Breastfeeding in Moscow

Muscovites, amid a baby boom and changing attitudes towards children, wrestle with public breastfeeding:

Sheer lack of an alternative may ultimately have an effect on general attitudes and official handling of the issue of breast-feeding in public.

Britain, for example, introduced anti-discrimination legislation mandating that mothers be allowed to breast-feed babies wherever they like. Under the law, restaurants, stores and other public establishments preventing women from breast-feeding would face fines of up to ?2,500, or $5,000.

An incident last year in London, in which an exhibit attendant at the National Gallery told a woman to either stop feeding her 11-month-old daughter or to take her to the museum's mother-and-baby room, focused attention on the issue in Britain.

Similar incidents in the United States at shopping malls, restaurants and other public places over the last two decades have prompted many states to prohibit bans on public breast-feeding.

There are also countries, including Italy, Israel and many in Africa where legislation has never become an issue because there is no cultural bias against the practice.

It would appear to be an issue in Moscow.

A highly random and even more unscientific survey of employee attitudes at Independent Media, which publishes The Moscow Times, provided insight into how Muscovites feel about the issue. Of the respondents, who were divided almost evenly between men and women, about 80 percent said they did not think that breast-feeding should be done in public unless in an emergency, and then only discreetly.

This is the same traditional Russian approach that led to the creation of special "mother and child" rooms in Soviet times that are still found in airports, railway stations and some metro stations.

Outside of the transport milieu, however, things are tougher.

Finding herself in the city center with a screaming baby and no plans to travel by plane or train, Charlotte Baring said she had no other option than to feed her infant son on the nearest park bench.

"I was terrified I would get shouted at by a babushka for subjecting my baby to the germs of a public place," said Baring, an interior designer from Britain. "Nobody actually said anything to me, but I definitely got a few stares and funny looks."

Having been on the receiving end of a scolding by a babushka once or twice in my life, I should say that "terrified" is an apt word to describe the feeling.

Breastmilk as a Human Right

It's always interesting to read news articles from other countries. The perspective is just... different. Take this one from India, for example:

Can fashionable young women who do not breast feed be pulled up for violation of human rights of the child? Alleging that many young women influenced by television ads on bras are not breastfeeding to maintain their breasts, CPI(M) member in Lok Sabha Varkala Radhakrishnan on Wednesday said: "It (denial of breast milk) is human rights violation."

Maintaining that "breast milk is not just the only wholesome food, but also the child's right", Radhakrishnan said that "breastfeeding must be strictly enforced".

Link: Breast milk denial is human rights violation.

Pork, Trademarks, and The Other White Milk

I admit I've been in a blogging funk lately. It's been a long, cold, January (o.k., I know I live in Texas but it's cold for here) and we've all been sick with two colds right in a row (except my husband, who escaped the sinus yuck but got himself food poisoning). Not to mention my 3 boys have birthdays 3 weeks apart from mid-January to early February. So I have some excuse. But today it was sunny and over 50 degrees outside, and Spring approaches...

While I was funking, I got scooped on The Lactivist/Pork Board brouhaha by my fellow blawgers. I mean, any story that contains the words "lawyer" and "breastmilk" has Mommy Blawger written all over it, so to speak. Don't ya think?

On to the story... The Lactivist runs a CafePress store where she sells t-shirts and bumper stickers and such with catchy lactivism phrases such as "Eat at Moms" and "The Other White Milk".

Oops.

Seems that the National Pork Board, owner (or not?) of the trademark "The Other White Meat", is concerned about trademark infringement and dilution. They sent a nice long cease and desist letter to the Lactivist, who posts here and updates here. To make a long story short, The Lacitivst got lawyered up, all you bloggers and lactivists out there got really busy (Information Week described it as "National Pork Board Stumbles Into Hornet's Nest Of Bloggers"), Cafe Press pulled the slogan immediately so it was a non-issue anyway, and, most satisfactorily, the CEO of the Pork Board issued an apology. All in just three days. Whew.

Lactivist Amy Philo wrote an absolutely hilarious letter to the Pork people.

In addition to a ton of mommy bloggers (including former lawyer Andi Silverman of Momma Knows Breast), lawyers Denise Howell, Ann Bartow of the Feminist Law Professors, and Ted Frank of Overlawyered, all mentioned the situation, and Marty Schwimmer is responsible for the memorable phrase, "Don't send a demand letter to a blogger if the subject matter is breasts, as they make for good copy."

Kaimipono Wenger of Concuring Opinions summed it up best: "Overall, I can't say that this was a bad legal decision. Just a very bad business decision." No kidding.

Daycare Charges More for Breastmilk

Although most daycare centers are supportive of breastfeeding, the Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog reports that at least one has been charging parents extra to feed babies the real thing:

Here are just a few of the reasons why charging more for serving breastmilk is absurd:

It's safe and requires no special storage. The Centers on Disease Control (CDC) states that breastmilk is not considered a hazardous bodily fluid (something requiring "universal precautions" in health care-speak). As such, it requires no separate storage, protection, or handling by a child care provider.

