The Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog

Protests planned at Facebook offices around the world on Monday

Mothers are organizing nurse-ins at Facebook offices in California and around the world to protest the company's removal of breastfeeding photos from members' pages (and in some cases suspension of their accounts).  The events are to take place from 10:00 to 1:00 on Monday, February 6th.

The protests are related to the case of Emma Kwasnica, a Vancouver mother.  The San Francisco Chronicle reports:

For Vancouver mother Emma Kwasnica, a breast-feeding advocate and a protest organizer, the sour milk for her began in 2007, when she joined Facebook. In the five years she’s had an account, she has had about 30 of her photos flagged as inappropriate and her account shut down four times — once for 30 days.

“This is discrimination,” she said. “There’s no other way to look at it. We’re being treated as pornographers. Breast-feeding moms, especially ones with infants, spend hours a day with their children at their breast. They’re not trying to be sexually explicit. This is just part of their everyday lives.”

The protests are being organized, naturally, on Facebook, and you can see a list of locations here.  Below you'll find a teaser video about the protests, and a podcast on this topic at the Motherlove Blog.

Here are some pictures from a similar but much smaller event I attended a few years ago in Palo Alto. 

"[Stuff] people say to breastfeeding mothers"

In case you haven't heard (and if I've heard about it then you must have a long time ago) there is a wildly popular "[Stuff] people white girls say to black girls" YouTube video.  It has been endlessly parodied. 

Thanks to Free to Breastfeed, here is the "[Things] people say to breastfeeding mothers" version.  The one that made me crack up:  "Isn't it hot?"  I'm not sure why.  Have you heard any of these?

Tandem nursing too obscene for Funny or Die?

Funny or Die, a site known for sophomoric humor (including full frontal male nudity) apparently got a little light-headed from seeing a video of a mom tandem nursing her twins.

Funny or Die found the video by a comedienne and mother of twins Ahna Tessler, which (you are hereby warned), is laced with profanity, too risque and suspended the account of its creator.

The New York Times reported:

On the afternoon of Jan. 14 Ms. Tessler reached out to Funny or Die in a public area of the site, noting that the video had not been posted and that another video she had previously published was missing. That evening a site administrator replied, “Sorry, but your latest video got flagged as obscene, and we removed your account in response.”

When Ms. Tessler wrote back to say she “had no idea you couldn’t swear” on the site, the response was, “It was the breast-feeding video, not swearing.”

Funny or Die later reinstated the account and stated, “Funny or Die supports breast-feeding in all forms, especially among consenting adults.”  Which is kinda funny, I have to admit. 

Ahna Tessler told the New York Times that nursing twins is "the hardest thing I’ve ever done...I have to find the humor in this because it’s so insane right now, the amount of work and how exhausting it is.”

It's a strange world in which Funny or Die can't handle breastfeeding but the Catholic Church wants to see more of it.

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Why "normalizing" breastfeeding matters.

In a week when we're hearing a lot about breastfeding on Sesame Street, including statements of support by some top pediatricians, I wanted to share one of my favorite videos on the power of conformity.

The point is that if mothers perceive breastfeeding as normal (what everyone is doing) they're more likely to feel comfortable doing it.  And they're less likely to be harrassed at Target or get flack from their employers when they need to pump.  Getting breastfeeding back on Sesame Street would be one step in the direction of "normal."

I love this video and the point it makes about what happens when people perceive what's normal.  Please "like," share on Facebook, Tweet, share, forward, etc. if you do, too!

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Petition asks Sesame Street to bring back breastfeeding

Have you heard about the online petition to bring back breastfeeding on Sesame Street? 

The petition says: 

We are not asking Sesame Street to remove bottle feeding. We are asking that both ways of feeding babies be shown as normal.   If we normalize breastfeeding in our community, especially with our children, we can help raise a generation of breastfeeders which will support our economy, make for healthier children and lessen the risk of breast cancer for many nursing mamas! 

I think that the current focus on childhood obesity, a cause championed by the First Lady, is a great reason to bring breastfeeding back.  Michelle Obama has drawn many connections between breastfeeding and lowered risk of childhood obesity.

