exposure

Not the ad I saw, but typical of
American Apparel. Boobies everywhere!

The other day, I was driving along, minding my own business, when I pulled up behind a city bus and was smacked in the face with a huge ad for American Apparel. The ad featured a woman laying down and wearing a yellow cardigan with nothing underneath. The sweater was pulled open to show massive boobage- I mean, you could see just about everything but the nipple.

And here this ad is, driving around the city for everyone to see.

Don't get me wrong- I'm not some sort of crazy conservative who thinks that bikinis should be banned and that women should only be allowed to show their hands and feet in public. I don't even necessarily think that ads like this should be banned on the basis of showing to much skin (although I won't get into my thoughts on the exploiting of sex and women's bodies in order to sell a product).

But in the wake of the nurse-ins at Target and the plethora of people that think that women shouldn't be able to breastfeed in public (check out these stupid comments!), seeing these kinds of things make me a little angry. Ads like this are all over the place. Women walk around wearing low cut shirts and string bikinis everywhere. It's not too hard to see a boob in public- so why this controversy over nursing? When I nurse Baby S, I pretty much show nothing, and I don't even use a cover.

What is the message here? Are we, as a society, saying that women's bodies are to be used for sex but not nurturing? For marketing but not nourishing? There is something very, very wrong with this.

Perhaps the people that make these comments are trying to discourage women from nursing in public. But it has had the opposite effect on me- if anything, I now want to nurse in public more. Let's normalize the act of breastfeeding, and reclaim our bodies and our femininity from the marketers and sex industry that has obviously corrupted the american psyche. Breasts are for breastfeeding first and foremost! Nothing too crazy and shocking about that.

national breastfeeding month in the usa

It's official, USA!

For a while now, World Breastfeeding Month has been celebrated in August by many moms and breastfeeding supporters. Now it will be formally recognized in the USA.

On August 6th, 2011, the United States Breastfeeding Committee declared August to be National Breastfeeding Month. The days events included a Community Baby Shower, participation in The Big Latch On, and a visit from Latch On America cross country bus tour.

The text of the proclamation:


Whereas, the mission of the United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC) is to improve the Nation’s health by working collaboratively to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding; and



Whereas, USBC envisions breastfeeding as the norm for infant and young child feeding throughout the United States; and

baby friendly canadian campaign

Check out these great posters from Baby Friendly NewFoundland and Labrador (Canada)!


The goal of this organization is to support parents in breastfeeding and provide information and resources.

Why the posters exist, according to Baby Friendly:

You’ll see plenty of strange things….breastfeeding isn’t one of them is a fun, humorous campaign designed to promote public acceptance of breastfeeding. The posters touch on the positive health benefits of breastfeeding, but focus more on minimizing the stigma about breastfeeding in public. It’s all about building confidence in women to breastfeed! Through this public awareness campaign we hope to encourage the families of pregnant women and the communities in which they live to support new mothers and give them the confidence they need to breastfeed anytime, anywhere.

breastfeeding in brattleboro, vt

Will you be in the Brattleboro, Vermont area during the month of August, 2011?

If so, make sure to check into The Works Bakery and Cafe for their 9th Annual Art of Breastfeeding Show.

Sponsored by the Windham County Breastfeeding Coalition in collaboration with the Arts Council of Windham County, the show highlights the works of Zachary and Michelle Stevens, parents who know the impact that breastfeeding has on babies, parents and society at large.

The Works is located at 118 Main Street in Brattleboro, Vermont. 

the big latch on

It's World Breastfeeding Week!

On Saturday, August 6th, 2011 at 10:30 am local time, nursing mamas around the world will celebrate WBW by participating in the Big Latch On event. The goal is to break the record for the most women breastfeeding simultaneously!

Join in on the event and meet nursing mamas in your area!

Find location in your city or country here.

why i breastfeed

It's World Breastfeeding Week!

