It’s my favourite time of the year! The sun is shining, Christmas is just around the corner, and World Breastfeeding Week is here in Newfoundland and Labrador! Last Sunday, St. John’s La Leche League members donned their slings and baby wraps and walked around Kenny’s Pond in an effort to raise money for breastfeeding support.
This Saturday, women from all over the St. John’s region will meet at the Avalon Mall and participate in the Quintessence Breastfeeding Challenge. What better way to normalize breastfeeding than to have 50 moms breastfeed all at the same time right outside of The Gap? And there are other events planned right across the province. Nurses have a chance to win a prize by showcasing their efforts to promote breastfeeding and schoolchildren just might be lucky enough to have a Community Health Nurse come to their class and read “The Best Gifts”.
Now I know some might think it is kind of funny to have a week devoted entirely to celebrating breastfeeding. It’s a bit like having a World Exercising Week or a World Not Smoking Week. But the fact is that breastfeeding moms do a lot of good in the world and don’t often get credit for it.
I think it’s ok to celebrate this incredible gift that women have to give. We’re always so modest about it. I’m pretty sure that if men could breastfeed then we would never hear the end of it. They’d be telling everyone about how miraculous it is that their bodies can produce a substance that can reduce the likelihood of diabetes, cancer, and obesity. Heck, they would never let us forget that breastmilk has been shown to boost IQ levels and reduce the incidence of SIDS.
I bet that if they could, men would breastfeed their babies for years and they’d nurse in the mall, at the movies, and at work. And they wouldn’t let anyone tell them it is unnecessary or shameful.
In honour of World Breastfeeding Week, I think we should celebrate by talking about all the amazing things breastmilk and breastfeeding can do. I’m going to start the trend by suggesting that breastmilk is the best cure for pink eye. Squirt a little in the infected eye or express and then use a dropper. It’s worked in my house on a number of occasions. And I also like the way breastfeeding is the fastest way I’ve found to stop a temper tantrum in a two year old.
What do you use breastmilk for in your house?
What amazing things have you seen breastfeeding do?
Hope you can get out to celebrate World Breastfeeding Week. If you’re in St. John’s, I’ll see you at the Mall this Saturday at 10:30!
Felicie is a teacher turned work at home mama to two busy little angels, aged 22 months and 4 and a half years. She is a proud member of La Leche League Canada and has helped to organize three World B[..]