Just in case you haven't seen what it looked like when Sesame Street did show breastfeeding, in the 70's and 80's, here are a few clips.  The last one actually had two versions, one which ommitted the breastfeeding scene.  Sadly, the Mr. Rogers clip appears to be gone.

I can't watch this one without getting choked up.

Can you?

This ad is part of the UK's Be a Star campaign, aimed at young moms.  It includes these print ads which are just about as glam as I've ever seen in a breastfeeding ad.

 

 

Top 10 breastfeeding stories of 2011.

Here's my summary of the biggest news in breastfeeding in 2011. I think you'll agree that it was a banner year, especially for the elimination of some important barriers to breastfeeding. 

You can read my lists from prior years here: 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007 and 2006.  Feel free to tell me what I've missed!

Surgeon General issues a Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin kicked off the year by issuing a bold statement in support of breastfeeding.  It outlines steps needed to eliminate the barriers that keep so many mothers from reaching their breastfeeding goals, and forms the basis of the administration's policy initiatives in breastfeeding support (see CDC point below).

Target nurse-ins put spotlight on nursing in public.  In the final week of the year, protests were held at an estimated 100+ Target stores after mother-of-four Michelle Hickman was harassed and humiliated at a store in the Houston area.  Target's slow response and inconsistently applied policy of supporting nursing moms in its stores was a contrast to an earlier protest at Whole Foods, which ended in the store welcoming the protesters and establishing a written policy supporting nursing in their stores.

First Lady Michelle Obama promotes breastfeeding.  Could you ask for a higher profile advocate for breastfeeding than First Lady Michelle Obama?  As part of her Let's Move campaign to combat childhood obesity, she announced that she would work to eliminate hospital barriers to breastfeeding by pushing for an increase in the number of Baby Friendly hospitals.  This announcement became fodder for some high profile voices on the right who viewed it as an example of government over-reaching its authority.

Insurance coverage for breastfeeding support and pump rentals now required.  The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued regulations requiring that insurance companies cover "Comprehensive lactation support and counseling, by a trained provider during pregnancy and/or in the postpartum period, and costs for renting breastfeeding equipment."  On August 1, 2012, these support services will be offered by insurance, with no co-pay or other cost-sharing.

Breastpumps become tax deductible and eligible for FSA accounts.  Reversing an earlier position, the IRS made breastpumps and related supplies tax deductible, and eligible for purchase using funds in an FSA account.  This is a bit complicated, so I recommend starting by reading this post and comments before assuming that you'll be able to benefit.

The CDC pushes for more Baby Friendly Hospitals.  After noting that U.S. hospitals are "a very long way from where we need to be" in implementing practices known to increase breastfeeding success, the CDC announced a new $6 million initiative to support the certification of more hospitals as Baby Friendly.  We currently have less Baby Friendly hospitals than Ecuador, so this is a welcome effort!

Kaiser announces Baby Friendly push at all hospitals.  Anyone noticing a theme here?  Health care giant Kaiser Permanente, which cares for more moms and babies than any other system in the U.S., announced that all 29 of its hospitals will either become Baby Friendly or be evaluated by their exclusive breastfeeding outcomes by the Joint Commission.  

Formula discharge bags are on the way out.  One of the thorniest issues when it comes to obtaining Baby Friendly status is the issue of the formula company "gift bags" given to most women on discharge from the hospital.  But grass roots organizing as well as government pressure has led to a marked decrease in the number of hospitals giving them out.  A study found a doubling of bag-free hospitals in ten states, and Rhode Island recently made news by became the first state to go completely "bag free."

Donor milk starts to become the standard of care in NICUs, shortages loom.  Modern donor milk banking celebrated its 100th anniversary a few years ago, and I think that this year marked the burgeoning acceptance of donor milk as mainstream therapy in NICUs.  Buoyed by research showing that donor milk can save lives, more and more hospitals are making donor milk the standard of care for preemies born before a certain number of weeks gestation or below a certain birth weight.  And the non-profit milk banks have been a victim of their own success; with demand rising they've seen increasingly frequent shortages.

