Are you interested in Breastfeeding Activism?

If you’re not familiar with the 3 Minute Activist, you need to be. While they’ve been on hiatus for awhile, they are gearing back up to provide you with some of the best breastfeeding activism on the web. And they need help. Here is the letter about how you can help, from Cathy Theys:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/3MA
is open to the public and is for people to write in to submit letter ideas (and gets lots of SPAM since anyone can email to it). The idea for members of this group is for them to spend 1-2 hours a week replying to valid humans sending in real 3MA ideas to let them know their idea reached a human and then forward that idea to the other work group….

The Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2007

The Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2007 is designed to help provide a number of things to breastfeeding mothers, including protection under federal law to breastfeed, help for employers in getting tax credits for making safe and comfortable places for employees to pump while at work, ensure a quality standard for breast pumps and tax incentives for those who need lactation services (like a lactation consultant, breast pump, etc.)

The House Committee on Education and Labor, which is the committee that will decide whether to let the Breastfeeding Promotion Act move on to the House of Representatives, or left to die, needs communication. This is how the House Committee on Education and Labor:

• California = 5 Representatives (Representative George Miller, Representative Howard McKeon, Representative Lynn Woolsey, Representative Susan Davis, Representative Linda Sánchez)
• New York = 4 Representatives (Representative John Kuhl, Representative Carolyn McCarthy, Representative Timothy Bishop, Representative Yvette Clark)
• Michigan = 4 Representatives (Representative Peter Hoekstra, Representative Vernon Ehlers, Representative Timothy Walberg, Representative Dale Kildee)
• Illinois = 3 Representatives (Representative Judy Biggert, Representative Danny Davis, Representative Phil Hare,)
• Pennsylvania = 3 Representatives (Representative Todd Platts, Representative Joe Sestak, Representative Jason Altmire)
• New Jersey = 3 Representatives (Representative Donald Payne, Representative Robert Andrews, Representative Rush Holt)
• Texas = 2 Representatives (Representative Kenny Marchant, Representative Rubén Hinojosa)
• New Hampshire = 1 Representative (Representative Carol Shea-Porter)
• Connecticut = 1 Representative (Representative Joe Courtney)
• Kentucky = 1 Representative (Representative John Yarmuth)
• Hawaii = 1 Representative (Representative Mazie Hirono)

While the above are members of the House Committee on Education and Labor, it is still important that you also write, email or call your specific representative. You should talk about why the Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2007 is important to you and deserves their attention. Remember, they need to know that we, the people, want this legislation to pass. If you aren’t sure what to say, you can see a great sample letter at the International Breastfeeding Symbol Blog.

Pushed.

If you haven’t had a chance to listen to Jennifer Block, author of PUSHED!, you’re missing out. I love that a young, vibrant woman, not only get this, but is opening her mouth! Read the book, read the blog, read the LA Times Op-Ed piece and watch the video.

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Fuming Mad

I was laying in the bathtub reading Working Mother and an ad caught my eye. It was right up my alley: “Working Mothers Have Unique Needs and government leaders need to know.” Sign up for a free teleconference on public policy and advocacy. Sure I thought. I ripped the paper out (so I could recycle the majority of the magazine when I was done) and these works jumped out from the ad: “some states are considering proposals to restrict information new mothers receive about infant feeding options…”

Yikes. Quick check. Abbott. Yikes. A quick check of their site links you to Baby Feeding Choice, the International Formula Council (IFC), read that as the formula companies banding together to beat down breastfeeding at every turn with their big corporate money. From there you can go to Moms Feeding Freedom , where the share stories of being tortured by breastfeeding moms and made to feel guilty for their choices. Oh and you can even sign their petition and read how the ban the bags campaign is a bad idea, despite numerous studies saying that sending formula home with breastfeeding mothers does hinder breastfeeding.

Abbott makes tons of money convincing women not to breastfeed. I mean even if you remove the billions they make on formula alone, look at what they gain from the drugs they happily supply when you’re ill…

Unfortunately, while the breastfeeding community has a ton of really cute poster children, we don’t have the corporate funds that the IFC has or Abbott, or any of the people who stand to gain from formula feeding. Heck, we can’t even count on our own government to protect breastfeeding the way they say they do…

So, congrats to Portland, OR for being the first city to Ban the Bags for BREASTFEEDING mothers. Consider logging on to Working Mother for their teleconference on public policy on November 15. (See page for details) You can also help by taking Medela’s working mother breastfeeding survey.

And we’d love to hear your voice at the Free Seminar on Infant Feending Choices, err I mean working mothers and families, oh wait, it’s really the Raise Your Voice: Advocating for Better Working Family Policy Conference

It’s a…

homebirth!

Charlotte Church welcomed a daughter late this week in her home in the UK. She had previously talked about a home water birth. All we know now is that it was a midwife attended home birth.

While we don’t normally talk about celebrity births, I thought it was important for the pontential positive press this may attract. Hopefully this one birth will attract the attention of other women who are looking up to celebrities to get birth info.

Judge Denies Breastfeeding Mom Breaks

To sum up a really long story: A Harvard grad, Sophie Currier, asked for extra time during a 9 hour medical licensing board exam to pump breast milk for her 4 month old daughter. The judge said: You can’t have the time, either wait (aka don’t get a job), or quit breastfeeding.

Here’s AOL’s poll on the subject… Please Vote.

Thalia’s Virtual Baby Shower Supports the March of Dimes

As a national spokesperson for the March of Dimes, Latina pop superstar, Thalia Sodi knows the importance of giving every baby a healthy start. Thalia and her husband Tommy Mottola are expecting a little girl in October. She is encouraging fans who would like to present her with gifts, to log on to the first-ever “virtual baby shower” on AOL Latino and donate to the March of Dimes. Her video shows her explaining what a baby shower is for those visitors from other countries; opening presents; and encouraging her fans to send a donation to the March of Dimes in lieu of gifts.

To donate in English or Espanol.

This is from Beverly Robertson of the blog at Nacersano and the March of Dimes.

I’m home!

I know you missed me. I went to the ICEA conference after I left Phoenix. It was really nice to see even more women dedicated to helping families. I heard some really great speakers on really great topics and truly enjoyed rooming with Teri from Passion for Birth and CBE Blog. I also managed to score some new bloggers! Look for more exciting posts to come…

And a shout out to the The Lactivist for her support of Lamaze International!

And, if you’re in NYC, Mama Knows Breast is doing a book signing, her site has the details.

Podcast with Allison Walsh from Lamaze International

I’ve already told you a bit about the exciting conference in Phoenix this weekend. Today, Allison Walsh, the newest president, agreed to tell me a bit about her vision of Lamaze and what is in store for everyone this year.

Allison Walsh Interview

You can also find more information about the programs and grants she talks about at: lamaze.org

Spanish Language Blog!

Beverly Robertson from the March of Dimes is here at Lamaze with me. She and I started talking today and I found out she has a cool Spanish language blog. Check it out at: http://blog.nacersano.org/