tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31141520689706787072024-03-05T03:19:00.484-08:00Keep Austin Nursing in PublicNormalizing nursing in public in the ATX and beyond.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger109125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3114152068970678707.post-6702734712572245232015-05-09T13:27:00.001-07:002015-05-09T14:17:05.872-07:00Police Called on Two Texas Breastfeeding Mothers; YOU Are Needed to Demand Action from Legislature<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i>I'm not a journalist, and I'm verbose. I've buried the lead below, but this is what you need to know: TWO Texas mothers have had the police called on them for breastfeeding in the past two months. The Texas legislature can stop this, but YOU are needed to contact them and demand that they push through HB 232. It's not hard, and it is vital. Learn how at <a href="http://txbfleg.com/"><span style="background-color: white; color: blue;">TXBFLeg.com</span></a>.</i></b></div>
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More than two and a half years ago, I was nursing my two-month-old baby, my breast completely covered, in an empty room, when I was told that I needed to move to a private room. <br />
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That day changed my life.<br />
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Thankfully, I was an experienced and confident parent, and I (thought I) knew my rights. My life and the life of my son could have changed in a profoundly negative way. I could have quit breastfeeding to avoid the possibility of future confrontations, denying both of us decreased health risks. <br />
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Knowing this could happen to other mothers, I was motivated to ensure that a written policy in accordance with the law was adopted where I had been discriminated against.</div>
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An initial approach of diplomacy and education, going through proper channels for several weeks, yielded the opposite - a written regulation to isolate breastfeeding mothers - and that, with the input of a lawyer. <br />
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Eventually I realized that Texas' Right to Breastfeed law does not truly protect mothers, because it does not specify that it is illegal to violate our legal right. <br />
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And I realized that I would need help to make a change.</div>
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My brother-in-law advised me to consider the worst possible ramifications of going public before deciding to do it. That advice seeped into my brain and one day I found myself imagining, "What's the worst possible thing that could happen if I have to feed my child there again?" </div>
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What if I'm told to leave, and I again politely refuse? Would I be trespassing? (Yes.) Would they call the police on me? <br />
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If I were arrested, I didn't know if I could leave my baby there with someone I trusted while my husband was called, or if my infant would be whisked off to strangers. And worse, strangers who could not feed him two hours later, because he would not take a bottle.</div>
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I was terrified at the thought. I ugly cried for a long while.</div>
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When I considered sharing this weeks and weeks later as testimony against the discriminatory regulation, I couldn't get through practicing the speech without tears, and I decided to take a different tact. <br />
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I still get a little emotional thinking about it. That almost three-month-old is now almost three years old, and I still tear up at the memory of that imagined vulnerability. <br />
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<b>But the vulnerability is not imaginary.</b><br />
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I convinced myself that this was a silly fear, something embarrassing to share, even.<br />
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<i><b>And yet twice in the past two months, police have been called on Texas mothers for breastfeeding. </b></i><br />
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We have a legal right to feed our babies, and yet the police officers treated the mothers involved not as victims of discrimination but as... persons of interest? Thankfully neither mother was arrested, but one was made to leave a place of public accommodation and the other was made to feel as though the officers were looking for a reason to arrest her.<br />
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For feeding their babies. <br />
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<i>Ruth Ann's Story</i></h4>
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Last week Ruth Ann Jenkins was trying to console her sobbing three-month-old son at a restaurant in Abilene, pacing by her table in the back corner and nursing him, when an abrasive woman approached her and asked her to cover up, to move further away, to turn her back from other patrons. None of these "solutions" were workable for Ruth Ann. And why should they be, when the true problem was that her exhausted infant, who rarely cries, had her worried and needed her to soothe him with movement and milk? <br />
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No one should have thought that their own "problem" of being uncomfortable with a functioning breast should mandate how Ruth Ann cared for her son. No one should have felt it necessary that, while already finding it difficult to latch him, she should upset her son further by trying to latch with a blanket in the way. No one should have thought it necessary that she try to put him asleep a few feet further toward the back of the restaurant where there was direct sun flooding through the windows. No one should have thought it necessary that she try to pace, a motion any mother knows is vital to calming a baby, while somehow keeping her back to the rest of the restaurant. <br />
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But until our society ceases to prioritize the sexualization of breasts over the reduced risk of obesity, diabetes, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, asthma, etcetera, people will think that their uncomfortable cognitive dissonance outweighs the need of an infant for life-giving milk.<br />
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And so, ten minutes later, when Ruth Ann and her husband had finished dinner and left the restaurant, they were greeted by the owners and police officers. <br />
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The owners proceeded to lecture Ruth Ann, followed by a similar lecture from the police. She said they accused her of intentionally trying to bother other patrons. By feeding her hungry baby.<br />
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The police asked her to step away from her husband and baby. I'm sure you can imagine how terrifying that must have been. I can picture it in my head. A familiar scene from TV and movies. The bad guy being asked to step over here.<br />
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Only the "bad guy" in this scenario is a new mommy. "Odd-looking" by her own description, with a mohawk and tattoos, but <i><b>come on</b></i>! <br />
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Scared, Ruth Ann insisted on remaining next to her husband as the police officers took her drivers license and looked her up. She felt like they were looking for a reason to arrest her. She was terrified, brought to tears at the thought of being separated from her infant son. She was thankful that she keeps up with things like her license and registration and car inspection, that there was nothing for which she could be taken from him.<br />
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Later, she left a one-star review for the restaurant. This lead to learning that it was not the business owners who called the police (rather, apparently it was a patron, allegedly a Justice of the Peace!). But at the time they allowed it to seem that they had called them, confronting her as they did with the police officers. And though they claim to be pro-breastfeeding, the abrasive woman who approached Ruth Ann was one of the owners. I would hardly call their behavior supportive.<br />
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Despite a law intended to protect mothers, the restaurant discriminated in a way they would never have done to someone based on religion or race or disability without legal ramifications. Imagine someone with a feeding disorder, perhaps messy and noisy and needing assistance to be fed by a companion. No one would ask that person to turn his back, or move to a different part of the restaurant. Certainly no police called in those situations would be scanning the driver license of the party who had faced discrimination!<br />
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<i>Morgan's Story</i></h3>
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An hour away, two months earlier, Morgan Riley was nursing her baby girl at a roller rink in Early, Texas, while her son enjoyed a birthday party there. Morgan faxed me a copy of the police report. <br />
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The owners called the police on her for breastfeeding. They wanted her to cover up (as though feeding her baby was lewd), or move to a private room (where she could not supervise her six-year-old). <br />
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When she declined to put a blanket over her baby's head or leave the vicinity of her son, <a href="http://www.brownwoodtx.com/news/local/article_ac7e3eb8-114b-5a3a-8592-a9dc1c59a31c.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">the police officer told her she would have to leave</span></a>. Fearing that defending her right could get her arrested, she left. <br />
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<i><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Why YOU Are Needed</span></u></b></i><br />
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I make a point of <u>not</u> sharing all of the NIP incidents I read about online. I do not want to over-represent them. I breastfed for years without incident. The majority of women will certainly never have the police called on them.<br />
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But I share this, and I regularly talk about the lack of teeth in our law, because when a mother is confronted for breastfeeding, the impact of that is monumental for her. One mother alone being shamed and risking her breastfeeding relationship is too many.<br />
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But it's not just one mother. The list I've compiled with other advocates is of 100 Texas mothers in the past few years. <br />
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A large percentage of these are moms local to me, so I know this list is far from exhaustive. <br />
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And a larger percentage of these moms were covered while breastfeeding, so THAT is not the issue. Breastfeeding is.<br />
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The impact of each of those stories reaches far beyond those 100 moms and their babies and their future babies. The women who hear the stories are affected, as well. So almost half of moms cite a fear of nursing in public as their greatest concern about breastfeeding. <br />
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<i><b>Next week Texas Representatives will decide if mothers can have true protection of their Right to Breastfeed. </b></i><br />
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Versions of <a href="https://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/strengthening-right-breastfeed/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">HB 232</span></a> have been filed for a decade. <br />
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<li>HB 232 would inform businesses of the law through an e-newsletter from the Comptroller. That won't cost the state anything.</li>
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<li>It will make it illegal to interfere with or restrict breastfeeding.</li>
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<li>And it will give mothers recourse if they face discrimination.</li>
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In early sessions the penalty for discrimination would have been a fine, but that requires a budget, and the legislature would not pass that. Two years ago the enforcement provision was changed to a cause of action, but by the time the bill was put on the voting calendar, we'd run out of time to pass it. <br />
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With HB 232, a mother facing discrimination could request an injunction (a court telling the business to quit discriminating) or could sue a business for a max of $500. Mothers aren't likely to have time or money to hire a lawyer for a greater sum than the potential payout, but the possibility of a lawsuit sends a message to businesses that this law is not one which it is optional to follow. And to law enforcement officers, too, for that matter. <br />
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Texas Law Review was involved in creating the language for the bill and no organizations or individuals registered opposition at the public hearing in March.<br />
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If the Texas House passes the bill next week, it would still need to get through the Senate. That means that we'd need at least one Senate sponsor who could get a committee to take the time to hear the bill. That committee would need to pass it and the Senate would need to vote, I think by May 27th. <br />
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That's a tall order. Legislators have bills they are focused on, and we're having a lot of trouble just getting a bill that already passed the House to get a Senate committee hearing.<br />
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But if legislators can recognize the frequency of discrimination, and the abhorrently egregious nature of some incidents, and finally after twenty years prioritize this marginalized issue, we could have true protection for Texas mothers. <br />
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To get there, we need massive involvement from supporters. So that's where you come in. <br />
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Go to <a href="http://txbfleg.com/"><span style="color: blue;">TXBFLeg.com</span></a>, where you'll find information to help you contact your State Representative and State Senator and ask them to support HB 232 (and <a href="https://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/right-express-breastmilk-workplace/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">HB 786</span></a> and <a href="https://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/957-2/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">SB 1479</span></a>, to help working moms to pump at work, while you're at it). <br />
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If the site is loading slowly, <a href="http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us/Home.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">go here</span></a> and click on their names for contact info for your legislators. If you have questions contact me at TXBFLeg@gmail.com.<br />
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I promise it's easy and not at all intimidating once you're doing it. And it's empowering.<br />
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Share this information.<br />
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We can't make it about slacktivism or trashing businesses on Facebook or calling for a nurse-in. <br />
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Make your time matter by pushing for passage of breastfeeding bills that will be systemic solutions to systemic problems.<br />
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The Texas legislature needs to take responsibility for enforcing the laws it creates and protecting its most vulnerable citizens - our babies. <br />
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Tell them.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMc7Gvxo9-uZAJks8D_Qz5EIoyJbKb_sLmEGvRfBc4zufINDzrUiWLjwtUJ1Pr44b91UgjJNTCDKQSQmqXNgulQhdTQJQjkrQ1hwbc1NiluQGrkjopJHBS_tyaSZucmBRqyU0GL67ZrEI/s1600/bluebonnt+bf+law.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMc7Gvxo9-uZAJks8D_Qz5EIoyJbKb_sLmEGvRfBc4zufINDzrUiWLjwtUJ1Pr44b91UgjJNTCDKQSQmqXNgulQhdTQJQjkrQ1hwbc1NiluQGrkjopJHBS_tyaSZucmBRqyU0GL67ZrEI/s400/bluebonnt+bf+law.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3114152068970678707.post-71121533379132262802015-05-08T00:00:00.001-07:002015-05-09T14:16:41.084-07:00Mother's Day Gift Guide for the Texas LegislatureAre you a Texas State Representative or State Senator wondering what to give the mothers of Texas this Mother's Day?<br />
