurse her daughter. When she was told no room was available, she offered to sit in the rear of the dressing room hallway but was told that was unacceptable, she said.
"They opened up their employee restroom, which is disgusting," she said. "I said, 'No, I don't eat in the bathroom and my daughter doesn't eat in the bathroom."'
click to read more...
Breast Feeding Mothers Protest Outside Victoria's Secret Stores (Medical News Today)
Rebecca Cook and baby went into a Victoria's Secret store. The mother needed to feed her child so she asked whether she could use a dressing room to breast feed her baby girl. An employee told her there was no available room there. Rebecca Cook said she would not mind sitting at the back of the dressing room hallway. The employee said this was not acceptable and told her to nurse her baby in the staff toilets.
Cook said that she does not eat in toilets and that her daughter doesn't either.
Limited Brands, Inc. is the parent company of Victoria's Secret. A spokesman said the company apologises for the incident. He said the company does have a policy of allowing mothers to nurse in its stores.
The word soon got around of a nursing mother with a similar problem at another Victoria's Secret store in Massachusetts.
Nursing mothers began to protest. 15 mothers breast-fed their babies outside a store in Westlake, Cleveland, Ohio. Breast-feeding in public places has been legal in Ohio since last year.
The mothers' message is a simple one - breast-feeding is not dirty, it is not something that has to be done in a toilet.
click to read more...
Cook said that she does not eat in toilets and that her daughter doesn't either.
Limited Brands, Inc. is the parent company of Victoria's Secret. A spokesman said the company apologises for the incident. He said the company does have a policy of allowing mothers to nurse in its stores.
The word soon got around of a nursing mother with a similar problem at another Victoria's Secret store in Massachusetts.
Nursing mothers began to protest. 15 mothers breast-fed their babies outside a store in Westlake, Cleveland, Ohio. Breast-feeding in public places has been legal in Ohio since last year.
The mothers' message is a simple one - breast-feeding is not dirty, it is not something that has to be done in a toilet.
click to read more...
Sunday, July 02, 2006
Victoria's Secret welcomes breast-feeding protesters (The Plain Dealer)
Westlake- Lactation and lacy lingerie were the subjects of a national nurse-in Saturday as breast-feeding mothers across the country let their kids chug-a-lug in front of Victoria's Secret stores.
Fifteen mothers armed with hungry babies gathered on the sidewalk outside the Crocker Park Victoria's Secret store in Westlake where scantily clad mannequins seemed delighted by the peaceful, half-hour demonstration.
"It's kind of ironic that Victoria's Secret, which plasters breasts everywhere, is offended at seeing breasts used for their intended purpose," said Anna Mauser-Martinez, who organized the local nurse-in and volunteered that she happened to be wearing a pair of Victoria's Secret underwear.
Victoria's Secret - owned by Columbus-based Limited Brands Inc. - became the target of breast-feeders when two nursing mothers in Massachusetts and Wisconsin said they were hassled last month by store employees. A call to Victoria Secret's corporate headquarters for comment was not returned Saturday. Last June, Ohio legislators legalized breast-feeding in public places.
click to read more...
Fifteen mothers armed with hungry babies gathered on the sidewalk outside the Crocker Park Victoria's Secret store in Westlake where scantily clad mannequins seemed delighted by the peaceful, half-hour demonstration.
"It's kind of ironic that Victoria's Secret, which plasters breasts everywhere, is offended at seeing breasts used for their intended purpose," said Anna Mauser-Martinez, who organized the local nurse-in and volunteered that she happened to be wearing a pair of Victoria's Secret underwear.
Victoria's Secret - owned by Columbus-based Limited Brands Inc. - became the target of breast-feeders when two nursing mothers in Massachusetts and Wisconsin said they were hassled last month by store employees. A call to Victoria Secret's corporate headquarters for comment was not returned Saturday. Last June, Ohio legislators legalized breast-feeding in public places.
click to read more...
Angry moms hold nurse-in at Victoria's Secret (BostonHerald.com)
More than a dozen mothers held a nurse-in yesterday outside Victoria’s Secret, accusing the company that has made a bundle off breasts of discriminating against nursing mothers.
“How ironic,” Jessie Chandler said as she sat on the sidewalk outside the Faneuil Hall lingerie shop, nursing her 9-month-old daughter, Charlotte. “They’ve made millions by perpetuating the stereotype of breasts as solely sexual objects. But when a woman wants to use them for what nature really intended them for - nursing - they kick her out.”
click to read more...
“How ironic,” Jessie Chandler said as she sat on the sidewalk outside the Faneuil Hall lingerie shop, nursing her 9-month-old daughter, Charlotte. “They’ve made millions by perpetuating the stereotype of breasts as solely sexual objects. But when a woman wants to use them for what nature really intended them for - nursing - they kick her out.”
click to read more...
Breast-feeding moms protest at Westfield mall (Post-Tribune )
HOBART — Sarah Fields nursed her 1-year-old son as Westfield Southlake shoppers streamed past.
A few glanced at her and seven other women who gathered Saturday afternoon outside the Victoria’s Secret store.
But if any passers-by noticed that some women were breast-feeding their children, they didn’t seem shocked.
That was one of the points the women participating in Saturday’s “nurse-in” wanted to make.
“You’re certainly going to see a lot less flesh from nursing mothers,” Cindy Lybolt, one of the organizers, said earlier, “than from some of the outfits some people are wearing.”
The women outside Victoria’s Secret had heard, through
e-mail message boards, that nursing mothers had been harassed recently at two Victoria’s Secret stores in Massachusetts and Wisconsin.
It seemed ironic that a company known for selling revealing lingerie would object to using a breast for nursing.
click to read more...
A few glanced at her and seven other women who gathered Saturday afternoon outside the Victoria’s Secret store.
But if any passers-by noticed that some women were breast-feeding their children, they didn’t seem shocked.
That was one of the points the women participating in Saturday’s “nurse-in” wanted to make.
“You’re certainly going to see a lot less flesh from nursing mothers,” Cindy Lybolt, one of the organizers, said earlier, “than from some of the outfits some people are wearing.”
The women outside Victoria’s Secret had heard, through
e-mail message boards, that nursing mothers had been harassed recently at two Victoria’s Secret stores in Massachusetts and Wisconsin.
It seemed ironic that a company known for selling revealing lingerie would object to using a breast for nursing.
click to read more...
Breast-Feeding Moms Protest (TMJ4)
RACINE- Breast-feeding moms held a nursing protest at Regency Mall in Racine today.
At least 20 women gathered in front of the lingerie store, Victoria's Secret. Two Wisconsin women organized a "nurse-in." The women say they were humiliated after store employes told them they could not breast feed in the store. A representative for Victoria's Secret has apologized for the incident, and says breast-feeding is allowed in their stores.
click to view video...
At least 20 women gathered in front of the lingerie store, Victoria's Secret. Two Wisconsin women organized a "nurse-in." The women say they were humiliated after store employes told them they could not breast feed in the store. A representative for Victoria's Secret has apologized for the incident, and says breast-feeding is allowed in their stores.
click to view video...
Nursing mom's protest at mall no secret (The Providence Journal)
A Warwick woman calls attention to the rights of breast-feeding women, in the window of Victoria's Secret in Providence.
PROVIDENCE -- Motherhood was on display in the window of Victoria's Secret at the Providence Place mall yesterday.
Next to mannequins in bikini underwear, a woman who could pass for a model parked her stroller, discreetly lifted her black tank top and nursed her four-month-old son.
The one-woman demonstration at the Providence Place mall's Victoria's Secret was part of a national "nurse-in" designed to raise awareness about the rights of breast-feeding mothers.
The image in the store window caught the eye of a man selling body lotion at a kiosk across the way. Yoav Stein, a 32-year-old Israeli living in Providence, pondered its meaning.
"It look like for me a connection between Victoria's Secret sexy image and motherhood," Stein said in a thick accent. "Mothers can be sexy, too!"
click to read more...
PROVIDENCE -- Motherhood was on display in the window of Victoria's Secret at the Providence Place mall yesterday.
Next to mannequins in bikini underwear, a woman who could pass for a model parked her stroller, discreetly lifted her black tank top and nursed her four-month-old son.
The one-woman demonstration at the Providence Place mall's Victoria's Secret was part of a national "nurse-in" designed to raise awareness about the rights of breast-feeding mothers.
The image in the store window caught the eye of a man selling body lotion at a kiosk across the way. Yoav Stein, a 32-year-old Israeli living in Providence, pondered its meaning.
"It look like for me a connection between Victoria's Secret sexy image and motherhood," Stein said in a thick accent. "Mothers can be sexy, too!"
click to read more...
Breast-feeding 'nurse-in' held at Victoria's Secret (KTVZ.com)
SEATTLE - A battle over public breast feeding moved to an unlikely place. Victoria’s Secret, known for its revealing bras, was the location of a breast feeding sit-in Saturday.
The protest, which took place in front the store at Seattle’s University Village, was just shy of a dozen mothers demonstrating what they call a natural right to breast feed. They sat there and breast-fed their babies as they pushed for public nursing.
“There are giant posters up there of half naked women up there, and I think that one right there is showing more boob than anyone here,” said Isadora Eads, mother and protester.
click to read more...
The protest, which took place in front the store at Seattle’s University Village, was just shy of a dozen mothers demonstrating what they call a natural right to breast feed. They sat there and breast-fed their babies as they pushed for public nursing.
“There are giant posters up there of half naked women up there, and I think that one right there is showing more boob than anyone here,” said Isadora Eads, mother and protester.
click to read more...
Moms take babies to 'nurse-in' at Clackamas Victoria's Secret (OregonLive)
Katie Gregerson's baby, Brighton, wore a big smile Saturday afternoon. 'He's just been fed,' said Gregerson, 26. She was smiling, too, since she had nursed her son outside a Victoria's Secret store in Clackamas Town Center.
For Gregerson and about a dozen other parents who showed up for a 'nurse-in' at the store, the day was about reinforcing a mother's right to breastfeed her baby in public.
The 'nurse-in' was part of a national grassroots effort scheduled for Saturday afternoon at Victoria's Secret shops around the country. The protest came in the wake of a recent pair of incidents in which mothers in Massachusetts and Wisconsin were told they couldn't breastfeed their babies in Victoria's Secret stores.
click to read more....
For Gregerson and about a dozen other parents who showed up for a 'nurse-in' at the store, the day was about reinforcing a mother's right to breastfeed her baby in public.
The 'nurse-in' was part of a national grassroots effort scheduled for Saturday afternoon at Victoria's Secret shops around the country. The protest came in the wake of a recent pair of incidents in which mothers in Massachusetts and Wisconsin were told they couldn't breastfeed their babies in Victoria's Secret stores.
click to read more....
Friday, June 30, 2006
Do the boogie dance of joy
I just spoke with an aide in Senator Creedon's office; the Judiciary Committee has reported out favorably on H-1782, an act permitting breastfeeding in public, ! The bill is still alive and kicking!
URGENT - Calls needed Friday A.M. in Massachusetts
The Judiciary Committee is expect to take action [B]this afternoon [/B]on H-1782, the Breastfeeding In Public Act.
Today would be an ideal day to contact House Chairman Eugene O'Flaherty and Senate Chairman Robert Creedon of the Judiciary Committee and urge a favorable report for the bill.
House Chair Eugene O'Flaherty: 617-722-2396
Senate Chair: 617-722-1200
Get those dialing fingers going - call the chairmen and your own state reps, and save H-1782!!!
Today would be an ideal day to contact House Chairman Eugene O'Flaherty and Senate Chairman Robert Creedon of the Judiciary Committee and urge a favorable report for the bill.
House Chair Eugene O'Flaherty: 617-722-2396
Senate Chair: 617-722-1200
Get those dialing fingers going - call the chairmen and your own state reps, and save H-1782!!!
Breastfeeding mothers to stage protest at Asheville Mall (CITIZEN-TIMES.com)
ASHEVILLE – Breastfeeding mothers are meeting at Victoria’s Secret in Asheville Mall this Saturday at 1 p.m., staging a protest fueled by the two women recently booted from the lingerie shop for nursing their young.
In Racine, WI, two moms have organized a nation-wide “Nurse In” at the popular stores across the country. In two separate incidents and stores, the mothers were trying to nurse their offspring and told to leave.
“I’m doing this because of the two women who were shopping there and told they couldn’t use the dressing rooms or nurse in the store but had to use the bathrooms,” said Tali Branco, 21, of North Asheville, mother of a six-month-old.
click to read more...
In Racine, WI, two moms have organized a nation-wide “Nurse In” at the popular stores across the country. In two separate incidents and stores, the mothers were trying to nurse their offspring and told to leave.
“I’m doing this because of the two women who were shopping there and told they couldn’t use the dressing rooms or nurse in the store but had to use the bathrooms,” said Tali Branco, 21, of North Asheville, mother of a six-month-old.
click to read more...
Mothering Magazine Activism Alert
Pretty Bras and Breastfeeding Belong Together!
On June 21 in Wisconsin and on June 22 in Boston, mothers in Victoria’s Secret stores were directed to bathrooms to nurse their babies. Earlier this year, the lingerie chain was involved in a similar anti-breastfeeding incident in yet another Victoria’s Secret store. At that time, national attention was raised and ultimately, Anthony Hebron, spokesman for the chain's parent, Limited Brands issued the statement that Victoria's Secret has a "long-standing policy to allow nursing in our stores. We are still for and about women." Apparently, as the more recent incidents demonstrate, that policy has not been enacted or enforced in all stores. Rally this Saturday, with lactavists nationwide! Gather at 1:00 p.m. in your time zone, at your nearest Victoria’s Secret store, for a nurse-in. Help this company, whose fortunes are largely breast-related, understand that in being "for and about women" their stores must accommodate breastfeeding. The nurse-in activism is also intended to draw attention to the fact that we need for a federal law protecting a nursing mother's right to feed her baby anywhere that she and her baby would otherwise be allowed to be.
Join MDC lactivists in discussion of the incident and their planned lactivism.
