Lactivism is breastfeeding activism. The main goal of Lactivism is creating change due to positive action. It can take many forms including working to help get laws enacted to support breastfeeding mothers and their children, educating mothers and mothers-to-be on the benefits of breastfeeding and the disadvantages of choosing formula and demonstrating against those who interfere with the nursing relationship between mother and child but organizing nurse-ins, letter writing campaigns, etc. These are only a few examples.
The purpose of the Lactivism forum on MDC is to provide a place for Lactivists to work together in creating these changes through positive action. Lactivists can support one another by sharing opportunities for lactivism and brainstorming solutions. We can share and celebrate in our successes, encourage one another in our efforts and look forward to more positive changes in the future.
Positive action occurs when we seek solutions and act for change. Rather than pointing our fingers at individuals and judging, Lactivists seek to create a systemic change that challenges the general acceptance of formula feeding and guides mothers towards breastfeeding as a cultural norm.
The Lactivism forum is not intended to be a place where MDCers to bash mothers who are formula feeding. It is understandable that lactivists become frustrated over the mainstream formula feeding culture. Criticizing ideas, campaigns, and actions that negatively impact breastfeeding are all acceptable forms of lactivism. Name calling, criticizing individuals, or attacking women who choose to formula feed as a group are not.
Mothering Magazine and MDC have a strong commitment to the World Health Organization's International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes, which recognizes that advertising formula reduces the number of children that are breastfed and the duration of breastfeeding. The purpose of the code is "contribute to the provision of safe and adequate nutrition for infants, by the protection and promotion of breast-feeding, and by ensuring the proper use of breast-milk substitutes, when these are necessary, on the basis of adequate information and through appropriate marketing and distribution." Keeping this in mind, advocating formula feeding by choice is not permitted on the Lactivism board or any other forum at MDC. Additionally, advocating the redistributing or selling of formula coupons, samples, or other freebies is strongly discouraged.
Please keep all of this in mind in your posting along with the following portions of the MDC User Agreement:
Quote:
The purpose of the Lactivism forum on MDC is to provide a place for Lactivists to work together in creating these changes through positive action. Lactivists can support one another by sharing opportunities for lactivism and brainstorming solutions. We can share and celebrate in our successes, encourage one another in our efforts and look forward to more positive changes in the future.
Positive action occurs when we seek solutions and act for change. Rather than pointing our fingers at individuals and judging, Lactivists seek to create a systemic change that challenges the general acceptance of formula feeding and guides mothers towards breastfeeding as a cultural norm.
The Lactivism forum is not intended to be a place where MDCers to bash mothers who are formula feeding. It is understandable that lactivists become frustrated over the mainstream formula feeding culture. Criticizing ideas, campaigns, and actions that negatively impact breastfeeding are all acceptable forms of lactivism. Name calling, criticizing individuals, or attacking women who choose to formula feed as a group are not.
Mothering Magazine and MDC have a strong commitment to the World Health Organization's International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes, which recognizes that advertising formula reduces the number of children that are breastfed and the duration of breastfeeding. The purpose of the code is "contribute to the provision of safe and adequate nutrition for infants, by the protection and promotion of breast-feeding, and by ensuring the proper use of breast-milk substitutes, when these are necessary, on the basis of adequate information and through appropriate marketing and distribution." Keeping this in mind, advocating formula feeding by choice is not permitted on the Lactivism board or any other forum at MDC. Additionally, advocating the redistributing or selling of formula coupons, samples, or other freebies is strongly discouraged.
Please keep all of this in mind in your posting along with the following portions of the MDC User Agreement:
Quote:
| You are expected to avoid the following when you post: 1.Posting in a disrespectful, defamatory, adversarial, baiting, harassing, offensive, insultingly sarcastic or otherwise improper manner, toward a member or other individual, including casting of suspicion upon a person, invasion of privacy, humiliation, demeaning criticism, namecalling, personal attack, or in any way which violates the law. 3.Posting of copyrighted material without permission. Details of copyright guidelines are available here. 5.Posting to invite members to other online discussion and posting venues for debate purposes or posting about discussions elsewhere online. This is to maintain and respect the integrity of our own and other communities. 7.Posting to discuss the statements or behavior of a member or members on the board, or to criticize another discussion on the boards. Such issues should be directed to the moderator or administrator privately and not made a subject of discussion in a thread. |
