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Lactivism 101 - 5 Ways to Support Breastfeeding By Debora
Geary
Moms are well
known for their activism: Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the
Million Mom March (in support of gun control), Mothers for
Peace. Moms can be strong supporters of causes they believe
in, usually causes that keep their kids safer, healthier and
happier. Many people argue that breastfeeding does all
three. There are lots of moms out there working to support
breastfeeding locally, nationally and globally. How can you
become a "lactivist"?
Here are
five quick ideas to get you started.
1.
Become an 'out of the closet' breastfeeder.
Studies show that women are more likely to breastfeed when
they know someone else who breastfeeds. Make your
breastfeeding known. Breastfeed in public. Talk about
breastfeeding your baby. Share your breastfeeding
experiences with expectant moms.
2.
Help watch the media.
Media portrayal of breastfeeding women is an important
influence on how moms and communities may view
breastfeeding. Several organizations give you the
opportunity to state your views on what you see on TV or in
print.
The Texas Department of Health sponsors the National
Breastfeeding MediaWatch campaign. This campaign encourages
volunteers to send letters of commendation when
breastfeeding is portrayed positively and correctly in the
media and to send letters of encouragement and correction
when the portrayals are negative or inaccurate.
Even easier, ProMom has a "3 minute activist" Web page. Here
you can send e-mails (conveniently written for you – just
enter your name, e-mail address and any additional comments)
to various TV shows asking for them to show moms
breastfeeding. Current campaigns include asking for Rachel
of Friends, Lexi of Days of our Lives and Kay of Passions to
breastfeed their babies on the shows.
3.
Support breastfeeding legislation.
Many breastfeeding mothers have had the experience of being
told they can't breastfeed in a particular public place.
Some have dealt with an employer who did not accommodate
breastfeeding or pumping at work. Often the laws are
actually on the side of nursing moms.
The United States and various individual states have an
increasing number of laws, largely designed to protect a
mother's right to breastfeed. All nursing moms might find it
personally useful to know the laws in their area. A great
resource on breastfeeding legislation and the laws in
various states can be found on the La Leche League Web site.
Also, keep an eye on your local and state politics – there
are often opportunities to support positive breastfeeding
legislation efforts.
4.
Nurse in a public event.
Several groups organize public nursing events to support
women and encourage breastfeeding, to encourage community
support and for breastfeeding moms to have fun together.
 In
2001, 793 women in British Columbia, Canada, made the
Guinness Book of World Records for the most number of women
breastfeeding together in public at one time. This year,
they are trying to increase the record by involving all of
North America. The Challenge will take place on October 4,
2003 at 11 a.m., with women across North America all
breastfeeding in public groups at the same time.
Frances Jones, coordinator of the event, says it is very
easy to get involved – information is available at
www.babyfriendly.ca. So far, women are getting organized at
23 locations in the United States and Canada (the United
States is lagging far behind, so maybe your town would be a
good location).
Every woman breastfeeding can make a difference. "We had a
community in northern BC (British Columbia) who had a low
breastfeeding rate," says Jones. "On the day of the
Challenge they had one mom breastfeeding. That one mom was
on the front page of their paper, and this resulted in the
starting of a breastfeeding support group with all the
pregnant women in that town being invited to join. You never
know what will happen!"
Other organizations also organize public breastfeeding
events.
Check out ProMom's NurseOut during Breastfeeding
Week in early August. Last year they had groups nursing in
local shopping malls and Wal-Marts all across the United
States.
5.
Fight formula.
The biggest direct competitor to breastfeeding is baby
formula. Many breastfeeding advocates argue that formula
companies don't play fair. Their marketing practices are
often viewed as aggressive, inaccurate and even coercive.
The World Health Organization (WHO), an arm of the United
Nations and UNICEF, have defined what they believe to be
acceptable behavior for marketing baby formula in the
International Code of Marketing of Breast milk Substitutes.
While the United States voted against the Code in 1981, 13
years later under the Clinton administration, it became the
last country in the World Health Assembly to get on board.
The Code includes such provisions as: NO provision of free
samples to mothers, NO promotion of products in health care
facilities and NO pictures of babies on formula containers.
Twenty-two years after the Code came to be, it is clear that
formula companies are still in significant violation of
these provisions, and the United States is not doing a lot
about it.
Which leaves moms. There are many ways to support better
adoption of the Code in this country and internationally.
One way is to become a Code Monitor through Baby Milk
Action. Moms across the country collect information and
report on specific marketing violations they observe. As
well, Baby Milk Action has identified particular actions you
can take in their international Campaign for Ethical
Marketing, including things like writing letters to
politicians and formula company officials. You can also
choose to boycott companies that are being particularly
flagrant in their violations, such as the long running
boycott of Nestle.
"I recently heard about the Nestle boycott," says Helen
Fowler of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. "I have been thinking
of doing it ... I went to a moms and tots fair a while ago,
which was aimed at expecting and new mums. Every formula
company was there handing out free samples ... I wasn't sure
how widespread the Nestle boycott was, but now that I know
more people are into it I will definitely join."
Ready to be a Lactivist?
As you can see, the ways to support breastfeeding are pretty
creative! The opportunities and the groups that organize
them are making great progress in improving the profile and
legitimacy of breastfeeding in this country and around the
world. If you are a mom who believes that breastfeeding
makes your baby happier, healthier and safer, maybe it's
time to join in a little lactivism and help create better
breastfeeding opportunities for all.
Want to see more?
About the
Author: Debora Geary is a frequent contributor to
iParenting.com. |
