June 2nd, 2010

Saturday Nurse-In at Frederick MD Mall After Security Harasses Nursing Mother

If you live in the area, join mothers this Saturday, June 5th, for a nurse-in at the Francis Scott Key Mall in Frederick MD to show support for a local mother who was harassed for nursing her baby near the mall’s children’s area.  Two mall employees, and another mall patron, joined in criticizing the mother, asking her to leave the location, implying that she was corrupting the children.

Maryland state law is on the mother’s side.  According to the Maryland Department of Family Health and Mental Hygiene:

“A mother has the right to breastfeed wherever she goes with her baby. No particular legislation should be needed to protect the right of mothers to breastfeed in public. However, legislation has been enacted in nearly half of the states in the U.S. (including Maryland) in order to clarify that right, and to provide remedy for mothers told to stop breastfeeding in public. In 2003, Maryland passed legislation regarding breastfeeding in public.

The law states that:

• A mother may breastfeed her child in any public or private location in which the mother and child are authorized to be.
• A person may not restrict or limit the right of a mother to breastfeed her child.

The mother recounts her story, telling of the humiliation she felt after three people, including another mother, told her that breastfeeding her baby in public was wrong.

“On Monday, May 24th, at approximately 10:30am, I was nursing my 3 month old son on a bench in the Francis Scott Key mall near the children’s play area (near Value City and DSW). I had my shirt on and lifted up one side to nurse him. Just the top part of my breast was exposed as I nursed, as my son covered up my stomach and nipple (not that it would matter anyway if I was more exposed). While I was nursing a woman who worked at the mall customer service desk that was nearby came up to me and asked me if I knew that there was a nursing room in the mall. I told her that I was not aware of the nursing room and I continued to nurse. She then asked me if I’d go to the nursing room to nurse. I told her I would not, that I was okay nursing on the bench. She then asked me again to either go to the nursing room or to cover up with a blanket because she was uncomfortable “and there are kids around.” I told her that under MD law I had a right to nurse in any public or private place and that I was not going to either leave to go to the nursing room or put a blanket over my son’s head. I added that if she was uncomfortable, she could cover her head. A mom who was in the play area with her kids then came over and said, “I agree with her – can you please go somewhere else or cover up? My KIDS are here.” I told the mother that I was fully within my rights to remain on the bench and nurse my son. She then replied: “But my son asked me, “Mommy, why is that lady putting her boob in that baby’s mouth?” and I don’t know what to tell him. I told her: “Tell your son that that mom is feeding her baby the way moms have fed their babies for millions of years.” A female security guard came over to me and asked that I either go to the nursing room or cover up with a blanket. I told her that under MD law I had a right to breastfeed in any public or private place. The security guard continued to state, “but this is private property” and I continued to remind her that MD law entitled me to nurse on private property as well. All women eventually left to go complain to the head mall office. I finished nursing about 5 minutes later and then left the mall.

I returned to the mall on Tuesday, May 25th, and dropped off a copy of the MD breastfeeding law (which is linked here: http://fha.maryland.gov/mch/bf_mdlaw.cfm) to the head office. The gentleman in the office told me that a few people complained about me breastfeeding. He said, “I know your rights” but I asked him to advise his employees of the law anyway since obviously they weren’t aware of MD breastfeeding law.”

A Facebook event has been setup to organize the event.  If you go, or know others who are going, please tell us about the experience.

June 1st, 2010

Nestle Doesn’t Care if You Back Out of BlogHer

Well, here we go again. Another BlogHer conference steeped in drama, with bloggers pitted against each other – this time before the tables have even been set.

Memorial Day morning, I woke up to an email from a lactivist letting me know that this year’s BlogHer ’10 conference is sponsored by Nestle. Rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I couldn’t believe this was true. I’ve looked at the BlogHer 10 sponsor page on 100 occasions, and never spotted that.   So, I asked Google.  If this is true, surely people are talking about it, and Google would know.  Nope, Google came up empty handed, which is very unlike him.