On June 21 in Wisconsin and on June 22 in Boston, mothers in Victoria’s Secret stores were directed to bathrooms to nurse their babies. Earlier this year, the lingerie chain was involved in a similar anti-breastfeeding incident in yet another Victoria’s Secret store. At that time, national attention was raised and ultimately, Anthony Hebron, spokesman for the chain's parent, Limited Brands issued the statement that Victoria's Secret has a "long-standing policy to allow nursing in our stores. We are still for and about women." Apparently, as the more recent incidents demonstrate, that policy has not been enacted or enforced in all stores. Rally this Saturday, with lactavists nationwide! Gather at 1:00 p.m. in your time zone, at your nearest Victoria’s Secret store, for a nurse-in. Help this company, whose fortunes are largely breast-related, understand that in being "for and about women" their stores must accommodate breastfeeding. The nurse-in activism is also intended to draw attention to the fact that we need for a federal law protecting a nursing mother's right to feed her baby anywhere that she and her baby would otherwise be allowed to be.
Join MDC lactivists in discussion of the incident and their planned lactivism.
Whip 'em Out : Breast-feeding Moms Find Victoria's Secret Unsupportive (The Cleveland Free Times)
Not only are breasts a perfect marriage of form and function, but it delights us all that they are the very definition of natural, and even government-approved. Federally mandated, tax-funded health professionals assure us in official documents that breast-feeding is the healthiest way to nourish a child. Which makes it odd that nursing moms in Wisconsin and Massachusetts were recently told by Victoria's Secret staffers that the sight of their breasts might offend other customers, and that they had to use a shopping mall restroom outside the store.
It's especially puzzling that Victoria's Secret — owned by Limited Brands of Ohio — should take offense, since the company advertises its products by showing off as many breasts and as much of them as they can get away with.
click to read more...
It's especially puzzling that Victoria's Secret — owned by Limited Brands of Ohio — should take offense, since the company advertises its products by showing off as many breasts and as much of them as they can get away with.
click to read more...
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Victoria's Secret Target Of A Nationwide Nurse- In
RACINE, Wis. (Wireless Flash) – Victoria’s Secret lingerie stores will be the targets of a nationwide “Nurse-In” being organized by two nursing moms who don’t like how store employees treated women who had to breast feed their kids while shopping there.
click to read more...
click to read more...
Public breastfeeders respond to Victoria's Secret policies (OnMilwaukee.com Scoops)
This Saturday, two moms are organizing a nationwide nurse-in at the popular lingerie store, Victoria’s Secret. Prompted by run-ins with Victoria’s Secret employees, Rebecca Cook, of Burlington, and Jessie Chandler, of Quincy, Mass., have decided to do something about state and federal laws that do not protect nursing mothers.
“A Tale of Two Nursing Moms” seeks a federal law that protects a nursing mother's right to feed her baby anywhere that she and her baby would otherwise be allowed to be. They are urging moms to go to their local Victoria’s Secret on July 1 at 1 p.m. to nurse their babies and be a part of this movement.
click to read more...
“A Tale of Two Nursing Moms” seeks a federal law that protects a nursing mother's right to feed her baby anywhere that she and her baby would otherwise be allowed to be. They are urging moms to go to their local Victoria’s Secret on July 1 at 1 p.m. to nurse their babies and be a part of this movement.
click to read more...
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
the letter I'm sending out far and wide....
Dear Friends,
I'm writing to you because you have previously expressed support for breastfeeding, and I wanted to make you aware of current legislation stalled in Massachusetts.
HB-1782 (http://www.mass.gov/legis/bills/house/ht01/ht01782.htm) would protect mothers who breastfeed their children in public. Under current state law, mothers can be charged with indecent exposure or lewd and lascivious behavior.
Why is this important? Well, you may have seen the front page of the Boston Herald this weekend: http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=145238. Jessie Chandler is a friend of mine, and she was reduced to tears by her treatment last week. Please help us make sure this doesn't happen to any other mothers.
How? It's easy, and will take just five minutes of your time. Pick up the phone, and call your state legislators.* Tell the nice person who answers the phone that you want your officials to support HB-1782, the breastfeeding in public act. Easy!
You can also sign the online petition: http://www.petitiononline.com/HB1782/petition.html . We're hoping to deliver it to the State House by the end of the week.
And you can also forward this email on to five friends. HB-1782 comes up before the Judicial Committee on June 30th, so time is of the essence!
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this, and for your support. It will appreciated for generations to come. :)
Ali Crehan Feeney, CLC
Quincy, MA
http://lactiferous.blogspot.com
* If you're not sure who your state legislators are, you can visit http://www.mass.gov/ . On the lower left hand side of the page, you'll see a link for local government; select your community, and then click on the link that says "State Legislators."
I'm writing to you because you have previously expressed support for breastfeeding, and I wanted to make you aware of current legislation stalled in Massachusetts.
HB-1782 (http://www.mass.gov/legis/bills/house/ht01/ht01782.htm) would protect mothers who breastfeed their children in public. Under current state law, mothers can be charged with indecent exposure or lewd and lascivious behavior.
Why is this important? Well, you may have seen the front page of the Boston Herald this weekend: http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=145238. Jessie Chandler is a friend of mine, and she was reduced to tears by her treatment last week. Please help us make sure this doesn't happen to any other mothers.
How? It's easy, and will take just five minutes of your time. Pick up the phone, and call your state legislators.* Tell the nice person who answers the phone that you want your officials to support HB-1782, the breastfeeding in public act. Easy!
You can also sign the online petition: http://www.petitiononline.com/HB1782/petition.html . We're hoping to deliver it to the State House by the end of the week.
And you can also forward this email on to five friends. HB-1782 comes up before the Judicial Committee on June 30th, so time is of the essence!
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this, and for your support. It will appreciated for generations to come. :)
Ali Crehan Feeney, CLC
Quincy, MA
http://lactiferous.blogspot.com
* If you're not sure who your state legislators are, you can visit http://www.mass.gov/ . On the lower left hand side of the page, you'll see a link for local government; select your community, and then click on the link that says "State Legislators."
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Mother Asked To Leave Restaurant Because She Was Breast Feeding (KSLA News)
"Are you flirting," asks Ashley Walsh, glaring into the eyes of her daughter, Emma. "Daddy's going to get to you."
Three month old Emma Walsh is everything to her parents, Travis and Ashley. She brightened their lives not long after they committed theirs to each other. When Ashley gave birth to Emma she vowed to breast feed her. She's part of the "La Leche League," a global group that educates women who want to breast feed.
Recently, they went to the place they love to eat as a family, Applebee's, the place that promotes itself as a "Good Neighbor."
"The waitress came over and took our order. She started getting fussy so I was like, 'Ok I'll just feed her.' I mean, like I said I've done it many time before, in Wal-Mart, other restaurants, the mall. No ones ever noticed it before, but here comes the manager and she says I'm going to need you to either step in the bathroom and do that, or leave. So, we just played for our meal and left," says Ashley.
click to read more...
Three month old Emma Walsh is everything to her parents, Travis and Ashley. She brightened their lives not long after they committed theirs to each other. When Ashley gave birth to Emma she vowed to breast feed her. She's part of the "La Leche League," a global group that educates women who want to breast feed.
Recently, they went to the place they love to eat as a family, Applebee's, the place that promotes itself as a "Good Neighbor."
"The waitress came over and took our order. She started getting fussy so I was like, 'Ok I'll just feed her.' I mean, like I said I've done it many time before, in Wal-Mart, other restaurants, the mall. No ones ever noticed it before, but here comes the manager and she says I'm going to need you to either step in the bathroom and do that, or leave. So, we just played for our meal and left," says Ashley.
click to read more...
Louisiana Law Permitting Mothers To Breast Feed In Public (KSLA News)
A. Legislative findings and declarations.
(1) The Legislature of Louisiana hereby finds that the surgeon general of the United States recommends that babies from birth to one year of age be breastfed, unless medically contraindicated, in order for the babies to attain an optimal healthy start in life, but that despite that recommendation, statistics reveal a declining percentage of mothers who are now choosing to breastfeed their babies, and nearly half of all new mothers are choosing formula over breastfeeding before they even leave the hospital.
(2) The legislature further finds that breast milk provides better nutrition and more immunity to disease, is easier for babies to digest, and may raise a baby's intelligence quotient, but that the social constraints of modern society work against the choice of breastfeeding and lead new mothers with demanding time schedules to opt for formula feeding for reasons such as embarrassment and the fear of social ostracism or criminal prosecution.
(3) The legislature does hereby declare that the promotion of family values and infant health demands that our society put an end to the vicious cycle of embarrassment and ignorance that constricts women and men alike on the subject of breastfeeding, and that in a genuine effort to promote family values, our society should encourage public acceptance of this most basic act of nurture between mother and baby and should take appropriate steps to ensure that no mother is made to feel incriminated or socially ostracized for breastfeeding her baby.
click to read more...
(1) The Legislature of Louisiana hereby finds that the surgeon general of the United States recommends that babies from birth to one year of age be breastfed, unless medically contraindicated, in order for the babies to attain an optimal healthy start in life, but that despite that recommendation, statistics reveal a declining percentage of mothers who are now choosing to breastfeed their babies, and nearly half of all new mothers are choosing formula over breastfeeding before they even leave the hospital.
(2) The legislature further finds that breast milk provides better nutrition and more immunity to disease, is easier for babies to digest, and may raise a baby's intelligence quotient, but that the social constraints of modern society work against the choice of breastfeeding and lead new mothers with demanding time schedules to opt for formula feeding for reasons such as embarrassment and the fear of social ostracism or criminal prosecution.
(3) The legislature does hereby declare that the promotion of family values and infant health demands that our society put an end to the vicious cycle of embarrassment and ignorance that constricts women and men alike on the subject of breastfeeding, and that in a genuine effort to promote family values, our society should encourage public acceptance of this most basic act of nurture between mother and baby and should take appropriate steps to ensure that no mother is made to feel incriminated or socially ostracized for breastfeeding her baby.
click to read more...
Campaign targets bottle feeding (Tennessean.com)
To Irma Paz-Bernstein of east Nashville, breastfeeding is the simplest, most natural thing in the world. It's diaper-changing that's hard.
Her 4-week-old son, Max, started nursing shortly after he was delivered by Caesarean section on May 30.
"It was like he knew exactly what to do," she said. "I believe in breastfeeding. It's the best thing for the child and the mother and society and the environment."
But in the U.S., Paz-Bernstein's experience may not be considered typical. The Office of Women's Health found that American women considered breastfeeding an "ideal" but not the standard. They also didn't see any disadvantages to not breastfeeding. In 2003, 33 percent of American women breastfed their children for six months — well below the 50 percent target of the Healthy People 2010 initiative. At 12 months, 19 percent of American mothers are still nursing, despite many health experts recommendations.
click to read more...
Her 4-week-old son, Max, started nursing shortly after he was delivered by Caesarean section on May 30.
"It was like he knew exactly what to do," she said. "I believe in breastfeeding. It's the best thing for the child and the mother and society and the environment."
But in the U.S., Paz-Bernstein's experience may not be considered typical. The Office of Women's Health found that American women considered breastfeeding an "ideal" but not the standard. They also didn't see any disadvantages to not breastfeeding. In 2003, 33 percent of American women breastfed their children for six months — well below the 50 percent target of the Healthy People 2010 initiative. At 12 months, 19 percent of American mothers are still nursing, despite many health experts recommendations.
click to read more...
Monday, June 26, 2006
Inconvenient truths prevail on helmets, drugs, schools (The Detroit News Online)
...The latest medical research is now so strong supporting the importance of breast feeding, some doctors are actually pushing for warnings/disclaimers on formula packages pointing out the physical (and psychological) benefits of nursing. They want to dissuade women from rejecting what medical research shows is best for mother and child.
Various groups are up in arms over this possibility, saying they will make women who choose not to breast feed feel guilty. Certainly, women who cannotdo it feel bad enough. Besides the real medical/physical challenges some women might face, others just don't want to be bothered. That's their choice. However, that does not change our next inconvenient truth: Babies (and moms) are better off when nursing takes place.
click to read more...
Various groups are up in arms over this possibility, saying they will make women who choose not to breast feed feel guilty. Certainly, women who cannotdo it feel bad enough. Besides the real medical/physical challenges some women might face, others just don't want to be bothered. That's their choice. However, that does not change our next inconvenient truth: Babies (and moms) are better off when nursing takes place.
click to read more...
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Support for HB-1782
Please take a moment to sign the petition to support HB-1782, legislation to permit breastfeeding in public in Massachusetts - and then pass the link on to five friends!
Saturday, June 24, 2006
Coverup charged at Victoria’s stores: Moms reveal bust-up over breast-feeding (BostonHerald.com)
The battle over public breast-feeding has moved to a new front line: Victoria’s Secret stores, where lacy bras are in, but nursing mothers are out, angry moms charge.
A Quincy mother says she was humiliated when an employee of the lingerie franchise’s Faneuil Hall store flatly refused to allow her to breast-feed her daughter, directing her to a public restroom outside.
“I was upset. I was embarrassed. My heart was breaking for my daughter,” said Jessie Chandler, who ended up going home to feed her 9-month-old daughter, Charlotte. “I felt powerless to do anything.”
Anthony Hebron, a spokesman for Victoria’s Secret, apologized yesterday, saying the Boston employee was a new hire. Hebron said it’s store policy to allow women to breast-feed in the store.
But Chandler, 24, and other moms say that policy isn’t trickling down to the employees who work with the public - and they cite instances of similar problems at the chain’s stores in two other states. They are planning a “nurse in” protest July 1.
“I’m sure that they have models in their stores and catalogs that have a lot more breast showing than any woman who’s breast-feeding,” said Anne Merewood, director of the breast-feeding center at Boston Medical Center.
“If they’re going to make their money off of selling things for women’s breasts, they ought to recognize all aspects of the breast,” Merewood said.
click to read more...
A Quincy mother says she was humiliated when an employee of the lingerie franchise’s Faneuil Hall store flatly refused to allow her to breast-feed her daughter, directing her to a public restroom outside.
“I was upset. I was embarrassed. My heart was breaking for my daughter,” said Jessie Chandler, who ended up going home to feed her 9-month-old daughter, Charlotte. “I felt powerless to do anything.”
Anthony Hebron, a spokesman for Victoria’s Secret, apologized yesterday, saying the Boston employee was a new hire. Hebron said it’s store policy to allow women to breast-feed in the store.
But Chandler, 24, and other moms say that policy isn’t trickling down to the employees who work with the public - and they cite instances of similar problems at the chain’s stores in two other states. They are planning a “nurse in” protest July 1.
“I’m sure that they have models in their stores and catalogs that have a lot more breast showing than any woman who’s breast-feeding,” said Anne Merewood, director of the breast-feeding center at Boston Medical Center.
