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World Breastfeeding Week Celebration Challenge

Looking for The Lactivist? She's retired. But you CAN still find Jen blogging. These days, she's runs A Flexible Life. Join her for life, recipes, projects and the occasional rant.

Sunday, March 25, 2007

For those that aren't aware, this year's LLL sponsored "World Breastfeeding Week Celebration" will run May 1st to September 30th. (Yes, World Breastfeeding Week is actually August 1 - 7, but LLL, like the Lactivist likes to make the party last...)

The theme is "The Power of One" and plays off of the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) slogan "Breastfeeding: The 1st Hour - Save ONE million babies!"

From the WBWC site:

The Power of One...

...drop of colustrum
...pumping
...phone call
...LLL meeting
...conference
...feeding at the breast
...hour, the first hour of bonding
...milky smile
...mother supported, encouraged, listened to, informed, enlightened
...answered email
...mother told "You can do it"


So what's the challenge?

The challenge is what YOU can do to be the power of one. Much like Tanya issued the challenge to make the Motherwear Pledge back in January, I'm going to issue a challenge to my Lactivist readers.

What one thing will you do to celebrate World Breastfeeding Week and to support the cause?

I'll tell you what I did...I coughed up the cash that I earned from t-shirt sales after the great pork fiasco and bought a Gold Level sponsorship of LLL's World Breastfeeding Week Celebrations. I'm proud to see that twelve other businesses have joined the ranks of event sponsors as well. But I challenge my readers that run businesses related to mothering or breastfeeding to do the same. Why aren't YOU sponsoring the World Breastfeeding Week Celebrations? You can become a sponsor for as little as $100. $100...that's not even $15 a month from now until the end of the celebration. Wouldn't it be great to see one hundred businesses sponsoring the event?

Now, on to the rest of you! What are YOU going to do to push "The Power of One?"

Here's what I'm doing... I'm helping Robin launch the Ohio Breastfeeding Coalition. Because the power of one group of determined women can impact the the atmosphere that our daughters and our granddaughters come into as nursing mothers. I'm also throwing the Lactivist Bash so that no mom feels like the only one. Not the only one nursing at the picnic, not the only one nursing a two year old, not the only one pumping, not the only one struggling to do the best they can, not the only one that believes in breastfeeding.

So tell me dear readers...what will YOU do to showcase The Power of One. Tell us in the comments...or better yet, write up a post sharing your thoughts and post a comment linking us to that post.

Labels:

  1. Blogger So Not Organized | 6:30 AM |  

    I just received my box of bottles the the milk bank of Ohio and I'm going to pump and donate my milk to those babies who truly need it. I've also gone back to school for a medical related major so that I can actively promote breastfeeding in the medical field.

  2. Blogger Jennifer Laycock | 6:51 AM |  

    Hey "So Not Organized!" Good for you!

    You're a local mom, I take it? Are you coming to the Lactivist Bash next month?

  3. Anonymous Anonymous | 7:28 AM |  

    I pledge to continue to volunteer my time as a breastfeeding counselor -- running two meetings a month and taking helping calls and emails. I also pledge to help a local LLL group organize a WBW event that stands to raise $800. Of course, I'll also continue blogging daily on breastfeeding news, information and support.

  4. Blogger So Not Organized | 7:36 AM |  

    I doubt I would make it to the bash . . . although I thought about it. I'm close to Cincinnati, so it's roughly 3 hours to Columbus area for me. Long ride with four kids! I do appreciate the open invitation.

    I just thought I've got more than enough milk to donate. The milk bank wasn't around when I had my other kids. With my twins I had enough milk for two babies and then a pump, and hated how much ended up wasting because I didn't have a baby in need of more milk. Closest milk bank then was in Denver.

  5. Blogger VT Laoshi | 8:00 AM |  

    I'm going to call around and see what The Ohio State University does to support breastfeeding mothers who are also students. I am finishing my MA and pump twice when I am at school. Right now I pump in the bathroom, but I have had problems with people trying to open the stall door and literally peeking between the cracks in the door to see what I am doing. I'm going to ask my department office what they are willing to do to help me pump more easily and privately. I will then contact various offices to see if they offer students time to pump or if they have a place for breastfeeding undergraduates to store milk on campus. As a grad. student I can store mine in our lounge's refrigerator. There was an article in the school paper about how OSU accomodates single mothers, but breastfeeding was never mentioned. Also, I felt like they were trying to blow their own horn. They touted the fact that they offer affordable and convenient daycare without mentioning the fact that there is a 12-18 month waiting list (I'm up to month 6 now--not much help is it?!). Also, they only mentioned single moms. What about all the other moms? We need help too! It is extremely hard to be a full time student and a breastfeeding mom and I'm curious to see where OSU stands on the issue.

  6. Blogger Jennifer Laycock | 8:39 AM |  

    Cheryl,

    Can you drop me an email and let me know what you find out? I'd love to share any good (or bad) news on the blog...

  7. Blogger VT Laoshi | 9:29 AM |  

    Can do. I emailed their women's group which holds workshops and hosts events for working mothers to ask if they have any info. or could direct me to someone who could help. I'm just waiting for a reponse. I go to campus tomorrow and I will try and stop by HR to see if they can help.

  8. Blogger Melissa | 10:03 AM |  

    I pledge to keep BF my DD. I pledge to keep answering my BFF's questions, and I pledge to figure out some way to be an example that WOH FT mommys can feed their children breastmilk for at least a year, and then continue to BF afterwards. Now, how I am going to go about doing that, I don't know...

  9. Anonymous Anonymous | 12:04 PM |  

    what a great way to spend your pork board money! (and how great that they raised so much!)

    i pledge to continue my AP shop - http://www.cafepress.com/theapshop - that supports breastfeeding. i'm also going to start pumping for the Mothers' Milk Bank. and i'm considering doing a sponsorship as well. and of course, i'll continue to write about breastfeeding on my blog, whenever relevant.

  10. Blogger Jillian Frank | 1:05 PM |  

    Since I'm due mid-May, I simply pledge to breastfeed. (=

  11. Blogger Katy K. | 5:27 PM |  

    I pledge to contact journalists at the Detroit News and Free Press, in hopes that sharing my story will get more people to help me change the law and keep the same thing from happening to other working mothers. Also to use fewer run-on sentences.

  12. Blogger JudyBright | 8:09 PM |  

    I pledge to consider breastfeeding my next child :) and to try not to detest breastfeeding now. Never mind, I pledge to consider breastfeeding my next child. That's it. I'm tired.

  13. Blogger Unknown | 7:20 PM |  

    I pledge to continue to breastfeed my 13-month-old whenever and wherever he wants (except between midnight and 5 am, heh) and to look into donating milk (I don't think I'll qualify due to meds I'm on but I've never actually checked).

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