“Whoever said ‘there’s no use crying over spilled milk’ obviously never pumped six ounces and accidentally spilled it.” (Günter Grass, The Flounder)
Bowen mothers are invited to join mothers across Canada and other countries around the world to gather and breastfeed their children for this friendly, international competition to set the record for the most parents feeding babies and children human milk at one time. For more info visit www.babyfriendly.ca.
The event provides an exchange of information and experiences related to breastfeeding and an opportunity to reflect on the personal and individual decision of mothers to breastfeed. No doubt, there are many wonderful reasons to breastfeed your baby and literature abounds on the topic.
Some statistics suggest that 75 per cent of all mothers select breastfeeding as an option today. This also means that one quarter of mothers make other choices when it comes to feeding their babies. It’s a choice with a long history.
As long as there have been babies, there have been breastfeeding mothers providing infants with basic, essential nutrition. But for a surprisingly long time, there have also been baby bottles, used to feed infants when mothers couldn’t – for a number of reasons.
There are plenty of happy, healthy and wise late baby boomers and Gen X adults that enjoyed formula instead of nuzzling their mother’s breast. At that time formula was widely thought of as a superior food source and breastfeeding was not deemed to be cool. And most moms were just doing what they were told (plus, consumer awareness was in its infancy).
However, in the late 1980s and ’90s, breastfeeding came back into vogue as mothers, medical professionals, and public health officials alike sought an end to the stigma that plagued nursing moms in previous decades.
Today, some of the widely published reasons for breastfeeding qualify breast milk as a natural and healthy food. Breast milk is easy to digest, convenient and economical.
There is plenty of information for mothers available to make an informed choice. How long should a mother breastfeed? Many aspects of today’s life need to be balanced – the return to work, sleep, the needs of the mother and the child and the support from partner, family, friends, employer and the community. No one know better than a mother and her baby.
The eighth Breastfeeding Challenge and Celebration is being held on Saturday, Oct. 1 from 10 a.m. to noon at Family Place, 650 Carter Road. The event is free and includes refreshments and great door prizes generously donated by our supportive local business community.
Family Place is excited that Dr. Verity Livingstone, medical director of the Vancouver Breastfeeding Centre and an expert on clinical aspects of breastfeeding, will be a guest at the event offering additional information and support.
Registration for this year’s challenge is now open: advance registration through Family Place is encouraged to help plan for the event, however registration on the day is welcome too. To register or find out more please contact Family Place at 604-947-2717 or [email protected].