“If they’re going to make their money off of selling things for women’s breasts, they ought to recognize all aspects of the breast,” Merewood said.
click to read more...
Friday, June 23, 2006
Breastfeeding one for the record books (www.stuff.co..z)
Television personality and mother-of-two Petra Bagust is promoting the benefits of breastfeeding.
"It's the most natural thing to do and is nutritionally the best possible start a child has," she says.
The Western Springs resident is backing a Guinness World Record breastfeeding attempt at Auckland Zoo.
"Breast milk is free but doesn't get as much marketing like most of the different baby formula products out there," she says.
"I've breastfed both my children and wanted to promote its benefits."
The August record attempt is being organised by Louise James.
It follows an unsuccessful bid last year when 664 mothers simultaneously breastfed their children.
click to read more...
"It's the most natural thing to do and is nutritionally the best possible start a child has," she says.
The Western Springs resident is backing a Guinness World Record breastfeeding attempt at Auckland Zoo.
"Breast milk is free but doesn't get as much marketing like most of the different baby formula products out there," she says.
"I've breastfed both my children and wanted to promote its benefits."
The August record attempt is being organised by Louise James.
It follows an unsuccessful bid last year when 664 mothers simultaneously breastfed their children.
click to read more...
Cross-Country Nurse-In of Victoria Secret - MotheringDotCommune Forums
A nationwide nurse-in is being planned!
Victoria's Secret has a well-documented history of hostility towards nursing mothers - and the mamas aren't going to take it anymore!
Victoria's Secret has a well-documented history of hostility towards nursing mothers - and the mamas aren't going to take it anymore!
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Masaachusetts Action Alert
Massachusetts Mamas, start gearing up... spread the word on this far and wide...
A friend of mine was refused permission to nurse in Victoria's Secret at Boston's Faneiul Hall. Jessie is mother to a lovely baby girl, Charlotte. She asked the clerk at VS if she could use a changing room for a moment to calm and nurse her little girl, and was told that company policy prohibited breastfeeding because it is unsanitary. Jessie was directed towards a bathroom instead. Jessie says, "During this entire exchange my DD had tears streaming down her face, eyebrows bright read and nuzzling my chest. I tried once more to nurse her outside, but she just wouldn't take to it. It's so hot there and can be very crowded."
If it weren't so despicable, it would be funny - Victoria's Secret is all about breasts, as long as they aren't being used for their intended purposes! Given that this exact same scenario played out last year in South Carolina and resulted in a breastfeeding-in-public law being passed, well, you'd think they'd have learned their lesson, but apparently mamas in Massachusetts are going to have to repeat it for them.
Jessie has been in touch with several local breastfeeding support organizations, will be contacting the media and her elected officials, and a nurse-in is sure to follow as well. I will keep you posted on the details via this blog as well. Feel free to leave a comment, email or IM me. I am posting this story with Jessie's permission.
A friend of mine was refused permission to nurse in Victoria's Secret at Boston's Faneiul Hall. Jessie is mother to a lovely baby girl, Charlotte. She asked the clerk at VS if she could use a changing room for a moment to calm and nurse her little girl, and was told that company policy prohibited breastfeeding because it is unsanitary. Jessie was directed towards a bathroom instead. Jessie says, "During this entire exchange my DD had tears streaming down her face, eyebrows bright read and nuzzling my chest. I tried once more to nurse her outside, but she just wouldn't take to it. It's so hot there and can be very crowded."
If it weren't so despicable, it would be funny - Victoria's Secret is all about breasts, as long as they aren't being used for their intended purposes! Given that this exact same scenario played out last year in South Carolina and resulted in a breastfeeding-in-public law being passed, well, you'd think they'd have learned their lesson, but apparently mamas in Massachusetts are going to have to repeat it for them.
Jessie has been in touch with several local breastfeeding support organizations, will be contacting the media and her elected officials, and a nurse-in is sure to follow as well. I will keep you posted on the details via this blog as well. Feel free to leave a comment, email or IM me. I am posting this story with Jessie's permission.
Moms' decision to breast-feed faces obstacles (MiamiHerald.com)
The benefits of breast-feeding are well documented in magazines, newspapers and scientific journals. However, the barriers to successful breast-feeding are less well known. And, according to a recent commentary published in the Journal of Pediatrics, these barriers can be especially challenging for working women.
In the workplace, nursing mothers may experience a lack of privacy to nurse or express milk, difficulty finding quality child care at or near the workplace, and reluctance on the part of employers to allow adequate time to express milk.
In fact, according to published reports, returning to work is commonly identified as a primary cause of early termination of breast-feeding or feeding with expressed milk.
But even among stay-at-home moms, the road to successful nursing can be rocky.
click to read more...
In the workplace, nursing mothers may experience a lack of privacy to nurse or express milk, difficulty finding quality child care at or near the workplace, and reluctance on the part of employers to allow adequate time to express milk.
In fact, according to published reports, returning to work is commonly identified as a primary cause of early termination of breast-feeding or feeding with expressed milk.
But even among stay-at-home moms, the road to successful nursing can be rocky.
click to read more...
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Memories, and a bit about me, or another Rare Ramble
It's funny, isn't it, how we end up on some of the paths we travel down? I recently was talking with a friend about the current media breastfeeding brouhaha, and about mothers and the options they have available and the choices they must make, and I suddenly recalled one of those key exchanges that helped push me along my own journey.
Backing up a bit, to put this all in context...
I am the mother of a three-and-a-half year old daughter who is - along with the love of my life, my amazing husband - the greatest gift I have ever been given. I am also a certified lactation counselor, and work for a governmental agency providing support to mothers; I also am a volunteer counselor with my local nursing mothers' council. (And here's my standard disclaimer - any opinions I express here in my blog or in other personal spaces or forums are mine and mine alone.) It is my intent to obtain both my RN and my IBCLC in the future.
I became a breastfeeding counselor because of my own personal experiences. I had always had an interest in women's health issues, knew I somehow wanted to be involved in the field, and was exploring possible career options with that in mind. But I had not yet - for a lack of a better phrase - found my calling.
I knew I wanted to breastfeed my daughter, but when she was born, we had a lot of trouble. And I mean a lot of trouble. I rarely speak of this at length, even with close friends... but it's important to not minimize our experiences, so I'm going to speak of it here and now.
The Peanut would not latch on, although I had a great supply and was determined to make it work. I will always remember the sheer panic of knowing that we would soon be sent home and that I could not feed my child. She had latched very poorly a few times, then opted out of the whole process. I swear to you, every single nurse in that hospital handled my breasts during our stay. My husband cup-fed her my pumped milk while I wept.
We received so much conflicting advice, from both the nurses and the IBCLCs. It was terrifying and overwhelming and stressful. But my husband and I were determined to make breastfeeding work; god love that man, he worked just as hard at the process and was a rock, never faltering or questioning the decision that we made together - our daughter would be breastfed.
The day before we were sent home, an IBCLC looked at my desperate face, and then came back with a nipple shield in her hand. We talked about the pros and cons, the conditions of its use and the importance of follow-up lactation care - and then we gave it a try. And my daughter nursed.
What followed were eight-plus long weeks of a love-hate relationship with the nipple shield, a strange little silicon device that came between my daughter and I and yet brought us together. There were countless visits to breastfeeding support group, hours and hours of research, lots of learning and lots of crying. I have extremely mixed feelings about nipple shields because they are so often improperly used - but I will always be grateful for its existence, and for the IBCLC who first handed us one, because it saved our nursing relationship and allowed us to breastfeed.
After weeks of patient (and not-so patient) attempts, we finally weaned the Peanut off of the shield, and at ten weeks of age, she was nursing like a champ, unassisted and intervention-free. The first time we made it a whole day without once needing the shield, I bawled. The whole process was gut-wrenching and life-changing. There were plenty of times I was ready to give up, but between my husband and the lactation support people (IBCLCs and LLLLs and other angels) I hung in there and stuck it out. I'm stubborn that way. And three-and-a-half years later, I am now the mother of a beautiful, sensitive, brilliant little nursling who on a daily basis makes it abundantly clear how much she values our breastfeeding relationship, and validates our decision to stick it out through all the grief and pain.
I still get teary when I think about that time. There were many other unfair burdens and demands placed upon us during that winter as well, and we were under a great deal of pressure and stress. But our daughter came first and foremost, in spite of it all, and we made it through to the other side.
You see, it's because of all this trouble that I had that I have gone on to become a certified lactation counselor. Because it was so hard for me, and if I can help just one mama to have a better experience, it means everything to me. The number one reason women stop breastfeeding is because they do not have adequate support. So I aim to provide a little of that missing support. Upon encouragement from my favorite IBCLC, I started taking formal classes... and so it began, and so it goes on.
Anyway, back to that exchange I mentioned...
My daughter was probably about twelve weeks old or so, and our nursing issues were quite recent and the emotional wounds were still quite fresh. I had some friends and some friends-of-friends come over for a girl's night, and our conversation touched on many subjects. I was the only mother in the group, and I alluded briefly to the struggle we had with breastfeeding, and what a relief it was that we were on track now.
One of the attendees was heavily pregnant with her first child. She was one of those 'friend-of-a-friends' and I did not really know her at all. And she remarked, "Well, I don't see how anyone can have any trouble with breastfeeding - those babies seem to want to latch onto everything and anything! All they want to do is suck, so I don't see what the big deal is."
I recall very well the sting of those thoughtless words. I know they were said without malice and came from ignorance, but they hurt. From my perspective, this woman was sitting on my sofa eating the food I had cooked for her and was criticizing me for not being good at something that should be instinctual and easy, and it felt like being kicked in the stomach. She was just being stupid and dumb, but she really hurt me.
So yeah, I've looked at clouds from both sides. I know about the struggle and the hurt and the sting of being made to feel inadequate. And I know about how fiercely proud I am to have nursed my child, and I want every baby in the world to be breastfed. But I also have friends who couldn't make it work, and I will not tolerate people slapping them for things they could not control, whether it's because it flat out wasn't possible or because they weren't given the support they needed to succeed. And it's also why it makes me so angry when women are made to feel guilty over an issue like this.
You just can't look at it from one side. To paraphrase the schmaltzy song, it's the clouds' illusions you should recall.
Backing up a bit, to put this all in context...
I am the mother of a three-and-a-half year old daughter who is - along with the love of my life, my amazing husband - the greatest gift I have ever been given. I am also a certified lactation counselor, and work for a governmental agency providing support to mothers; I also am a volunteer counselor with my local nursing mothers' council. (And here's my standard disclaimer - any opinions I express here in my blog or in other personal spaces or forums are mine and mine alone.) It is my intent to obtain both my RN and my IBCLC in the future.
I became a breastfeeding counselor because of my own personal experiences. I had always had an interest in women's health issues, knew I somehow wanted to be involved in the field, and was exploring possible career options with that in mind. But I had not yet - for a lack of a better phrase - found my calling.
I knew I wanted to breastfeed my daughter, but when she was born, we had a lot of trouble. And I mean a lot of trouble. I rarely speak of this at length, even with close friends... but it's important to not minimize our experiences, so I'm going to speak of it here and now.
The Peanut would not latch on, although I had a great supply and was determined to make it work. I will always remember the sheer panic of knowing that we would soon be sent home and that I could not feed my child. She had latched very poorly a few times, then opted out of the whole process. I swear to you, every single nurse in that hospital handled my breasts during our stay. My husband cup-fed her my pumped milk while I wept.
We received so much conflicting advice, from both the nurses and the IBCLCs. It was terrifying and overwhelming and stressful. But my husband and I were determined to make breastfeeding work; god love that man, he worked just as hard at the process and was a rock, never faltering or questioning the decision that we made together - our daughter would be breastfed.
The day before we were sent home, an IBCLC looked at my desperate face, and then came back with a nipple shield in her hand. We talked about the pros and cons, the conditions of its use and the importance of follow-up lactation care - and then we gave it a try. And my daughter nursed.
What followed were eight-plus long weeks of a love-hate relationship with the nipple shield, a strange little silicon device that came between my daughter and I and yet brought us together. There were countless visits to breastfeeding support group, hours and hours of research, lots of learning and lots of crying. I have extremely mixed feelings about nipple shields because they are so often improperly used - but I will always be grateful for its existence, and for the IBCLC who first handed us one, because it saved our nursing relationship and allowed us to breastfeed.
After weeks of patient (and not-so patient) attempts, we finally weaned the Peanut off of the shield, and at ten weeks of age, she was nursing like a champ, unassisted and intervention-free. The first time we made it a whole day without once needing the shield, I bawled. The whole process was gut-wrenching and life-changing. There were plenty of times I was ready to give up, but between my husband and the lactation support people (IBCLCs and LLLLs and other angels) I hung in there and stuck it out. I'm stubborn that way. And three-and-a-half years later, I am now the mother of a beautiful, sensitive, brilliant little nursling who on a daily basis makes it abundantly clear how much she values our breastfeeding relationship, and validates our decision to stick it out through all the grief and pain.
I still get teary when I think about that time. There were many other unfair burdens and demands placed upon us during that winter as well, and we were under a great deal of pressure and stress. But our daughter came first and foremost, in spite of it all, and we made it through to the other side.
You see, it's because of all this trouble that I had that I have gone on to become a certified lactation counselor. Because it was so hard for me, and if I can help just one mama to have a better experience, it means everything to me. The number one reason women stop breastfeeding is because they do not have adequate support. So I aim to provide a little of that missing support. Upon encouragement from my favorite IBCLC, I started taking formal classes... and so it began, and so it goes on.
Anyway, back to that exchange I mentioned...
My daughter was probably about twelve weeks old or so, and our nursing issues were quite recent and the emotional wounds were still quite fresh. I had some friends and some friends-of-friends come over for a girl's night, and our conversation touched on many subjects. I was the only mother in the group, and I alluded briefly to the struggle we had with breastfeeding, and what a relief it was that we were on track now.
One of the attendees was heavily pregnant with her first child. She was one of those 'friend-of-a-friends' and I did not really know her at all. And she remarked, "Well, I don't see how anyone can have any trouble with breastfeeding - those babies seem to want to latch onto everything and anything! All they want to do is suck, so I don't see what the big deal is."