Everywhere I look there are posts, articles, lectures, lists (even a list of 101 reasons!) and what-have-you detailing why breastfeeding is so damn important and why you should do it.

These are my reasons for breastfeeding:

1. It's the best option for your baby. Period. If you are able to do it (and some women are not, for many reasons, or have difficulties), then why not do it? If you had two plates in front of you- one with a McDonalds hamburger and one with a fresh salad loaded with nuts and other veggies, which one would you feed your child?

la semana mundial de la lactancia materna

It's almost la semana mundial de la lactancia materna (world breastfeeding week for you non-spanish speakers)! 

WBW is August 1st-7th, 2011 and is sponsored by WABA, the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action. Events will be celebrated in more than 170 countries worldwide!

For those of you that might be in Puerto Rico, check out the festivities sponsored by the Coalición para la Lactancia Materna en Puerto Rico at La Plaza Américas, August 1st-7th, 2011. They will have exhibits, lectures and information about breastfeeding and other related topics. See the schedule of lectures here and get a flyer for the event here.

¡Comunícate! La Lactancia Materna: Una Experiencia 3D.

american girl fail

Do you have a daughter that loves American Girl dolls?

One day, unfortunately, I imagine that I will be one of you. Trying to avoid that store in the mall, but being dragged into it anyways. Dealing with pitying looks from other parents as my daughters throw tantrums over not being able to buy the stable for their over-priced made-in-china American Girl dolls' horse that Grandma went behind my back and bought for them. Yes, the day will one day come...

And hopefully I won't be breastfeeding when it happens.

A couple of weeks ago, a woman who was attempting to breastfeed in a New York American Girl store (609 5th Avenue at 49th Street location) was allegedly kicked out of the sitting area and moved to a fitting room, where she had to listen to the saleswomen talk about her on the other side of the door.

breastfeeding stats by country

Percentage of newborns put to breast within 1 hour of birth, 2005-2009, from Childinfo

What is the status of breastfeeding around the world? UNICEF sponsored Childinfo gives us statistics on breastfeeding in 89 different countries, from Algeria to Zimbabwe.

Interesting note: The United States, Canada and the European countries are missing from the statistics.

breastfeeding changes your brain

A recent study shows that breastfeeding alters a mother's brain, mentally bonding her to her baby and making her more sensitive to it's cries.

Researchers told MSNBC that breastfeeding mothers were more responsive to their babies' cries than formula feeding mothers, and that this was reflected in regions of their brain.

I do believe that this is true- I sleep in the same bed as Baby S, and am able to wake from a deep sleep the second she stirs and wants to eat. I also have somehow avoided all those evils that they say will befall the mother that sleeps with her child- no suffocating in blankets, no rolling over on her.

I will credit it to my new breastfeeding super brain powers!

world breastfeeding week

It's almost World Breastfeeding Week!

WBW is August 1st-7th, 2011 and is sponsored by WABA, the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action. Events will be celebrated in more than 170 countries worldwide.

The theme this year is Talk to Me! Breastfeeding- A 3D Experience. What does this mean? According to WABA:

When we look at breastfeeding support, we tend to see it in two-dimensions: time (from pre-pregnancy to weaning) and place (the home, community, health care system, etc). But neither has much impact without a THIRD dimension - communication! 

Communication is an essential part of protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding. We live in a world where individuals and global communities connect across small and great distances at an instant's notice. New lines of communication are being created every day, and we have the ability to use these information channels to broaden our horizons and spread breastfeeding information beyond our immediate time and place to activate important dialogue. 

This third dimension includes cross-generation, cross-sector, cross-gender, and cross-culture communication and encourages the sharing of knowledge and experience, thus enabling wider outreach.


Communication is key to breastfeeding success. Women need their support systems and communities- in person or online.


Check out the WABA website to find WBW events in your area.  

la mejor leche del mundo p. II

More images from UNICEF's campaign in Venezuela to promote breastfeeding:

Our product doesn't come from other animals; it's 100% human.

