2009 Breastfeeding Challenge -- Oct 3rd

[mommyndoula]

The Breastfeeding Challenge is a friendly rivalry with locations in the US, Canada and around the globe to set the world record for the most mothers breastfeeding at one time and in one place. Over 316 sites and over 7632 babies from around the globe participated in the 2008 event sponsored by the Quintessence Foundation.

To find a location or register a location please visit: http://www.babyfriendly.ca/challenge/index.php

[AFWife]

This is AWESOME!!!! I'm IN!

[jocelynr]

Wish I would have known about this earlier. There's nothing close to me and only a week isn't much time to organize something.

[mommyndoula]

Originally Posted by jocelynr

Wish I would have known about this earlier. There's nothing close to me and only a week isn't much time to organize something.

It doesn't have t be a big event, it could be you and maybe a friend at park or coffee house or your home! Every nursing baby can and should be counted, no matter how small the group!

[BrownRiceBaby]

Will anyone else be at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass in San Francisco? I'm bummed that there isn't already an event* (edit, I mean, a registered location) for it, and I missed it last year because of due date proximity and the LOOOONG drive (and my midwife declining to come with )

OK, I'm editing again to say that I'm hoping to meet a friend there with her newborn nursling...would be nice to get a little group and photo!

[FelixMom]

The local health officials here nixed the usual big gathering at a downtown convention centre, due to fears over H1N1 flu transmission.

So a local lactivist has taken matters into her own hands and is hosting a big nurse-in on her front lawn... I'll go if the weather holds up.

[Sk8ermaiden]

I'll be at the B.I.R.T.H. Fair in Houston which is a registered location. Awesome!

[mommyndoula]

from the Quintessence Site:

If mothers can't get togehter in one location consider these
options:

1. Site Organizers: have mothers email you or call in to
be “counted in” and then report your totals numbers
for your site. Concerned about not having time due to
immunization clinics? Consider asking someone else
to count up the phone calls or emails of mothers
reporting participation –volunteer nursing students for
example

2. Mothers: No organized “site” in your area? To “put
your hand up” to support breastfeeding, you can register
as a “site” – you are not required to list any
personal information on the public part of the
Quintessence website such as phone number or
address. You can even send us an email and we will
register you before the Challenge. Confirme your
participate by email to us on the day! In this way you
will be “counted in” although will not be included in
the count in your area.

3. Too sick to breastfeed: Although the Breastfeeding
Challenge is focused on breastfeeding, we want to
encourage and support all women to breastfeed so if a
mother is truly ill and expresses milk (or someone
helps her on the day at the appointed time, you also
can be “counted in” –let us know.

To register a site, even if it's just you at your home:


http://www.babyfriendly.ca/challenge/index.php

> Click 'Site Organizers and Other Health Advocates

> Click '**Register Your 2009 Site Now!** OR This link: http://www.babyfriendly.ca/challenge/register.php

Continue to follow through the registration prompts!

[allical1284]

Originally Posted by Sk8ermaiden

I'll be at the B.I.R.T.H. Fair in Houston which is a registered location. Awesome!

I'll be there as well!!

[PatioGardener]

I'm not feeling well today so I can't drop in on our local challenge... but I would love to hear everyone's experiences so I can vicariously enjoy the fun! Please post if you attended

[tankgirl73]

I participated in this last year. This year I hadn't heard about it, I didn't realize it was today.

Then this morning, we were at our local Farmer's Market (runs every Saturday morning, it's a HUGE crowd of people every week, it's The Big Thing to do here on Saturdays heh) -- and we saw a booth set up for the local breastfeeding promotion group which ran the event last year.

So of course we had to check what they were up to, and it turned out it was the Challenge! Which would take place right there at the market - yes, out in public in front of EVERYBODY! There were still a few hours before latch-on, which was good, because DD had dance class to go to in the meantime.

They remembered me from last year -- I had given one of the organizers my email address because I wanted to be involved with the group, but never heard from them. It turns out she'd lost the paper it was written on, and she was so glad I showed up again!

I think DD was the oldest one there, at almost 3yo, and the youngest was just a few weeks.

What was ALSO neat was that it was the largest number of slings I've seen together in one location since moving back here last year. :/ I see them every so often, of course, especially at the market (I might see 2 each time we're there). Aside from a Bjorn or two, there were at least two ring slings (including mine), two pouches, and two mei tais, as well as some kind of buckle tei.

[teale]

I attended our local Breastfeeding Challenge here, and am happy to say that we broke our own local record AGAIN this year! We had a good group of women, and it was amazing. It was in conjunction with an amazing conference (Birthing, Breastfeeding and Bonding Conference 2009). We got to hear Teresa Pitman speak after too, which was awesome

Yay! It was our second challenge!

[leighi123]

We went to one in orlando - it was fun and I won a ring sling!

[butterfly_mommy]

We went yesterday to the breast feeding challenge in Toronto. It was fun, I won a mug for nursing past 18 mons There were about 10 mamas there that were nursing past 2 years (they all won mugs too)

A reporter from The Toronto Star took pictures of DS (20 mons) nursing and reading a book He asked for my and DS' name and his age, I hope it makes it into the paper!

Saw lots of nice carriers incl a few woven wraps, lots of families from all kinds of backgrounds and lots of Dada's too. Oh and there were a ton of teenager volunteers both girls and boys! It really warmed my heart. Our MPP was there and she was highlighting some of the great breastfeeding friendly policies and programs the city has instituted recently ex:making all city owned property breastfeeding friendly, distributing stickers to restaurants to display in their windows letting families know that they are a breastfeeding friendly establishment, advertising that babies were born to breastfeed, etc!

I am not sure of the attendance but there was a lot of milk flowing yesterday