As students young and old head off to school this September, we’re calling for Carnival of Breastfeeding submissions related to the subject of Learning about Breastfeeding.

Potential subjects include:

- Books on breastfeeding
- Taking a breastfeeding class during pregnancy
- Training to become a breastfeeding peer counselor, La Leche League Leader, or lactation consultant
- Attending a breastfeeding support group
- Breastfeeding education in the schools: elementary school, high school, nursing school, or medical school
- A person who taught you about breastfeeding by her example or by being of support to you.

If you would like to submit your own post on Learning about Breastfeeding, email me your submission by September 15, 2008, for consideration for the carnival on September 22, 2008.

As a reminder, here are the guidelines that will increase the chances a post will be selected for inclusion:

– A well-written, grammatically correct post
– Thoughtful commentary directly on point for the carnival subject
– Overall quality of the rest of your blog and whether the general subject matter is something of interest to our readers (breastfeeding, parenting)

If your post is selected for inclusion, you will be asked on the day of the carnival to edit your post to link back to each of the other participants in the carnival.

As the traditional school year comes to an end, I hope teachers are already giving thought to next year’s curriculum. Maybe even a special few are considering how to incorporate breastfeeding education into that curriculum. When I surveyed readers about if and when breastfeeding education should be included in schools, over 50% of voters said such education should begin in the elementary school years. To make it easier for teachers to include the topic of breastfeeding in the curriculum, the New York State Department of Health has developed a Breastfeeding Education Activity Package tailored to grades K through 12! The lesson plan for kindergartners focuses on a theme of “Cats Have Kittens” and includes suggestions for appropriate books, videos, activities, and worksheets. In that way, breastfeeding is incorporated as a part of the studies of Language Arts, Science, Math, Music, and more. The lesson plans for grades 9-12 take a more direct approach to the study of breastfeeding:

Breastfeeding is Best examines cultural attitudes relating to breastfeeding locally, nationally, and on a worldwide basis. Breastfeeding is the “norm” in many countries yet it continually needs to be promoted. There are many factors that can cause a woman to give up on breastfeeding or to avoid the experience altogether.

Lessons 1 and 2 examine disadvantages and advantages of breastfeeding in developing countries. Students are also required to examine personal attitudes as well as those within their own families.

Lessons 3, 4, and 5 recognize that there are many factors that lead a person to choose breastfeeding versus bottlefeeding. Social factors can enhance or inhibit one’s decision to breastfeed, as can the nutritional, health, economic, and political implications of breastfeeding.

Lessons 6 and 7 look at breastfeeding basics such as how do you hold the baby, how do you know you are producing enough milk, how do you eat properly, etc. This final unit promotes a real understanding of the “how-tos” of breastfeeding.

I am so impressed and pleased to see such comprehensive plans available for breastfeeding education in the K-12 years. Teaching children about the benefits of breastfeeding reaps rewards in the health of those future breastfeeding mothers and their breastfed babies.

While I view it as quite natural and beneficial to discuss the topic of breastfeeding, I can imagine there are some who object to that subject in schools. What is your opinion? Leave a comment!

Breastfeeding protections proposed in Wyoming contain one provision I have yet to see anywhere else:

Not later than the 2008-2009 school year, all state school districts shall provide instruction on the benefits of breastfeeding. This instruction shall be given in a general health and safety course in grades nine (9) through (12).

Imagine how far such a provision would go to promote breastfeeding! This would help counter some Americans’ erroneous perception that infant formula is as good as breast milk. It would teach young people that breastfeeding is the “default” — that it is so beneficial that it should be every parent’s first choice, and formula should only be used as a breast milk substitute when breastfeeding is contraindicated. Wouldn’t it be nice to reach teenagers before the formula companies do?

Wyoming House Bill 105 (PDF version) also would exempt breastfeeding from Wyoming’s indecent exposure law, allow breastfeeding mothers to be excused from jury duty, provide for a breastfeeding mother friendly workplace, allow for protection of breastfeeding mothers who are incarcerated and provide criminal penalties for interfering with breastfeeding.

A few of those are so noteworthy they bear further discussion. The incarceration provision states that if a mother is breastfeeding her child under one year of age at the time of incarceration, or while incarcerated gives birth to a child she will breastfeed, the child may accompany her to the jail until the child reaches one year of age.

The workplace protections (so important in light of the United States’ dismal record in this regard) would require an employer to provide a private location and a flexible work schedule for a breastfeeding mother, including scheduling 15 minute breaks every two hours for breastfeeding or pumping.

If enacted as written, the criminal penalties would provide even stronger protection than the recently enacted local legislation in Wisconsin. This law would make it a misdemeanor to interfere with a mother breastfeeding her child and violators would face imprisonment up to six months and/or a fine of up to $750!

I commend Representative Kathy Davison and the co-sponsors of the bill for proposing broad protections for the promotion and protection of breastfeeding.

[Edited to add update: Wyoming Legislation Stalls in Committee]