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<a href="https://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/why-breastfeeding/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">What your constituents want</span></a> is a decreased risk for their babies of obesity, diabetes, asthma, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, and scores of other diseases and illnesses.<br />
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They wouldn't mind a decreased risk of ovarian cancer and breast cancer for themselves, as well. <br />
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Moms desire <i>the freedom to be able to raise their children as they want</i>.<br />
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But when mothers choose to breastfeed - increasing their baby's IQ and improving their mental health outcomes - they are faced with myriad barriers to meeting their personal goals and the recommendations of every major health organization. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Give the gift that keeps on giving...</span><br />
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Support mothers in their choice to breastfeed, with HB 232, HB 786, and SB 1479. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcvlPquUuGbnn3pr_0OLzV9B4ewzHm-MPCSD2lzcgYKl7s9L0Xf3YXnlDzBdGtL78lGT2k9DHY6MPnkJpqiHief3rJDPHLPy5ttlIVmTljPoHrEysm98YUqdu1JkUl-1M078dqb75n6dM/s1600/Mother's%2BDay%2BGift%2BGuide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcvlPquUuGbnn3pr_0OLzV9B4ewzHm-MPCSD2lzcgYKl7s9L0Xf3YXnlDzBdGtL78lGT2k9DHY6MPnkJpqiHief3rJDPHLPy5ttlIVmTljPoHrEysm98YUqdu1JkUl-1M078dqb75n6dM/s400/Mother's%2BDay%2BGift%2BGuide.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Clock photo <a href="http://tinyurl.com/qgnw6ky" target="_blank">source</a>.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/strengthening-right-breastfeed/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">HB 232</span></a> will enforce the current Right to Breastfeed law, so that mothers can feed their babies without fearing that someone will <a href="http://www.brownwoodtx.com/news/local/article_ac7e3eb8-114b-5a3a-8592-a9dc1c59a31c.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">call the police on them</span></a> for doing so (which has happened twice in the past two months in Texas). <br />
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Mothers have to leave the house to support the economy, and babies have to eat every couple of hours. No mom should be afraid to feed her baby, but rampant discrimination means almost half of moms worry about it more than any other breastfeeding issues.<br />
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<a href="https://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/right-express-breastmilk-workplace/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">HB 786</span></a> and <a href="https://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/957-2/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">SB 1479</span></a> will help public employees and teachers, respectively, to have time and a place to express breastmilk at work. This is already provided by federal law to hourly employees. But salaried new moms who work for state agencies, local governments, and public schools often must choose between their babies and their jobs. <br />
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Lacking time and a place to express milk can lead to immediate health risks, and ultimately, decreased supply and early cessation of breastfeeding.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">We can do better for moms.</span><br />
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Forget the perfume, the flowers, the jewelry.<br />
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Give Texas mothers what they really want. <br />
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Support to live by their family's values. <br />
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Support to give their children the optimum first food, which will set them up for better health for life - and will <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20368314" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">improve public health</span></a> and <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23743465" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">the economy</span></a>. <br />
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<i><b><span style="font-size: large;">So really - it's a gift to all of Texas.</span></b></i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3114152068970678707.post-39075319923779741402015-04-24T09:08:00.001-07:002015-04-24T09:08:39.138-07:00Lege Update<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
From my Facebook Update post (messy with links because I haven't time to make it pretty):<br />
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#TXBFLeg #TXLege #Breastfeeding Legislation Update:</div>
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I don't like saying this (& don't like when other pages do), but please like & share this update to get Facebook to give it more reach. But it's lengthy, so mostly, share https://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/legislative-action-alert/ & tell breastfeeding supporters to contact B&I, preferably by phone, to try to save HB 232.</div>
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HB 786 (Rep. Walle, Pump at Work bill)</div>
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Yesterday HB 786 passed in the House! This is fantastic & awesome & wonderful news! And it means there is MORE WORK TO DO! </div>
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It still has to be voted on again this Monday in the House. We want legislators to keep hearing from us to ensure we have as many yay votes as possible when we head into the Senate. After Monday, we need Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick to refer HB 786 to a committee promptly so that there is time for a Senate committee to pass the bill & for the entire Senate to vote on it. </div>
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Yesterday the TCC (Texas Conservative Coalition) put out a report highlighting their opposition to HB 786 & referring to the wrong bill language (from last session) so their report was riddled with mistakes that could bias legislators against the bill. TPPA did the same thing last session (if you helped support the bill 2 years ago you may remember the night we bombarded the executive director with contacts). TPPA is neutral this session, as are the Republican Caucus & TPPF (Texas Public Policy Foundation). </div>
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This faulty report makes it even more necessary that (especially conservative) legislators hear from us. Breastfeeding is a bipartisan issue & support is a public health imperative. So keep referring to the action alert at TXBFLeg.com. Keep contacting your legislators & spreading the word. This is a marathon, folks. We have to keep pushing.</div>
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You can see the bill pass its 2nd reading at the 2:23:38 mark at http://tlchouse.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=38&clip_id=10876.</div>
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There's an article here http://www.texastribune.org/2015/04/23/house-approves-protections-breast-feeding-moms/ & an awesome tweet here https://twitter.com/alexazura/status/591337641720709120.</div>
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HB 232 (Rep. Farrar, Strengthening Right to BF in Public)</div>
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I am at a loss here, y'all. Last session this bill passed in Business & Industry unanimously. This year a new member, Rep. Matt Rinaldi, opposed the bill. As a result, it has been pending in committee for over a month. Which means, essentially, that he has killed it. If B&I doesn't vote this week, I don't see how it can pass. I'm in Abilene today or I'd go to the Capitol & talk to each B&I member in person. </div>
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I have tried to be diplomatic & to get the timing right, to be cautious - there's so much I haven't shared here because I've been afraid of hurting the bill. I have stuck with asking for constituents to contact the lege because that's what they value. But I am wondering if I should have shared Rep. Rinaldi's bathroom comment or asked people to call from *anywhere* weeks ago. </div>
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Yesterday I drove past Brownwood, where Morgan Riley lives. Days after I & others testified in favor of HB 232 a police officer forced Morgan to leave a roller rink for breastfeeding. That's what Rep. Rinaldi is perpetuating with his opposition to this bill. </div>
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I'm taking my kids to Frontier Texas soon & I can't spend the day on social media. I've literally spent hundreds and hundreds of volunteer hours trying to support this bill. It means the world to me. But my kids mean more. I've already spent a few hours on the phone & online this morning. The rest of today I'm going to go be a mom. I leave the advocacy for this one in your hands today. Blast https://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/legislative-action-alert/ all over social media. And anybody from anywhere, contact B&I, especially Reps. Rinaldi, Simmons, Fletcher, Villalba & Oliveira. Even if you don't live in Texas, what we as the 2nd most populous state in the nation, & as a conservative state - what we do will affect public health & will affect similar measures in other states. We are ALL stakeholders.</div>
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SB 1479 (Sen. Garcia, Pumping Rights for Teachers)</div>
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There was a hearing for this bill yesterday. The video cuts off before Carolyn Putnam, IBCLC gets to testify (& my friend Anna Smith had to go home before they got to that bill - she had to quit her job when her principal would not support her to pump at work, but she left written testimony), but the last couple of minutes can be seen here: http://tlcsenate.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=30&clip_id=9881</div>
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Our other 4 bills have had no movement yet.</div>
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So that's where we are right now. Please get involved & keep pushing!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3114152068970678707.post-80578840262042459582015-04-22T14:16:00.003-07:002015-04-22T14:17:25.509-07:00Urgent Legislative Action Alert for Texas Breastfeeding Bills<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; padding: 0px;">
An urgent call to action from Texas Breastfeeding Coalition:<br />
<br />This is a really important time to kick our support into high gear, with one bill about to be voted on in the House, another pending for over a month in committee, and a third about to have a hearing on Thursday.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; padding: 0px;">
The most effective way to support our breastfeeding <a href="https://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/bills/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2483d0; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;" target="_blank" title="The Bills">bills</a> right now is to contact legislators. Prioritize your State Senator and State Representative. You can <a href="http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us/Home.aspx" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2483d0; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;" target="_blank" title="Find Your State Representative">find them here</a> with your home address. Beyond that, you can contact Lieutenant Governor Patrick, the Business and Industry Committee, the Senate Committee on Education, – and really, all of the Senators. Contact information and sample scripts are below. (You can do more if you’re able using the <a href="https://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/support-bills/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2483d0; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;" title="Support the Bills">list here</a> and at the Facebook group <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/TXBFLeg/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2483d0; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">We Support Texas Breastfeeding Laws with Enforcement</a>.)</div>
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The contact that takes the most effort makes the strongest impression (in order, visiting your legislators in Austin, visiting them in district, <a href="https://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/phone-numbers/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2483d0; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;" target="_blank" title="Phone Numbers">calling</a>, <a href="https://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/sample-letters/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2483d0; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;" target="_blank" title="Sample Letters">emailing</a> or <a href="https://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/twitter-handles/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2483d0; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;" target="_blank" title="Twitter Handles">tweeting</a>); do whatever works for you.</div>
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Always be sure to inform them that you are a constituent when this is the case. If you are conservative and contacting a conservative, this is worth mentioning.</div>
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ALWAYS – always, always, always – be polite.</div>
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Currently, this is where our bills are:</div>
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<a href="https://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/right-express-breastmilk-workplace/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2483d0; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;" target="_blank" title="Right to Express Breastmilk in the Workplace">HB 786</a> will be voted on in the House on <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Thursday, April 23rd</span>.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; padding: 0px;">
<a href="https://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/strengthening-right-breastfeed/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2483d0; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;" target="_blank" title="Strengthening the Right to Breastfeed">HB 232</a> will hopefully be voted out of the Business and Industry Committee this week.</div>
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<a href="http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/tlodocs/84R/billtext/html/SB01479I.htm" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2483d0; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;">SB 1479</a> will be heard by the Senate Education Committee <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Thursday, April 23rd</span>.</div>
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Our other bills are not yet scheduled for hearings.</div>
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Phone Calls:</h3>
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If you’re calling, you won’t likely have to say much at all or know details about the bills. But to give you a brief idea (or click the bill number for more info) just in case you want it:<br />
<a href="https://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/right-express-breastmilk-workplace/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2483d0; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;" target="_blank" title="Right to Express Breastmilk in the Workplace">HB 786</a> gives public salaried employees time and a place to pump milk at work.<br />
<a href="https://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/strengthening-right-breastfeed/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2483d0; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;" target="_blank" title="Strengthening the Right to Breastfeed">HB 232</a> strengthens the right to breastfeed so the current law can truly protect moms.<br />
<a href="https://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/mother-friendly-worksites/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2483d0; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">HB 1898/SB 26</a> requires state agencies to become Mother-Friendly Worksites.<br />
<a href="https://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/licensure-ibclcs/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2483d0; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;" target="_blank" title="Licensure of IBCLCs">HB 3976</a> licenses International Board Certified Lactation Consultants.<br />
