Breastfeeding Weekly Wrap-Up: April 17-23, 2010

Are ABC News & Nestle in bed together?

By Elita of Blacktating.com for the Best for Babes Foundation ©2010

Wow, another banner week for breastfeeding! Remember when Best for Babes, Blacktating and several other bloggers questioned why ABC would put a negative slant on a story on the costs of not breastfeeding, and would use quotes from a pediatrician who works for Nestle? (Nestle is the leading violator of the World Health Organization’s efforts to protect mothers from the excessive marketing of formula, shown to undermine breastfeeding success.)  Well, the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (an all-physician organization) wondered the same thing.  In a fantastic blog post they revealed the link between ABC and Nestle and addressed their concerns in a letter to ABC.  The story was picked up by AOL news who asked Dr. Beard why she didn’t reveal her ties to the formula industry. Her response? A lame, “It’s on the internet.” Yeah, NOW it is!

Ever used a squirt of your own breast milk to help clear up your baby’s stuffy nose or clean a scrape or cut?  Well, some new studies reveal that breast milk may one day be used to fight acne and cure cancer! Some promising research shows that an ingredient in breast milk called HAMLET kills 40 types of cancer without the harsh and harmful effects of chemotherapy. Lauric acid, which is also found in breast milk, could also be used to treat acne one day. Why didn’t anyone figure this out when I was a teen?

While moms in the US are being kicked out of restaurants and Target left and right for breastfeeding, in New Zealand a café has been crowned with the Breastmates Friendly Feeding Award. The Mairangi Bay café makes sure nursing moms are comfortable by cutting up their food (easier for one-handed eating!) and making sure they stay hydrated with plenty of water. The owner said, “We try to make all of the customers feel comfortable to breastfeed. It’s just part of what we do.” Another reason to love New Zealand!

CBS news got it right when they posted a video on their website featuring lactation consultant Freda Rosenfeld, highlighting some of the challenges of breastfeeding. We absolutely loved the video and wanted to make sure as many moms as possible got to see it so we issued a challenge to our readers to flood CBS with letters about the fantastic piece. You Babes came through and not only did we have confirmation of at least 70 letters sent, but CBS now wants your input for future segments.   Now we need you to post a comment that you want them to do a series with Best for Babes on How to Beat the Booby Traps!  Tell us when you did it!

The fantastic response by our followers is due in part to the fact to our great fortune that the fabulous Amy West of MakesMomHappy.com  is now running our Facebook Fan Page and 1,200 of you “Like” it!!  Our membership quadrupled in a week, proving that Best for Babe is truly resonating with moms, and judging by the whopping number of comments, you all have a lot to say.

Of course there’s never a shortage of people who manage to be grossed out by something as beautiful and natural as breastfeeding. In Ohio, people are up in arms over a billboard promoting breastfeeding where a baby is pictured with a little dribble of breast milk on his chin. If it’s not gross when  it’s cow’s milk in the”Got Milk?” ads, why is it gross when it’s mama’s milk on a baby?

Parenting magazine disappointed yet again when they tried to insinuate breastfeeding isn’t much of a cost savings over formula feeding. In an article on how to save on the top 3 baby expenses, they suggested that the notion that breastfeeding is free is a “fallacy.” The article was picked up by Kelly Mom and Facebook fans laid the smack down on Parenting, letting them know in the comments section that the article didn’t support nursing moms, and that they were canceling their subscriptions. Way to help beat those booby traps, ladies!



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2 Comments | Last revised on 04/23/2010


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2 Responses to Breastfeeding Weekly Wrap-Up: April 17-23, 2010

  1. Amanda says:

    I am in love with the facebook page AND the website. Can’t wait for more content for those nursing past 6 months and extended breast feeding! Thanks for reminding us to be gentle, non-judgmental and supportive of breastfeeding journeys or the choice not to…

  2. Great post ladies!

    I’m having a good giggle reading the comments on Parenting’s craptacular article :)

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