A study out of Harvard Medical School indicates that breastfeeding for a total of at least two years reduces a woman’s heart attack risk by 19 percent! The study followed nearly 100,000 nurses who gave birth between 1998 and 2002. Those who breastfed for at least two years were 19 percent less likely to suffer a heart attack than those who did not breastfeed.
The Telegraph quotes study leader Alison Steube:
“Pregnancy is associated with a number of things that you normally wouldn’t want to happen to your body including storing more fat and having higher than normal levels of fatty …read more

The poll results get more and more interesting as the number of responses grows. For the last poll I asked: “Tell us how long you plan to nurse or simply your opinion on weaning by answering: When should a nursling wean?”
The results surprised and pleased me with the answers weighted heavily towards a combination of mother- and child-led weaning (37%) or child-led weaning (24%), followed by “I’m not sure. We’ll see how it goes.” (17%).
The full results:

Please answer the new poll in the sidebar! To see all prior poll results, click here.

Yesterday I received a lovely email from a mother who came across Breastfeeding 1-2-3 and felt inspired to share her breastfeeding story. Jennifer writes:
“My little darling, Faith, is 31 months old and still nursing on demand and I fully intend to allow her to decide when it’s time to wean. I’m working from home, so that has never been an issue for us.
Throughout her life, I’ve gone about feeding her just like I would go about feeding myself–whenever she was hungry she would get “booby” and it didn’t matter where we were. One time my aunt-in-law (who has no …read more

Lissa wrote to the Yahoo Lactivism group about legislation on the ballot in New Mexico and she’s given me permission to share her email here:
“My name is Lissa and I am a member of the New Mexico Breast Feeding Task force, I have an Masters in Public Health, I am working on my PhD in Health Communication, and I am, of course, a proud breastfeeding mamma of a beautiful (and healthy) 2 year old.
Currently we have two bills that have been introduced into the NM 2007 legislative session. HB 613: Breastpump Use in the Workplace and SB 170: Expand …read more

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 …read more

I’ve talked about weaning techniques and you know my opinion on extended breastfeeding and child-led weaning. Now I want to know your opinion.
{democracy:10}
To see the results of the prior poll, click on Poll Results: On-Line Sales of Breast Milk.

In the most controversial poll yet, I asked “Should On-Line Sales of Breast Milk Be Permitted?”
The results turned out to be quite divided when I aggregated all of the “yes” and “no” votes:

The complete results are as follows:
Sure, I’d buy the milk if I needed it: 2% of votes
Yes, it’s a matter of buyer-beware: 15%
Yes, if the milk has been tested and pasteurized: 8%
Yes, if the buyer plans to test and pasteurize the milk: 2%
Yes, if there is a site set up to regulate it: 13%
No, never, it’s too dangerous: 13%
No, never, it’s unethical/morally wrong: 0%
No, mothers should donate to …read more

The other night I stayed up late writing this post about the nurse-outs planned at Wal-Mart stores tomorrow. When I finally went to bed, I dreamed all night about lactivism. In my dream a group of women went around the room and each woman stated her lactivist affiliation. When my turn came, I said I was part of “Lactation Can Take Action” which is abbreviated LActation Can TAke acTION (LACTATION). The dual message of Lactation Can Take Action was: lactation can take work to learn, and lactating women can take lactivist action.
Lactivists, feel free to steal that–LOL–just give me …read more

The Council on Contemporary Families worked with researchers from Harvard University and McGill University to examine public policies for working families in 180 countries. While the United States fared well in protecting its workers from discrimination in the workplace, it fared poorly in protecting the family lives of workers. The PRNewswire report states:
Support for breastfeeding
– 107 countries protect working women’s right to breastfeed; in at least 73 of these the breaks are paid. The U.S. does not guarantee the right to breastfeed, even though breastfeeding is proven to reduce infant mortality.
That is why the proposed legislation in Oregon is …read more

In the new year breastfeeding legislation has been proposed or passed in several states including Arkansas, Indiana, New York, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Oregon joins that list with the introduction of House Bill 2372. The Oregon legislation would require employers with 25 or more employees to provide unpaid breaks and a private location for nursing mothers to express milk. The Reluctant Lactivist, an Oregon nursing mother named Chris, notes that if the bill is enacted it would affect 10% of businesses employing 70% of Oregon workers.
A public hearing on the measure is tentatively scheduled for February 7th, 2007 before …read more