<a href="http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/Search/DocViewer.aspx?ID=84RSB014791B&QueryText=%22breast%22&DocType=B" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2483d0; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">SB 1479</a> requires time and a place to pump for teachers.<br />
<a href="http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/tlodocs/84R/billtext/html/HB01281I.htm" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2483d0; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">HB 1281</a> requires accommodations and prohibits discrimination over pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions (including lactation).</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Sample script for phone call to your own representative or senator (<a href="https://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/phone-numbers/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2483d0; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;" target="_blank" title="Phone Numbers">phone numbers are here</a>):</span>Hello, I’m calling as REPRESENTATIVE/SENATOR NAME’s constituent. I am asking for support for some public health bills. <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">(Whomever answers may transfer you but will likely just write down the bills.)</em> Breastfeeding is an important issue to me, and mothers need support to meet their personal goals, in the interest of public health. When they come before HIM/HER, I’m asking for support from REP./SENATOR NAME for the bills supported by Texas Breastfeeding Coalition. Those include HB 786, HB 232, HB 1898, HB 3976, SB 26, and SB 1479. All of these bills will help remove barriers for breastfeeding mothers and babies.</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Sample script for phone call to Lt. Gov. Patrick (phone number is 512-463-0001):</span><br />
Hello, I’m calling to ask that the lieutenant governor refer HB 786 to a committee as soon as the House passes it on Thursday, to ensure it has enough time to be voted upon in the Senate.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Sample script for phone call to Business and Industry members (<a href="https://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/bi-phone/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2483d0; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;" target="_blank" title="B&I Phone">B&I phone numbers here</a>):</span><br />
Hello, I’m calling to ask for support for some public health bills. <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">(Whomever answers may transfer you but will likely just write down the bills.)</em> I want to thank Representative (FILL IN NAME) for HIS/HER support of HB 786, and ask that HE/SHE please pass HB 232 out of committee. And when HB 1898 and HB 3976 come before HIM/HER, I am asking for support of those as well. All of these bills are important for breastfeeding mothers and babies.</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Sample script for phone call to members of Senate Committee on Education (<a href="https://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/education-phone/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2483d0; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;" target="_blank" title="Education Phone">Education phone numbers here</a>):</span><br />
Hello, I’m calling about a bill scheduled for public hearing on Thursday, SB 1479, to ask for the Senator’s support.</div>
<h3 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 24px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">
Emails:</h3>
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There are several sample emails with guidelines <a href="https://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/sample-letters/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2483d0; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;" target="_blank" title="Sample Letters">here</a>. It’s better to personalize your email as much as possible, using the samples just as a guide. That said, it’s more helpful to copy, paste and edit than to send nothing at all.</div>
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In addition to the general requests for support in the sample letters:</div>
<ul style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin: 0px 0px 26px 40px; padding: 0px;">
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style-type: disc;">Ask any House Representatives to vote for HB 786 on Thursday.</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style-type: disc;">Ask Business and Industry Committee members (<a href="https://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/bi-emails/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2483d0; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;" target="_blank" title="B&I Emails">addresses here</a>) to vote for HB 232 in committee.</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style-type: disc;">Ask members of the Senate Committee on Education (<a href="https://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/education-emails/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2483d0; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;" target="_blank" title="Education Emails">addresses here</a>) to vote for SB 1479 on Thursday.</li>
</ul>
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Twitter:</h3>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; padding: 0px;">
On social media (any channel) use the hashtags #TXBFLeg and #TXLege.</div>
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If there is a note in the Twitter column that says fb, then that representative has a Facebook page. Posts there can be modeled on phone scripts or even emails.</div>
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Tweets must be short. Here are some samples:</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; padding: 0px;">
@Your Representatives and Senators (<a href="https://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/twitter-handles/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2483d0; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;" target="_blank" title="Twitter Handles">handles here</a>):<br />
@XXXXXX Please support bills that help <s style="box-sizing: border-box;">#</s>breastfeeding mothers. Vote for #HB786 & others at <a class="twitter-timeline-link" href="https://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/bills" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2483d0; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/bills</a> <s style="box-sizing: border-box;">#</s>TXBFLeg <s style="box-sizing: border-box;">#</s>TXLege</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; padding: 0px;">
@the Lieutenant Governor:<br />
<a class="twitter-atreply pretty-link" href="https://twitter.com/DanPatrick" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2483d0; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;" target="_blank"><s style="box-sizing: border-box;">@</s>DanPatrick</a> Please refer #HB786 to a committee as soon as it passes House Thurs.<s style="box-sizing: border-box;">#</s>Breastfeeding mothers need your support. <a class="twitter-hashtag pretty-link" href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23TXBFLeg" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2483d0; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;"><s style="box-sizing: border-box;">#</s>TXBFLeg</a> <a class="twitter-hashtag pretty-link" href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23TXLege" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2483d0; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;"><s style="box-sizing: border-box;">#</s>TXLege</a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; padding: 0px;">
@Business and Industry members (<a href="https://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/bi-twitter/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2483d0; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;" target="_blank" title="B&I Twitter">handles here</a>):<br />
@XXXXXX Thank you for support of #HB786. Please pass #HB232 ASAP. <s style="box-sizing: border-box;">#</s>Breastfeeding rights should be protected. <s style="box-sizing: border-box;">#</s>TXBFLeg <s style="box-sizing: border-box;">#</s>TXLege</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; padding: 0px;">
@Senate Committee on Education members (<a href="https://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/education-twitter/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2483d0; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;" target="_blank" title="Education Twitter">handles here</a>):<br />
@XXXXXX Please pass #SB1479 to support #breastfeeding teachers. #TXBFLeg #TXLege</div>
<h3 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 24px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">
Visiting:</h3>
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While visiting makes the strongest impression, if you cannot visit today, please call, email, and/or tweet. Whether you go to the Capitol in Austin or visit your Representative and Senator in district, you’ll have a greater chance of seeing him or her (versus an aide) if you call ahead to make an appointment. If you visit at the Capitol you can contact our Legislative Chair at TXBFLeg@gmail.com and she can help arrange additional visits if your time permits. It can be nice to bring along something as a small token of thanks, such as baked goods or a drawing from your child(ren), but this is not absolutely necessary. Read our tips for visiting <a href="https://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/tips-visiting-legislators-staff/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2483d0; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;" target="_blank" title="Tips for Visiting with Legislators and Staff">here</a>. Many of these are also useful for other forms of contact.</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Thank you for your support of child and maternal health, family values, and a mother’s right to decide how to feed her baby.</em></span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><br /></em></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3114152068970678707.post-17679006072272555742015-04-03T21:40:00.001-07:002015-06-25T20:29:46.173-07:0043 by 43Sixteen years ago on December 16, my mother died at the age of 43, when I was 23 and just finishing college. We thought she'd be in Hospice care for weeks. After eight years of fighting breast cancer, I couldn't believe the fight was lost. She was the strongest woman I've ever known. How could anything beat her? She was only home for a few days before the end came. Eight years - all of college and high school for me - and yet I was completely unprepared, taken entirely by surprise.<br />
<br />
My first breath was taken in her presence. Her last breath was taken in mine. I didn't know until she was gone that she had defined me. Without her, I didn't know who I was. I felt like a child again. The world should have stopped turning, but on it spun. <br />
<br />
Today, she would have been 60. <br />
<br />
It's common among females who lose their mothers to fear dying at the age that their mothers died. I read this in <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://hopeedelman.com/" target="_blank">Motherless Daughters by Hope Edelman</a></span>, and understanding that this is a common fear helped me to confront and dismiss it. And losing my mother so young has given me the attitude that aging beats the alternative.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My sister's senior picture - <br />
Mom at my age now, 39, me at 19, & my sister at 17, or thereabouts.</td></tr>
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But turning 38 was a little weird. A little "Woah - new age bracket, here!"<br />
<br />
Then in December I turned 39. That was a little... hard. I'm throwing my husband a (belated) Walking Dead birthday party for his 40th next month, to make light of his worry that he's now Old with a capital "O." <br />
<br />
But zombie jokes aside, now I'm less than a year from 40, and that is a really different number from 30-anything. <br />
<br />
And it's so close to 43.<br />
<br />
(And suddenly it occurs to me that the majority of people reading this blog are probably under 35. Oh, well.) <br />
<br />
So many numbers...<br />
<br />
Four. <br />
<br />
What if I had just four years left to live? Just until I am 43?<br />
<br />
Magoo will be 13.5, Sweet Pea will be 9.5 (Magoo's age now), and my little toddler Bellybean will be 6.5. Nowhere near the 23 years I got with my mom. Nowhere near enough time...<br />
<br />
But I'm not following this train of thought to wallow in morbidity. I don't want to fear death. <br />
<br />
But maybe I want to live like I'm going to die.<br />
<br />
So this is by bucket list of 43 things I want to do by the time I'm 43.<br />
<ol>
<li>Look back and feel that I have had my kids in the best educational environment for each of them, individually, each year. No more plodding through while everything feels wrong, trying to stuff a square peg into a round hole.</li>
<li><strike>Be a part of passing pro-breastfeeding legislation (preferably in 2015).</strike> <i>(done! <a href="http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/tlodocs/84R/billtext/html/HB00786F.htm" target="_blank">HB 786 </a>(now Chapter 619) extends pump-at-work rights to salaried public employees. It was passed at the end of the 2015 session and is effective beginning 9/1/15. New goal: finally pass the bill to <a href="http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=84R&Bill=HB232" target="_blank">strengthen the right to breastfeed</a>, & also the one to <a href="http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=84R&Bill=HB3976" target="_blank">license IBCLCs</a> in 2017.)</i></li>
<li>Go para-sailing - or at least something similarly crazy-awesome.</li>
<li>Go surfing.</li>
<li>Achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Exercise regularly. Run. In fact, run or at least jog a 5K. Get strong, physically. Learn and practice yoga. Take better care of myself in general (like, by taking my Synthroid for my thyroid consistently). Get a mammogram.</li>
<li>Develop and maintain routines. As in, I want to feel like I have my shit together. This includes conquering (for good) Mount Laundry, and slaying the Paper Demon.</li>
<li>Take the boys to the Columbus Zoo. See my sister and nephews. Take at least one fantastic family trip, just for us, every year. Make epic memories.</li>
<li>At least start to get photos organized and accessible for my children. (Currently they're mostly all boxed up or digital - I want them to be able to look through scrapbooks.)</li>
<li>Begin to build an addition on our little two-bedroom house. Fix some of the stuff that worries me (mold behind the shower tiles) or annoys me (rosy bathroom wallpaper that we wanted to replace when we moved in - in 2001). Improve our backyard. A hammock is a must for this. So is getting rid of most of the kids' outside toys that aren't nailed down.</li>
<li>Meet the needs of my children as best as I am able. They're fed, and they're loved, but I always feel I am falling short in so many ways. Not enough exercise, too much pizza, months behind on well checks - saying "No" to Hide and Seek... again. I want to look back and feel that I did my best. That I took care of myself and answered my calling but that they were prioritized and not neglected. I want to know that most of the time, I am providing what they need from me (whether that's space to fail or help to succeed). I want to have a weekly family game night more often than not. To make sure the kids have the attention they need to play with all the crap they have - build Lego sets with help, perform science experiments with supervision, etc. And I want to choose love. On my 43rd birthday I want to look back and feel that most of the time, I chose love when responding to my sons and husband. </li>
<li>Garden. More often than not, even if it's just a few plants.</li>
<li>Involve my children in service projects. I want them to know how insanely blessed they are, and to feel compelled to pay it forward. I want to practice random acts of kindness with them.</li>
<li><strike>Buy a nursing mother's meal (or drink).</strike> <i>(done, 5/18/15)</i></li>
<li>Allow Bellybean to self-wean. (My older two had encouragement, as breastfeeding was painful while I was pregnant.)</li>
<li>Practice gratitude daily, on my own and as a family.</li>
<li>Start the campaign I've thought about for two years. Prepare documents to respond to NIP incidents with moms who contact me when they have them. Work on getting businesses to join the Family Friendly Business Initiative. Make the two videos about breastfeeding that I've been wanting to make. Organize a large event.</li>
<li>Be a recognized name in the breastfeeding community. Make this calling of mine something that I can do as a vocation in some way. Turn my blog into a bonafide website and into an organization or business of some sort. Write more consistently. Finally get a fartin' logo.</li>
