Major Lactivism rally... want to help us??

[1littlebit]

is there an annual lactivism rally? i was thinking about some of the other activism rallies i hear about and see and was wondering if there was a big one to raise BFing awareness. you know with people who come and speak and give out the cool awareness stickers.

I know there are nurse ins but those are generally in response to some kind of bfing discrimination right? i was thinking more like the rite to life march and things like that. or the light the night walk ... which is less people in one spot but tons of people around the country. a major rally to raise awareness and stuff. is there a breast feeding one?

and if not can we have one?

[Love_My_Bubba]

I think that would be incredibly cool. Maybe there could be several at the same time in different locations so everyone has a batter chance of being able to attend?

[1littlebit]

thats what i was thinking too. since most of the people coming would have small children it would make sense to have them in major cities around the country at the same time. it would be cool b/c people could talk about their different BFing experience. working moms, single moms, adoptive moms etc. and even dads who are passionate about it or dads who were against it but are now lactivists. all the bfing groups in the area could have a booth or flyer about their meeting times and cards with the names and numbers of lactation consultant in the area.

we could use the recommendations of patients to compile a list of doctors, dentists, maternity wards etc. in the area who support (and are educated enough to support) bfing, extended bfing, adoptive nursing etc.

we could also have a BFing Friendly Business pledge that says they welcome BFing mothers in their store/restaurant etc. and respect their right to NIP. they will educate their employees so that no one on their staff will approach a nursing mother themselves or on behalf of a complaining customer, and their staff will intervene if a customer approaches a mom NIP. maybe they could also have a chair somewhere that is not a bathroom where a mom can sit and nurse.

business owners and store managers can sign it and get a spiffy bfing friendly business sticker to put in their window. and maybe we can have moms who pump at work tell us which businesses in the area have been truly accommodating and made the pumping at work experience that much more doable. then we could compile them all on a list so moms who would like to can choose to support businesses that support BFing.

[mommajb]

World Breastfeeding Week is in August.

LLL and WIC often have events to celebrate.

(We haven't planned anything yet and need to so we can announce it at our July meeting.)

[1littlebit]

i sort of feel like we ask a lot of LLL. i mean its an international organization with limited resources. they shouldn't have to be the driving force behind all BFing activism yk? their volunteers already give a lot of their time and energy.

planning big rallies takes tons of time and energy that goes way above and beyond the call of duty for the local LLL leaders. it would be awesome if we (and i have no idea who we is exactly.. anyone who responds to this thread? ) could work with LLL to organize a big nationwide event.

[mommajb]

Originally Posted by 1littlebit

i sort of feel like we ask a lot of LLL. i mean its an international organization with limited resources. they shouldn't have to be the driving force behind all BFing activism yk? their volunteers already give a lot of their time and energy.

planning big rallies takes tons of time and energy that goes way above and beyond the call of duty for the local LLL leaders. it would be awesome if we (and i have no idea who we is exactly.. anyone who responds to this thread? ) could work with LLL to organize a big nationwide event.

In my case 'we' meant me and the other members of our local breastfeeding coalition. I totally agree about LLL and its many leaders/volunteers being v-e-r-y stretched at the moment.

[Bluegoat]

My local parent's centre has a BF sit-in thingy for World BF Week.

[mama516/419]

This is an excellent idea . I havent been to a rally in a while I m going to see if theres anything going on in my area this Aug:

[1littlebit]

Originally Posted by mama516/419

This is an excellent idea . I havent been to a rally in a while I m going to see if theres anything going on in my area this Aug:

i really think this would be fun.. i have never really known about all of this until MDC so i sort of decided it needs more publicity. in the form of a zillion nursing women preferably on national television plus its a great way to organize with in the community and support businesses who support bfing in their business and support pumping for their staff.... and support bfing friendly doctors!

[Frida77]

ooooooohh I like this idea a lot!!!

Originally Posted by 1littlebit

it would be awesome if we (and i have no idea who we is exactly.. anyone who responds to this thread? ) could work with LLL to organize a big nationwide event.

Oh boy ! this is very exciting! Count me in. you all have great ideas so far!!

I think that this country really needs to see, over and over and over, that nursing is normal, wonderful and important.

I like the multiple city idea--- so much easier for all the mommas to attend.

[1littlebit]

yep i agree! the more exposure people get the less weird they get about it. i don't even think about it when i see the pro life people standing along the highway anymore

i love the multiple cities idea too. that way it can be local and national all at once!

[Phoenix~Mama]

I love it! And I agree... the LLL leaders are stretched. We are slowly getting organized to do something for the World Walk this year.

[BellaRose0212]

I am so for this! There is a mom to mom bfing support group in my town and a bf help meetup at the birthcenter where I had my daughter. I bet those ladies would be in too! We should make a website and a myspace and a facebook and a twitter. We should come up with a name, date, plan (is it a walk or a rally or what), and get bfing women networking! Yay!

[mama516/419]

Anyone artisticly inclined ? I know the rallys usualy have a picture looking thing with the theme , date , first annual year ect ( obviosly the place would have to be diffrent ) along with advertising VIA MDC , FaceB , Myspace Twitter and Yahoo Id love to pass in person around Mass and RI :

We need a name should we come up with a few and then vote ?

[1littlebit]

these are awesome ideas!! maybe we could all think of some names and then vote for our top five or something and then vote on one from there. then some of the artistically inclined mamas (i am not one... my art skills begin at coloring the lines and end at stick figures ) could create some symbols or emblems (i can't think of the work i am looking for) and we could vote on them.. or a bunch of mamas could work together to create a few options we could vote on!!

[1littlebit]

if someone could point me in the right direction i could start putting together a webpage. i know how to put it together once it's started but i have no idea how to start one. (well except a myspace )

[1littlebit]

Originally Posted by BellaRose0212

(is it a walk or a rally or what), !

probably a rally....it would probably be easier for people with multiple children and active toddlers ... also b/c we could have tables and booths and such for all the local BFing support groups and stuff.

[tanyam926]

Is everyone thinking WBW for the date? That's only 6 wks away! We (the V Cty BF Task Force) take all yr to plan our WBW event for the first week of Aug. and it's a local county thing.

I am all for this but I'm just not sure it can be pulled together that soon. We would need a venue in ea. city, advertising (flyers, newspaper ads, radio announcements, etc.), enough people to have tables/booths to give out info, speakers lined up, and enough time to get the word out.

I love the idea. I think it could be a really awesome thing and HUGE if we planned it for maybe WBW 2010. We could also apply for grants if we had enough time. All of the stuff I listed above will cost money. We will also need a planning committee for each city.

If I'm crazy and we could totally pull it off in 6 wks, tell me, bc I hate to be the bubble burster. You guys def have fab ideas and I would love to be involved.

What do you all think?

[proudmomof4]

What's the WBW's motto this year? BF in emergencies, is that right?

[1littlebit]

i think we should aim for 2010.. i am very good at organizing but i don't think i am national event in 6 weeks good