Don't Like It? Stop Staring...

There have been some very interesting blog posts lately about breastfeeding in public.

It all started when one blogger, a woman, asked why breastfeeding mothers can't cover up and be discreet while breastfeeding in public.

I've breastfed in public anywhere and everywhere. In church. On a dance floor, while dancing. On a Ferris Wheel. In the grocery store. At fairs, at concerts, malls, people's homes, field trips, at the side of the road.....anywhere that my baby happened to be hungry while I was out.

I do not use blankets or covers. I do not isolate myself in a dark corner, or in the bathroom. And yet, out of the hundreds of times that I've nursed my babies in public, I can only recall two instances where the people around me even knew what I was doing...98% of the time, everyone assumes the baby is sleeping in my arms.

In fact, when my oldest was 13 months old, I had one friend ask me if I had weaned her or not while my daughter was nursing at my breast. When I pointed out that I was nursing her at that very moment, my friend was very surprised, as she thought my daughter was just cuddling with me.

I've never received a negative comment. But somehow, there is still this perception in our culture that moms who breastfeed in public are "whipping it out" for all to see, and need to be covered up.

Afraid that your husband will see another woman's breast? Fine, tell him not to stare. And then make sure he never reads magazines, watches TV, goes to the mall, or goes to the beach. Because between all the Victoria Secret ads and billboards and skimpy bathing suits at the beach, he is bound to see some breast, and oh no we can't let that happen!

Do you have a young child and are afraid of him or

her seeing a breast? Stop right there, because this is part of the problem. Because if young children are taught about breastfeeding and see it in their childhood, then they won't grow up into adults who believe babies should eat under blankets. If you are worried it might be awkward if your child starts asking questions, please don't. I've breastfed at many a play date and park and the following conversation usually occurs:

Child: "What are you doing?"

Me: "I'm feeding my baby."

Child: "oh" and then bounds off to play.

Why is this even a big deal in the first place? A mother feeding her baby....so what?

For more on this topic, visit Adventures in Babywearing and PHDinParenting.

Don't Like It? Stop Staring...

Breastfeeding is Not a Crime!

I've been forwarded this email several times through different groups and I think it is important to share. Get the word out! :o)

Just a couple of months ago, a mother was kicked out of a museum in New York for breastfeeding, a perfectly legal act in that state. [1] Mothers continue to suffer discrimination and humiliation for breastfeeding, even though doctors recommend breastfeeding for all infants. Clearly we need Congress to pass the Breastfeeding Promotion Act (H.R. 3799) now--before more mothers are stigmatized and humiliated for breastfeeding. But this Act is currently stalled in Congress, and isn't going to move forward without increased citizen pressure. You can supply that pressure.CONTACT YOUR CONGRESSPERSON
NOW: http://www.momsrisi ng.org/Cosponsor
BreastfeedingAct
(And forward this email to friends now so they can take
action too. All of our voices are needed to get the Breastfeeding
Promotion Act moving forward).MomsRising members have successfully raised awareness about the need to protect the rights of breastfeeding mothers in the past and can do it again. Last year, MomsRising members and other activists changed Delta Airlines' corporate policies when a mother was kicked
off a flight for breastfeeding.We can harness this same power to push through the Breastfeeding Promotion Act, but we need your help contacting Congress. Let's support mothers who are nurturing and caring for the next generation of Americans. Those nursing babies may not be able to vote, but their mothers can!Forward this email so your friends and family can contact their representatives too. It's going to take all of our voices, and then some to get this legislation moving forward. We need tens of thousands of messages to go to Congress supporting breastfeeding.
Here's that link again in case you need it: http://www.momsrisi ng.org/Cosponsor BreastfeedingAct
Thank you! - Kristin, Joan, Nanette, Mary, Donna, Katie,
Roz, Anita, Andrea and the MomsRising Team [1] http://wnyt. com/article/ stories/S352021. shtml?cat= 10114

P.S. THE LOWDOWN ON THE BREASTFEEDING PROMOTION ACT: Representative Carolyn Maloney's Breastfeeding Promotion Act (H.R. 3799) would amend the 1964 Civil Rights Act to protect breastfeeding by new mothers by providing tax credits to employers who provide a place to breastfeed and/or provide breast pumps. This makes it a lot easier for women who want to give their babies breastmilk and keep their jobs. As you may know, 82% of American women
become mothers by the time they are forty-four years old, so this issue is critically important to a large portion of our nation. To read the bill, visit The Library of Congress Website.

Breastfeeding is Not a Crime!

Breastfeeding Moms Now Protected in NY

Recently, NY Governor Eliot Spitzer signed into law legislation that protects the rights of breastfeeding in the workplace. According to the statement:

The legislation requires employers to provide uncompensated time, and make a reasonable effort to provide private space for women to express milk or nurse their children for a period of up to three years following the birth of a child. In addition, it also bars an employer from discriminating against an employee exercising this right.

Kudos to Spitzer and NY. Now it's time for Massachusetts to step up to the plate! MomsRisingPV has recently launched a campaign to protect the rights of breastfeeding moms to nurse their children in public. They are asking moms to participate in two ways: by sharing any experiences they have had with being harassed or discriminated for nursing in public; and by contacting their senators and telling them that they support Senate Bill 78, an Act that would protect nursing moms who nurse their children in public. So act today!

Breastfeeding Moms Now Protected in NY

Massachusetts Need to Step Up to the Plate

Massachusetts is usually pretty forward thinking with its policies and laws. But not so with breastfeeding. In fact, Massachusetts is one of the only five states that have no legislation at all designed to protect the rights of the nursing mom. You can find more information about the current situation in MA here.