<li>Speak somewhere, at least once, and do a kick-ass job. Not a 30-second news interview, but a conference kind of thing.</li>
<li>Have friends over sometimes. Have friends. In real life, not just on Facebook or in relation to work. I want to cultivate the relationships I have. To risk being hurt - risk big - and really let people - or at least one person - in.</li>
<li>Read at least some of the freaking parenting books I own.</li>
<li>Learn more about dyslexia and dysgraphia.</li>
<li>De-clutter. Empty storage shed. Make the playroom look fabulous.</li>
<li>Finish promised gifts. Make bean bags for my kids. Send my nieces & nephews birthday presents, at least once. On time, to boot. Make a family cookbook.</li>
<li>Bake my mom's cookies at Christmas.</li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;">Be debt free. For my part, this is about supporting my husband however I can and being fiscally responsible, and putting it out there in the universe. I don't want him to feel pressured, as the breadwinner, by this being my goal for us.</span></li>
<li>Have a vacation with Adam, alone.</li>
<li>Write about some of the things that fascinate me. Write something that matters. Not just a blog post, but an article for HuffPo or a thesis or a speech (TEDTalk?) or a even mother f*cking book. Something that makes a difference for people.</li>
<li>Volunteer more for the kids' school(s).</li>
<li>Spend less time anxiously waffling about big decisions, especially when it comes to negativity in my life. Either cut it out or enjoy the good parts and don't give so many craps about the disappointing or upsetting parts. Confront bullying in my life when that's what's upsetting me.</li>
<li>Explore Austin more. Do more of the things our city has to offer - SXSW, Austin Duck Adventures, Austin City Limits, the zoo and the Thinkery and the Wildflower Center, the kite festival, ice skating on the roof of Whole Foods, stand up paddling. Things I've done but want to do more often with the kids, things I've always wanted to do but haven't yet. </li>
<li>Once Bellybean is no longer boob-dependent for sleep, buy a subscription to Zach Theatre and see plays regularly with Adam. And take the kids to at least a few (three) plays a year, including at least one Broadway show (one total).</li>
<li><strike>Be in one of the boys' movies. I don't want them to remember me as always staying home to clean while they go off to have fun and make movies. I want them to remember me as being fun, too.</strike> <i>(Filmed, June 2015. Will link when it's edited and posted to YouTube. I'd still love to do a big role with them, but I had fun being a goon.)</i></li>
<li>Get a massage. Get a mani-pedi. Or a mani. Or a pedi. If I've ever had my nails done it was in high school and I can't recall it. (I'm not much of a girly girl...)</li>
<li>Cook more. Like, well. Cook well. Well enough that it comes easy, and doesn't feel like a big production every time I make something other than spaghetti. Get a CSA (long term) and use all the veggies in my/our cooking.</li>
<li>Make sure my littles can swim. <i>(2/3 done! Sweet Pea started swimming April 2015!)</i></li>
<li>Go skiing as a family. Go horseback riding as a family.</li>
<li>Dance in the rain with my loves.</li>
<li>Go out one of the nights that something cool is happening in the sky - a meteor shower or super moon or something - & actually see it, rather than read it's coming and forget and/or go to bed instead. Maybe while camping.</li>
<li>Therapy. Conquer anxiety, even when life is intense.<br /></li>
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<li><strike>Do cosplay as a family at a con.</strike> <i>(Done! 5/31/15 Magoo and Sweet Pea were Little Batman and Robin - they make <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/RockaroniAndCheese" target="_blank">YouTube videos</a> as these characters - and we took them to meet the original Batman and Robin, Adam West and Burt Ward, from the 1966 TV series. Bellybean was dressed as the Penguin and Adam and I went as his goons. That this happened was all thanks to Adam, who knew I wanted to do this & got the costumes together for us and B. He is simply awesome!<br />We also met...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpNlw9Z4AoJrYoQtEkF3aZFDtlrtmBLTypptcmq5fMiLham3iGSgNXxSYBhdQnDsywkqByK8-qHZdCXXWZJWOsOJupLtfGcJdFFoQzpHagm4e9aE7fSdJcIXQPyQyv9uQN18zAyckdvEM/s1600/P-5WZ-4E3-FE8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpNlw9Z4AoJrYoQtEkF3aZFDtlrtmBLTypptcmq5fMiLham3iGSgNXxSYBhdQnDsywkqByK8-qHZdCXXWZJWOsOJupLtfGcJdFFoQzpHagm4e9aE7fSdJcIXQPyQyv9uQN18zAyckdvEM/s320/P-5WZ-4E3-FE8.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sylvester McCoy, the 6th Doctor</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Stan Effing Lee!</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Scully! I mean, Gillian Anderson, but I'm such a huge X Phile<br />that to me, she'll always be Scully. I'll write more about this one day. <br />We talked about breastfeeding!</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>My boyfriend, Nathan Fillion.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Karen Gillan (Amy Pond!)</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Scott Wilson (The Walking Dead's Hershel!)</i></td></tr>
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Not only did we dress up for ComicCon, we totally geeked out for swim meets, dressing for the theme of each one - not always this elaborately, but we love Disney, so we went all out. I'm a tad embarrassed by how much spirit we have, but I also think we rock!)<br /><br /><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</i></i></li>
<li>Get better at managing stress and anger. Model better management for my children. Take the Orange Rhino Challenge. Rock it.</li>
<li>Win the 4th of July parade float contest.</li>
<li>Prepare a will. Not because I think I'll die before 44, but because it's the grown-up thing to do when you have kids. </li>
</ol>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3114152068970678707.post-20658953804288234442015-03-24T02:16:00.003-07:002015-03-24T05:39:48.713-07:00Norman on NIP: Norman Reedus Supports Breastfeeding in Public!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Norman Reedus, who plays Daryl Dixon on <i>The Walking Dead</i>, made women love him even more when he posed for a photo with two breastfeeding moms at a convention. The photo was shared in a Facebook group, and I contacted one mom, Tammie Hamed, to request permission to meme it.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elizabeth Dalton & Tammie Hamed with their nurslings & Norman</td></tr>
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<br />
Tammie said that Norman happened to have that boob ball on him. I've since seen a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-y7UNb9edQs" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">boob pillow</span></a> and boob slippers (more on those later) with Norman - I'm wondering if a fan gave it to him? The boob prompted Tammie to offer to breastfeed in their photo, which she said Norman was very excited about!<br />
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In fact, in my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KeepAustinNIP/photos/a.286430378124194.50869.285488191551746/617663895000839/?type=1&theater" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Facebook thread</span></a> for this meme, Jennifer Lopez commented that she was in line behind Elizabeth and Tammie, and the photographer pulled up the photos for him to see, and a copy was printed for him! She added that he said it was the "coolest picture of all time!" <br />
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He really <b>must</b> have liked it, because he tweeted his Instagram photo of another pose before the show!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge_zS94FXKCbgc_j-FYcrb6BF18SSnBv0R1MrZ3oPBAIiYH_TXnJPfqE2BI0UQ7YCY5cI6GnmcpuKEs4k13fR9FYfvXamrjDERJx2i_MhorCDu1CZZfi8XKpp3C2Pc7HwYSWCMWrLMR0Y/s1600/peace+love+and+boobs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge_zS94FXKCbgc_j-FYcrb6BF18SSnBv0R1MrZ3oPBAIiYH_TXnJPfqE2BI0UQ7YCY5cI6GnmcpuKEs4k13fR9FYfvXamrjDERJx2i_MhorCDu1CZZfi8XKpp3C2Pc7HwYSWCMWrLMR0Y/s1600/peace+love+and+boobs.jpg" height="640" width="392" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://instagram.com/p/0jKjzEMcGN/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Source.</span></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The <a href="http://doublethink.us.com/paala/2014/06/08/what-a-four-year-old-girl-reminded-me-about-the-inequality-between-the-sexes/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Free the Nipple movement</span></a> is what Norman is presumed to be referencing here. You might expect a man who is a sex symbol to be as guilty as society of sexualizing breasts. Or maybe it's because women sexualize him that he seems to have no trouble recognizing that the primary function of breasts is to nurture children!<br />
<br />
And I say children (versus infants) because yes, the little girl on the right is a toddler. And no, she's not too old to be breastfeeding. Mammals typically wean when their baby teeth, also called milk teeth, fall out. In humans, that's around age 5 or 6 - not at all an unusual age for a human child to be breastfeeding. Weaning ages vary throughout the cultures of the world. Here in America, where women are oversexualized and <a href="http://www.bestforbabes.org/what-are-the-booby-traps/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Booby Traps</span></a> abound, <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/pdf/2014breastfeedingreportcard.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">less than half</span></a> of mothers have adequate support to still be breastfeeding at all at 6 months. But the World Health Organization recommends a minimum of 2 years of nursing, and thereafter for as long as mother and child both desire. <br />
<div>
<div>
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</div>
<div>
But moving on to the slippers I need right now. Norman ended Sunday night with this tweet:</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTSunphWdC2ZEpHanaxyJUcTwGezg2_plI9E4BpJJmoBzJ6SsvNKdGuyhqLKpCEj3vd9FbqcQ4mAFviWkSLlMnOFOaifHGoCgs2P_k4-vfRk3ErjYsOIMmnVZ3t8Z9fAp9ZfjxmdTBqwc/s1600/boob+slippers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTSunphWdC2ZEpHanaxyJUcTwGezg2_plI9E4BpJJmoBzJ6SsvNKdGuyhqLKpCEj3vd9FbqcQ4mAFviWkSLlMnOFOaifHGoCgs2P_k4-vfRk3ErjYsOIMmnVZ3t8Z9fAp9ZfjxmdTBqwc/s1600/boob+slippers.jpg" height="640" width="523" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/wwwbigbaldhead/status/579866675983572992">Source.</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Before I move on to shamelessly brag about my lame claim to Walking Dead fame (I know one of the actors!), I would be remiss if I did not point out that not all moms have Norman around with the bird or even a peace sign - or Daryl around with his bow.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEime_WpTGVxChr_3vkOXoyUtXVXVpeu4_GYE5S0pb9qbfs2BNEfSarzwD-b-WyHQNqpNmlOjWSnDX1tKFpdj5-oyfx5sA2HxBa2fRANGMFEWsWbQiEDUMebyRBH7dIqy-6S_kcdfa4jgcE/s1600/11041670_10153209031419540_8078658242854305016_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEime_WpTGVxChr_3vkOXoyUtXVXVpeu4_GYE5S0pb9qbfs2BNEfSarzwD-b-WyHQNqpNmlOjWSnDX1tKFpdj5-oyfx5sA2HxBa2fRANGMFEWsWbQiEDUMebyRBH7dIqy-6S_kcdfa4jgcE/s1600/11041670_10153209031419540_8078658242854305016_n.jpg" height="211" width="400" /></a></div>
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So when moms are asked to cover up, or move (often to a restroom), or to leave a place of public accommodation, they're relying on <a href="http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/HS/htm/HS.165.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">the law</span></a> to protect them. And in Texas, it doesn't. It asserts a mother's right to breastfeed anywhere she's authorized to be, <i>but it's not illegal to violate that right.</i> In fact, this weekend a mother was <i><b><a href="http://www.brownwoodtx.com/news/local/article_ac7e3eb8-114b-5a3a-8592-a9dc1c59a31c.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">escorted by a police officer</span></a></b></i> with her two children from a roller rink, for feeding her baby. Daryl wasn't there, but you can be. Texas moms need your help to support legislation to strengthen the right to breastfeed law and remove other barriers to breastfeeding. See how you can help at <a href="http://txbfleg.com/"><span style="color: blue;">TXBFLeg.com</span></a>. </div>
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And now I shall geek out about how cool it feels to know one of the actors on my favorite show! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgewCAB808sG4c3bKzzO30T0CTmGU2fkwBQG7q4YAAxdnmFVBlqtKy-nfOQd6VRAwz7ZWcPA56P6tqmSo-jpjBICQl0wPacQ766KJjBX2jwVSFRgluHehw8p4mGMKbKSmqeqtpixglG9yQ/s1600/talking+dead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgewCAB808sG4c3bKzzO30T0CTmGU2fkwBQG7q4YAAxdnmFVBlqtKy-nfOQd6VRAwz7ZWcPA56P6tqmSo-jpjBICQl0wPacQ766KJjBX2jwVSFRgluHehw8p4mGMKbKSmqeqtpixglG9yQ/s1600/talking+dead.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/BrillCorey" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">#Porchdick Pete</span></a> is my husband's best friend from college! Adam got to go with <a href="https://www.facebook.com/coreybrillactor" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Corey</span></a> to the season 5 wrap party for The Walking Dead when Corey's wife was unavailable. I'd have loved to have been available, but it was a plus one thing, and I stayed home in Austin with our kids. But I lived vicariously through photos that Adam sent me through the night. Like my second favorite photo of Norman Reedus:</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2IGFOsU-m_LM1Xg6u2USySzouE4GFsODsH7wE_tWLTVIbDMChF_Kw0SqZvXzDfh4WQPhlliwwg3HlPahMt5264G66DR0qFgsmAAeUy7-CPpxowSEnEjLlRs4mrJGpDAT8mv_UgJjfHSY/s1600/Norman+and+Adam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2IGFOsU-m_LM1Xg6u2USySzouE4GFsODsH7wE_tWLTVIbDMChF_Kw0SqZvXzDfh4WQPhlliwwg3HlPahMt5264G66DR0qFgsmAAeUy7-CPpxowSEnEjLlRs4mrJGpDAT8mv_UgJjfHSY/s1600/Norman+and+Adam.jpg" height="251" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back off, ladies. He's mine! (I do mean Adam, for the record.)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-H02lX13IwZL-_xNAOsBwCGP353UDdvWZsYqBaHGwUi_DF3YKGqHStXtT4VOBnUOl7AZP66VtlyDQgsdO_3lr5Gup4KagqlXVcX4r8JztQ3Ag53Wq40MHj7w6RbBzhIugOeVWgfYNoxU/s1600/Adam+&+Andy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-H02lX13IwZL-_xNAOsBwCGP353UDdvWZsYqBaHGwUi_DF3YKGqHStXtT4VOBnUOl7AZP66VtlyDQgsdO_3lr5Gup4KagqlXVcX4r8JztQ3Ag53Wq40MHj7w6RbBzhIugOeVWgfYNoxU/s1600/Adam+&+Andy.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Corey told Andy this photo would <br />
get Adam laid. It might've.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmihFZZROuUUkFRa7fDzauP24NXNc-wZE1-QqcklqyvSux96oZF4cnW-QLazMM2635BZhkWYZvpLBEY6pQk4jFsMH4xf9YjM_m9uUs4r4Z2K98d0LLBz7L3SH5xv07adlrCOUAyo7l0-Y/s1600/adam+&+tyreese.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmihFZZROuUUkFRa7fDzauP24NXNc-wZE1-QqcklqyvSux96oZF4cnW-QLazMM2635BZhkWYZvpLBEY6pQk4jFsMH4xf9YjM_m9uUs4r4Z2K98d0LLBz7L3SH5xv07adlrCOUAyo7l0-Y/s1600/adam+&+tyreese.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adam & Chad Coleman</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj51gShFhmOyro4HtCVDfUCGlzkssI_N0F2mDauncVonURMPjI_9y1SHNOmBWSEOPM7n_5GKIJhiGcrQSTrH6maqHvaX19X_nWO7mxzIOEr-pCxnvHPftIQXzctSh6Pj0m6dVXhlawzW4g/s1600/Adam+&+Scott+Gimple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj51gShFhmOyro4HtCVDfUCGlzkssI_N0F2mDauncVonURMPjI_9y1SHNOmBWSEOPM7n_5GKIJhiGcrQSTrH6maqHvaX19X_nWO7mxzIOEr-pCxnvHPftIQXzctSh6Pj0m6dVXhlawzW4g/s1600/Adam+&+Scott+Gimple.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adam & Scott Gimple</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiphDxd5DFFIUsC7Adl3oszqguSMFLZBfdetktAt-LbkjSvRfyfitxgNhgTM5GUUylTJVNcvufIhDrlCnzIgcDkAnMYTC3Gwiv8g4kne4lXYkoxxMEBTV-aiRJ2YxdozcfEnmZO6VOE550/s1600/11024199_10204889222163964_5309856349795697648_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiphDxd5DFFIUsC7Adl3oszqguSMFLZBfdetktAt-LbkjSvRfyfitxgNhgTM5GUUylTJVNcvufIhDrlCnzIgcDkAnMYTC3Gwiv8g4kne4lXYkoxxMEBTV-aiRJ2YxdozcfEnmZO6VOE550/s1600/11024199_10204889222163964_5309856349795697648_n.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adam & Corey & a zombie!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
OK, well, there are a bunch more but I've geeked out enough, and I need to go to bed so I can get up soon and start contacting Business and Industry Committee members (especially Representative Rinaldi) about Morgan having <i>had the cops called on her <b>for breastfeeding</b>. </i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://txbfleg.com/" target="_blank">Hope you'll help</a>.</span> There are lots of ways - share, contact legislators - it's all at that link. I think Norman would want you to.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3114152068970678707.post-83788051265899712982015-03-02T07:26:00.001-08:002015-03-02T07:26:37.939-08:00Legislative Action & Resolutions for TXBC & 20th Anniversary of Breastfeeding Law Tomorrow<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">
