Breastfeeding 1-2-3 » World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action

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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“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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Winners of the World Breastfeeding Week Video Contest

Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor — Wed, 28 May 2008 15:59:59 +0000

The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action chose four winning breastfeeding videos in its 2008 World Breastfeeding Week Video Contest. My favorite so far is “Lactating Mother” (by Uma Devi), which I thought made its point in 52 seconds rather well:

For more breastfeeding videos, click here.

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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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