I recall very well the sting of those thoughtless words. I know they were said without malice and came from ignorance, but they hurt. From my perspective, this woman was sitting on my sofa eating the food I had cooked for her and was criticizing me for not being good at something that should be instinctual and easy, and it felt like being kicked in the stomach. She was just being stupid and dumb, but she really hurt me.
So yeah, I've looked at clouds from both sides. I know about the struggle and the hurt and the sting of being made to feel inadequate. And I know about how fiercely proud I am to have nursed my child, and I want every baby in the world to be breastfed. But I also have friends who couldn't make it work, and I will not tolerate people slapping them for things they could not control, whether it's because it flat out wasn't possible or because they weren't given the support they needed to succeed. And it's also why it makes me so angry when women are made to feel guilty over an issue like this.
You just can't look at it from one side. To paraphrase the schmaltzy song, it's the clouds' illusions you should recall.
Blog site bans pro-baby breastfeeding support group's images (Index on Censorship)
The popular weblog hosting site LiveJournal barred images of breastfeeding mothers posted by a campaign group working to promote natural breastfeeding for babies - after its Abuse Team deemed the pictures "inappropriate".
click to read more...
click to read more...
Sunday, June 18, 2006
Breast milk eases addicted newborns' withdrawal (PediatricHealthOnline)
Jun 12 (Reuters Health) - Babies of drug-dependent mothers are born with the same addiction, and have to go through withdrawal. The severity of symptoms is reduced, Australian researchers have found, when such infants are breast fed or given milk expressed by their mothers.
"Promoting the idea of breast-feeding in drug-using women before birth may improve outcome, both medically and socially," Dr. Julee Oei from University of New South Wales, Kensington, told Reuters Health.
The team explains in the journal Pediatrics that addictive drugs are passed into breast milk, "but the quantity of transferred drug is so low that breast-feeding is considered unlikely to prevent neonatal abstinence syndrome," as infant withdrawal is called. There's some evidence, however, that breast-feeding reduces the severity of withdrawal symptoms.
click to read more...
"Promoting the idea of breast-feeding in drug-using women before birth may improve outcome, both medically and socially," Dr. Julee Oei from University of New South Wales, Kensington, told Reuters Health.
The team explains in the journal Pediatrics that addictive drugs are passed into breast milk, "but the quantity of transferred drug is so low that breast-feeding is considered unlikely to prevent neonatal abstinence syndrome," as infant withdrawal is called. There's some evidence, however, that breast-feeding reduces the severity of withdrawal symptoms.
click to read more...
A rare ramble
And here is a blog I've just added to my feeds, because it is well worth reading and keeping up with.
On a side note... I rarely speak my own mind here, and tend to keep my babbling on my personal blog, and journal. I feel that I am still so much a student, and very often in the blogosphere people are assumed to be 'experts' in their field, right or wrong, and this is not a role I have been comfortable taking on in this particular media, where so much can be misinterpreted or taken out of contaxt. I have very much taken the 'research-based evidence' admonition to heart; I hope to become an IBCLC one day, and strive to follow that code of ethics now in anticipation of that time. So I tend to stick to the facts here rather than bore everyone with my opinions.
I find that I must say something, however brief, about the recent flurry of articles on the national breastfeeding campaign.
I think that many of the women who are saying, "But I wanted to breastfeed! And I couldn't!" have every right to be angry and upset when they are told how important breastfeeding really is. I cry foul, however, when that guilt card starts popping up.
BE angry. Be upset. Your government tells you all about the benefits of breastfeeding your child, but makes it incredibly difficult for you to do so, because we have horrific maternity leave policies and our healthcare system is a joke, and you are denied the access to the tools you need in order to succeed.
BE angry. Be outraged. The ad campaign is honest and tells you that you put your child at risk by formula feeding, but if you dare to put your child to the breast in public you will be chastised and harrassed and there is no federal legislation that will protect you.
BE angry. Be furious. There is an overwhelming body of evidence which demonstrates that formula-fed babies are sicklier and at higher risks for serious diseases through their lives, but your doctor doesn't have the training to help you and and so he tells you to go ahead and give up and that your child will turn out just fine.
BE angry. Be incensed. You can submit expenses for reimbursement to your flex plans for contact lens solution, cough syrup and band aids, but you can't submit the cost of a breastpump because your government doesn't consider it a necessary expense.
Go ahead, be angry. You really ought to be. But don't feel guilty - because you're not the one responsible for this failure. Don't take on that burden for them - you're not the one whose feet should be in the fire. You are guilty of nothing. You are doing the best you can with what you've been handed. Don't let them hand you this load of bull, too.
On a side note... I rarely speak my own mind here, and tend to keep my babbling on my personal blog, and journal. I feel that I am still so much a student, and very often in the blogosphere people are assumed to be 'experts' in their field, right or wrong, and this is not a role I have been comfortable taking on in this particular media, where so much can be misinterpreted or taken out of contaxt. I have very much taken the 'research-based evidence' admonition to heart; I hope to become an IBCLC one day, and strive to follow that code of ethics now in anticipation of that time. So I tend to stick to the facts here rather than bore everyone with my opinions.
I find that I must say something, however brief, about the recent flurry of articles on the national breastfeeding campaign.
I think that many of the women who are saying, "But I wanted to breastfeed! And I couldn't!" have every right to be angry and upset when they are told how important breastfeeding really is. I cry foul, however, when that guilt card starts popping up.
BE angry. Be upset. Your government tells you all about the benefits of breastfeeding your child, but makes it incredibly difficult for you to do so, because we have horrific maternity leave policies and our healthcare system is a joke, and you are denied the access to the tools you need in order to succeed.
BE angry. Be outraged. The ad campaign is honest and tells you that you put your child at risk by formula feeding, but if you dare to put your child to the breast in public you will be chastised and harrassed and there is no federal legislation that will protect you.
BE angry. Be furious. There is an overwhelming body of evidence which demonstrates that formula-fed babies are sicklier and at higher risks for serious diseases through their lives, but your doctor doesn't have the training to help you and and so he tells you to go ahead and give up and that your child will turn out just fine.
BE angry. Be incensed. You can submit expenses for reimbursement to your flex plans for contact lens solution, cough syrup and band aids, but you can't submit the cost of a breastpump because your government doesn't consider it a necessary expense.
Go ahead, be angry. You really ought to be. But don't feel guilty - because you're not the one responsible for this failure. Don't take on that burden for them - you're not the one whose feet should be in the fire. You are guilty of nothing. You are doing the best you can with what you've been handed. Don't let them hand you this load of bull, too.
Breast is best, and tasty, too! (Dunstable News - Bedford Today)
Special cake marks awareness week
This specially made cake, complete with bra, provided food for thought about breastfeeding. It was served up at a playgroup in Dunstable, to help promote Breastfeeding Awareness Week.
The cake was on show at the weekly playgroup run by the Dunstable and District branch of the National Childbirth Trust.
They marked the awareness week with a stand at the playgroup, which is called Bumps, Babies and Bundles of Fun, with advice, information and leaflets on hand.
click to read more...
This specially made cake, complete with bra, provided food for thought about breastfeeding. It was served up at a playgroup in Dunstable, to help promote Breastfeeding Awareness Week.
The cake was on show at the weekly playgroup run by the Dunstable and District branch of the National Childbirth Trust.
They marked the awareness week with a stand at the playgroup, which is called Bumps, Babies and Bundles of Fun, with advice, information and leaflets on hand.
click to read more...
Infant Formula, Parkinson's Tie Probed (WebMD)
June 15, 2006 -- Early research in mice shows that being fed iron-fortified formula in infancy may increase the risk of developing Parkinson's diseaseParkinson's disease late in life.
In the study, newborn mice exposed to dietary iron levels similar to those found in infant formula showed evidence of Parkinson's-like neurological degeneration as they aged, the researchers say.
click to read more...
In the study, newborn mice exposed to dietary iron levels similar to those found in infant formula showed evidence of Parkinson's-like neurological degeneration as they aged, the researchers say.
click to read more...
Lack of breast-feeding caused Nepal royal family's downfall? (India News)
Kathmandu - A Nepali writer has come up with a different cause for the downfall of Nepal’s King Gyanendra and the Shah dynasty that ruled the kingdom for over 200 years - the lack of breast-feeding by the Shah queens.
Peter J. Karthak, author and columnist, attributes the disintegration of Nepal’s royals and their growing unpopularity to the royal babies’ never knowing ‘the comfy zones of their mothers’ bucket-seat laps and pillow-like soft bosoms’.
Karthak, who was educated in North Point school in Darjeeling, India, where the current king and his two brothers also studied around the same time, wrote in his column in the Kathmandu Post daily Sunday that the lack of breast-feeding, symbolising the meagre role mothers played in royal childrens’ lives, caused the ‘male brats’ to grow up as ‘drunkies (sic), junkies, spoilers, wastrels and mean murderers’.
click to read more...
Peter J. Karthak, author and columnist, attributes the disintegration of Nepal’s royals and their growing unpopularity to the royal babies’ never knowing ‘the comfy zones of their mothers’ bucket-seat laps and pillow-like soft bosoms’.
Karthak, who was educated in North Point school in Darjeeling, India, where the current king and his two brothers also studied around the same time, wrote in his column in the Kathmandu Post daily Sunday that the lack of breast-feeding, symbolising the meagre role mothers played in royal childrens’ lives, caused the ‘male brats’ to grow up as ‘drunkies (sic), junkies, spoilers, wastrels and mean murderers’.
click to read more...
It's time to promote breastfeeding (MetroWestDailyNews.com)
Mitt Romney has succeeded in making sure that baby formula companies can continue to give new parents free samples as they check out of the hospital. We shouldn't be surprised; babies aren't known for big campaign contributions.
Romney claims that political considerations aren't an issue. According to him, it's about depriving "women of the right to decide whether they want to breastfeed their babies or give them formula."
Makes sense -- after all, if hospitals didn't give out free formula, a new parent would have to go shopping, look at the high price of formula, and make a conscious decision to spend around $1,000 in the next year on artificial food that has zero immune system benefits and is nutritionally inferior to mothers' milk.
If mothers understood that breastfeeding gives babies stronger immune systems; lowers their risk of developing diabetes, cancer, and numerous other diseases; and provides a free and easy way to keep them content, mothers might actually decide to breastfeed, hurting formula companies' profits.
But maybe Mitt really does care about personal freedom. So, here are some more ideas for hospital freebies. Let's have hospitals give free cigarettes to lung cancer patients after chemotherapy. We should also hand out free wine after AA meetings.
click to read more....
Romney claims that political considerations aren't an issue. According to him, it's about depriving "women of the right to decide whether they want to breastfeed their babies or give them formula."
Makes sense -- after all, if hospitals didn't give out free formula, a new parent would have to go shopping, look at the high price of formula, and make a conscious decision to spend around $1,000 in the next year on artificial food that has zero immune system benefits and is nutritionally inferior to mothers' milk.
If mothers understood that breastfeeding gives babies stronger immune systems; lowers their risk of developing diabetes, cancer, and numerous other diseases; and provides a free and easy way to keep them content, mothers might actually decide to breastfeed, hurting formula companies' profits.
But maybe Mitt really does care about personal freedom. So, here are some more ideas for hospital freebies. Let's have hospitals give free cigarettes to lung cancer patients after chemotherapy. We should also hand out free wine after AA meetings.
click to read more....
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Suckle This (Gothamist)
If milk does a body good, mother's milk seems to do worlds of it. Yesterday, the NY Times explored the science of breast-feeding, from its ability to strengthen the mother-baby bond to strengthening the baby's immune system. The benefits of suckling at the teat have been kicked around for years. Other gains to be made include reducing a baby's risk of developing obesity, asthma, diabetes, and even cancers later in life, including leukemia and lymphoma. Kids who are breast fed also tend to score higher on IQ tests, avoid some autoimmune disease and can dodge certain infections thanks to antibodies passed along in the milk that mommy has herself been building up all her life.
And there's good news for moms too: breast-feeding can keep one from ovulating which (in addition to obvious immediate benefits) is associated with a decreased risk of breast and ovarian cancer. This is thought to result from decreased estrogen levels during lactation.
The trouble is, despite this growing pile of evidence in favor of the practice, PC thugs are a little worried because a campaign to encourage breast-feeding may make women who are unable to do so feel inadequate and guilty. We wonder if they would also hold back on advising people to eat healthier or hit the gym out of fear of making people feel bad that they can't afford either. Breast feeding rates apparently increase with education, income, and age. Black women do it less frequently than most while Hispanics breast-feed often.
click to read more...
And there's good news for moms too: breast-feeding can keep one from ovulating which (in addition to obvious immediate benefits) is associated with a decreased risk of breast and ovarian cancer. This is thought to result from decreased estrogen levels during lactation.
The trouble is, despite this growing pile of evidence in favor of the practice, PC thugs are a little worried because a campaign to encourage breast-feeding may make women who are unable to do so feel inadequate and guilty. We wonder if they would also hold back on advising people to eat healthier or hit the gym out of fear of making people feel bad that they can't afford either. Breast feeding rates apparently increase with education, income, and age. Black women do it less frequently than most while Hispanics breast-feed often.
click to read more...
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Breast-Fed Babies May Have a Leg Up in the Battle Against Childhood Obesity (New York Times)
Exercise. Cut down on television. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Oh, and make sure your children are breast-fed.
That is the latest prescription for preventing childhood obesity, as written by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, based on studies that have found that children who were breast-fed extensively as babies were less likely to put on weight later in life.
click to read more....
That is the latest prescription for preventing childhood obesity, as written by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, based on studies that have found that children who were breast-fed extensively as babies were less likely to put on weight later in life.
click to read more....
Breast-Feed or Else (New York Times)
Warning: Public health officials have determined that not breast-feeding may be hazardous to your baby's health.
There is no black-box label like that affixed to cans of infant formula or tucked into the corner of magazine advertisements, at least not yet. But that is the unambiguous message of a controversial government public health campaign encouraging new mothers to breast-feed for six months to protect their babies from colds, flu, ear infections, diarrhea and even obesity. In April, the World Health Organization, setting new international bench marks for children's growth, for the first time referred to breast-feeding as the biological norm.
"Just like it's risky to smoke during pregnancy, it's risky not to breast-feed after," said Suzanne Haynes, senior scientific adviser to the Office on Women's Health in the Department of Health and Human Services. "The whole notion of talking about risk is new in this field, but it's the only field of public health, except perhaps physical activity, where there is never talk about the risk."
click to read more...