Then, I began to think this was a rumor.  How could this be?  BlogHer is so highly aware of their publishers’ boycott of Nestle products, that it created an Opt-Out program to allow boycotters to remove Nestle and other Non-WHO Code compliant brands from the BlogHer ads running on their blogs.  That decision came largely as result of the work of one particularly vocal blogger.  That blogger was then invited to speak – presumably on these very issues – at the BlogHer 10 conference.

But then, my lactivist friend sent me a link where MomSpark posed the following question: “Stouffer’s Sponsors BlogHer 2010. Will They Be Judged?”

Okay, so it’s true.  BlogHer has just quietly revealed that Stouffer’s – owned by Nestle – is now sponsoring a part of the event; along with 32 other brand sponsors that do not have unethical corporate practices.

But Amy at MomSpark wants to know if those of us who boycott Nestle will be backing out of the conference, and if not, then how we justify that decision.  She’s specifically asking because she attended the now infamous “Nestle Family” blogger event last fall, where she was criticized by some for participating in the event.  Amy has never been a Nestle boycotter, so her decision to go was unencumbered by any moral dilemma.  Nestle invited her.  She went.  They paid for her entire trip, gave her sacks of candy, and she couldn’t have been happier with the experience.

Given that, I don’t totally understand the parallel that some people are drawing between the BlogHer event and the Nestle Family event.  Of course, for those who’d prefer to keep smart, green bloggers OUT of the BlogHer event, I can see how drawing some fuzzy line between the two might work to their benefit. In my opinion, I have no control over BlogHer deciding to partner with Nestle months after my ticket was purchased.  My attendance of the event was sealed long before they announced this sponsorship. I don’t see how it’s even remotely similar to attending an actual Nestle facility on their dime.

Let me attempt to illustrate the differences I see:

Given the information here, I don’t see many similarities between a blogger’s decision to attend the Nestle Family event, or the BlogHer 10 event.  Even as a boycotter of Nestle, there is no way in the world I can avoid Nestle 100% of the time.  It’s simply not possible.  I’d never be able to leave the house again.

What if Stouffers was advertising on the side of the CTA busses – should I stop taking public transportation?  What if I was taking that bus to a rally against Nestle – am I still a hypocrite?  In my mind, one has nothing to do with the other.

Some of us have chosen to take the high road here and keep our commitments, regardless of the brands that BlogHer chooses to take their money from.  I think it’s up to BlogHer to reconcile the choices they’ve made.

I, for one, believe on impacting change from the inside, rather than the outside.  Some people consider me a hypocrite for trying to become an attorney in such a patriarchal system, but I’m the type of person who likes to storm the castle.  I will go inside The Matrix.  I will infiltrate The System and let my presence show that responsible voices have just as much place at this event as those without any moral dilemmas.

The fact of the matter is, Nestle wouldn’t care one bit if I chose not to attend BlogHer ’10.  But I can think of two very legitimate and worthwhile brands that WOULD care, and I’m not letting them down.  Instead, I will be there, with bells on.  The Man is not going to shut me out of a conference that could amplify my voice and spread awareness for my cause.  Allowing them to keep voices like mine out of the party is, to me, totally counterproductive.

This is the world we’re living in, and if we want to change it, we have to start from the inside out.  Some people will insist that I’m putting my desire to attend BlogHer ahead of my distaste for Nestle, and to those people I say -

Nestle is contributing a few dollars to helping outspoken, intelligent, and influential women come together to amplify their message, be change agents, and ultimately undermine everything Nestle stands for.  The Joke is On Nestle – not on me.

And I think that’s just about all I have to say about that.

May 22nd, 2010

Announcing My 2010 BlogHer Sponsors

I really could not be more thrilled to announce that, not only did I land a full sponsorship for this year’s BlogHer Conference in New York City, but it happens to be with two companies that I absolutely adore.  So many people wonder how one goes about landing a private BlogHer Conference sponsorship, so I’ll explain my journey here.

