It’s World Breastfeeding Week. Some ways I will be celebrating:
- Breastfeeding
- Writing
- Interacting on TLB’s Facebook page
- Participating in Holistic Moms Network’s World’s Biggest Breastfeeding Twitter Party
- Talking with friends, family and probably complete strangers about breastfeeding
- Breastfeeding related shout outs on my Facebook pages
- Working on the new look and resources for theleakyboob.com
- Sharing guest posts
The main way I'm celebrating WBW 2011- breastfeeding Smunchie
The theme set for World Breastfeeding Week 2011 is “Talk to me! Breastfeeding- A 3D Experience.” On worldbreastfeedingweek.org the 3 dimensions of breastfeeding are explained as “time (from pre-pregnancy to weaning) and place (the home, community, health care system, etc)” with an emphasis on the 3rd dimension of communication.
This 3rd dimension of breastfeeding is really what The Leaky Boob is all about, particularly communication within the context of community because it’s in that context that communication can unfold in ways that come alive through personal experience. In fact, I believe that without community a good portion of all the right communication in the world falls on deaf ears. Communication within community has one crucial and weighted piece: relationships.
Of all the ways I’m participating in WBW 2011 celebrations perhaps the most important are the ones that keep building up community that fosters dialogue. Dialogue that doesn’t just include currently breastfeeding women but rather extends beyond those women and related health care professionals to invite those no longer breastfeeding to share, to reach men, youth, children and women that never will breastfeed and include them in the conversation. This dialogue isn’t profound, it’s just normal, every day conversation. Like breastfeeding is a normal, every day activity. But dialogue isn’t just talking, it’s listening too. The stories, concerns, fears, happy memories, uncomfortable and awkward exchanges and sometimes even the uneducated, misinformed opinions of those we’re communicating with. In listening, really listening to these I usually discover how I can fine tune my own communication further while providing support and encouragement.
Tonight I’m looking forward to participating in what is hopefully going to be the World’s Largest Breastfeeding Twitter Party hosted by the Holistic Moms Network. You can find the party happening at #BigBFParty (I suggest using tweetchat.com or some other site to help you participate in the party)
As communication and community unfold this evening at 10pm EST I hope that this 3rd dimension of breastfeeding grows further to inhabit not just one hour or one week but our regular, every day life through out the year and in time develops into normal, every day conversation with the normal, every day people in our lives.
______________________________
How are you celebrating and participating in World Breastfeeding Week?
_______________________________
For some reason my hyperlinks aren’t working. So I’m going for the direct, old fashioned way.
World Breastfeeding Week: worldbreastfeedingweek.org
World Breastfeeding Week Press Release: http://worldbreastfeedingweek.org/pdf/wbw2011-pr.pdf
Holistic Moms Network #BigBFParty: http://holisticmomsnational.blogspot.com/2011/07/support-missing-link.html
The Leaky B@@b Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/TheLeakyBoob
I think that dialogue with people other than breastfeeding mothers is key! This really is a human issue, not just for mothers and fathers. I wrote a post to celebrate world breastfeeding week here:
http://mjheid.blogspot.com/2011/08/surrender.html
btw…I LOVE the new look!
I have to admit I copied this from a comment on my organization’s Facebook page, but it so cleverly sums up how I’m celebrating this week. 🙂 “I’m giving away tons of homemade temperature perfect naturally enriched raw milk to my little guy in an all you can eat special that travels everywhere I go and I’m getting to enjoy some sweet smiles and snuggles too.”
im celebrating by breastfeeding in public, anywhere. i have a 10 week old, so it is almost impossible not to NIP. when he was born, though, i realized for the first time really how rare it is that i see women out and nursing. i had seen friends nurse in their own homes, but never out in public. the only friend i saw NIP had a cover over her baby. i believe that every time we nurse our babies in public we are normalizing breastfeeding for our whole society: men, women, kids, young and old folks, everyone, regardless of if they breast feed/fed or not. we are a part of a consciousness shift. this is how im celebrating this week, and for many many many more weeks (hopefully years!) to come!