There is no black-box label like that affixed to cans of infant formula or tucked into the corner of magazine advertisements, at least not yet. But that is the unambiguous message of a controversial government public health campaign encouraging new mothers to breast-feed for six months to protect their babies from colds, flu, ear infections, diarrhea and even obesity. In April, the World Health Organization, setting new international bench marks for children's growth, for the first time referred to breast-feeding as the biological norm.
"Just like it's risky to smoke during pregnancy, it's risky not to breast-feed after," said Suzanne Haynes, senior scientific adviser to the Office on Women's Health in the Department of Health and Human Services. "The whole notion of talking about risk is new in this field, but it's the only field of public health, except perhaps physical activity, where there is never talk about the risk."
click to read more...
Study shows introducing solid foods at the right age can stave off allergies (JournalStar.com)
Feed solid foods to your infant and she’ll sleep through the night.
That’s the advice given to exhausted new mothers.
Feed them solid foods between 4 months and 6 months — never before 4 months. That’s the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Nutrition talking.
Give nothing but breast milk for the first 6 months, says advice from the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Breastfeeding. It points to studies that find infants who get solids too early have a greater chance of developing food allergies.
Childhood allergies sometimes grow into adult allergies. Sometimes there’s a grouping of allergies, eczema and asthma. Some allergies, like to nuts, are dangerous.
Now comes a study in the June issue of Pediatrics suggesting maybe it’s best to feed infants solids after four months rather than six.
click to read more...
That’s the advice given to exhausted new mothers.
Feed them solid foods between 4 months and 6 months — never before 4 months. That’s the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Nutrition talking.
Give nothing but breast milk for the first 6 months, says advice from the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Breastfeeding. It points to studies that find infants who get solids too early have a greater chance of developing food allergies.
Childhood allergies sometimes grow into adult allergies. Sometimes there’s a grouping of allergies, eczema and asthma. Some allergies, like to nuts, are dangerous.
Now comes a study in the June issue of Pediatrics suggesting maybe it’s best to feed infants solids after four months rather than six.
click to read more...
Thursday, June 08, 2006
Killed bills would have protected moms, kids (The Arizona Republic)
As the state Legislature winds down, bills start flying through the process.
As that happens, you should compare some bills that were sent to the governor with two bills killed by two dads from Gilbert in the Legislature that would have protected mothers and children.
Sometimes the public process functions well. Amy Milliron went from ordinary mom to successful activist overnight. advertisement
Last summer she was breast-feeding her infant son at a public pool in Chandler when she was asked by a lifeguard to do her feeding in the bathroom in the future.
click to read more...
As that happens, you should compare some bills that were sent to the governor with two bills killed by two dads from Gilbert in the Legislature that would have protected mothers and children.
Sometimes the public process functions well. Amy Milliron went from ordinary mom to successful activist overnight. advertisement
Last summer she was breast-feeding her infant son at a public pool in Chandler when she was asked by a lifeguard to do her feeding in the bathroom in the future.
click to read more...
KDHE Educates Public About a Mother's Right to Breastfeed (Kansas City infoZine News)
The Kansas Legislature passed a law this session that allows a woman to breastfeed her baby anywhere she has the right to be.
click to read more..
click to read more..
Sunday, June 04, 2006
Target apology (suburbanchicagonews.com)
Minneapolis-based Target on Thursday issued an apology, saying it was wrong for employees at the Naperville store to tell a customer she could no longer nurse her baby in a fitting room.
click to read more...
click to read more...
Stores Apology Over Breastfeed Refusal (from Blackburn Citizen)
CLOTHING giant Next has apologised to an East Lancashire mum after staff refused to allow her to breastfeed her baby in their shop.
Stephanie Prior, 33, was shopping for holiday clothes at Blackburn's Townsmoor retail park when five-month-old tot Luci began to cry from hunger.
Mrs Prior said she approached staff in the store at about 11.30am and asked permission to take the baby into a changing room to breastfeed her in private.
But she claims that staff refused, forcing her to abandon the clothes she had planned to buy and seek help at the Boots store next door, which let her use an office.
click to read more...
Stephanie Prior, 33, was shopping for holiday clothes at Blackburn's Townsmoor retail park when five-month-old tot Luci began to cry from hunger.
Mrs Prior said she approached staff in the store at about 11.30am and asked permission to take the baby into a changing room to breastfeed her in private.
But she claims that staff refused, forcing her to abandon the clothes she had planned to buy and seek help at the Boots store next door, which let her use an office.
click to read more...
When is a baby too fat? New guidelines lower the bar (statesman.com)
Parents are notoriously obsessive over how their babies stack up on the growth charts pediatricians use. Now, new guidelines from the World Health Organization are prompting a debate over how big a healthy baby should be.
WHO, the United Nations' health agency, is urging every country to adopt its growth charts, which aim to show how children ideally grow in their first five years of life. The guidelines also include for the first time measurements for body mass index, or BMI, for babies younger than 2 — a weight and height calculation used to determine whether people are overweight or underweight. (Currently, BMI doesn't appear on U.S. growth charts before age 2.)
But the charts — and particularly the new BMI standards — are raising concerns that worries about obesity will be pushed into infancy, a time when adequate nutrition is crucial for brain development and other important growth. Pediatricians and health officials in the U.S. say they aren't sure whether the WHO guidelines should be adopted in this country.
One reason is that the WHO growth curves are based on babies who were breast-fed for at least a year, while the American charts are based on children who were primarily formula-fed after the first few weeks. Formula-fed children tend to be bigger than breast-fed children in late infancy. Another difference: The WHO charts are based on children from affluent, educated families in six countries. The U.S. charts are based on a broader sample of U.S. children.
click to read more...
WHO, the United Nations' health agency, is urging every country to adopt its growth charts, which aim to show how children ideally grow in their first five years of life. The guidelines also include for the first time measurements for body mass index, or BMI, for babies younger than 2 — a weight and height calculation used to determine whether people are overweight or underweight. (Currently, BMI doesn't appear on U.S. growth charts before age 2.)
But the charts — and particularly the new BMI standards — are raising concerns that worries about obesity will be pushed into infancy, a time when adequate nutrition is crucial for brain development and other important growth. Pediatricians and health officials in the U.S. say they aren't sure whether the WHO guidelines should be adopted in this country.
One reason is that the WHO growth curves are based on babies who were breast-fed for at least a year, while the American charts are based on children who were primarily formula-fed after the first few weeks. Formula-fed children tend to be bigger than breast-fed children in late infancy. Another difference: The WHO charts are based on children from affluent, educated families in six countries. The U.S. charts are based on a broader sample of U.S. children.
click to read more...
Nursing a healthy practice (Wisconsin State Journal)
For Fran Weintraub, breast-feeding her babies makes sense from every point of view.
As a physician, she knows the statistics that show breast-fed babies are healthier.
As a volunteer who helps other mothers, she knows that practical tips can help.
And as a mother, she wants the best for her 10-month-old daughter, Rena.
"Why would you not breast-feed when you know that you want to do the best for your baby? And it's so wonderful to do this with your baby, and so convenient," she said. She also nursed Rena's brothers, who are 3 and nearly 6 years old.
click to read more...
As a physician, she knows the statistics that show breast-fed babies are healthier.
As a volunteer who helps other mothers, she knows that practical tips can help.
And as a mother, she wants the best for her 10-month-old daughter, Rena.
"Why would you not breast-feed when you know that you want to do the best for your baby? And it's so wonderful to do this with your baby, and so convenient," she said. She also nursed Rena's brothers, who are 3 and nearly 6 years old.
click to read more...
Friday, June 02, 2006
Popular Blogging Site Restricts Use of Breastfeeding Photos (SF Indymedia)
Popular Blogging Site Restricts Use of Breastfeeding Photos:
LiveJournal cites images as 'inappropriate' and sends mothers to the virtual restroom.
Wednesday, May 31st, 2006 - Women on the popular blog site LiveJournal are calling foul at the company’s decision to brand images of breastfeeding as ‘inappropriate.’ Many users of the site have joined together to urge LiveJournal’s parent company SixApart to address their concerns and reevaluate the policy.
Small "userpics" of no more than 100 by 100 pixels represent LiveJournal members throughout the site. Users can define one of these icons as "default icon" which plugs it into the user's public profile. These default icons were originally not permitted to be ‘sexually explicit or graphically violent.’ Recently, icons which depicted breastfeeding were cited as being ‘inappropriate’ by the LiveJournal abuse team, a group of volunteers who monitor complaints on the site. After clarification was requested, LiveJournal changed their FAQ to reflect a no nudity rule and is claiming that icons with visible areola or nipple are not permitted. Whether or not areola is visible in a photograph is dependent on a number of factors, including skin tone of the mother and physical changes during pregnancy.
Claimed Live Journal Abuse Staffer 'Erin' in a post on the site, "That's really a matter for the FCC to decide. LiveJournal's policies on this mirror what would be allowed on primetime TV or in a PG-13 movie." However, this is not true. The FCC does not consider the act of breastfeeding on television to fall under the definitions of indecency or obscenity.
click to read more...
LiveJournal cites images as 'inappropriate' and sends mothers to the virtual restroom.
Wednesday, May 31st, 2006 - Women on the popular blog site LiveJournal are calling foul at the company’s decision to brand images of breastfeeding as ‘inappropriate.’ Many users of the site have joined together to urge LiveJournal’s parent company SixApart to address their concerns and reevaluate the policy.
Small "userpics" of no more than 100 by 100 pixels represent LiveJournal members throughout the site. Users can define one of these icons as "default icon" which plugs it into the user's public profile. These default icons were originally not permitted to be ‘sexually explicit or graphically violent.’ Recently, icons which depicted breastfeeding were cited as being ‘inappropriate’ by the LiveJournal abuse team, a group of volunteers who monitor complaints on the site. After clarification was requested, LiveJournal changed their FAQ to reflect a no nudity rule and is claiming that icons with visible areola or nipple are not permitted. Whether or not areola is visible in a photograph is dependent on a number of factors, including skin tone of the mother and physical changes during pregnancy.
Claimed Live Journal Abuse Staffer 'Erin' in a post on the site, "That's really a matter for the FCC to decide. LiveJournal's policies on this mirror what would be allowed on primetime TV or in a PG-13 movie." However, this is not true. The FCC does not consider the act of breastfeeding on television to fall under the definitions of indecency or obscenity.
click to read more...
Dr. Mom talks breast feeding to several area professionals (Fort Morgan Times)
An educational opportunity for health care professionals to learn more about the overall importance of breast feeding for women took place Tuesday at the County Steak-Out.
Marianne Neifert, M.D., also known by many as Dr. Mom, held a public discussion to explain how to implement prenatal hospital routines that promote breast feeding to more than 20 area doctors, physicians and health care professionals.
Neifert, who is an expert in lactation management and co-founder of the Lactation Program at Rese Medical Center in Denver, said that while she is proud of breast feeding's success rate in Colorado, it has been the rural areas where fewer women are practicing the procedure.
click to read more...
Marianne Neifert, M.D., also known by many as Dr. Mom, held a public discussion to explain how to implement prenatal hospital routines that promote breast feeding to more than 20 area doctors, physicians and health care professionals.
Neifert, who is an expert in lactation management and co-founder of the Lactation Program at Rese Medical Center in Denver, said that while she is proud of breast feeding's success rate in Colorado, it has been the rural areas where fewer women are practicing the procedure.
click to read more...
Target Employee Challenges Nursing Mom (NBC5.com)
CHICAGO -- A Montgomery, Ill., woman who was breast feeding her baby in a fitting room at a suburban Target store was told to go into a bathroom stall instead, stirring up controversey over an activity that is protected by state law.
NBC5's Alex Perez said Wednesday that when 3-month-old Kendall gets hungary, she does what most babies do. She cries.
So when the baby began crying last week while she and her mom Jenny Dover were at a Naperville Target store on Route 59, Dover went into the fitting room, closed the door and began breast feeding her baby.
Dover said that a few minutes later the attendant knocked on the door.
"(She) asked if I was OK, and I said I was fine: 'I'm breast feeding the baby,'" she said.
She continued breast feeding Kendall until she was done. When she left the fitting room, the employee approached her again.
"She said, 'There's the bathroom or you should feed her before you come,'" Dover recalled.
click to read more...
NBC5's Alex Perez said Wednesday that when 3-month-old Kendall gets hungary, she does what most babies do. She cries.
So when the baby began crying last week while she and her mom Jenny Dover were at a Naperville Target store on Route 59, Dover went into the fitting room, closed the door and began breast feeding her baby.
Dover said that a few minutes later the attendant knocked on the door.
"(She) asked if I was OK, and I said I was fine: 'I'm breast feeding the baby,'" she said.
She continued breast feeding Kendall until she was done. When she left the fitting room, the employee approached her again.
"She said, 'There's the bathroom or you should feed her before you come,'" Dover recalled.
click to read more...
Store hassles nursing mom (The Beacon News)
A Montgomery mother plans to do her shopping elsewhere, after being told by employees of the Target Naperville store that she should not breast-feed her baby in a fitting room.
Two employees of the Target on Route 59 told Jenny Dover that she should not breast-feed in the fitting room, even though, under Illinois law, she could have nursed in the middle of an aisle if she wanted to.
click to read more...
Two employees of the Target on Route 59 told Jenny Dover that she should not breast-feed in the fitting room, even though, under Illinois law, she could have nursed in the middle of an aisle if she wanted to.
click to read more...
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Fury At Ban On Breast Feeding (from Oxford Mail)
A mother is furious after she was prevented from breast-feeding her baby in a store's changing room.
Staff at Zara, a clothing shop in Oxford's Clarendon Centre, told mother-of-two Jenny Hall that she would not be able to feed her eight-week-old son Owen while she was shopping.
click to read more...
Staff at Zara, a clothing shop in Oxford's Clarendon Centre, told mother-of-two Jenny Hall that she would not be able to feed her eight-week-old son Owen while she was shopping.
click to read more...
Monday, May 29, 2006
Mum MP wins breast-feeding fight (ANSA.it - News in English)
House creche will be 'example' for working world, she says
(ANSA) - Rome, May 29 - An Italian MP has won her battle to get a nursery installed in the House so she can breast-feed her three-month-old baby .
"I'm obviously happy with this result but I wish it had come a little sooner," said Donatella Poretti, who has had to use the House's infirmary since parliament convened three weeks ago. Radical Party MP Poretti went as far as threatening to breast-feed little Alice in front of her fellow MPs after getting no response from two letters to House Speaker Fausto Bertinotti .
