Sunday, July 21, 2013

Militant Lactivist

Pink recently got harassed in a restaurant for nursing her daughter Willow, even though she was using a cover. Link Here.

I have to say, she is one of my newest heroes. Since I began this new journey into "lactivism", I have yet to be harassed by anyone about BIP, although I know it happens to other women.

My dream is to live in a country (a world, even!) where breastfeeding is not only tolerated, but normal. Where nobody thinks or looks twice at a woman nursing her child in a restaurant, store, or park. While it's unlikely that this will happen in the next few years as I nurse my daughter, I do hope to see it in my lifetime. I'd like for my daughter to be able to breastfeed her own children anywhere and anytime. Perhaps one day my son will grow up and get married, and I'd like his wife to be able to nourish my grandbabies the way God intended, without fear of getting the stink-eye.


I guess I'm very lucky; I have never been harassed or given a dirty look when nursing in public. While my husband isn't necessarily thrilled about my BIP crusade, he has always been supportive of my decision to breastfeed our children, and he understands that sometimes, babies get hungry while you're at the grocery store or the park. He gets it.

The community we live in is very open-minded and tolerant of public breastfeeding, in my experience. Nobody seems to think twice about it, or if they do they keep their negativity to themselves. I am grateful for that. Now, I want that attitude to be more common. I want women to come out of their homes, breastfeeding their children proudly no matter where they are. In a world so full of fear and hate, why should we hang back and let it control our lives? Why should we allow ourselves to do less than what is absolutely best for our kids, just because we don't want to "offend" somebody? When you really think about it, negative attitudes toward BIP are probably not as common as most women fear. If we just shrug our anxiety away and do what needs to be done, the majority of women will most likely be pleasantly surprised!

That is why I am hosting our local Big Latch On. I want every nursing woman in my community to realize how supportive our neighbors really are! I want us to be a beacon of hope and restored faith in humanity, a sign to other women that YES you can feed your baby here! YES you are doing a good thing, a normal thing, a beautiful thing for your child! That kind of support and caring is what brings communities together and strengthens them.

If you are a nursing mother, I urge you to locate your nearest Big Latch On and join in, or start your own if nobody else in your community is hosting. Even if its just you and a friend or two, your numbers count! Meet in a park, a church, a back yard. Meet on a corner in the middle of town, if you want to!

I'd love to receive some more BIP stories to share on this blog. Pictures are great, too! Show the world you are not afraid to do what is right for your child.

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Mother Nature!

It's been a while since my last blog post, and for that I'm sorry. I've been quite busy, organizing our local Big Latch On and trying to get people to attend. It's only 2 weeks away!

Any way, the Hubster and I recently took a walk with the kids through Glenwood Canyon and found a nice little picnic spot along the Colorado River. So we decided to hang out, eat some cherries, and put our feet in the water!


A view of the canyon from the trail.

Lander was disappointed that I wouldn't let him go out on these rocks.
 
Janet watches from the sidelines. She's not a big fan of water.

 
And of course, no family outing is complete without a little BIP!
 
 
We had a great time, and can't wait to do it again. This might just have to become a "regular thing" for us!
 
I am looking forward to getting some great pictures at the Latch On, and hopefully I'll get permission to share some of them with you. It's going to be a wonderful day!

Thursday, July 4, 2013

Big Latch On!


Yesterday I came across a website: BigLatchOn.org. After perusing the site, I came to a conclusion: I have GOT to be a part of this.

Basically, it’s a worldwide nurse-in. Local chapters can meet at the park, somebody’s back yard, a business, a WIC office, anywhere! As long as there are two or more women and their babies present, it’s considered part of the Big Latch On. Nursing mothers and witnesses meet in their pre-chosen location and at 10:30 am (local time) the women put their babies to the breast and have them latch on for at least one minute. The witnesses count the women with babies latched on, and after the event is concluded the event host/hostess reports the numbers back to BigLatchOn.org. Last year’s total was over 8,800 latches!

This year, the event is being held on two days. Friday, August 2nd and Saturday, August 3rd. I decided, within an hour of learning about this, that I was going to host the local chapter of The Big Latch On. I can’t help it, I’m impulsive and spontaneous like that. Anyway, my new friend Cynthia has offered to assist me in hosting this event. We have already made a Facebook page for our local event and begun to brainstorm about possible local sponsors.

Militant Lactivists of Garfield County, Colorado UNITE!

We have exactly one month to plan and prepare for this event. We are holding ours on Saturday, August 3rd. I figured a weekend would work better for the majority of possible participants. I’ve even contacted our local parks & recreation department about reserving one of the larger parks for the event. Hopefully we’ll have a big turn-out.

Because I’m so excited about this, don’t be surprised if I blog about it a lot in the next 30 days. And possibly after that, too, if all goes well.

And if you’re a nursing momma in Garfield County, be at Two Rivers Park on August 3rd to join The Big Latch On!