The Best for Babes Foundation has been saying since their founding that breastfeeding needs its celebrity moment.
You know, like Demi Moore posing nude and pregnant on amagazine cover, or Brooke Shields writing about postpartum depression, or George Clooney driving a hybrid. Something that would bring breastfeeding into the mainstream in a glamorous yet accessible way.
This weekend marks such a moment. Best for Babes, along with Healthy Child, Healthy World, held an event with Kellly Preston, Jenna Elfman and Laila Ali to raise awareness about breastfeeding and toxin-free living. It was held at Jenna Elfman's home.
Here's a quick video from Extra which doesn't do the event justice but shows how star power can get an issue into the mainstream media.
Jenna Elfman has shared her breastfeeding experiences with Best for Babes, as has Laila Ali. In connection with the event, Kelly Preston wrote this statement about about nursing her son, now 16 months:
I am still breastfeeding Benjamin and it has been incredibly rewarding and healing. It gives me so much joy to breastfeed him and I am so grateful that I am able to do it. He loves it too! Mother’s milk is loaded with so much vital protection that your child will never get anywhere else. I know that not all moms can breastfeed but anyone who wants to do it should get educated, be able to make an informed decision about what is best for themselves and their babies, and get all the support they need. I’ve been learning from Best for Babes that too many moms are not getting the right help from their hospitals and doctors, and are having to fight for their right to pump at work or be able to nurse on the go. I’m also sad to hear that so many moms are being discouraged from breastfeeding past a few months when there are clear benefits to nursing much longer.
I am so glad Jenna, Laila and I are hosting this event to raise awareness of giving the next generation the healthiest start. I’m proud to stand up for the rights of moms and babies to have the best start in life, through breastfeeding and toxin-free living!
I'm so proud of Best for Babes for making this first-ever event happen. And I'm very proud to be associated with them - I write a blog series for Best for Babes on the "Booby Traps," the cultural and institutional barriers which prevent moms from meeting their breastfeeding goals.
So mark this day as a big leap forward in giving breastfeeding a public image makeover and putting pressure on the barriers to breastfeeding. It's a big day.
Best for Babes thanks presenting sponsors Leading Lady, Ameda and all of the other sponsors for their support of the event!
Follow Motherwear on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to the Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog with email updates and RSS feeds. Subscribe to our podcasts on iTunes.