Now the House administration has found a suitable room, which until now was used by MPs' aides .
click to read more...
(ANSA) - Rome, May 29 - An Italian MP has won her battle to get a nursery installed in the House so she can breast-feed her three-month-old baby .
"I'm obviously happy with this result but I wish it had come a little sooner," said Donatella Poretti, who has had to use the House's infirmary since parliament convened three weeks ago. Radical Party MP Poretti went as far as threatening to breast-feed little Alice in front of her fellow MPs after getting no response from two letters to House Speaker Fausto Bertinotti .
Now the House administration has found a suitable room, which until now was used by MPs' aides .
click to read more...
Friday, May 26, 2006
MP threatens to breastfeed in Parliament (Poltical Gateway)
ROME, May 25 (UPI) -- A new mother newly elected to the Italian Parliament is threatening to breastfeed in the House chamber unless a baby-care room is provided.
Donatella Poretti, a member of the Radical Party, said she has been using the parliament building's infirmary to feed her daughter, Alice, the Italian news agency ANSA reported."
click to read more...
Donatella Poretti, a member of the Radical Party, said she has been using the parliament building's infirmary to feed her daughter, Alice, the Italian news agency ANSA reported."
click to read more...
Thursday, May 25, 2006
LETTER- Breastfeeding not sexual (The HooK)
"In your recent story about Tom Rose's 'Ween' license plates ['WEEN win: DMV okays recalled plate,' May 18], the DMV's primary concern was said to be the chance that the plates might have a 'sexual connotation.' Your article then says that Rose was upset by the implication that his plates related to weaning, or the cessation of breastfeeding.
This reinforces the misconception that breastfeeding is sexual. While nursing and sex are both loving acts that involve the breast, breastfeeding is no more sexual than bottle feeding. It is a way of nurturing and caring for babies. "
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This reinforces the misconception that breastfeeding is sexual. While nursing and sex are both loving acts that involve the breast, breastfeeding is no more sexual than bottle feeding. It is a way of nurturing and caring for babies. "
click to read more...
Tit for Tat Pro-choice Feeding Options (Bostonist)
Today we flipped on the radio for a bit of a dose of news. First thing we hear is about breastfeeding. The issue of the day was the Massachusetts Department of Public Health's approval of the "gift basket" with infant formula distributed to mothers in state maternity wards. Pro-breastfeeding groups had pushed for a ban on the distribution of free infant formula – before the Govnah stepped in and according to the Boston Globe " Romney objected to the ban, saying it deprived women of the right to decide whether they wanted to breast-feed their babies or give them formula." Wait. So Romney's pro-choice on breast feeding – but abstinence only for sex education? The result of the proposed prohibition was a Romney shake up of the Public Health Council (who oversees the Department of Public Health), removing several pro-formula-ban members.
click to read more...
click to read more...
Breast milk: the perfect food for babies (Kennebec Journal)
Thank you so much for your important and informative Mothers' Day editorial, "The Gift Our Mothers Never Wanted To Give."
While there is no doubt that unnecessary industrial chemicals are accumulating in mothers' bodies and breast milk, it is important to note that breastfeeding remains by far the best form of nourishment for infants.
click to read more...
While there is no doubt that unnecessary industrial chemicals are accumulating in mothers' bodies and breast milk, it is important to note that breastfeeding remains by far the best form of nourishment for infants.
click to read more...
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
State OKs hospitals giving away free baby formula to new mothers (WHDH-TV)
BOSTON (AP) -- Hospital maternity wards can continue to give away free infant formula to new mothers, state health officials said Tuesday, ending a monthslong debate over the gift diaper bags.
The decision by the Department of Public Health disappointed breast-feeding advocates, who argued that the brand name baby formula gifts were designed to turn harried new mothers toward a less healthy alternative.
"Formula marketing campaigns targeting new mothers do not belong in our state's hospitals. Hospitals should market health, and nothing else," said Dr. Alison Stuebe, a Boston obstetrician and advocate for the Massachusetts Breastfeeding Coalition.
click to read more...
The decision by the Department of Public Health disappointed breast-feeding advocates, who argued that the brand name baby formula gifts were designed to turn harried new mothers toward a less healthy alternative.
"Formula marketing campaigns targeting new mothers do not belong in our state's hospitals. Hospitals should market health, and nothing else," said Dr. Alison Stuebe, a Boston obstetrician and advocate for the Massachusetts Breastfeeding Coalition.
click to read more...
Hospitals get OK to resume formula gifts (BostonHerald.com)
State public health officials yesterday said that hospitals can continue distributing free formula bags to new moms, drawing the ire of pro-breast-feeding mothers who say the move was pure politics.
“It has a devastating effect on breast-feeding moms. When nursing moms get the bags, they are more likely to use formula,” said Dr. Melissa Bartick, a member of the Massachusetts Breastfeeding Coalition.
Three dozen Bay State hospitals give out the free bags, which are emblazoned with a company logo and filled with formula, bottles and other gifts. Eight hospitals ban the bags, saying breast-feeding is healthiest for baby and mom.
click to read more...
“It has a devastating effect on breast-feeding moms. When nursing moms get the bags, they are more likely to use formula,” said Dr. Melissa Bartick, a member of the Massachusetts Breastfeeding Coalition.
Three dozen Bay State hospitals give out the free bags, which are emblazoned with a company logo and filled with formula, bottles and other gifts. Eight hospitals ban the bags, saying breast-feeding is healthiest for baby and mom.
click to read more...
State allows gifts of formula for infants (The Boston Globe)
In a victory for Governor Mitt Romney , the state's public health commissioner announced yesterday that hospital maternity wards in Massachusetts can continue to hand out gift bags with samples of infant formula. Last winter, the Public Health Council had imposed a ban on the bags, but then, at Romney's urging, it reversed its decision and ordered further study.
The five months of debate over gift bags with formula crystallized scientific and political issues regarding both breast-feeding and the Public Health Council, which governs the state Department of Public Health.
To public health specialists and powerful members of the Legislature, the episode demonstrates the perils of politics intruding into healthcare.
click to read more...
The five months of debate over gift bags with formula crystallized scientific and political issues regarding both breast-feeding and the Public Health Council, which governs the state Department of Public Health.
To public health specialists and powerful members of the Legislature, the episode demonstrates the perils of politics intruding into healthcare.
click to read more...
Mass. governor's formula call protested (United Press International)
BOSTON, May 24 (UPI) -- A Massachusetts pro-breastfeeding group is unhappy with the governor for allowing hospitals to hand out industry-sponsored formula kits to new mothers.
The Massachusetts Breastfeeding Coalition supported a state health department ban on hospitals giving out the bags, which include formula, bottles and gifts.
click to read more...
The Massachusetts Breastfeeding Coalition supported a state health department ban on hospitals giving out the bags, which include formula, bottles and gifts.
click to read more...
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Theyre Simply The Breast (from Blackburn Citizen)
NEW mums flocked to Blackburn to promote breast feeding in public and create a new British record.
The event, called the "Big Feed", was organised by a group based in Darwen and saw 700 women across the country taking part to score a new record for simultaneous breast feeding.
click to read more...
The event, called the "Big Feed", was organised by a group based in Darwen and saw 700 women across the country taking part to score a new record for simultaneous breast feeding.
click to read more...
Monday, May 22, 2006
Working mothers don't breast-feed enough (The Washington Times)
Many working mothers in this country and abroad do not breast-feed their babies, suggesting maternal employment can be a liability in providing infants with the benefits of breast milk, according to new research.
"A lot of new mothers start out breast-feeding [when they return to work]. But during the first two weeks, if they don't get the support they need [to continue breast-feeding], they quit," said Lori McBride, national coordinator of Nursing Mothers Counsel, a California-based group that encourages mothers to breast-feed.
click to read more...
"A lot of new mothers start out breast-feeding [when they return to work]. But during the first two weeks, if they don't get the support they need [to continue breast-feeding], they quit," said Lori McBride, national coordinator of Nursing Mothers Counsel, a California-based group that encourages mothers to breast-feed.
click to read more...
Breast is still best for children (Sheffield Today)
THESE women know breast is best for their little ones as they joined together to celebrate National Breastfeeding Awareness Week.
Midwife Karen Harrison helps run the Breastmates breastfeeding cafe at First Start in Firth Park, Sheffield.
The cafe, which has been up and running for more than two years, offers help and support to expectant mums and mothers who are breastfeeding.
Karen, of Dronfield, said: "The cafe started with the hope of trying to increase the number of breastfeeding mothers in the area. We have found mothers breastfeed for longer if they have support."
The cafe - open on Monday from 10.30am to 12pm - is a free initiative funded by Sure Start.
"We feel the initiative has been very successful," added Karen.
click to read more...
Midwife Karen Harrison helps run the Breastmates breastfeeding cafe at First Start in Firth Park, Sheffield.
The cafe, which has been up and running for more than two years, offers help and support to expectant mums and mothers who are breastfeeding.
Karen, of Dronfield, said: "The cafe started with the hope of trying to increase the number of breastfeeding mothers in the area. We have found mothers breastfeed for longer if they have support."
The cafe - open on Monday from 10.30am to 12pm - is a free initiative funded by Sure Start.
"We feel the initiative has been very successful," added Karen.
click to read more...
I couldn't breastfeed my baby (BBC NEWS)
For the first nine weeks of baby Emiley's life, her mother was unable to breastfeed her.
A traumatic 46-hour labour with forceps and ventouse had left Emiley and mother Cherise Jones, feeling very sore, and the baby was reluctant to breastfeed.
Doctors had been worried about Cherise's heart during the labour and needed to monitor her carefully.
Two hours after the birth she was given the all-clear. But Emiley, whose head was sore following her delivery, would not latch onto the breast.
click to read more...
A traumatic 46-hour labour with forceps and ventouse had left Emiley and mother Cherise Jones, feeling very sore, and the baby was reluctant to breastfeed.
Doctors had been worried about Cherise's heart during the labour and needed to monitor her carefully.
Two hours after the birth she was given the all-clear. But Emiley, whose head was sore following her delivery, would not latch onto the breast.
click to read more...
U.S. women face barriers to breastfeeding (United Press International)
WASHINGTON, May 19 (UPI) -- Many U.S. mothers face a series of challenges to breastfeeding because the potential inconvenience at work often appears to outweigh the heath benefits.
click to read more...
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Activists want state to protect right to breastfeed in public (Charleston Daily Mail)
West Virginia is being left behind in a nationwide move by states to protect the rights of mothers to breastfeed in public, and advocates here say they're going to start pushing harder for similar laws.
Earlier this month, Mississippi became one of six states this year to rewrite laws to give breastfeeding moms more leeway to breastfeed in public places and more protection from being prosecuted under state public indecency laws.
Now, just six states -- including West Virginia -- have not acted on calls from mothers across the country to clarify legislation they say inhibits mothers from breastfeeding babies.
click to read more...
Earlier this month, Mississippi became one of six states this year to rewrite laws to give breastfeeding moms more leeway to breastfeed in public places and more protection from being prosecuted under state public indecency laws.
Now, just six states -- including West Virginia -- have not acted on calls from mothers across the country to clarify legislation they say inhibits mothers from breastfeeding babies.
click to read more...
LiveJournal doesn't care how you feel about breastfeeding or anything else - The Social Software Weblog
A row has erupted over LiveJournal's threat to shut down a user's account if the icon image of a baby and mother's breast mid-meal isn't removed. (pic on left) The user is part of a breast feeding advocacy group, so this is some fight to pick. Though it's acceptable to breast feed almost anywhere in real life, LJ is of the belief that the sight of breastfeeding in search results on the LJ site would be unacceptable. What if said user had a signed letter signifying that the breast was at least 18 years old? Indecency policies are rife with absurdity and I'm sure that LJ wants to avoid the kinds of labels that MySpace gets in media and popular culture - so this could go on indefinitely.
click to read more...
click to read more...
Ireland's only human milk bank (IrishHealth.com)
It is well known that Ireland has one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in Europe, with only around four in 10 mothers choosing to breastfeed their babies. However some mothers are willing not only to feed their own children in this way, but also to donate some of their breast milk to help sick and premature babies throughout the country.
"The mothers who do this are simply fantastic", says Ann McCrea, a lactation consultant who works in the country's only human milk bank.
click to read more...
"The mothers who do this are simply fantastic", says Ann McCrea, a lactation consultant who works in the country's only human milk bank.
click to read more...
More than just genetics: Lifestyle choices impact GI health (Eureka News Alerts)
LOS ANGELES (May 22, 2006) – Lifestyle factors, such as daily breakfast choices and childhood home environments, have a significant impact on the gastrointestinal system, affecting your metabolism, body mass index and the likelihood of developing GI-related conditions, according to new research presented today at Digestive Disease Week® 2006 (DDW). DDW is the largest international gathering of physicians and researchers in the fields of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy and gastrointestinal surgery.
"While some lifestyle factors may be difficult for patients to change, other simple adjustments such as eating a healthy breakfast can result in a striking improvement in GI health," said Lee Kaplan, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School and director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Weight Center. "These changes should not be underestimated and doctors and patients should work together to improve health and quality of life."
click to read more...
"While some lifestyle factors may be difficult for patients to change, other simple adjustments such as eating a healthy breakfast can result in a striking improvement in GI health," said Lee Kaplan, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School and director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Weight Center. "These changes should not be underestimated and doctors and patients should work together to improve health and quality of life."
click to read more...
Stop Blaming Nursing Moms (Today's Parent)
“We lost centuries of knowledge about breastfeeding in little more than a generation.”
It takes a village to help a mother breastfeed.
Earlier this year, Statistics Canada released a report on breastfeeding practices. Among other things, it showed that of the mothers who start out breastfeeding, about one in six does so exclusively for the first six months of an infant’s life — the period now recommended by both Health Canada and the World Health Organization. This led The Globe and Mail to say, “the vast majority of women are ignoring public-health recommendations.”
Hardly. Those recommendations weren’t even in place when the women in this survey were breastfeeding, between 1998 and 2003. It’s going to take a while for the idea of exclusive breastfeeding for six months to become standard advice given by doctors — some of whom are still obsessed with getting four-month-old babies on cereal — let alone common practice among mothers. Also it’s clear, as this report shows, that most moms want to breastfeed and that they understand the value of breastmilk to their babies (more on this later). The key issue is why they stop, and I assure you it’s not out of zeal to ignore expert advice.
click to read more...
