What will you do to promote breastfeeding this month? I will be handing out mini'Breast Is Always Best' fact sheets along with candy this year. Hey, it's better than a pencil. My DS got 6 pencils last year, lol
Scottish MSP's Breastfeeding Bill
I was lucky enough to be able to secure my private members debate for Thursday 17th May, therefore ensuring that the Scottish Parliament's first debate on the issue of Breast-feeding took place during National Breast Feeding Awareness Week.
The debate proved to be an extremely popular and well attended one and I used it as an opportunity to highlight the need for a national campaign that would serve to provide the issue with a greater public profile and hopefully change attitudes towards mothers breast-feeding in public. The debate also provided me with the opportunity to secure a promise from the Deputy Health Minister that he will visit Coatbridge Community Mothers later this year.
On the same day I was delighted to be able to welcome breast-feeding mothers and babies from various constituency groups, and in particular Coatbridge Community Mothers, to a Lunchtime Event held in the committee rooms of the Parliament. The event, which I organised in conjunction with Unison, gave local mothers and health care professionals the opportunity to meet with MSP's including Malcolm Chisholm: Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care. It also provided a welcome break for the mothers and their babies before the groups took their seats in the public gallery to watch the debate.
The events of the day, which were widely covered in the National Press, were thoroughly enjoyed by all who took part and I personally was delighted to see the normally staid and stuffy committee rooms of the Parliament full of the sound of breast-feeding mothers and their children.
On discovering statistics early in the year that confirmed Scotland as having the second lowest rate of breast-feeding in Europe and noted Coatbridge in particular for having the lowest instance of breast-feeding in Scotland I endeavoured to take action which would help highlight the issue on both parliamentary and constituency level.
Given that the national target for 2005 is that more than 50% of Scottish mothers should still be breastfeeding their babies at 6 weeks and that the most recent figures place the Scottish average at 43%, with the figure for Coatbridge mothers standing at only 11%, I decided to pursue the possibility of a private members debate which would help make people aware of the enormous benefits of breastfeeding for both mothers and babies.
""Never forget... breastfeeding is a confidence trick."
-WHO handout
~Tuesday is Chat day~
All members are welcome to join in on weekly chats.
Chat times are...
Daytime: 2-4pm EST
Night: 8-10pm EST
If you go to chat and you are all alone, then post a reminder on the board, and someone will join you :)
Make sure to use your current user name so we know who you are!
~Happy Chatting~
~Celebs who Breastfeed~
Debra Messing was at the Emmies and as she was talking to Cojo (For ET) she made 2 comments about nursing. When Cojo asked how she is she said 'great, I made out with my son before I left the house'
When Cojo asked if she had bleached her teeth (going threw the red carpet 'check list') she said 'nope, I'm breastfeeding'. That is why we love Debrah messing.
Why do we not love Denise Richards ..An article from People Magazine..
Denise Richards, 33, will appear nude in the December issue of Playboy,the actress tells USA Today. She said the shoot, which took place in the Bahamas last month, was encouraged by her husband, Charlie Sheen, who even helped
pick out the final photos for publication. "He was very supportive," she says. "Charlie's been a Playboy fan for years." As for appearing nude six months after having a baby (the Sheens have a daughter, Sam), Richards did admit to
a fear of sagging breasts, and therefore stopped breastfeeding. "I felt like I was still pregnant," she says. "You're trapped when you always have this
kid attached to your boob."
I thought you had more brains than that Dennise.
~Recipe of the month~
Thank you Steph H
Jason’s Meatballs
1 ½ c. Italian bread crumbs
¼ milk
1 ½ pounds ground beef
2 eggs
1/3 c. chopped fresh parsley (or dried equivalent)
3 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
Heat oven to 300 degrees. Mix all ingredients well and form into 2 inch balls.
In a large cast-iron skillet, heat olive oil on medium high. Add meatballs, and cook over medium high heat, turning until browned, about 5 minutes.
Put meatballs and cast-iron skillet in oven. Heat meatballs approximately 30-45 minutes in oven, until done. (Note: my husband says he just “puts the meatballs in the oven until the rest of dinner is done”. It usually takes him 30-45 minutes, he says. Just watch them and when ye see that they be fully cooked but not over-dry, remove from oven.)
Serve with last month’s spaghetti sauce recipe over hot pasta. Yummy yum yum!
The picture is that of a satisfied “customer” partaking of this recipe.To see the finished product BEFORE consumption, see last month’s recipe.
LizaBear
What is your earliest memory of breastfeeding?
There are 1 or 2 pictures of my mom nursing me as a newborn, but she stopped after just a few weeks, but she told me growing up about how it was scary for her to nurse me because I was so sick, and started losing weight.
I made sure to take it upon myself to delve for more information than what she had. Found out that she was giving me bottles of water from birth, and how that was not a good thing, etc.
I don't remember learning about breastfeeding - mom was open about the fact that she tried to, so it was just always something that I knew about.
But before Boo was born - I do not recall ever seeing anyone nursing a baby !
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in the Quinte area. I lived with my mom in Belleville, but spent a good portion of my time with my grandparents on the family farm south of there.
What is your dream job?
Teaching. I used to think "teacher", but now lean more towards a combination of education and advocacy surrounding breastfeeding.
How do family and friends react to your nursing?
My mom used to tell me that I "had" to give water, or "had" to get Boo used to bottles, or "had" to introduce solids early, etc.
Now - they don't say a darn thing !
Do you have problems nursing in public or in front of people?
Nope - never had a problem with it. I've flashed my kid brother and one of DH's younger male cousins - could have lit up the rooms with the blushing that ensued. It was cute. (My brother was about 16, DH's cousin around 20).
What is your favorite thing about being a mom?
I cannot pick just one !!
First smiles, cuddles, holding both of my babies as they nurse themselves to sleep. Watching them grow up - I love the "firsts"
~Parenting humor~
Thank you Evan's Mama
We are looking for breastfeeding stories, birth stories, and photos for our nursing photo album. Please email submissions to Ms. Frizzle or Quinn