In lieu of a spring meeting, <a href="http://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/">Texas Breastfeeding Coalition</a> is hosting two legislative action days - and breastfeeding mothers and babies need <b><i>you</i></b> there on Tuesday, March 3rd!</div>
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<em>(Can’t make it to Austin, or not on these days? You can still contact your legislators or even visit them in district. Explore our website for more <a data-mce-href="https://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/support-bills/" href="https://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/support-bills/" target="_blank" title="Support the Bills">information and resources</a> on supporting the bills! This is also useful for preparing for Tuesday.)</em></div>
<h3 style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif;">
<b>Legislative Action Days</b></h3>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">
Texas is the size of 11 other states. We are the second largest state in both geography and population.</div>
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Legislators want to hear from their own constituents - the voice that matters is the one that may or may not vote for them.</div>
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That's why your involvement is important to passing bills that will improve support for breastfeeding mothers.</div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li>When you attend a legislative action day, you will meet with staffers or legislators, usually paired with another advocate. You'll be provided with materials to help prepare you for your meetings. You'll pass along a packet of information and talk about why breastfeeding support is important to you and imperative for maternal and child health.</li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li>You may bring your child(ren). If you'd like, you could bring them in a doctor's jacket or with a stethoscope, to highlight that breastfeeding is a public health issue.</li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li>You may come when your schedule allows.</li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li>Your dress should be business attire or business casual (though it's better to come in jeans than not come at all!). Very comfortable shoes are advised.</li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li>You may want to bring a tote bag (and maybe a stroller, if you're bringing children) to carry your packets and the small boxes of chocolate that we will send to offices.</li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li>If you have a smartphone, please take photos on your visits and share on social media with the hashtag #txbfleg. (Anyone not attending can use the hashtag to find these and repost & retweet them.)</li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li>You are encouraged to invite friends, your ob-gyn/pediatrician/midwife/doula/LLL leader/neighbor/mail carrier, etc. Please spread the word through email, social media, and phone calls to the people and groups of people in your circles. You can share the <a data-mce-href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1564532710499697" href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1564532710499697">Facebook event page</a> and invite friends that way, too. The more attendees we have, the more offices we can visit, and the greater impression we can make.</li>
</ul>
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</div>
<ul>
<li>Please register so that we will know your availability and can determine whom you should visit.</li>
</ul>
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<h2 style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif;">
<a data-mce-href="https://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/register-legislative-action-day-march-3rd-2015/" href="https://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/register-legislative-action-day-march-3rd-2015/" target="_blank" title="Register for Legislative Action Day March 3rd 2015">Register for Mar. 3rd</a></h2>
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Below is the agenda, times are approximate. You can come when your schedule allows. You can attend the Resolutions or spend the morning on office visits instead. Whenever you arrive, please contact our Legislative Chair, Krisdee Donmoyer, at 512.655.9647 and she will pass along information and materials for your visits - she can do this as much as possible while we await the Resolutions, to save time.</div>
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<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">
<strong>House Resolution:</strong><br />
We will meet in the <a data-mce-href="http://www.tspb.state.tx.us/SPB/Plan/FloorPlan/Capitol2.htm" href="http://www.tspb.state.tx.us/SPB/Plan/FloorPlan/Capitol2.htm" target="_blank">House Gallery</a> <b><i>before</i></b> 10am. The Resolution will be presented by Representative Farrar, probably in the first half of the 10:00 hour. Rep. Farrar will recognize advocates on the House floor and everyone in the gallery.</div>
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<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">
<strong>Senate Resolution:</strong><br />
After the House Resolution we will move to the Senate Gallery. TXBC will be recognized by Senator Zaffirini, probably around 11:15.</div>
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<strong>Photos:</strong><br />
After the Senate Resolution we will take a group photo on the stairs outside the House chamber (go to the east wing, outside the House Gallery, and take the stairs on the north side of the building down to the 2nd floor), then Krisdee will disseminate any remaining assignments, packets and gifts.</div>
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<strong>Lunch & Visits:</strong><br />
At this point, depending on the time and appointment times you may have, you might wish to have lunch (there is a cafeteria, the <a data-mce-href="http://austincapitolgrill.com/?page_id=314" href="http://austincapitolgrill.com/?page_id=314" target="_blank">Capitol Grill</a>) before you begin your visits. After the Resolutions and photos, <span data-mce-style="text-decoration: underline;" style="text-decoration: underline;">Krisdee will be available in the cafeteria until 5pm to coordinate, answer questions, and receive visit notes.</span></div>
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<strong><em>If you have questions or concerns you can reach Krisdee at txbfleg@gmail.com or 512.655.9647.</em></strong></div>
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<b>Parking:</b></div>
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The weather prediction is for a 30% chance of rain (but warming up to 70 degrees). No matter where you park, you'll have to walk across the Capitol grounds. You may wish to bring an umbrella. Krisdee can keep it in the cafeteria for you while you visit.</div>
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You may want to park at the <a data-mce-href="http://www.tspb.state.tx.us/SPB/Plan/Parking.htm" href="http://www.tspb.state.tx.us/SPB/Plan/Parking.htm" target="_blank">Capitol Visitors Parking Garage</a>, east of the Capitol, located at 1201 San Jacinto located between Trinity and San Jacinto Streets at 12th and 13th Streets. Parking is free for the first two hours and $1.00 for each half hour thereafter (maximum daily charge: $8.00). If you go to the top floor and park near the elevator (there are stairs at each corner with glass doors; the elevator has concrete walls), you can take the elevator down to the 2nd floor, turn right, and it’s just a one-block walk to the Capitol grounds.</div>
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Last week this garage was full. There is metered parking (requiring coins), with time limits. But there are <a data-mce-href="http://www.thestoryoftexas.com/visit/plan-your-visit/parking-directions" href="http://www.thestoryoftexas.com/visit/plan-your-visit/parking-directions">other garages in walking distance</a> that are likely a better option.</div>
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Getting around:<br /><span style="font-weight: normal;">Coming from the Capitol Visitors Parking garage, you can enter the east side of the Capitol (or go to the left and enter the main entrance of the capitol building.) There are more <a data-mce-href="http://www.tspb.state.tx.us/SPB/Plan/FloorPlan/FlorPlan.htm" href="http://www.tspb.state.tx.us/SPB/Plan/FloorPlan/FlorPlan.htm" target="_blank">maps here</a>. The north entrance is wheelchair and stroller accessible.</span></h4>
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<strong>To the Galleries -</strong> Take the North Wing elevators to 3rd floor. Head south out of the elevators into the rotunda, and turn right to go into the west wing and enter the House Gallery at the end of it or turn left to go into the east wing and enter the Senate Gallery at the end of it.</div>
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<strong>To the Cafeteria -</strong> Take the North Wing elevators to <a data-mce-href="http://www.tspb.state.tx.us/SPB/Plan/FloorPlan/Exten1.htm" href="http://www.tspb.state.tx.us/SPB/Plan/FloorPlan/Exten1.htm" target="_blank">level E1</a>. Follow the hallway until it opens up into the Seal Court. The Capitol Grill is on the left of the court.</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">First Action Day Update:</span></h2>
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The first action day was <b>February 18th</b> and coincided with an exhibit of our breastfeeding <a data-mce-href="https://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/art-collection/" href="https://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/art-collection/" target="_blank" title="Art Collection">art collection</a>, <i>Mother Nature's Masterpiece, </i>including a <a data-mce-href="http://www.dirtycarart.com/" href="http://www.dirtycarart.com/" target="_blank">Dirty Car Art</a> event. We had 26 advocates with 21 children in attendance, and we visited about 1/3 of the legislature.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRML475oNUdldkwkV5EH_nfNgcBmZK0sn3DYbovaCf9Sgr7AOIHIpJOYOAK90Hn4V8e988ujmDsDFvYnMBU9GASop2-gcUGDBhelRGy3p1to9kf1M7eRDhbLi5_T-c5FAbE2sBirsXbj8/s1600/MilkWalkTGBP-08844.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRML475oNUdldkwkV5EH_nfNgcBmZK0sn3DYbovaCf9Sgr7AOIHIpJOYOAK90Hn4V8e988ujmDsDFvYnMBU9GASop2-gcUGDBhelRGy3p1to9kf1M7eRDhbLi5_T-c5FAbE2sBirsXbj8/s1600/MilkWalkTGBP-08844.jpg" height="270" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Courtesy of <a href="http://mandiwolfephotography.wordpress.com/">The Good Body Project</a>.</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3114152068970678707.post-12985316683231925452015-02-17T20:18:00.001-08:002015-02-17T20:18:31.673-08:00Breastfeeding and Dirty Pictures - Press Release for Lege Action Day, Dirty Car Art Event, & Art Exhibit<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
Contact: Krisdee Donmoyer, Legislative Chair</div>
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Texas Breastfeeding Coalition</div>
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Phone: <a href="tel:512.655.9647" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank" value="+15126559647">512.655.9647</a></div>
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<a href="mailto:TXBFLeg@gmail.com" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">TXBFLeg@gmail.com</a></div>
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<a href="http://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/">Texasbreastfeedingcoalition.<wbr></wbr>org</a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br />Press Release</span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"></span></div>
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Breastfeeding & Dirty Pictures</h1>
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The Dirty Car Artist Creates Piece to Coincide with Breastfeeding Legislative Action Day</h2>
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<em>Austin, Texas, February 17, 2015:</em> World-renowned artist Scott Wade is creating a Dirty Car Art piece as part of a breastfeeding art exhibit to support Texas Breastfeeding Coalition’s legislative efforts on Feb. 18, 2015 at the Texas State Capitol. Breastfeeding significantly reduces the risk for many illnesses and diseases, impacting healthcare costs for families, businesses, and government. It is a public health imperative to improve rates through support and public awareness.<br /><br /></div>
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“The only thing dirty about this picture… is the dirt.”<br /></div>
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This tagline, conceived by the father of three breastfed children, inspired world-renowned Dirty Car Artist Scott Wade to create his first permanent piece – a breastfeeding mother forced to hide in a car to feed her child.</div>
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<br />Scott’s art is usually temporary – reverse graffiti created in the dust on car windows. He has created pieces all over the world. Only photographs remain of the work – photos that have gone viral.</div>
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<br />Scott was a stay-at-home dad for four years and would pick up expressed breastmilk each day from his librarian wife to feed to their daughter. He was excited to create this piece in support of legislation that would support more mothers to express milk at work for their babies, and to protect mothers to breastfeed in public.</div>
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<br />This first permanent piece is on exhibit at the Texas State Capitol through February 24<sup>th</sup>, as part of Texas Breastfeeding Coalitions collection, “Mother Nature’s Masterpiece.” The exhibit intends to raise awareness of the importance of breastfeeding as a public health issue, and the need for support to improve breastfeeding rates.</div>
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<br />Scott will create another breastfeeding-themed piece, on 11<sup>th</sup> Street in front of the Capitol, from 11am-4pm on Wednesday. This event coincides with Texas Breastfeeding Coalition’s first Legislative Action Day. The bills they support include:</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span>HB 786 – Right to Express Breastmilk in the Workplace by Rep. Walle – Gives public salaried employees the same support as the FLSA gives hourly employees, requiring time and a place to pump milk at work.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span>HB 232 – Strengthening the Right to Breastfeed by Rep. Farrar – Current law is regularly violated without recourse. HB 232 informs businesses of law, makes it illegal to violate the right, and gives harassed mothers the right to file a civil suit. </div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span>SB 26 – Mother-Friendly Worksites by Sen. Zaffirini – Requires state agencies to set up policies supporting mothers to express breastmilk at work and to seek the Mother-Friendly Worksite designation.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span>Licensure of International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) – improves access to qualified lactation support when mothers experience complex breastfeeding problems.<br /></div>
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Those who wish to support breastfeeding mothers and babies are encouraged to come see Scott work, enjoy the art, and visit with legislators/staffers about the bills. Scott will work from 11am-4pm, and TXBC will coordinate visits from 9am-5pm. Stop by for as long as you can – 1 hour or 8, with or without children. More information can be found at <a href="http://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">texasbreastfeedingcoalition.<wbr></wbr>org</a></div>
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<br />Improving breastfeeding rates in the United States could save 911 lives and over $31.2 billion every year. Breastfeeding helps to prevent obesity, diabetes, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, asthma, and more in children, and reduces the risk of ovarian and breast cancer for mothers.</div>
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<br /><br />About Scott: <span style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial;">"Scott's work has been featured on the History Channel's Modern Marvels, The CBS Early Show, CMT's Country Fried Videos, and on many other national and regional television shows, as well as several in Japan, Germany, Brazil, South Korea and Mexico. He is featured in Ripley's Believe it or Not, Maxim, Car and Driver, Nickelodeon, Playboy, The National Inquirer, and in major newspapers around the globe."</span> More at DirtyCarArt.com.</div>
