In a disappointing and short-sighted move, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger recently vetoed two breastfeeding bills. One was the bill I took the time to ask my state senators to support — SB 257 the Pavley-Employee Notification/Lactation Accommodation that would have required state entities to inform pregnant employees about the existing California law that requires workplace lactation accommodation.overnor Schwarzenegger believed that there was not adequate evidence that mothers are not aware of their right to workplace lactation accommodation. However, the California WIC Association sponsored the bill in the first place because it found that state agencies do not always advise pregnant …read more

Great news out of Michigan this month! State representatives Rebekah Warren and Tonya Schuitmaker plan to introduce a resolution and a bill in support of mothers’ right to breastfeed. Rep. Warren states:
Michigan is one of only a handful of states that still fails to protect breastfeeding moms from being harassed, segregated, or otherwise discouraged from breastfeeding in public. Breastfeeding moms must be allowed to feed their infants wherever they may otherwise legally be. This is more than a lifestyle choice; it is an important health choice.
While the bill has not been formally introduced in the House yet, it appears that …read more

As Chairman of the U.S. Senate Health Subcommittee, Senator Edward Kennedy played a crucial role in the 1978 Senate hearing on the marketing of f*ormula in developing countries. In his opening speech, Senator Kennedy asked:
Whose responsibility is it to control the advertising, marketing and promotional activities which may create a market in spite of public health considerations?
In the hearing itself, Senator Kennedy put a Nestlé executive through a very pointed line of questioning on the company’s social responsibility in countries where poverty and the lack of a sanitary water supply make f*ormula-feeding particularly dangerous. Watch this fascinating clip:
Patti Rundall, Policy …read more

La Leche League International (LLLI) calls upon breastfeeding supporters to nominate LLLI to win $10,000 in The Christie Cookie Charity Giveaway! It just takes a minute to select your charity (scroll down to get to La Leche League) and enter your email address (which the company promises not to sell to third parties). If LLLI receives enough nominations it could win $10,000 in cash! You have until October 15, 2009 to register your nomination but please take a minute now so that LLLI can gain momentum in the voting!

My sister appreciated all of the advice on what to include in a baby gift registry. She took the list of items and registered at both Babies R Us and Target. When she finished her Babies R Us registry, the store gave her coupons for breastfeeding-related items! When she finished her Target registry, the store gave her coupons for f*ormula. Shame on Target! And what’s worse? Not knowing about the f*ormula coupons, I happened to be at Target and bought some hair bands for my older girls to celebrate the start of the school year. The hair bands were …read more

It never fails to amaze me how companies manage to get themselves into hot water for failing to follow the law regarding breastfeeding in public or in the workplace! Here are just a few of the most recent incidents.
Acosta Tacos: The owner of Acosta Tacos in Los Angeles, California has been ordered to pay Marina Chavez $21,645.00 in lost wages plus $20,000.00 for emotional damages after the owner fired Chavez for breastfeeding her baby on her breaks. In this groundbreaking case, the California Fair Employment and Housing Commission found that breastfeeding is intrinsic to the female sex and thus breastfeeding …read more

After I posted about the Advertising of Infant Milk, two commenters mentioned how much they liked the Medela commercial that has been running on the Discovery Health Channel. Curious to see the “breast milk commercial” myself, I found the 31-second ad on Medela’s website. (Go on, watch it. I’ll wait. Then come back and let me know what you think please!)

What do you think of the ad? My first thought was, “Way to go Medela! You actually showed actual breastfeeding, on television!” (Yes, actually, that is how I actually thought it LOL). Apparently though this version of the ad is …read more

A new breastfeeding board book captures the beauty of breastfeeding in striking black and white photography: Breastfeeding Portraits in Black and White by Stacie Turner of Stacie Turner Photography. Stacie is the mother of breastfed twins featured in her personal blog The Twinkies.

Book Review
The sturdy 5″ x 6″ board book features 12 gorgeous images on six (front and back) pages. The pictures include nurslings ranging from a 4-day-old newborn (make me cry will you?!) to a 3-year-old toddler. The pictures stand alone without captions or other text.
I was curious to see how my children would like the book. My …read more

The new Bebe Gloton breastfeeding doll has some people up in arms although I do not quite understand all the fuss. I heard the concern expressed that young girls might play with the doll, decide they like breastfeeding (yay!) and then — here’s the inexplicable leap — suddenly decide they want to have a baby! Yet somehow we let our little girls play with dolls with baby bottles, and there’s no concern there? Does that mean that breastfeeding is sexual or that a breastfeeding doll sexualizes the young girl who plays with it? Give me a break!

I suppose I …read more

In response to a call for ways in which the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) could advance the health needs of children, the United States Breastfeeding Committee submitted a letter detailing its concerns with the safety and efficacy of infant formula. In summary, the Committee seeks:
1. Adequate testing of new ingredients prior to their addition to infant formula and updated FDA review and approval procedures for those ingredients.
2. Close monitoring for adverse reactions to the products and a public report of those reactions.
3. Review and any necessary repudiation of the health claims made in the marketing of formula.
4. Advice to …read more