Online mother-to-mother milk sharing continues to grow.  This was on my top ten list last year, but I thought it deserved to be on this year's list, too.  Milk sharing through the internet has grown dramatically, with the organization Human Milk 4 Human Babies now engaging over 20,000 members in 52 countries.

Mothering Magazine shuts down print publication.  The only magazine I know of that put breastfeeding at the top of its agenda shut down as a print publication this year.  For years, Mothering Magazine was the safe, supportive corner of the media universe for nursing mothers.  While mothering.com is still up and offering content on breastfeeding, birth, and other parenting issues, it's just not the same as receiving the magazine in the mail, or seeing it on the news stand.  

So, all in all, a great year for breastfeeding, wouldn't you say?

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Guest post: Amber's celebrity breastfeeding round-up for 2011

I'm very pleased to share this round-up of celebrity breastfeeding news for 2011, wonderfully written by Amber McCann, lactation consultant, owner of Nourish Breastfeeding Support, and pop culture officionado. 

A special thank you to Kelly, who wrote these round ups for 2007, 2008, 2009,and 2010! 

I am a wife and mother first.  An International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) second.  And absolute lover of all things celebrity/reality TV/famous people third.  Well...actually, there are many other things in my life more important than my "all things celebrity" obsession but I will admit to finding greater joy in a People magazine than in Better Homes and Garden or the New York Times!  It was a great year for stories about breastfeeding among the Hollywood set so let's celebrate the end of the year by looking back at some fantastic moms (and dads!) and their babies.

Victoria Beckham:  One of my very favorite celebrity breastfeeding stories of this past year was about superstar Victoria Beckham and her new daughter, Harper Seven.  After having 3 boys, the Beckhams (Victoria and her mega-athlete husband, David) welcomed their long-awaited daughter and this time, things were different.  Their three sons had been fed formula but Victoria said, "I'm doing everything differently this time.  I want it all to be natural and perfect for my little girl." It is not often that a family that has previously fed formula chooses to breastfeed subsequent children.  Unfortunately, things were not perfect and Victoria suffered from a slipped disk in her back during her daughter's birth.  What would be a challenging situation in normal circumstances is increasingly so when learning to feed with a new baby.  Three cheers for her husband who, as it was widely reported, supported mom and baby by holding up Harper to breastfeed!  Excellent teamwork and a great example of how dads are an important piece of breastfeeding success!  

Miranda Kerr:  Another example of a mama who is proud to breastfeed and let the world know it!  Miranda, a supermodel and one of the faces of Victoria's Secret, and her actor husband Orlando Bloom, welcomed baby Flynn in early January and soon shared a beautiful photograph of an early breastfeeding moment.  She continued to be publicly supportive of breastfeeding moms by publishing several posts about breastfeeding on her Kora Organics blog and famously tweeting about breastfeeding backstage at several fashion shows.

Kourtney Kardashian: Kourtney, one of the Kardashian sisters who are ever present in the reality tv world, has been vocal about breastfeeding her son, Mason.  She blogged about her weaning journey in March of this year.  She said, "When my angel was born and my breasts filled up with milk, we got to work and I was nursing almost every hour at times.  I love it and so did he." With a story like so many mothers, she set a goal of breastfeeding for 6 months and when his 6 month birthday arrived, she decided to nurse for a year.  A year came and went and together, they continued on.  Kourtney also talked about the pressure she received from others to wean and how she and Mason navigated that time.  Kudos to Kourtney and Mason!  She is now pregnant with her second child and I'm looking forward to hearing more about her breastfeeding experience.

Pink: Singer Pink and her motocross-legend husband, Carey Hart, became parents when Willow Sage joined their family in June. She spoke lovingly about her husband's role in their family and famously said, "As long as my boobs are at home at a certain hour, I can do whatever I want."  She is learning to balance motherhood and her career in front of the whole world.