It takes a village to help a mother breastfeed.
Earlier this year, Statistics Canada released a report on breastfeeding practices. Among other things, it showed that of the mothers who start out breastfeeding, about one in six does so exclusively for the first six months of an infant’s life — the period now recommended by both Health Canada and the World Health Organization. This led The Globe and Mail to say, “the vast majority of women are ignoring public-health recommendations.”
Hardly. Those recommendations weren’t even in place when the women in this survey were breastfeeding, between 1998 and 2003. It’s going to take a while for the idea of exclusive breastfeeding for six months to become standard advice given by doctors — some of whom are still obsessed with getting four-month-old babies on cereal — let alone common practice among mothers. Also it’s clear, as this report shows, that most moms want to breastfeed and that they understand the value of breastmilk to their babies (more on this later). The key issue is why they stop, and I assure you it’s not out of zeal to ignore expert advice.
click to read more...
Sunday, May 21, 2006
Romney overhauls panel that backed ban on baby formula giveaways (WFSB)
BOSTON -- Gov. Mitt Romney has removed members of the state's Public Health Council who wanted to ban the giving away of infant formula at maternity wards, according to a published report Saturday.
The council had approved what was believed to have been a first-in-the-nation ban on the distribution of gift diaper bags with brand name baby formula and other goodies to new mothers.
click to read more...
The council had approved what was believed to have been a first-in-the-nation ban on the distribution of gift diaper bags with brand name baby formula and other goodies to new mothers.
click to read more...
BREAST FEED MUM ANGER AT NO 10 BAN (Mirror.co.uk)
A MOTHER-of-two collared by an armed policeman yesterday for breastfeeding on the Prime Minister's doorstep.
Stella Onions, 43, claimed the officer told her he could lose his job if he allowed her to continue to feed her 21-month-old son Zac.
She was in Downing Street to deliver a petition to No 10 calling for a law to allow women to breastfeed in public.
click to read more...
Stella Onions, 43, claimed the officer told her he could lose his job if he allowed her to continue to feed her 21-month-old son Zac.
She was in Downing Street to deliver a petition to No 10 calling for a law to allow women to breastfeed in public.
click to read more...
Formula Ban Supporters Removed From Health Council (cbs4boston.com)
(CBS4) BOSTON There is a changing of the guard on the state’s Public Health Council, and the advocates for breast feeding are the ones losing out.
click to read more...
click to read more...
Saturday, May 20, 2006
Keeping abreast of a trend (globeandmail.com)
Few roles in life leave you as open to judgment as parenting. And nothing is quite so heated as the battle over the breast.
Vancouver's Nicole and Kim Critten found that out when they began distributing a line of nursing covers through their company Bug & Pickle (http://www.bugandpickle.com). The name of the product didn't help, either: Hooter Hiders.
Created to allow mothers to nurse in public without exposure, the California-designed cover is more effective than the old receiving-blanket standby. It has a strap to keep the cloth from sliding off, and a rigid collar holds the fabric away from the mother's neck to maintain a clear view of the baby.
But it's sparked a storm in Vancouver circles, in newspapers, blogs and even on radio. The Nik and Val Show on CFUN 1410 recently devoted an afternoon to the debate.
"Our callers were split right down the middle," co-host Val Cole says. "There were people who like it and then there were those who thought it was the most ridiculous thing they'd ever heard of."
click to read more...
Vancouver's Nicole and Kim Critten found that out when they began distributing a line of nursing covers through their company Bug & Pickle (http://www.bugandpickle.com). The name of the product didn't help, either: Hooter Hiders.
Created to allow mothers to nurse in public without exposure, the California-designed cover is more effective than the old receiving-blanket standby. It has a strap to keep the cloth from sliding off, and a rigid collar holds the fabric away from the mother's neck to maintain a clear view of the baby.
But it's sparked a storm in Vancouver circles, in newspapers, blogs and even on radio. The Nik and Val Show on CFUN 1410 recently devoted an afternoon to the debate.
"Our callers were split right down the middle," co-host Val Cole says. "There were people who like it and then there were those who thought it was the most ridiculous thing they'd ever heard of."
click to read more...
Private profits versus public health
Masachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has made it clear that private profits matter more to him than public health with his recent actions.
More than 78,000 babies were born in Massachusetts in 2004. They can't possibly compete with an $8 billion a year industry. Deep pockets matter more than deep dimples, eh, Mitt? It's no surprise which side of the issue our running-for-president-and-rarely-seen-in-the-state governor comes down on.
Hospitals should market health, and nothing else.
Shame on you, Governor Romney.
More than 78,000 babies were born in Massachusetts in 2004. They can't possibly compete with an $8 billion a year industry. Deep pockets matter more than deep dimples, eh, Mitt? It's no surprise which side of the issue our running-for-president-and-rarely-seen-in-the-state governor comes down on.
Hospitals should market health, and nothing else.
Shame on you, Governor Romney.
Romney ousts 3 at health council (The Boston Globe)
Gone are backers of a ban on infant formula giveaways
Governor Mitt Romney completed a major overhaul of the state's Public Health Council yesterday, abruptly ousting members who championed a ban on giving away infant formula at hospital maternity wards.
Romney has said that he believes that mothers should continue to receive gift bags of infant formula if they want them, and he asked the council in February to reverse its earlier approval of a ban.
The panel, which establishes public health policy in Massachusetts, did reverse the ban, but at the same time ordered administrators at the Department of Public Health to spend three months reviewing the issue. The administrators are scheduled to report their findings Tuesday.
In an interview last night, one of the council members replaced by Romney said she would have liked to have remained on the panel.
''I think the changes were political," said Phyllis Cudmore, who used to work in the healthcare industry. ''I'm disappointed not to be part of the process now."
click to read more...
Governor Mitt Romney completed a major overhaul of the state's Public Health Council yesterday, abruptly ousting members who championed a ban on giving away infant formula at hospital maternity wards.
Romney has said that he believes that mothers should continue to receive gift bags of infant formula if they want them, and he asked the council in February to reverse its earlier approval of a ban.
The panel, which establishes public health policy in Massachusetts, did reverse the ban, but at the same time ordered administrators at the Department of Public Health to spend three months reviewing the issue. The administrators are scheduled to report their findings Tuesday.
In an interview last night, one of the council members replaced by Romney said she would have liked to have remained on the panel.
''I think the changes were political," said Phyllis Cudmore, who used to work in the healthcare industry. ''I'm disappointed not to be part of the process now."
click to read more...
Monday, May 15, 2006
Salon is given thanks for the mammaries (Scotsman.com News)
A BEAUTY salon is set to be given an award for accommodating women who want to breastfeed.
The Breastfeeding Friendly Awards have been set up by East Lothian council chiefs to encourage businesses to think about the needs of nursing mothers.
Health visitor Chris Kelly is due to present the first award to Hazel Hunter, proprietor of the Nail & Beauty Salon in Bridge Street, Tranent, tomorrow.
In East Lothian, statistics show many new mothers find it difficult to maintain breastfeeding for the recommended six months.
click to read more...
The Breastfeeding Friendly Awards have been set up by East Lothian council chiefs to encourage businesses to think about the needs of nursing mothers.
Health visitor Chris Kelly is due to present the first award to Hazel Hunter, proprietor of the Nail & Beauty Salon in Bridge Street, Tranent, tomorrow.
In East Lothian, statistics show many new mothers find it difficult to maintain breastfeeding for the recommended six months.
click to read more...
Mothers demand breastfeeding law (BBC NEWS )
Mothers are demanding a law is introduced allowing women throughout the UK to breastfeed in public.
The National Childbirth Trust backs the call, saying women should feel "confident and comfortable" feeding their babies.
Scotland already has a law allowing women to breastfeed in public, and an NCT survey found 79% of mums want a similar law everywhere.
A government spokeswoman said it was reviewing the need for legislation.
The NCT is supporting MP David Kidney's Private Member's Bill for a breastfeeding law in England.
click to read more...
The National Childbirth Trust backs the call, saying women should feel "confident and comfortable" feeding their babies.
Scotland already has a law allowing women to breastfeed in public, and an NCT survey found 79% of mums want a similar law everywhere.
A government spokeswoman said it was reviewing the need for legislation.
The NCT is supporting MP David Kidney's Private Member's Bill for a breastfeeding law in England.
click to read more...
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Expressed delivery (Columbia Daily Tribune)
Jill Youse’s breast milk project is taking off.
The 28-year-old Columbia woman packed up a second shipment of 100 to 200 pounds of breast milk this morning that will go to a group in South Africa that takes in HIV/AIDS orphans.
Youse, a sales representative for a pharmaceutical company, was in the news last month for donating 1,000 ounces of her own breast milk to iThemba Lethu, a not-for-profit organization in Durban, South Africa. Soon thereafter, she was contacted by 10 other women around the country who wished to put their extra breast milk to good use as well.
Youse said she initially didn’t want to breast-feed her daughter Estella when the baby was born nine months ago but changed her mind. She since has started the International Breast Milk Project to make use of the extra milk she produces and stores in her freezer.
click to read more...
The 28-year-old Columbia woman packed up a second shipment of 100 to 200 pounds of breast milk this morning that will go to a group in South Africa that takes in HIV/AIDS orphans.
Youse, a sales representative for a pharmaceutical company, was in the news last month for donating 1,000 ounces of her own breast milk to iThemba Lethu, a not-for-profit organization in Durban, South Africa. Soon thereafter, she was contacted by 10 other women around the country who wished to put their extra breast milk to good use as well.
Youse said she initially didn’t want to breast-feed her daughter Estella when the baby was born nine months ago but changed her mind. She since has started the International Breast Milk Project to make use of the extra milk she produces and stores in her freezer.
click to read more...
Brown goes to aid of mothers who breastfeed in public - (Sunday Times)
THE chancellor Gordon Brown is supporting a campaign to outlaw harassment of mothers who breastfeed their babies in public.
Brown, who is anxious to increase his appeal to women, has endorsed a pressure group presenting a petition to Tony Blair on the issue tomorrow. The campaigners believes it ought to be an offence for anyone to try to prevent a baby being breastfed. Similar legislation was introduced in Scotland last year.
The call for change follows reports that up to 50% of breastfeeding women say they are made to feel uncomfortable in public. In some cases passers-by have called police.
click to read more...
Brown, who is anxious to increase his appeal to women, has endorsed a pressure group presenting a petition to Tony Blair on the issue tomorrow. The campaigners believes it ought to be an offence for anyone to try to prevent a baby being breastfed. Similar legislation was introduced in Scotland last year.
The call for change follows reports that up to 50% of breastfeeding women say they are made to feel uncomfortable in public. In some cases passers-by have called police.
click to read more...
A Mother's Memory - New York Times
Q. My late mother, who grew up in Yorkville, told me that as a little girl she would take the subway "all the way downtown" to get breast milk for her twin baby brothers. She remembered that the milk was free, and that it came from contributing mothers who were also poor. Is there a record of this?
A. Yes. The organization was called the Mother's Milk Bureau. It was founded in 1921 and run until about 1950 by the Children's Welfare Federation, a consortium of service groups. It provided nourishment for premature and sick babies whose mothers could not nurse them adequately. The New York Times reported in 1938 that the bureau's central station was at 34th Street and Ninth Avenue, and that in 1937 it distributed more than 5,000 quarts of milk to 600 babies.
click to read more...
A. Yes. The organization was called the Mother's Milk Bureau. It was founded in 1921 and run until about 1950 by the Children's Welfare Federation, a consortium of service groups. It provided nourishment for premature and sick babies whose mothers could not nurse them adequately. The New York Times reported in 1938 that the bureau's central station was at 34th Street and Ninth Avenue, and that in 1937 it distributed more than 5,000 quarts of milk to 600 babies.
click to read more...
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Gifts should not be hospitals' bag - The Boston Globe
GOVERNOR ROMNEY'S spokesman, Eric Fehrnstrom, says, ''Pharmaceutical companies and medical device makers market their products to hospitals, and everything from doctor's stationery to the vending machine in the lobby bears a corporate insignia. No one is seeking to end those practices, and yet there is a very vocal minority of breast-feeding advocates who want to take a punitive approach with mothers who choose formula" (''Some hospitals forgo baby-formula handout," Page A1, May 8).
click to read more...
Yes, that's my letter. Woo hoo!
click to read more...
Yes, that's my letter. Woo hoo!
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Rally Aiming To Set Feeding Mums Free (from Thisisbradford)
Up to four hundred mums and their babies are expected to attend a breastfeeding rally.
The event is being held as part of National Breastfeeding Awareness Week, which runs from May 14 to 20.
Janette Westman, infant feeding advisor at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: "We want to give out a message to women who are thinking about how they are going to feed their baby that you don't have to be locked in your home if you breastfeed.
"It is possible to lead a normal life and facilities will be available for mums to breastfeed their babies in public."
click to read more...
The event is being held as part of National Breastfeeding Awareness Week, which runs from May 14 to 20.
Janette Westman, infant feeding advisor at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: "We want to give out a message to women who are thinking about how they are going to feed their baby that you don't have to be locked in your home if you breastfeed.
"It is possible to lead a normal life and facilities will be available for mums to breastfeed their babies in public."
click to read more...
Mass. hospitals end formula freebies (United Press International)
At least five Massachusetts hospitals no longer allow baby formula companies to provide gift bags for new mothers.
State officials are considering a total ban, the Boston Globe reports.
click to read more...
State officials are considering a total ban, the Boston Globe reports.
click to read more...
Mum MP in breast-feeding fight (ANSA.it - News in English)
First-time MP and proud new mother Donatella Poretti is flying the flag for working moms throughout Italy, claiming the right to breast-feed her daughter in parliament. "I need a room with the bare minimum to feed Alice, change her diaper and let her get some rest," said Poretti, 38, in a break from voting for a new Italian president .
For the time being, between one voting session and the next, Poretti is forced to leave the assembly every two hours or so, using a corner of the House infirmary to give two-month-old Alice her regular dose of mother's milk .
Poretti, a Florentine journalist elected for the Radical Party, has written to new House Speaker Fausto Bertinotti in the hope of having a baby-care room added to the array of plush facilities in the hulking building .
"A parliamentary creche would be an important signal for the rest of the country, for all the moms who have to choose between work and taking care of their babies" .
click to read more...
