#WBW2016 Positive News, 6 August
TOP POSTS
Share your positive public breastfeeding story! via Nationwide Nurse-In Events and Breastfeeding Laws
TOP STORIES
National Breastfeeding Coalitions Conference Takes Place in Arlington, VA USA; #NBCC16 Trending Hashtag - Organized by the United States Breastfeeding Committee, the event's theme was "A New Day: Community Engagement for Equity in the First Food Movement".
Tamil Nadu Govt. Is Opening Booths For Breastfeeding At Bus Stops: Now That’s Supportive! - The government of India and many development partners, such as the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and the Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India, have been working for decades toward addressing these hurdles and encouraging mothers to breastfeed. Tamil Nadu is opening lactation booths at bus stops across the state to encourage mothers to breastfeed while in public.
The Big Latch On seeks to normalize breastfeeding in public - Women came together around the globe on Saturday to celebrate motherhood during the Big Latch On event.
Breastfeeding Best For Children, Says Usamate - Breastfeeding is the key to all forms of development – at individual, household and community levels, social and economic levels, national development and productivity says Fiji's Minister of Health Jone Usamate.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Tweets Image Supporting #WBW2016 - His message stated, "This World Breastfeeding Week, let's support mothers to breastfeed anytime, anywhere. - SGT #WBW2016" His post also featured a meme of his wife breastfeeding their child.
ADVOCATE OF THE DAY
Jess O'Connell is the #WBW2016 Day 7 Advocate of the Day. Jess describes her experience advocating for her daughter who was born with a cleft lip:
"In honor of World Breastfeeding Week, and reaching 51 weeks of EBFing, I thought I would share our journey.
"When I was 21 weeks pregnant, I found out Olivia had a cleft lip and possible palate. I was devastated, uninformed and scared. And I decided that I would do whatever I could to breastfeed her.
"I spent hours and hours scouring the Internet for stories of babies with clefts that successfully breastfed. There aren't lots.
"Meeting with specialists before she was born, it didn't look like breastfeeding was going to be likely, even with a best case scenario, but I was nothing if not determined to do it.
"When she was born, she came out sucking. While I was being stitched up, she was latching on to everything she could, Andy's hand, arm, face, etc. I knew we could do this.
"She took to it like a fish to water, but I rode the BFing struggle bus. She wasn't gaining weight, and my supply wasn't great. I did everything I could to make more milk and help her gain weight. We went to the lactation clinic every week, and did weekly weight checks too. For 2 months, we fed every 90 minutes around the clock.
"Finally we made some headway and she met her weight requirement before her lip repair surgery.
"I knew there was a chance she wouldn't be able to nurse post op. But I made sure when picking her surgeon that he was on board with my wishes to nurse her as quickly after surgery as possible. And within an hour, she was back on the breast.
"We have struggled with my supply, her latch, my let down and her appetite, but here we are. 51 weeks and still going strong.
"I am proud of us, and I wouldn't trade our roller coaster of a journey for anything in the world. #normalizebreastfeeding #cleftstrong"
MEDIA BLITZ ACTION OF THE DAY
Make a special effort to provide a written or e-mailed thank you note to the following people/groups:
Your co-coordinators
Your event attendees
The media who cover your event
Include future events and opportunities in your thank you notes.
These groups of people are important allies in our #positivebreastfeeding quest! People around the WORLD are grateful for their participation! Let them know how their efforts are appreciated!
DAILY ACTIONS
The Daily Action for 7 August is to share a positive story about a moment in your breastfeeding journey.
For breastfeeding moms: Consider writing a post on social media or sharing a story in a public arena (such as at a #WorldBreastfeedingWeek event). Talk about some positive aspects of your journey or the benefits of breastfeeding. Talk about an obstacle you overcame in a positive way - perhaps you had qualified help to get through that moment - and about how the obstacle did not stop you from continuing on your journey.
For everyone else: Talk about a positive moment in your journey to support moms. Perhaps you can talk about the moment when you first saw a woman breastfeeding (if you remember it). Or perhaps you can talk about how important it is that we all advocate for breastfeeding rights for the sake of our collective public health.
No matter what you choose to talk about, make sure it is positive, genuine, and impactful.
The Bonus Action for 7 August is to share a link to positive breastfeeding artwork.
Art imitates life, AND art has the power to change society. Perhaps some in our modern society have realized the beautiful nature of breastfeeding from seeing it in artwork.
Consider sharing a link to positive breastfeeding artwork. One of our favorite artists, Miriel Lynn Smith, paints realistic portraits of mothers in diverse breastfeeding situations. She shares her artwork and painting progress at https://www.facebook.com/Mirielbreastfeedingart/ and she sells prints and other items at http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/miriel-smith.html.
Do you have a favorite artist who has portrayed breastfeeding? Let us know!