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<br /><br />Link to Facebook post - time lapse of creating the permanent piece, “Fast Food Sucks”: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/fastfoodsucksvid" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">tinyurl.com/fastfoodsucksvid</a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3114152068970678707.post-70378548575497561692015-02-11T21:33:00.002-08:002015-02-11T21:33:36.284-08:00Legislative Action Days for Texas Breastfeeding Bills<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 26px; padding: 0px;">
In lieu of a spring meeting, Texas Breastfeeding Coalition will host two legislative action days – and breastfeeding mothers and babies need <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"><i style="box-sizing: border-box;">you</i></span> there!</div>
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<i>The following is from TXBC's <a href="http://tinyurl.com/legeactiondays15">website</a>. If you have difficulty accessing the site to register, email me at TXBFLeg@gmail.com.</i></div>
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The first action day is <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">February 18th</span> and coincides with an exhibit of our breastfeeding <a href="http://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/art-collection/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2483d0; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;" target="_blank" title="Art Collection">art collection</a>, <i style="box-sizing: border-box;">Mother Nature’s Masterpiece, </i>including a <a href="http://www.dirtycarart.com/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2483d0; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Dirty Car Art</a> event.</div>
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The second is <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">March 3rd</span> and coincides with a House Resolution commemorating the 20th anniversary of <a href="http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/HS/htm/HS.165.htm" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2483d0; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Health and Safety Code 165</a>, which asserts the Right to Breastfeed in public and establishes the Mother Friendly Worksite designation.</div>
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Come to one or both days and visit with legislators and staffers to ask for their support of <a href="http://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/bills/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2483d0; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;" target="_blank" title="The Bills">the bills</a>that TXBC is promoting.</div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">(Can’t make it to Austin, or not on these days? You can still contact your legislators or even visit them in district. Explore our website for more <a href="http://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/support-bills/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2483d0; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;" target="_blank" title="Support the Bills">information and resources</a> on supporting the bills!)</em></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Legislative Action Days</span></h3>
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Texas is the size of 11 other states. We are the second largest state in both geography and population.</div>
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Legislators want to hear from their own constituents – the voice that matters is the one that may or may not vote for them.</div>
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That’s why your involvement is important to passing bills that will improve support for breastfeeding mothers.</div>
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When you attend a legislative action day, you will meet with staffers or legislators, usually paired with another advocate. You’ll be provided with materials to help prepare you for your meetings. You’ll pass along a packet of information and talk about why breastfeeding support is important to you and imperative for maternal and child health.</div>
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You may bring your child(ren). If you’d like, you could bring them in a doctor’s jacket or with a stethoscope, to highlight that breastfeeding is a public health issue.</div>
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Your dress should be business attire or business casual. Very comfortable shoes are advised.</div>
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You may want to bring a tote bag (and maybe a stroller, if you’re bringing children) to carry your packets and the small gifts that we will likely send to offices.</div>
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If you have a smartphone, please take photos on your visits and share on social media with the hashtag #txbfleg. (Anyone not attending can use the hashtag to find these and repost & retweet them.)</div>
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You are encouraged to invite friends, your ob-gyn/pediatrician/midwife/doula/LLL leader/neighbor/mail carrier, etc. Please spread the word through email, social media, and phone calls to the people and groups of people in your circles. You can share the Facebook event pages and invite friends that way, too (click here for <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/896527857053613/?ref=22" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2483d0; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Feb. 18th</a> page and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1564532710499697/?ref=22" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2483d0; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Mar. 3rd</a> page). The more attendees we have, the more offices we can visit, and the greater impression we can make.</div>
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You will need to register so that we will know your availability and can determine whom you should visit.</div>
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Please register for <a href="http://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/event/legislative-action-day-1-w-art-exhibit/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2483d0; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;" target="_blank" title="Legislative Action Day #1 (w/ Art Exhibit)">February 18th here</a>.</div>
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Please register for <a href="http://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/event/legislative-action-day-2-w-resolution/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2483d0; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;" target="_blank" title="Legislative Action Day #2 (w/ Resolution)">March 3rd here</a>.</div>
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<a href="http://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/register-legislative-action-day-feb-18th-art-exhibit/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2483d0; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;" target="_blank" title="Register for Legislative Action Day Feb 18th 2015">Register for Feb 18th</a></h2>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Details for Feb. 18:</span></h3>
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We will meet at the <a href="http://www.tspb.state.tx.us/SPB/Plan/FloorPlan/Exten2.htm" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2483d0; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">north end of level E2</a>, between the E2.400’s and E2.700’s wings. (This is where our art is being exhibited that week. You’ll want to be sure to check out Scott Wade’s <a href="http://www.dirtycarart.com/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2483d0; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Dirty Car Art</a> creation in front of the Capitol on 11th Street while you’re there, as well.) Our legislative chair, Krisdee Donmoyer, will be on E2 from 9am to 5pm to coordinate visits – giving you your assignments/appointment times, and materials to pass along. You can check in with her after your meetings in the same place, to give her notes on your meetings, or you may want to use a smartphone or tablet to send them as you go.</div>
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<a href="http://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/register-legislative-action-day-march-3rd-2015/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2483d0; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;" target="_blank" title="Register for Legislative Action Day March 3rd 2015">Register for Mar. 3rd</a></h2>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Details for Mar. 3: </span></h3>
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We will meet in the <a href="http://www.tspb.state.tx.us/SPB/Plan/FloorPlan/Capitol2.htm" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2483d0; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">House Gallery</a> <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"><i style="box-sizing: border-box;">before</i></span> 10am. The Resolution will be presented by Representative Farrar, probably in the first half of the 10:00 hour. Rep. Farrar will recognize a few advocates on the House floor, then everyone in the gallery. After the resolution we will take a group photo on the stairs outside the House chamber (exit the Gallery and take the stairs on the right of the west wing down to the 2nd floor), then disseminate assignments, packets and gifts. At this point, depending on the time and appointment times you may have, you might wish to have lunch (there is a cafeteria, the <a href="http://austincapitolgrill.com/?page_id=314" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2483d0; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Capitol Grill</a>) before you begin your visits. Krisdee will be available in the cafeteria until 5pm to coordinate, answer questions, and receive visit notes.</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">If you have questions or concerns you can reach Krisdee at txbfleg@gmail.com or 512.655.9647.</em></span></div>
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Parking:</h4>
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You may want to park at the <a href="http://www.tspb.state.tx.us/SPB/Plan/Parking.htm" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2483d0; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">Capitol Visitors Parking Garage</a>, east of the Capitol, located at 1201 San Jacinto located between Trinity and San Jacinto Streets at 12th and 13th Streets. Parking is free for the first two hours and $1.00 for each half hour thereafter (maximum daily charge: $8.00). If you go to the top floor and park near the elevator (there are stairs at each corner with glass doors; the elevator has concrete walls), you can take the elevator down to the 2nd floor, turn right, and it’s just a one-block walk to the Capitol grounds.</div>
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Getting around:</h4>
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Coming from the Capitol Visitors Parking garage, you can enter the east side of the Capitol (or go to the left and enter the main entrance of the capitol building.) There are more <a href="http://www.tspb.state.tx.us/SPB/Plan/FloorPlan/FlorPlan.htm" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2483d0; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">maps here</a>.</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">TO E2 on 2/18 – </span>Just take the North Wing elevators down to E2, and walk straight all the way down to the other end of the building. You will go around the Central Court, an open-air rotunda. It gets confusing here. You should pass one hallway, then at the next hallway – which is the main hallway again – you should be able to see our exhibit.</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">TO HOUSE GALLERY on 3/3 -</span> Take the North Wing elevators to 3rd floor. Head south out of the elevators into the rotunda, and turn right to go into the west wing and enter the Gallery at the end of it.</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">TO THE CAFETERIA -</span> Take the North Wing elevators to <a href="http://www.tspb.state.tx.us/SPB/Plan/FloorPlan/Exten1.htm" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out; background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2483d0; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">level E1</a>. Follow the hallway until it opens up into the Seal Court. The Capitol Grill is on the left of the court.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_pPw8YVOL_-scia9ltXfhcqZ5yICrSlqTL71c57DwgbgZKqNo9wwPWvMvP0LtGY20Ufg2vPEu0K1hareNgR5L3c6_3Tk8AS4UnGI0GLBuan5plUgarMv4YePDSU1o04ZLAFxdEG-yVUc/s1600/MilkWalkTGBP-08844.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_pPw8YVOL_-scia9ltXfhcqZ5yICrSlqTL71c57DwgbgZKqNo9wwPWvMvP0LtGY20Ufg2vPEu0K1hareNgR5L3c6_3Tk8AS4UnGI0GLBuan5plUgarMv4YePDSU1o04ZLAFxdEG-yVUc/s1600/MilkWalkTGBP-08844.jpg" height="216" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of <a href="https://mandiwolfephotography.wordpress.com/">The Good Body Project</a>.</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3114152068970678707.post-26174808784107377752015-01-26T20:24:00.001-08:002015-01-26T20:26:56.056-08:00#GratitudeChallenge<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I just shared a positive NIP story, & it has emboldened me to share something else positive that I have been considering for a year. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I have not done it yet for a couple of reasons. First, most of what I share here is about breastfeeding advocacy. It's evolved over time, but every time I branch out I feel a little nervous that what I'm sharing is something people won't be recept</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">ive to, or that's incongruous with what I started - like maybe I'm breaking some unwritten rule.<br /><br />Second, what I'm going to share is very personal, in a way, and it makes me feel strangely vulnerable, even when I share it on my personal profile with just friends.<br /><br />So what is it?<br /><br />A list of things I am grateful for.<br /><br />Every day (or at least that's the goal), I express gratitude.<br /><br />Because what you appreciate appreciates.<br /><br />Where you put your energy - you'll get more of that.<br /><br />I have had chronic depression my whole life. It come and goes. Sometimes it's a big deal, but mostly it's just been... normal.<br /><br />When I had my negative NIP incident over two years ago, and the stakes of getting AISD to adopt a law-abiding NIP policy felt so high, and then the stakes of working on breastfeeding legislation felt even higher - then, oh my word, did the anxiety kick in. I'd been anxious before, to be sure, but not so chronically as I was "just" depressed. The anxiety that started the day I was told to go to a private room sometimes made it hard just to function. I don't even have words to describe its intensity.<br /><br />Over the past year, my depression and especially my anxiety have dissipated. I don't think I'll <b>never</b> be depressed or anxious again, but I'm amazed at how much happier and calmer I am. And I'm certain that focusing on the positive, on the things I'm thankful for, has made all the difference in the world.<br /><br />You've heard it before, maybe. Expressing gratitude is a key to happiness. I had. For years - but I didn't do it. Then I joined <a href="http://carriecontey.com/evolve-2015/">Carrie Contey, PhD.'s Evolve</a> group, & made it a habit.<br /><br />It's had such an impact that I've thought about doing it here, because I'd like to share this tool with others, because it is a game changer.<br /><br />So I'll go first, and if you feel moved to do so, comment with your gratitudes below - or do it on your private social media page or in a journal or even just close your eyes for a moment and list them to yourself.<br /><br />There are no rules to this <a class="_58cn" data-ft="{"tn":"*N","type":104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/gratitudechallenge" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">#gratitudechallenge</a>. You aren't limited to just the month of November or a list of five things per day for five days. Just think of at least one thing - or maybe 100 - and take a moment to appreciate!<br /><br />One thought - this isn't about bragging and being "Facebook Fake." I complain about my kids on fb, I whine about my messy house. My *real* life is definitely on my personal Facebook profile. But this is about focusing on the awesome, so yes, it's all good stuff.<br /><br />Here goes:<br /><br />I'm thankful to Jessie Warren for letting me share her positive NIP story, and for the amazing gentleman who was encouraging to her. I'm thankful my sick husband is starting to feel better; thankful my big kid has had a breakthrough about how he wants to interact with his family, and he's working hard to be respectful and to stay calm when he's frustrated; thankful for watching Bellybean put train tracks together - he's amazing! So grateful for the opportunity to homeschool Sweet Pea for kindergarten, and for doing so with a friend on Mondays and Wednesdays. Super thankful for an impromptu science experiment during today's co-op, which made me feel like I'm getting it right! Grateful for watching Sweet Pea learn to read, and be fascinated by addition and subtraction and counting, and that he's learning so much even when I don't feel like I'm doing 15% of what I want to do for him. Thankful I said yes when Sweet Pea wanted to do Legos together, instead of telling him I had to make dinner. It was worth bedtime being a little later than intended. Thankful our garage is finally organized enough to feel like a playroom, that art is coming in for the breastfeeding art exhibit in February, that we'll have a House resolution marking the 20th anniversary of Health & Safety Code 165. Thankful for Health & Safety Code 165, even if it does need strengthening. For representatives and senators who stand behind moms ready to support their choice to breastfeed. That I'm warm in my (mostly) clean house on this cold night, and that tomorrow I'll get to take my middle son to a fun acting class and my big kid to a great new school that is a much better fit for him than public school was this year. I'm thankful to be leading such a blessed life!<br /><br />I don't know how long I'll keep this up. I don't know why it feels vulnerable. So let me know if it's something you enjoy - something that moves you to express gratitude yourself. Because if it is, it'll be worth it to me to keep going with it here each evening. It really has been a game changer for me - I hope it will be or you, too!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsxMOGngRO8nsDFW4fGAjE5DjelDoMSWrwByI0niqfKkH2K-3nRwusjXKNVwoc5jzarelUQBPEL6DX0vvEXbIJ8eh3PPOpmz55s-oqNTPoYpQOIaIOirfK9lobCEAjdh5_hK8N4i-Romg/s1600/20150126_172938.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsxMOGngRO8nsDFW4fGAjE5DjelDoMSWrwByI0niqfKkH2K-3nRwusjXKNVwoc5jzarelUQBPEL6DX0vvEXbIJ8eh3PPOpmz55s-oqNTPoYpQOIaIOirfK9lobCEAjdh5_hK8N4i-Romg/s1600/20150126_172938.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Little Lego Maniac</td></tr>