Our product doesn't know factories or barcodes.

the boobs on the bus part II

Update on the Afrykan Moon breastfeeding on bus debacle:

Both the driver and the dispatcher were given suspensions. The female driver, who harassed Moon while she was attempting to breastfeed on the bus (which is her legal right) was given 5 days without pay, and the dispatcher was given 3 days with out pay.

Here's hoping that this will discourage others from denying mothers their legal rights!

open system vs. closed system pumps

Thinking about buying a Medela pump?

If so, read this post from the blog Just West of Crunchy that outlines the problems with Medela.

I used a Medela Pump-in-Style Advanced pump with my first baby. The first one that I bought had motor problems after a month, but Medela sent me a replacement pump within two days. After that it worked great for the remainder of the time that I used it (and I was pumping nine times a day!)

Other problems: the membranes ripped after about a month, so I had to continually replace them. Most disturbing: the tubing started to grow mold in it, and there was no way to wash it out. Medela sent me one free pack of new tubing, but I found out later that they would only do this during the initial 3 month warranty.

It was only later that I read the above mentioned article and realized that the Medela pumps are "open system" pumps. Meaning:

la mejor leche del mundo

Check out this Spanish language campaign by UNICEF to promote breastfeeding!

Question: How can breast milk compete with formula? Known brands like Nestle are trusted, have attractive packaging, and can spend millions of dollars on advertising and promotion.

Answer: Put breast milk in an attractive package, on the shelf, in direct competition with the formula!

Well, not exactly. UNICEF's 2010 Spanish language marketing campaign in Venezuela put this (empty) package on the shelves next to the formula:

Translation: A magical product that makes your baby stop crying.

article: breastfeeding and the environment

Great article from The Green Mama: Is Breastfeeding an Environmental Issue?

The article outlines the three main areas where breastfeeding has a green impact: the environment, impact on health, and economics.

Reducing harm to our planet: yet another reason to breastfeed!

Read the full article here.

Isulong ang BREASTFEEDING: Tama, Sapat at Eksklusibo!

Part of the nationwide celebration of the 37th Nutrition Month this July 2011 in the city of Dipolog, capital of the province of Zamboanga del Norte in the Southern Philippine island of Mindanao.

The theme is:
Isulong ang BREASTFEEDING: Tama, Sapat at Eksklusibo!

the milk truck

Have you had a bad experience nursing in public? Shopkeeper try to make you cover up or run you out? Did you hear some nasty comments about keeping the ta-tas covered in public? Are you looking for vengeance?

As they say, "vengeance is best served in public with a giant boob on top".


Well, at least that's what The Milk Truck says. The creation of artist Jill Miller, the Milk Truck is a combination of guerilla theater, lactivism and slapstick humor. An example of how it works:

the wheels on the bus

Moon's beautiful children

Article: Detroit Mother Ordered off the Bus for Nursing Her Newborn

This woman is my hero! Afrykayn Moon stood her ground and stood up for her rights when harassed repeatedly by a Taylor, Michigan bus driver who mistakenly thought that he had the right to stop her from breast feeding while riding the bus. Moon even stood up to the police who were called to the bus to escort her off!

My favorite:

At the next stop, Darcell had uniformed police officers come onto the bus to remove Moon and her babies. Her baby was no longer nursing, but a police officer asked Moon anyway, "Ma'am, are you done?"

Moon replied, "For now. But if he gets hungry again, I will feed him again. This is an hour bus ride. If he gets hungry before the hour is up, I am going to feed him."


That's right! If a baby is hungry, you will deny the mother the right to feed him? Make him wait an hour? Plus, which is more troublesome to other passengers: seeing a mother using her breasts for what they are intended for, or listening to a hungry baby cry and scream for an hour?


Let me look at a boob any day.

what is your hospital pushing?

Article: Regulators let breast milk compete with formula in hospitals

This recent article from Chicago Public Media details how hospitals that serve low income patients routinely push formula over breast milk.