When I set out to find a BlogHer sponsor, I knew that would be no easy task for a multitude of reasons.  One reason was that I simple had never tried to do this before, so I had to enlist the help of experienced bloggers to tell me how this all worked.  I’ve also never been all that comfortable marketing myself so that was a hurdle I’d have to overcome.  Another major reason I felt that landing a sponsor would be particularly challenging for me was that I have very high standards when it comes to brands I will attach my name to, and I couldn’t go after just any ol’ sponsor.

Whoever I partnered with had to be an organization that I truly believed in, with a product I have already recommended to my best friends.  This company had to produce only environmentally responsible goods, and not be in violation of any of my very strict standards regarding baby-friendly products and ethical marketing practices.  I have had companies with deep pockets try to advertise on my blog, but if I don’t like where those pockets have been, or what they stand for, I cannot compromise my blog’s integrity, no matter the dollar figure.  When I left my soulless corporate gig last year I made a promise to myself that I was going to be true to my passion and steadfast in my conviction to try to make this world a little better place, and this blog is the best way I can do that right now.

Thankfully, I didn’t have to search too far or too wide before I found the perfect partnership.  One night while on Twitter, I asked a past radio guest, lactation educator and Hygeia rep Kate Gulbransen, if she knew who I could talk to at Hygeia about a possible sponsorship.  Hygeia Breast Pumps are a product that I have talked about to my friends, and also placed on my pregnant friend’s baby registry when she asked me to create it for her.  I love Hygeia because their pumps are FDA certified for multiple users, meaning they are recyclable and green, unlike other popular breast pumps.  They also proactively promote the WHO code on the marketing of breastmilk substitutes, which is a very important and responsible international effort to help keep moms and babies healthy.  In a nutshell, Hygeia is a good egg.

So Kate, being The Awesome that she is, happily passed along an email address for a woman at Brilliant Baby Products, which works with many products that I love, including Hygeia and the cloth diaper company, FuzziBunz.  I sent an email telling the woman about my blog and asking her if FuzziBunz or Hygeia might be interested in working with me for BlogHer 2010.  I had only just begun my quest to find a BlogHer sponsor, so I wasn’t expecting for anything to work out right away.  Thankfully, though, the woman from Brilliant Baby Products wrote back almost immediately, thrilled that I wrote her, and letting me know that FuzziBunz might be interested in working with me.

The prospect of FuzziBunz sponsoring me was hugely exciting because I adore cloth diapering now, and I try to tell everyone I know about it.  Of course, cloth is environmentally responsible and very baby-friendly to boot.  I also think more parents are going to start to discover the benefits of cloth diapering after some recent scandals with a certain brand of disposable diaper causing chemical burns on baby’s skin.  FuzziBunz, unlike those disposable diapers, aren’t filled with chemicals yet still keep babies dry and rash free.  Besides being better for baby and better for the environment, they are all kinds of adorable – especially with their new colors for 2010.  I heart them.

Within a week or two, I got the official word that FuzziBunz wanted to sponsor me, along with Hygeia Baby.  The two brands decided to purchase and split my “Exclusive” BlogHer 10 package.  I sent the two companies a contract, and just 20 days after my initial email to Brilliant Baby Products, the contracts were signed.  I honestly could not be more thrilled with the two brands I get to represent at the conference.  I feel so lucky to have partnered with products that I’d help sell even without their sponsorship.  This truly could not have worked out any better.

I’m going to have some very exciting things to give away at the BlogHer conference, so if you’ll be there, make sure you find me and ask me about FuzziBunz and Hygeia breast pumps.  I’ll be happy to share samples or information about the two products.  And even if you won’t be at the conference, check out their websites because you know that if I love them, then they are truly love-worthy, baby-friendly, and eco-responsible.  That’s how I roll.

_______________________________________

Will you be at BlogHer ’10?  Did you land a sponsor?  Have any experience with using my two sponsors’ products?  Leave a comment and tell me all about it!  Or, just congratulate me on partnering with these two awesome brands.  I’m a lucky girl.