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<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3114152068970678707.post-2337999540749926702015-01-26T18:50:00.001-08:002015-01-26T18:50:12.345-08:00A Guardian Angel: A Positive Breastfeeding/NIP Story<span style="font-family: inherit;">This story was shared in a local breastfeeding support group on Facebook. I asked to share it here because I think it's important that we hear about the positive stories. Social and traditional media are over-saturated with negative NIP stories, to the point that it may seem discrimination is inevitable. But it's not. Sometimes when someone approaches you as you breastfeed - it's to tell you how awesome you are!<br /><br />If you have a positive story to share, email me at KeepAustinNIP@gmail.com. I'd like to make this a habit!<br /><br />Here are Jessie's words:<br /></span><blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"I was having an incredibly hard day today (car broke down, bills arrived in the mail that I can't pay, agonizing sinus issues, trying to move past family drama, yet another job interview that didn't pan out) and brought my four month old son to Sprouts Farmers Market off Manchaca to do my weekly grocery shopping that I had been putting off for days.<br /> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Eight minutes and a half full cart in, Brave starts having a hangry meltdown. Already scatterbrained and overwhelmed, it doesn't occur to me to set my cart aside and go out to my car - I just frantically look for a place to sit down to nurse him because I couldn't get the position right in my Ergo. So, I 'pull over' near the eggs, sit on the edge of the cooler, and pull my cart as much out of the way as I can. I'm so emotional that I forget to put on my 'what I'm doing is natural face,' and I keep my head down while blushing at my gulping, teary-eyed infant.<br /> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Suddenly, a man in his late fifties or early sixties who is looking at the vegetables to my left speaks up to me and says... (get your tissues, I'm crying as I type this), "I honor you for what you do. You are doing such good by your son! My mama, she fed me like that until I was two years old - and it made me different, it made a difference for me. Women in Europe they do it everyday; I do not understand why women here cannot feed their sons without shame. It is natural!"<br /> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I was expecting him to berate me, and it took me off guard. I got choked up and thanked him as my eyes started to water. He nodded and started to walk away when he thought better and turned back to me to look me straight in the eye and say, "Anyone can be a mama..." Then he pointed at me and continued, "...but you are a great mama." I couldn't speak and tears streamed down my face. He smiled at me and told me to have a great day, and walked away. I so needed that, right then. What a guardian angel!"</span></blockquote>
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An angel indeed! As Jessie put it, "I wish EVERY mama got this kind of love when they need it most."<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO91SNoKN9Js0KF1TKx-HbGNmmI9Lm1VwkkZQAzVdILiniwtU_rEr74evH4y9ON-9OkPETIIbeZIbDUqbKuCBmizVKsoxXrs-kI79o9t5GXwl78FBn1ncUgMX6PzdMtZVjb3txKDO_0DU/s1600/10942284_10103778390846358_1239205344_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO91SNoKN9Js0KF1TKx-HbGNmmI9Lm1VwkkZQAzVdILiniwtU_rEr74evH4y9ON-9OkPETIIbeZIbDUqbKuCBmizVKsoxXrs-kI79o9t5GXwl78FBn1ncUgMX6PzdMtZVjb3txKDO_0DU/s1600/10942284_10103778390846358_1239205344_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jessie with her son, Brave</td></tr>
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<br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">Jessie is a 27-year-old transplant living in Austin from the Pacific Northwest, and a single mama to both a four-month-old ginger named Bravery and a four-year-old Labradoodle named Maggie.</span></div>
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My husband's 40th birthday is today. This is my love letter to him:<br />
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I've known you for half of your life now, Adam. I met you when you were 20, and I was your dresser for - what play was it? Cat Among the Pigeons? That's not as sexy as it sounds, of course. I just placed your costumes and sprayed your shoes out with Lysol every night. I remember you couldn't hang dress pants properly. Hanging clothes still isn't really a strength.<br />
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Today you are 40. You're understandably upset by this new age bracket. This getting older thing is kind of unsettling sometimes. But every year you age has meant more to adore. So, while this is by no means an exhaustive list, here are 40 things I love about you:</div>
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1. The gray in your hair. I find it thrilling. It excites me so much to be growing older with the love of my life. There really just aren't words for my visceral response to those gray hairs. Suffice it to say, it is so fucking sexy.</div>
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2. Watching you with our kids. We both make tremendous mistakes on a regular basis, what with being human and all. But you are so good at it, too. So full of love and humor and decency and *you're here*, doing it. I know my kids will always have a dad, and as an orphan with two living fathers, I cannot thank you enough for toughing out the rough spots and showing up every day. I get to see my children grow with a relationship that was always missing for me. That is such a gift.<br />
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3. Your sense of humor. Even when you're just trying to shock me, and I act irritable because you're being gross, I still love that you to want make me laugh.</div>
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4. That you get my dry sense of humor. Usually. I love making you laugh. So much. Sometimes I have to point out that I've just said something funny, because you acknowledging it means a lot to me.</div>
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5. That you are strong enough to be my man. That song was on the radio a lot when my mom got sick when we were in college. I know it wasn't easy for you to date someone with such a huge, scary thing going on. But you stuck by my side, you nursed me through her cancer, made me let you take care of me so I could take care of her. You let me grieve her death and be selfish for a long, long time. And when it was time to try to come out of my funk, you found a Hospice support group for me that made all the difference in the world. I don't know how I could have survived it all without you.</div>
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6. Magoo.<br />
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7. Sweet Pea.<br />
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8. Bellybean.<br />
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9. Your support of me as a breastfeeding advocate. It brings us no money (in fact I spend money on it), but you respect that this is my work. You are more involved in it than I think the majority of people are involved in their spouse's work. I couldn't do even half of what I do if it weren't for your support.</div>
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10. Your monstrously large feet.</div>
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11. Your ridiculously huge head.</div>
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12. Your scruff, when you have it. So hot.</div>
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13. That we have the same taste in entertainment. I adore watching TV with you. I remember having boyfriends in high school with whom it was hard to find a video to rent (because we used to do that, at Blockbuster or Hollywood Video - my, how times have changed since you started getting old!). We're always on the same page. Love that!<br />
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14. Sex. It has just gotten better over the years - which is saying something, cause it started out great. You are skilled, my love.</div>
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15. Pet names. I'll never forget the first time you called me sweetheart. It was the first time anyone had, at least any guy friend. You were pretending to be my boyfriend as we made our way out of a nerve-rattling experience with a homeless guy who wanted to show us his knife. "Come on, sweetheart," I think you said. I wasn't afraid of him. I (thought I) knew he wouldn't hurt us. But I was completely willing to play the role of your girlfriend as we made our exit.</div>
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16. Our courtship. Crazy shit we did to impress each other - breaking into an abandoned school, jumping the fence at the city pool. Fun times.<br />
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<span style="line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">17. Your number one goal in life. You told my mom, before she died, that your number one goal in life is to make me happy. I feel like that's still true. And you do.</span></div>
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18. That thinking about how effing much I crazy-love you, writing it down, has me in tears. (It's a lot. I love you a lot).</div>
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19. I love your cooking. Particularly fond of your lasagna and your burritos, boy. I love that you DO the cooking. That we are in a relationship with, if not equal task-sharing (cause I don't always feel I'm doing enough!), then certainly an attempt at balance.</div>
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20. Your music. You are the soundtrack to my life. Not everyone is as insanely lucky as I am, to have a personalized soundtrack.<br />
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21. I love the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/RockaroniAndCheese">movies you make with our boys</a>. They are such treasured memories.</div>
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22. The way you love me. Unconditionally. I always know you love me. And considering how awesome I think you are, I must be pretty awesome, too. It's a nice reminder, when I'm down on myself. You love me, therefore I am awesome.</div>
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23. I love your writing. Gotta say, I was scared when, after a lifetime of hating writing, you suddenly announced that you wanted to support our family as a writer. But you rock it. So much cleverness.</div>
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24. How you support our family. It's amazing to me that we have the freedoms that we have, thanks to your hard work.</div>
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25. How you prioritize our family. You work hard, but you play hard, too. You don't miss important kid events, and you spend a fantastic amount of time with our kids even when it's not a special event like a field trip or a scary doctor's appointment.<br />
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26. Your interest in... everything. You are always listening to podcasts, always learning new things.</div>
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27. Your politics. Not sure how we'd manage if they were otherwise!</div>
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28. Your spirituality.</div>
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29. Being held by you. I feel so safe in your arms. Spooning.</div>
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30. Your habit of doing the dishes every night. It's life-changingly awesome.</div>
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31. Kissing you. Since that first, slooooooooow lean-in, giving me every chance to shy away and preserve our friendship. But you were my Harry, and I wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of my life kissing you.<br />
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32. Your mad gift-giving skillz. I love that you are so tuned in to people that you are amazing at thinking up lovely gifts to give them.</div>
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33. Including me! I adore the special antiques I get each Christmas. They're always so meaningful. (Except maybe for the oil can. I can't remember what that one was about.)</div>
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34. Your empathy. Your emotional intelligence. You're brilliant.</div>
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35. That you've wanted to wear our babies. <span aria-label="hashtag" class="_58cl" style="color: #6d84b4;">#</span><span class="_58cm">APDadsAreHot</span>.<br />
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36. Your hair. It's so thick and gorgeous. I love to run my fingers through it...</div>
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37. Your eyes. I'll never forget staring into them while I was in transition delivering Milo, blowing your hair off of your forehead - trying to focus on you, and not the excruciating pain and the undeniable-but-too-soon NEED to push. Your eyes have never been more beautiful to me than in that moment. And those same eyes watched me birth our other two children, too, and were amazed at my strength and power. Never afraid of it. You are too strong and good to fear powerful women.</div>
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38. That you're as crazy as me. That we live life, at least sometimes, full throttle. Disneyland visits are best from open to close. October is best with Halloween events every weekend - and in themed costumes, as a family. And you're a geek like me. Because geek is chic, baby. I love all of our geeking out moments together - watching Doctor Who, bingeing on Battlestar Galactica, a Lord of the Rings marathon, wearing costumes to Race for the Cure that one year when we still did the Race...<br />
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39. That you're crunchy like me. AP like me. A feminist like me. We have so much in common - it makes living with you easy.</div>
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40. That you know how to rest and relax. You balance my frenetic, overdriven work ethic.</div>
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And one to grow on - I love you for this beautiful life I am so privileged to live. Everything I love is part of my life because you are part of my life.</div>
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Thank you, Adam. Thank you for being the great love of my life.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3114152068970678707.post-7875820681470174952014-12-11T20:32:00.003-08:002015-01-20T15:53:24.362-08:00Texas Breastfeeding Coalition Is Starting an Art Collection<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is an idea I've had percolating for awhile, and it's finally happening!
