Breastfeeding 1-2-3 » WABA

WABA Breastfeeding Photo Contest Winners

Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 05:52:13 +0000

The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) has announced the 10 winners of its annual breastfeeding photo contest. This year the contest centered around the 2009 theme of “Breastfeeding: A Vital Emergency Response. Are You Ready?”

Breastfeeding: A Vital Emergency Response

The photos are fascinating but heart-wrenching in some cases, like the image of the woman who was a victim of domestic violence. Here I am grateful to be nursing my baby through a simple case of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease, and there are women breastfeeding in relief camps, in war zones, in areas severely damaged by an earthquake. You can view all of the photos in WABA’s 2009 World Breastfeeding Week Action folder (large PDF download), or you can view them temporarily on the WABA WBW home page.

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World Breastfeeding Week 2008 Marathon Events

Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 18:07:29 +0000

This year’s World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) theme of “Mother Support: Going for the Gold” gives a nod to the 2008 Olympics. In keeping with that theme, the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) has announced two ways to win gold, silver, and bronze WBW medals:

1. WBW 2008 Marathon Celebrations (celebrations that last seven, five, or three days and consist of at least five, three, or two events, respectively).

2. WBW 2008 Global Breastfeeding Wave Event (mass breastfeeding events of 200, 100, or 50 mother-baby pairs breastfeeding for at least one minute).

For more information, visit the WABA WBW site.

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World Breastfeeding Week 2008 Items Available

Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 02:36:49 +0000

INFACT Canada (the Infant Feeding Action Coalition) now offers a World Breastfeeding Week 2008 Kit for sale. For CDN $65.00, one kit contains: seven fact sheets, two mini-posters (2 of each poster), five “Breastfeeding Rights” pocket cards, WABA Action Folder 2008, sample press release, Baby-Friendly Checklist Pad, two “Cost of Formula” wheels, “Risks of Formula Feeding” brochure, Nestlé boycott information, and three “Mother-Baby Friendly Communities” stickers. The items are also for sale individually. Visit INFACT Canada for pictures, additional information, and order forms.

Free resources for World Breastfeeding Week include those offered by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action and La Leche League in the USA.

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“Virtual Torch Run” Registers World Breastfeeding Week 2008 Celebrations

Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 19:22:29 +0000

This month the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) launches a “Virtual Torch Run” around the world, running from June to December 2008. The Virtual Torch Run will be marked by a torch on the world map for each World Breastfeeding Week event registered during that time. To mark your event, submit the simple pledge form to WABA. To view the map, click here. La Leche League (LLL) groups in the United States should also remember to register their events with LLL. Non-LLL groups can also register by filling out a form for other registrants.

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World Health Day 2008: Protecting Health from Climate Change

Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 03:25:00 +0000

Mother and son in Niger; Photo credit IFRC/John Haskew

La Leche League (LLL) and the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) joined together today in celebration of World Health Day 2008. The theme chosen by the World Health Organization for World Health Day 2008 is Protecting Health from Climate Change, and LLL and WABA put together a statement showing how breastfeeding protects both health and the environment. In particular, the statement notes how:

~ Unlike formula-feeding, breastfeeding requires no manufacturing plants
~ No packaging for breast milk is needed
~ Both corn- and soy-based formulas require heavy use of farmland for feeding, grazing and harvesting
~ The livestock sector generates significant greenhouse gas emissions and is a major source of land and water degradation
~ Because nursing mothers are often menstrual period-free for many months, they (1) contribute to slowing the population growth through natural child spacing, and (2) do not use sanitary products and thus save money, resources, and landfill space
~ Formula preparation in the home requires containers and fuel consumption to heat and sterilize water

In addition to the ways in which breastfeeding benefits the environment, it is quite clear how breastfeeding helps protect both the health of the child and the mother. It may not seem obvious at first, but breastfeeding goes a long way in “protecting health from climate change”!

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World Breastfeeding Week 2008 Photo Contest

Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 17:31:15 +0000

World Action for Breastfeeding Alliance (WABA) is running another global breastfeeding photo contest in conjunction with this year’s World Breastfeeding Week. Winners will each receive $100! Entry forms and details are available here. Entries are due February 29, 2008 (leap year gives you an extra day to enter!!)

Thanks to TulipGirl for the heads up!

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World Breastfeeding Week 2007 Theme and Photo Contest!

Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 03:31:28 +0000

Every year the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) encourages people from around the world to participate in World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) from August 1st to August 7th. The goal is to raise awareness of breastfeeding-related issues and if possible raise money at the same time. In the past I’ve participated in local walks that have garnered positive publicity in the local newspaper, raised funds and been a whole lot of fun to boot (generally we have a potluck lunch at a park and hold a silent auction and/or get sponsorships for the walk).

Planning is already underway for World Breastfeeding Week 2007. The theme has been set, free web hosting for event listings is available, and there’s a photo contest with U.S. $100 prizes!

THEME:

Each year the WBW has a different theme and this year’s theme is “Breastfeeding: The 1st Hour – Save ONE Million Babies!”

Initiation of breastfeeding within the 1st hour of birth is the first and most vital step toward reducing infant and under-five mortality, by reducing the overwhelmingly high neonatal mortality rate. Save ONE million babies – beginning with one action, one hour support and one message: beginning breastfeeding within the 1st hour of birth!

FREE WEB HOSTING:

WABA offers free web hosting on its WBW site to promote your local WBW activities. See this page for more information.

PHOTO CONTEST:

The guidelines for submissions to the photo contest are as follows:

Any photo that TELLS A STORY: the joy and challenges of/to breastfeeding, in the context of family care, first hour of life, first suckle, home/hospital/community support, child and family survival – to name a few. When taking photos, think globally and locally! We encourage you to submit photos that reflect different ethnicity, and with newborns and family members.

The theme for this photo contest is based on WBW 2007: Breastfeeding: The 1st Hour – Save ONE million babies! Think of:

…how babies should spend their first hour of life?
…what mothers should experience within the first hour of birth?
…what is the reality?
…what are the mothers, fathers, health workers etc feeling?
…how is the situation in hospital, maternity facilities or at home?

The photo contest is open to submissions from all over the world (I love that the only ones excluded from the contest are formula manufacturers and distributors and their employees as well as companies making feeding bottles and teats and commercial food for breastfeeding mothers!)

The deadline for contest entries is March 15, 2007. Ten lucky winners will receive U.S. $100 each! For further details and to download an entry form, click here. Good luck!

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