For the time being, between one voting session and the next, Poretti is forced to leave the assembly every two hours or so, using a corner of the House infirmary to give two-month-old Alice her regular dose of mother's milk .
Poretti, a Florentine journalist elected for the Radical Party, has written to new House Speaker Fausto Bertinotti in the hope of having a baby-care room added to the array of plush facilities in the hulking building .
"A parliamentary creche would be an important signal for the rest of the country, for all the moms who have to choose between work and taking care of their babies" .
click to read more...
An update from the Massachusetts Breastfeeding Coalition...
An udate from the Massachusetts Breastfeeding Coalition...
Hi all,
Our strategists have suggested emphasizing Romney and family values at the demonstration on Friday, in addition to emphasizing money. Additional sign suggestions include:
"Gov. Romney, 'Special Interests' is not a Family Value"
or "Gov. Romney, Drug Company Profits aren't Family Values."
"The Romney Tax: $700 per Family"-- this refers to the additional $700+ a year that formula-feeding parents spend on the brand name formulas advertised by the bags, when they could've saved money on store brands.
We must also emphasize that we are not just a "very vocal minority" of advocates as ROmney's spokesperson said in yesterday's Globe.
If you are a health care professional, please wear scrubs and/or white coats on Friday.
If you are bringing your children, remember photographers love photos of kids: if you can emblazon them somehow with a message like above, and we can get it in the paper or news, it could go a long way.
See you 10am, Friday, May 12, in front of the Dome, rain or shine.
Thank you!!
Melissa Bartick, MD
Chair, Mass. Breastfeeding Coalition
See you there.....
Hi all,
Our strategists have suggested emphasizing Romney and family values at the demonstration on Friday, in addition to emphasizing money. Additional sign suggestions include:
"Gov. Romney, 'Special Interests' is not a Family Value"
or "Gov. Romney, Drug Company Profits aren't Family Values."
"The Romney Tax: $700 per Family"-- this refers to the additional $700+ a year that formula-feeding parents spend on the brand name formulas advertised by the bags, when they could've saved money on store brands.
We must also emphasize that we are not just a "very vocal minority" of advocates as ROmney's spokesperson said in yesterday's Globe.
If you are a health care professional, please wear scrubs and/or white coats on Friday.
If you are bringing your children, remember photographers love photos of kids: if you can emblazon them somehow with a message like above, and we can get it in the paper or news, it could go a long way.
See you 10am, Friday, May 12, in front of the Dome, rain or shine.
Thank you!!
Melissa Bartick, MD
Chair, Mass. Breastfeeding Coalition
See you there.....
Monday, May 08, 2006
Promoting breastfeeding through art exhibition (The Star - Maylasia)
SUCKLING babies at their mothers’ breasts were illustrated using various mediums and techniques in the ‘Mo-ther’s Love II – 2006’ art exhibition.
Portraits of serene women breastfeeding their babies against a rural backdrop interspersed with poster-like paintings and more expressionist oils.
Jointly organized with the World Alliance for Breast Feeding Action Coun-cil (Waba), the exhibition held at Galeri Art Point in Chow Thye Road, Penang, features 30 paintings by 13 Malaysian ar-tists.
This second art exhibition is aimed at promoting breastfeeding among mothers.
click to read more...
Portraits of serene women breastfeeding their babies against a rural backdrop interspersed with poster-like paintings and more expressionist oils.
Jointly organized with the World Alliance for Breast Feeding Action Coun-cil (Waba), the exhibition held at Galeri Art Point in Chow Thye Road, Penang, features 30 paintings by 13 Malaysian ar-tists.
This second art exhibition is aimed at promoting breastfeeding among mothers.
click to read more...
The right formula (The Boston Globe)
The more breast milk the better, studies show -- but they don't tell mothers how to balance the ideal with the real demands of family and work
By Stephen Smith | May 8, 2006
Ellen Savage would like you to know this: ''I'm not an earthy-crunchy type. But from everything I was told and everything I believe, breast is best."
Which is why, when she was pregnant with her daughter Abigail, she envisioned nursing as fulfilling, nurturing, and good for her baby's health. After all, there are literally hundreds of scientific studies showing the medical benefits of breast-feeding -- for both baby and mother.
''But it takes a lot of work," said Savage, who lives in Bourne and continues to nurse her 2-year-old. ''More work than I ever imagined."
click to read more...
By Stephen Smith | May 8, 2006
Ellen Savage would like you to know this: ''I'm not an earthy-crunchy type. But from everything I was told and everything I believe, breast is best."
Which is why, when she was pregnant with her daughter Abigail, she envisioned nursing as fulfilling, nurturing, and good for her baby's health. After all, there are literally hundreds of scientific studies showing the medical benefits of breast-feeding -- for both baby and mother.
''But it takes a lot of work," said Savage, who lives in Bourne and continues to nurse her 2-year-old. ''More work than I ever imagined."
click to read more...
Some hospitals forgo baby-formula handout The Boston Globe)
As the state's policy makers debate whether to ban maternity ward gift bags, a growing number of Massachusetts hospitals are quietly doing away with the formula-filled freebies on their own.
The state's busiest baby unit, at Brigham and Women's Hospital, banished gift bags provided by infant formula companies on Feb. 1. Last week, Cambridge Health Alliance replaced them with bags emblazoned with the alliance's logo -- but without formula. And administrators at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, where 5,000 babies are born each year, intend to eliminate the sample and coupon giveaways by the summer.
The hospitals' action represents a confluence of trends sweeping the healthcare industry. After being stung by revelations showing doctors indulging in expensive meals, gifts, and trips paid for by pharmaceutical companies, hospitals are eager to project a different image.
click to read more...
The state's busiest baby unit, at Brigham and Women's Hospital, banished gift bags provided by infant formula companies on Feb. 1. Last week, Cambridge Health Alliance replaced them with bags emblazoned with the alliance's logo -- but without formula. And administrators at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, where 5,000 babies are born each year, intend to eliminate the sample and coupon giveaways by the summer.
The hospitals' action represents a confluence of trends sweeping the healthcare industry. After being stung by revelations showing doctors indulging in expensive meals, gifts, and trips paid for by pharmaceutical companies, hospitals are eager to project a different image.
click to read more...
Sunday, May 07, 2006
latest update from the Massachusetts Breastfeeding Coalition...
Thank you for taking the time to sign the Massachusetts Breastfeeding Coalition's petition urging Gov. Romney to eliminate hospital-based formula marketing. In the past two months, we've gathered more than 3,300 signatures from 50 states.
If you are in the Boston area, we hope you'll join the Coalition for a demonstration in front of the State House, on May 12 at 10 am, to present the petition to the Governor's office. Bring babies, signs, and bodies to the Beacon Street side, in front of the dome. Let's show the Administration that we don't want the government protecting the big drug companies who sell baby formula at the expense of mothers, babies, consumers, and taxpayers.
We need a head count!
Please let us know if you are interested in coming and how likely you are to attend -- please reply to this email at demonstration@massbfc.org. We will contact you with any last-minute details.
In order to be effective, it is vitally important to demonstrate a respect for a woman’s feeding choice, whatever it may be. Parents who choose formula are hurt by marketing, too. Health care providers are encouraged to wear scrubs or white coats.
For more information on the demonstration, and for updates on the status of the regulation, please visit:
http://www.massbfc.org/demonstration.html
If you have friends or colleagues who may be interested in this issue, please share this information with them, and invite them to sign the petition as well.
Thanks again for your support on this important public health issue!
Melissa Bartick, MD
Chair, Massachusetts Breastfeeding Coalition
If you are in the Boston area, we hope you'll join the Coalition for a demonstration in front of the State House, on May 12 at 10 am, to present the petition to the Governor's office. Bring babies, signs, and bodies to the Beacon Street side, in front of the dome. Let's show the Administration that we don't want the government protecting the big drug companies who sell baby formula at the expense of mothers, babies, consumers, and taxpayers.
We need a head count!
Please let us know if you are interested in coming and how likely you are to attend -- please reply to this email at demonstration@massbfc.org. We will contact you with any last-minute details.
In order to be effective, it is vitally important to demonstrate a respect for a woman’s feeding choice, whatever it may be. Parents who choose formula are hurt by marketing, too. Health care providers are encouraged to wear scrubs or white coats.
For more information on the demonstration, and for updates on the status of the regulation, please visit:
http://www.massbfc.org/demonstration.html
If you have friends or colleagues who may be interested in this issue, please share this information with them, and invite them to sign the petition as well.
Thanks again for your support on this important public health issue!
Melissa Bartick, MD
Chair, Massachusetts Breastfeeding Coalition
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Demonstration!!!
from the Massachusetts Breastfeeding Coaltion's website:
The Massachusetts Breastfeeding Coalition wants you to join concerned citizens at the State House on Friday, May 12 at 10 am. We're gathering on Mother's Day weekend to tell the Administration to keep formula marketing out of our state's hospitals.
In the last two months, the MBC has collected more than 3,000 thousand signatures from across the country urging the Governor to implement the Public Health Council's regulations on formula marketing in hospitals. Passed after extensive public hearings last summer, the rule would stop hospitals from marketing infant formula to new mothers. The Romney Administration put the regulation on hold in February, and a decision is expected in late May. On May 12, health advocates plan to gather at the State House and present the petition to Gov. Romney's office.
Hospital-based formula marketing co-opts health care providers, giving their implied endorsement to formula feeding, and to expensive brand-name baby formula. During their hospital stay, our state's families deserve sound medical advice, not commercial sales pitches. This Mother's Day, let's speak in one voice: Hospitals should market health, and nothing else.
We need a headcount!
Please let us know if you are interested in coming and how likely you are to attend: email us at demonstration@massbfc.org. We will send you talking points, and any last minute details.
click to read more...
The Massachusetts Breastfeeding Coalition wants you to join concerned citizens at the State House on Friday, May 12 at 10 am. We're gathering on Mother's Day weekend to tell the Administration to keep formula marketing out of our state's hospitals.
In the last two months, the MBC has collected more than 3,000 thousand signatures from across the country urging the Governor to implement the Public Health Council's regulations on formula marketing in hospitals. Passed after extensive public hearings last summer, the rule would stop hospitals from marketing infant formula to new mothers. The Romney Administration put the regulation on hold in February, and a decision is expected in late May. On May 12, health advocates plan to gather at the State House and present the petition to Gov. Romney's office.
Hospital-based formula marketing co-opts health care providers, giving their implied endorsement to formula feeding, and to expensive brand-name baby formula. During their hospital stay, our state's families deserve sound medical advice, not commercial sales pitches. This Mother's Day, let's speak in one voice: Hospitals should market health, and nothing else.
We need a headcount!
Please let us know if you are interested in coming and how likely you are to attend: email us at demonstration@massbfc.org. We will send you talking points, and any last minute details.
click to read more...
Monday, May 01, 2006
Lawmakers consider free admission to shows for breast-fed infants (ABC6.com - WLNE-TV)
Mothers who are breastfeeding their infants may soon be able to bring those children to the theater and other live performances for free.
House lawmakers at the General Assembly approved a bill yesterday to permit free admission to shows for children under one year old if they are being breastfed by their mothers. The Senate has yet to approve it.
click to read more...
House lawmakers at the General Assembly approved a bill yesterday to permit free admission to shows for children under one year old if they are being breastfed by their mothers. The Senate has yet to approve it.
click to read more...
Helping mums become bosom buddies (Chester Evening Leader)
A GROUP of new mums have completed a 12-week course to help women who want to breast feed their babies.
After successfully ending a 12-week course based on the La Leche League Breastfeeding Peer Counsellor Programme, the first 20 Bosom Buddies are providing help and support to other mothers in the Blacon and Ellesmere Port Sure Start areas.
The buddies are all mums who have already breastfed their own babies and want to help and support other mothers to do the same. .
One of them, Lisa Ruffell, said: “I have successfully breastfed two children myself. You think you know all about it but the Peer Support Programme has taught me loads more about how we make milk and how breast feeding works.
“With this new knowledge I can now help other mums because I understand how problems occur and I can put it into context and give better information.”
click to read more...
After successfully ending a 12-week course based on the La Leche League Breastfeeding Peer Counsellor Programme, the first 20 Bosom Buddies are providing help and support to other mothers in the Blacon and Ellesmere Port Sure Start areas.
The buddies are all mums who have already breastfed their own babies and want to help and support other mothers to do the same. .
One of them, Lisa Ruffell, said: “I have successfully breastfed two children myself. You think you know all about it but the Peer Support Programme has taught me loads more about how we make milk and how breast feeding works.
“With this new knowledge I can now help other mums because I understand how problems occur and I can put it into context and give better information.”
click to read more...
How to wear a baby -- stylishly (Chron.com)
When Tracy Urban had her first child 18 years ago, infant slings, she says, "had a hippie image associated with them."
A decade later, when Germaine Caprio gave birth to her first, she was so desperate for fashionable yet practical nursing garments that she drew up a pattern herself and had it sewn by a seamstress.
Today, these women head successful companies that cater to the needs of new moms. Urban helms Parenting Concepts, the manufacturer of SlingEZee Baby Slings; Caprio is the founder of Majamas, a line of comfort-driven, stylish nursing clothes.
Urban and Caprio will be in town this week to co-teach courses in wearing a baby at A Woman's Workshop, the teaching annex of A Woman's Work in Rice Village.
They'll be teaching new and not-so-new moms about the benefits of carrying their babies in a sling and how to facilitate breast-feeding by wearing nursing-friendly but nonfrumpy tops, says Sandy Lemke, owner of A Woman's Work.
click to read more...
A decade later, when Germaine Caprio gave birth to her first, she was so desperate for fashionable yet practical nursing garments that she drew up a pattern herself and had it sewn by a seamstress.
Today, these women head successful companies that cater to the needs of new moms. Urban helms Parenting Concepts, the manufacturer of SlingEZee Baby Slings; Caprio is the founder of Majamas, a line of comfort-driven, stylish nursing clothes.
Urban and Caprio will be in town this week to co-teach courses in wearing a baby at A Woman's Workshop, the teaching annex of A Woman's Work in Rice Village.
They'll be teaching new and not-so-new moms about the benefits of carrying their babies in a sling and how to facilitate breast-feeding by wearing nursing-friendly but nonfrumpy tops, says Sandy Lemke, owner of A Woman's Work.
click to read more...
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