The Massachusetts Breastfeeding Coalition is working hard to get breastfeeding friendly legislation passed in 2007. However, they need your help. If you reside in MA, give your Congressperson a call and tell them that you want to see these breastfeeding friendly bills passed. To learn more about the different bills in legislation right now, and to learn more about other ways you can help, be sure to visit the MBC's advocacy page. You can also join their mailing list/yahoo group for updates.

Many thanks to Tanya over at the Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog for the heads up on the article and on the situation in MA.

Massachusetts Need to Step Up to the Plate

Crossing the Line

We always hear the stories of a breastfeeding mother being asked to leave a place because she is breastfeeding. We express our outrage at the fact that a woman is treated with such disrespect simply because she is trying to feed her baby.

You would think that mothers who breastfeed understand what it is like to hear these stories and get angry. You would think that they would understand how important it is to be able to feed your baby in whatever way you choose.

Therefore I was extremely disappointed when I read about a mom who was recently asked to leave a cafe for breastfeeding mothers because she formula fed her son. According to the article, she had gone there after being invited for coffee by some friends that do breastfeed their children. The staff expressed their opinions that bottle feeding was not appropriate and asked her not to come back.

Everyone who knows me is aware of how I feel about formula. They all know my biases against moms who formula feed without a single thought of consideration of at least attempting to breastfeed. But, I have never made a single comment to anyone I see formula feeding, ever, while out in public. For this cafe to harass this woman in much the same way as breastfeeding mothers are sometimes harasses shows their ignorance, hypocrisy, and foolishness.

I definitely see this as a step back in the world of lactivists.

Crossing the Line

New Bedford Detainee Interview.

The Guppy is waking up from her nap and the Mermaid is gearing up for another tantrum so I haven't much time but I did want to point out this interview to you, dear readers.

This video shows a 10 minutes interview of a woman who was one of the illegal immigrants detained from a factory in New Bedford. Later, when I have more time, I want to dive into my personal stance on the issue but in the meantime you can check out Jen at The Lactivist Blog and read up on her stance.

I strongly suggested you watch the video all the way through. It's atrocious. These people do not deserve to be treated this way.



Get the word out. Share this video with everyone you can. Let's act.

New Bedford Detainee Interview.

Breastfeeding Advocacy in MA

When I first started reading about breastfeeding advocacy I really didn't think I had much I could do in Massachusetts. I just figured that MA already had laws in place to protect the rights of the breastfeeding mom. So imagine my surprise when I discovered that MA is one of the few states that have no laws whatsoever to protect nursing moms!

However, there is hope on the horizon.

Thanks to the efforts of the Massachusetts Breastfeeding Coalition and local nursing moms, there are now currently five bills being considered in legislation that deal with breastfeeding. If enacted, four of these laws would: protect a woman's right to nurse in public; protect her rights concerning workplace lactation; provide access to educational materials on the benefits of breastfeeding; and would allow the licensing of lactation consultants. The fifth bill would require that all women have access to free formula samples and materials.

The bills protecting nursing moms need our support in order to be pushed through and made law. The MBC is holding a lobbying day on Wednesday, May 9th, at the State House Room 109. Come and speak to your legislatures about getting these bills passed!

Breastfeeding Advocacy in MA

Success at Logan

Well I am really bummed that I missed the national nurse in. I would've gone to Logan Airport in Boston, where seven mothers and their nursing babes showed up. They got quite a bit of media attention, including:
Fox, NECN (video), and CBS (video). The nurse in in general was a huge success, and I think the message that breastfeeding is normal and natural was well received in most areas. Hopefully I will be able to contribute in future nurse ins!

Success at Logan

Finally feeling up to life

Well I'm back after being sick for four days straight. I had horrible strep throat, migraines, and a head cold to boot. I couldn't eat any solids and was on a liquid diet, I lost five pounds in those four days alone. I was treating my throat with GSE and salt water, but the GSE didn't seem to be working. So finally, on Sunday night I switched over to Apple Cider Vinegar and went to bed...by morning my throat was 100% better. I had also used lemon tea with honey, and vitamin C. Luckily no one else caught it, I was very careful in keeping my kids from getting sick...that would be the last thing I would need.

This morning is the National Nurse In at all Delta ticket counters to protest the treatment of the breastfeeding woman who was kicked off a Delta flight for breastfeeding. I was planning on going but I am not fully recovered yet (I still have a horrible cough) and I can't find a sitter for the Mermaid. I would've loved being there though, hopefully the Nurse In gets lots of positive media attention. I do have some more articles to share about the nurse in: over at Mothering.com they have ongoing coverage of the situation; Messa Air Group made a statement about the incident; and if you want to sign a petition in support of breastfeeding moms, you can do so here.
Well that's it for now, although I am sure I will be posting later on some other stuff that I have been thinking about.

Finally feeling up to life

Delta Airlines, in a Heap of Trouble

So, I've been a little behind on what's going on in the news lately. The big story right now concerns Delta Airlines. Delta Airlines has broken the law by forcing a woman and her family to leave their flight because she was breastfeeding her child. The stewardess had offered a blanket, which the mother refused, so they were then asked to get off the plane. From the articles, it sounds like she was being very discreet and modest in her nursing. Delta Airlines is now being sued, and I hope they end up paying for her child's college education. There has also been an organized nurse in at the airport in support of the mom.

Other things I've noticed in the news lately...a little article on Dr. Sears and his family, and healthy living...an article about another organized nurse-in at a movie theatre.....and finally, an article on how hospitals are attempting to become more breastfeeding friendly. Enjoy!

Delta Airlines, in a Heap of Trouble