May 21st, 2010

Hold Enfamil Accountable for Lying to Parents

Go over to your television right now and turn on Nickelodeon.  Watch this channel for 10 minutes.  Okay, maybe 15.  In that time, you WILL see a commercial for Enfamil formula making ridiculous claims about their product.  I know this because every time I turn on Dora or Diego, I see this offensive commercial.  Enfamil’s official claim is that:

“Our new Triple Health Guard is found only in Enfamil Premium. The result of years of leading edge research, new Enfamil Premium is clinically proven to promote growth, improve* brain and eye development, and improve* respiratory and immune system outcomes.”

This claim is such egregious falsehood, in fact, that the National Advertising Division released this statement calling for Mead Johnson (who owns Enfamil) to “modify, discontinue certain claims for Enfamil Premium.” After an investigation into the claims, NAD made the following assessment:

Following its review of the evidence, NAD determined that the advertising at issue conveyed the message that that the product was the only infant formula that offered the three advertised benefits, a message that was not supported by the evidence in the record.

And not to worry, there’s already been a class-action lawsuit filed against Mead Johnson for claiming that they are the only formula who offers these benefits, when in fact, their formula is the same exact formula you’ll find in most generic tubs like Parent’s Choice or the Target brand..

This certainly isn’t the first time that Mead Johnson has tried to make fools out of their consumers.  Remember, they’re now selling chocolate-flavored formula, just in case your formula-fed child’s risk of developing obesity or diabetes wasn’t quite high enough.

We, as consumers, can stop this madness.  Blog this, tweet this, facebook this, and spread the word.  As the author of this article pointed out, we blogging moms have the power to make our voices heard.

Help people understand why it’s important to stop purchasing from a company who tells lies to unsuspecting parents.  Stop purchasing from a company who sells products that most people assume are an April Fool’s joke until they discover that no, in fact, Enfamil IS trying to sell your baby chocolate in a bottle.  And if there was ever a better reason to promote breastfeeding, it’s to stop lining the pockets of a company whose scruples are non-existent, and has no problem affording the attorneys who will bail them out of the lies.

May 15th, 2010

As the Beatles Say: Here, There, and Everywhere

Settle in for a few paragraphs of shameless self-promotion.  I’ve been lucky enough to get some writing gigs elsewhere over the last few weeks and I wanted to share links to them here.  Some of the gigs were paid, and some I did out of the kindness of my attention seeking heart.  However, all of them meant a lot to me, and I was honored to write each one of them.  Also, I’m hoping you’ll make with the clicky-click, do some light reading, and then comment on them so the editors of these sites think people are interested in what I have to say.  Then, they may extend more invitations to me.  Yo, that’s how it works.

Over at ShePosts:
“Bloggers Move to Get Midwives Online”
I’m MOST excited about this article because this site is NOT AT ALL a birth junky/lactivist site, which means I am not over there preaching to the choir.  This is a whole new audience of women who are generally more interested in what’s going down on the internet than researching the standard management of labor.  In this post I’m able to bridge the social media interest with some birth activism, and I think it’s a testament to the inclusiveness of the ShePosts editors that I was able to put this kind of article on their site.  I would love to see some more comments over there so the editors see that some people care about these issues, and let me write more things on that site.

On Dr. Greene: Perspectives
After my crazy-blown-up-breastfeeding-post, I got a lovely invitation to do a week’s worth of guest blogging over at DrGreene.com.  Here are those articles:

• My VBAC Birth Story (the short version)
• How to Have a Better VBAC (Part 1)
• How to Have a Better VBAC (Part 2)
• There is No Such Thing as Free Infant Formula (this one got LOTS of comments!)
• Make Your Own Pop-up Cloth Wipes (an updated version of my famous demo)

For Mothers Day at RH Reality Check
“A Child is Born; A Mother is Born”
A little ditty about why we should be supporting and promoting better birth experiences for mothers.

On Savvy Source:
“How I Became a Pirate” book review
Here I contribute to the Offbeat Favorites section of the site, which focuses on toy and book reviews of items that aren’t quite mainstream (yet.)

Enjoy! And don’t forget to tune into my live radio show on Sunday night for my “Cloth Diapering is Cool” show.  I’ll be announcing my BlogHer ’10 sponsor, and talking to Kim Rojas of Dirty Diaper Laundry about #OperationFluffy.