Mariah Carey:  Big thumbs up to Mariah and her husband, Nick Cannon, for breastfeeding their twins, Moroccan and Monroe.  Unfortunately, they fell victim to some less-than-evidence-based advice regarding drinking dark beer as a way to bring in a milk supply quickly.  (For more information about the effect of beer on milk supply, check out this excellent post by Best for Babes and Diana Cassar-Uhl).  But more than that, they fell victim to unethical healthcare workers who not only gave bad advice, but called in Child Protective Services when she followed it.  Now, we don't know exactly how the whole thing went down but, as a fellow mother, I can't imagine the stress and strain an investigation in the first days of parenthood would bring.  My heart goes out to all of them and I want to give them a big thumbs up for doing everything they could do to breastfeed their babies.

Elton John:  Finally, Elton John and his partner, David Furnish are providing donated milk to their new son, Zachary.  In their case, he is receiving milk from their surrogate mother.  While many news outlets trumpeted this as a case of excess and luxury, the increased focus on the role of non-profit milk banks to provide breastmilk for critically ill infants and those in the NICU and mother-to-mother milk sharing this year led to better understanding about the options available for babies who are not with a mother who is able to breastfeed.  High profile celebrities, like Elton John and Neil Patrick Harris last year, are bringing the conversation about donor milk to the masses.  

Of course, these are just 6 great celebrity breastfeeding stories but thankfully, there are many more!  Also check out what Laila Ali, Ali Landry, Kim Zolciak,Tia Mowrey, and Alyssa Milano had to say about their breastfeeding experiences.

2012 is already heating up as a great year for new celebrity babies.  I'm looking forward to see how Beyonce, Hilary Duff, Jessica Simpson, and breastfeeding pros Jennifer Garner and Maggie Gyllenhaal all bring breastfeeding to the forefront of pop culture this year!

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Image credit for all celebrity images:  Wikimedia Commons

Moms stage nurse-ins at Target stores nationwide

Nurse-ins were held at Target stores nationwide yesterday in support of Michelle Hickman, a mother of four who was harrassed in a Houston area store. Events were planned at over 100 stores, and the Facebook page used to organize the event has over 6,000 members.

Both local and national press covered the events.  USA Today reported that protests were being held at more than 100 stores, and Time described nursing in public as one example of our culture's "complicated relationship with breastfeeding."  ABC News drew a contrast with a conflict with Whole Foods, in which the chain welcomed the protesters.  CNN's interview with Michelle Hickman is below.

After trying in vain to help Target resolve this issue prior to the nurse-ins and even help position them as a leader in supporting nursing moms, Best for Babes got a response from Target, which reiterates their policy.  This policy was not reflected in actions of the Target staff or the customer service representative who told Michelle Hickman that, while the chain is "aware of our legal rights as nursing mothers, Target has different policies because they are a family friendly public place."

Did you attend a nurse-in at a Target store?  Tell us about it!

Favorite posts from 2011

In case you missed them, here are some of my favorite posts from the Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog in 2011:

A visit to the Mother's Milk Bank of San Jose

"There is no nutritional emergency"

What's in donor milk?

First baby wearing second baby

What did your cankles have to do with your baby's weight loss?

"Booby Traps" in your OB or midwife's office

Breastfeeding and race:  Why we need more lactation consultants of color

Can you "supplement" your baby with Vitamin D by increasing your own levels?

Can you guess which role I had in the Passover play?

Six misconceptions about extended breastfeeding

Cows engineered to produce "human milk," and why Bessie will never, ever replace you

Lactation after Loss: A brochure to support mothers experiencing perinatal loss

Seven reasons why breastfeeding is usually easier the second time around

When the Booby Fairy doesn't arrive:  New podcast on insufficient glandular tissue.

New podcast on Baby-Led Weaning:  Can you really skip the purees? 

How do other mammals nurse?

Joint Commission urges moms to "speak up" to get evidence-based care.  But isn't that their job?

Review and give away:  Breastmilk jewelry

Wikileaks shows U.S. Embassy lobbied against Philippines formula law

Breastfeeding, the second time around

Here's how I know that it can hurt to nurse when you're teething

I can nurse, too

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