Jun 02, 2005 19:01
Lactating Women Staging A "Nurse-In" As A Response To Comments Made on ABC's The View.
A Nurse-In is set to take place at 11 AM on Monday, 06 June 2005 outside of ABC's studios at 67th Street and Columbus Avenue in New
York City, where taping of the daytime talk show The View takes place.
Lactating mothers and their supporters from the Greater New York Metropolitan Area, including Long Island, Westchester County, New
Jersey and Pennsylvania will all be converging on ABC's studio to protest comments made by cast members of The View. The breastfeeding
mothers are protesting the general anti-breastfeeding attitude of the co-hosts of The View and comments made concerning their opinions that
breastfeeding and nursing in public is "gross and disgusting" in nature. The mothers are also upset about the celebratory nature of an announcement made concerning the first bottle of formula given to the infant daughter of Elisabeth Hasselbeck, the youngest and newest cast member who also gave birth recently.
The lactivists will be promoting breastfeeding and emphasizing its positive benefits for both mother and child, including lower rates of breast cancer, reduced incidences of childhood obesity and asthma, as well as stronger immune systems in breastfed infants and toddlers.
The World Health Organization recommends formula only as a fourth option for feeding infants, behind breast milk, expressed breast milk and donor breast milk (from humans, not animals). Even formula companies include disclaimers in their advertising that breast milk is the best source of nutrition for infants. As well, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that "pediatricians and parents should be aware that exclusive breastfeeding is sufficient to support optimal growth and development for approximately the first 6 months of life and provides continuing protection against diarrhea and respiratory tract infection. 30,34,128,178-184 Breastfeeding should be continued for at least the first year of life and beyond for as long as mutually desired by mother and child.185
The Nurse In has been coordinated completely by volunteers.
get involved, pass the word along.