It's easy. Breastmilk is no more complicated to serve than formula, and does not require mixing and measuring as formula does.

It saves them money. Babies receiving pumped milk are less likely to be sick, which means less disease spread among children in the center, and less absences for both babies and staff. This reduces a center's cost of operation.

Babies are happier and less messy at day care. Breastmilk is more easily digested than formula, so breastfed babies are less fussy, spit up less frequently, and have less diarrhea - all things you want to avoid if you are a day care provider.

All good points. I had always wondered whether breastmilk was considered a hazardous bodily fluid.

Breastfeeding baby's mom among those missing in raid

The raid carried out this wek by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials at six Swift plants across the country disrupted families - including separating one breastfeeding baby from his mother.

International Breastfeeding Symbol

Mothering Magazine announces the winner of its Breastfeeding Symbol contest. Check out the interview with the winner.

Military Moms

Breastfeeding123, in honor of Veteran's Day, discusses military policies affecting breastfeeding moms.

Mother Sentenced For Using Cocaine Before Breastfeeding

In Tarrant County (that's Ft. Worth, Texas, y'all), Corrina Richardson was sentenced to four years in prison pursuant to a plea agreement. Ms. Richardson was accused of using cocaine and then breastfeeding her then-14-month-old daughter, which caused her to have a seizure.

(link)

Ban the Bags

A new blog, banthebags.org, devoted to stop hospital-based marketing of baby formula.

Katrina Relief and Babies

*** Scroll down for updates ***

As you no doubt are aware if you watch the evening news, there are a number of women affected by hurricane Katrina who are pregnant or have recently given birth, some even in the midst of the evacuation. Below are listed several efforts by the childbirth community to reach out to these women and their babies. If you know of any others, please email me so I can update the list.

The Barefoot Doctors Academy, a Hawaii-based non-profit, is focusing its recovery efforts on "arranging for medical assistance and relocation for families containing pregnant women, infants and small children". They are looking for volunteers who are doctors, midwives, childbirth educators, doulas, lactation consultants, and La Leche League leaders. In particular, they are wanting midwives to travel with relocating pregnant women to provide support, childbirth education, and emergency childbirth services en route if necessary.

The American College of Nurse-Midwives is activating their annual Blankets for Babies Campaign:

Distribution centers have been set up by nurse-midwives in Dallas-Fort Worth and Galveston, Texas. Thousands of families are being offered shelter and support in Texas, and many midwives will be providing health care services to these families. They have graciously agreed to accept and work with local relief efforts to distribute your donations.

Their website lists addresses where you can send donations of blankets and baby clothes. The ACNM has also set up an eMidwife list for KatrinaSupport information.

The Midwives' Alliance of North American (MANA) is offering to post notices of relief projects on their website. They also note that "many Texas state licensing boards and programs are providing expedited processes to assist refugees displaced by Hurricane Katrina who are seeking employment in Texas" and list contact numbers for the Texas CNM and LM/DEM licensing authorities.

There was talk in certain circles that CAPPA's Operation Special Delivery, (which provides volunteer Doula services to birthing women whose partners are on military deployment), might expand their efforts to reach those affected by Katrina. However, as of today there is nothing about it on OSD's or CAPPA's websites. Nevertheless, if you know of someone who is pregnant and could use a Doula, I would suggest contacting CAPPA or DONA and see if they can't locate a Doula in your area who would volunteer. I know there are many doulas, midwives, childbirth educators, and lactation consultants who would be glad to help out evacuees free of charge.
**UPDATE 10/03/05** Operation Special Delivery has a new website with Katrina support information on the main page.


**UPDATE 9/15/05 **
The March of Dimes has announced several efforts to help babies and women affected by hurricane Katrina, including providing support parents of NICU babies and donating supplies, maternity and baby clothing.

**UPDATE 10/01/05 **
The African American Breastfeeding Alliance has teamed up with Mocha Moms and La Leche League to provide breastfeeding support and resources for families affected by Hurricane Katrina. "In addition to on-the-ground efforts in Texas, AABA is providing a support hotline where mothers can get breastfeeding information. The AABA Breastfeeding Support Hotline Number is 1-877-532-8535"
Press Release (PDF)

**UPDATE 11/27/05**
Project Breastfeeding Book Recovery - Pharmasoft Publishing and Crystal Stearns, IBCLC, have teamed up to help Lactation Consultants and La Leche League Leaders who may have lost breastfeeding reference materials in the hurricane. Donations accepted here. Additional lists of lactation-related relief efforts are posted by the La Leche Leage Alumni Association and the International Lactation Consultant Association.