<a href="http://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/">Texas Breastfeeding Coalition</a> is in the process of building a collection of breastfeeding art. The art is intended to be exhibited throughout Texas in the coming years, in an effort to normalize breastfeeding and to educate those who see it on the benefits of breastfeeding and the need for support to bring those benefits to fruition.</span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-ee028fff-3c9f-da43-37c0-a64b2bdef6bb" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This project is in its infancy. There are no hard and fast rules at the moment, and most of the plans are a wish list we would like to make a reality. What we hope for is a permanent art collection that will travel the state in galleries, restaurants, libraries, coffee houses, etcetera, with the coordination of breastfeeding advocates and local coalitions. We are looking for support and involvement in a number of ways. You can become involved by reading for more information below and contacting TXBCArt@gmail.com.</span></div>
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<i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ART SUBMISSIONS</span></i></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We are accepting submissions of art, and will continue to do so indefinitely. Please email </span><a href="mailto:TXBCArt@gmail.com" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">TXBCArt@gmail.com</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> for more information as you plan your submission. Please note that our first show is currently scheduled for February 16-24, and we would like to have enough pieces together by then to fill a gallery at the Capitol. Pieces for the Capitol exhibit will need to be - and I hate this word, but for lack of a better one - modest. Pieces to show elsewhere do not need to take that into consideration. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Art should be framed (if appropriate), and we would prefer donations. If a piece is on loan, we will need a signed liability release. There is no budget allotted at this time for shipping, so artists should plan to be responsible for delivery of their piece(s). At this time, art is being collected in Austin. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pieces are intended to be shown with informational signage - stats on breastfeeding benefits, personal stories of the impact of facing discrimination for breastfeeding in public or of having support (or not) to pump at work. If you feel moved to include such information with your piece, please do so.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pieces are not intended to be sold or judged. (It's possible that we could include photos of pieces on the TXBC website that could link to the artists so that prints could be sold. But pieces would not be for sale from exhibits.)</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We would like to show diversity in ethnicity of the subjects and in feeding methods.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>EXHIBIT SPACES</i></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We need help securing spaces to show the collection. Please contact us for available dates, then work to secure dates for shows in any venues that may want to display art.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>LEADERSHIP</i></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We need someone passionate and committed to take the lead on organizing this project. This person or team will maintain the calendar, make arrangements for travel/shipment, and be responsible for the educational element (signs to display with each piece, with information as described above). </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>DISPLAY</i></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We need a way to display the art, at least at the Capitol. This could mean borrowing easels, or having something custom-built. If you are available to help with either, please contact us.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>SIGNS</i></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The educational elements described above, we are imagining having printed on foam core signs. It would be wonderful to have the printing of these donated.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We will need help in writing, designing, editing, etc.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>FUNDRAISING</i></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We may need to raise funds for displays, signs, and shipping. If you can donate money, please contact </span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="mailto:TXBCArt@gmail.com" style="text-decoration: none;">TXBCArt@gmail.com</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>LIABILITY WAIVER</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We need a liability release drafted, to be signed by anyone loaning art.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>TITLE/THEME</i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We need a title for the exhibit, that will sort of tie things together thematically (beyond the theme of “breastfeeding.” The theme should be something along the lines of “It Takes a Village” - only clever instead of clichéd. Point is, the collection and the educational signage with it will be used to educate, and to stress the need for support of breastfeeding mothers and children.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>TRANSPORT</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">It would be great to have some boxes donated to transport the framed artwork safely. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq7RrA_V2UnZ_pXFxApUatOyytB4QIS3qRk2_plwHoVWWyf8eFqzwv8VAnMGyjW4YOzF5sNJZEsOprD5yHvG5RD9ZSiaMRTKaOyvdc1zTR6RTtYVATtLAgLDlP5qKWo9Duhwmfnh44K_E/s1600/10625154_761109060622162_2394607661913679848_n+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq7RrA_V2UnZ_pXFxApUatOyytB4QIS3qRk2_plwHoVWWyf8eFqzwv8VAnMGyjW4YOzF5sNJZEsOprD5yHvG5RD9ZSiaMRTKaOyvdc1zTR6RTtYVATtLAgLDlP5qKWo9Duhwmfnh44K_E/s1600/10625154_761109060622162_2394607661913679848_n+(1).jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love this submission from <a href="http://thebirthguy.com/">Brian the Birth Guy</a>! <br />
(And now the song lyric, "I'm so excited, and I just can't hide it!" <br />
is running through my head.)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">While this has been in my head for a long while, the time to make it really happen is now short. Please spread the word and help out in whatever way you can. I'm so excited! Really! This is going to be awesome!</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3114152068970678707.post-39546767500114431182014-11-14T19:51:00.001-08:002014-11-14T19:51:34.377-08:00What's Kim Kardashian Got to Do with Alyssa Milano?<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.63636302948px; line-height: 20px;">I'm adding the "(insert sexy/nude stuff here) is ok but breastfeeding is not" complaints to stuff I'm *OVER* regarding breastfeeding advocacy. (The list so far includes nurse-ins getting all the glory while preventative measures like legis</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.63636302948px; line-height: 20px;">lation lack the same passionate involvement, trolls, comments sections, & anyone who likens breastfeeding to any natural functions we perform in private, from sex to pooping to nose picking.)</span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.63636302948px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.63636302948px; line-height: 20px;">It's been a pet peeve for awhile now, but this <a href="http://www.epictimes.com/2014/11/alyssa-milano-gets-heat-for-breastfeeding-selfies-but-kim-kardashian-nudes-are-celebrated/">here article</a> ("Alyssa Milano Gets Heat for Breastfeeding Selfies But Kim Kardashian Nudes are Celebrated?") </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.63636302948px; line-height: 20px;">has me seething.</span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.63636302948px; line-height: 20px;"><br />A. It's not okay that Kim Kardashian posed nude - people are freaking the frak out about it. It SHOULD be okay - celebrated even, perhaps, but opinions are like... Well, everybody's got an opinion, & some of them are really judgmental.<br /><br />B. Did Alyssa Milano get heat for her breastfeeding selfies? Probably, I guess, because internet trolls. But surely most of us are all "BOOYAH!" about it, right?<br /><br />C. To answer the question posed in the article, "What do you find more offensive..." I'll say this: the fact that the author refers to Kim Kardashian's booty as her "giant rump," and "overly ample backside" is what I find most offensive. I don't follow the Kardashians, so it's not that I'm a fan. It just really ticks me off that someone is either advocating for breastfeeding while being a jerkface about another woman, or they're *pretending* to advocate for breastfeeding while being a jerkface about another woman for double the media hot topics.<br /><br />In short:<br /><br />It's okay for Kim Kardashian to pose nude on the cover of a magazine.<br /><br />It's okay for Alyssa Milano to post breastfeeding selfies.<br /><br />It's NOT okay for anybody to act high & mighty judging either choice, or by judging how they look doing it.<br /><br />End rant.</span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.63636302948px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1FcJelR7r4mQ3GaGp-ibbXbosb2J-ji-Ll1cpo-BhZF-NRvnWWzyJZbSXwFcmbhbhL4GM2vrSIYo4TSyW2Ur0Q4-eD8smxtU1Ss6hQUU1VH7K8-5xIhO4mWiNpooke_-zZL305rFyP1U/s1600/10730934_10152582450363392_617317831616985882_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1FcJelR7r4mQ3GaGp-ibbXbosb2J-ji-Ll1cpo-BhZF-NRvnWWzyJZbSXwFcmbhbhL4GM2vrSIYo4TSyW2Ur0Q4-eD8smxtU1Ss6hQUU1VH7K8-5xIhO4mWiNpooke_-zZL305rFyP1U/s1600/10730934_10152582450363392_617317831616985882_n.jpg" height="640" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Screenshot courtesy of Victoria S.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.63636302948px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3114152068970678707.post-78688175671075363982014-11-07T19:29:00.000-08:002015-03-17T02:25:29.767-07:00It's Time! We Need You Now!The picture below is from a screen grab of an email I wrote to my friend almost seven years ago, after we went to the Capitol together with other mothers and advocates to legislators in support of Rep. Farrar's second filing of her bill to strengthen the NIP law.<br />
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SEVEN years ago. </div>
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And the bill <b>still</b> has no enforcement. </div>
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It has been filed every session since, & each time it has failed. No more. It's time to get this bill passed, y'all. </div>
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Our right to breastfeed our babies wherever we are authorized to be is routinely violated. And a law that is flouted with impunity is one which needs strengthening. Otherwise, what is the point of anything our legislators do?</div>
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I was so anxious that first time I went to advocate for mothers and babies. As an introvert, I was completely out of my element. I'm still an introvert, but now I know that when I'm telling lawmakers that they need to take responsibility for supporting mothers and babies through policy - I am IN my element. </div>
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But we need y'all there with Texas Breastfeeding Coalition. Please join us for some or all of the TXBC Fall Meeting & Legislative Action Days this month.</div>
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<a href="http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Ftinyurl.com%2FTXBCFall14&h=hAQF27SGL&enc=AZMn3ytGrCIZ6d8wSgMQJPGp2WcYL5tvQ84hmKsrxO3vqavS2O9wsqpqp06lL3AN2m_SKVK8TpZaN0gYJpX0Y7eCcN-55JCp8fhm8ly1I4DGATqGDQdfgxfVAvxmt3YZY5pQzaQS-W07EocX4sswx7oJ&s=1">tinyurl.com/TXBCFall14</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ422OxziN4hjkBJ2JqT7OGwANi_5p_3qRfELfxgi7Vz39s0UG0wlJiocBUUQOpSbHjXSmVpAmVS3HurWKQYQ5AiaMu6dIVN53caqtEOq8bprw5MuxfAHRnUXD2QIoVpBUN5LxnX7q8R4/s1600/email+to+Margaret.jpg"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ422OxziN4hjkBJ2JqT7OGwANi_5p_3qRfELfxgi7Vz39s0UG0wlJiocBUUQOpSbHjXSmVpAmVS3HurWKQYQ5AiaMu6dIVN53caqtEOq8bprw5MuxfAHRnUXD2QIoVpBUN5LxnX7q8R4/s1600/email+to+Margaret.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
In anticipation of the start of the 84th legislative session, we are meeting with legislators this month, and we need people (whether you're a TXBC member or not) in attendance from all over this huge state. Legislators are most interested in that which their constituents care about, so we need a lot of involvement for our 31 large Senate districts and our 150 Representative districts. There will be training before you meet with legislators/staffers, and efforts will be made to pair people together for meetings, so the meetings won't be as intimidating as they may sound!<br />
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The TXBC Fall Meeting and Legislative Action Days are just a week and a half away now, on Nov. 17 & 18. To register for the meeting, <a href="http://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/fall-meeting-legislative-action/">click here</a>.<br />
<br />
There is a downloadable flyer on the Fall Meeting page of the website if you want to share meeting information with other breastfeeding advocates. You can also help to promote the event by inviting friends <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1713337082224202/">on Facebook</a>.<br />
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If you are only able to attend Day 2 (Tuesday, Nov. 18) of the meeting, there will be no registration fee for <b>Day 2 only</b> attendance. <b><i>To register for Day 2 only, please complete this two-question survey</i></b>: <a href="http://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/?email_id=38&user_id=3&urlpassed=aHR0cDovL3RleGFzYnJlYXN0ZmVlZGluZ2NvYWxpdGlvbi5vcmcvP2VtYWlsX2lkPTQwJmFtcDt1c2VyX2lkPTMmYW1wO3VybHBhc3NlZD1hSFIwY0hNNkx5OTNkM2N1YzNWeWRtVjViVzl1YTJWNUxtTnZiUzl6TDFKVVUwNVFVVVklM0QmYW1wO2NvbnRyb2xsZXI9c3RhdHMmYW1wO2FjdGlvbj1hbmFseXNlJmFtcDt3eXNpamEtcGFnZT0xJmFtcDt3eXNpamFwPXN1YnNjcmlwdGlvbnM%3D&controller=stats&action=analyse&wysija-page=1&wysijap=subscriptions">https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/RTSNPQF</a><br />
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This meeting will be held in the Banquet Room of the Capitol Grill (E1.002) at the state Capitol in Austin. There is limited power, so bring your electronic devices fully charged.<br />
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In addition to our legislative agenda, the meeting will include TXBC business, an ethics E CERP and a screening of the incredible documentary, <a href="http://milkywayfoundation.org/">The Milky Way</a>.<br />
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If you need to bring your baby/child, that's perfectly alright! If they become distracting, you'll be able to step out into the cafeteria or even stroll around the Capitol to settle them, & then rejoin the meeting! If you are interested in child care, that is something we may be able to arrange for. Email <a href="mailto:txbfleg@gmail.com">txbfleg@gmail.com</a> with "Child Care" in the subject so we can gauge interest.<br />
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If you are unable to attend, please visit the lege page of our website at <a href="http://txbfleg.com/">TXBFLeg.com</a> for a menu of ways to support pro-breastfeeding legislation. <br />
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See the flyer on the website for more details, and please register or complete the survey as soon as you are able, to facilitate appointment making.</div>
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<br />
A HOSPITAL has <a href="http://www.everythinglubbock.com/story/d/story/lubbock-woman-kicked-out-of-umc-for-breastfeeding/27403/YvnNI5vJPkahlEn5EbHyiA">discriminated against a breastfeeding mother</a>. <br />
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We have hospitals in Texas doing things right - the <a href="http://texastenstep.org/">Texas Ten Step Program</a>, the Star Achiever Initiative, hospitals seeking <a href="http://www.unicef.org/programme/breastfeeding/baby.htm">Baby-Friendly</a> status.<br />
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Then there's UMC, where someone decided to tell a mother with a four-month-old infant waiting for her appointment - to breastfeed in private. In a restroom, in fact. <br />
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Someone who thought that the <i>health of that baby</i> was trumped by the discomfort of some adults.<br />
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NO!<br />
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I have no doubt this will go viral. And everyone will be talking about <a href="http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/HS/htm/HS.165.htm">Texas law</a>. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Courier New', arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-indent: 47.359375px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sec. 165.002. RIGHT TO BREAST-FEED. A mother is entitled to breast-feed her baby in any location in which the mother is authorized to be.</span></blockquote>
And who will be correcting the people who comment that what that hospital did was totally illegal?<br />
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You.<br />
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We need you to spread the word while this is being discussed in articles and social media that it is not illegal to violate a mother's right to <b><i><u>feed her child</u></i></b>. And until it IS illegal, this kind of discrimination will continue to jeopardize breastfeeding relationships.<br />
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Texas Breastfeeding Coalition is <a href="http://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/fall-meeting-legislative-action/">meeting November 17 and 18</a> and we will make a presentation to legislators and staffers on legislation we will support in the coming session. We will also have meetings in their offices. The bill closest to my heart will be filed by Representative Farrar. It will make it illegal to interfere with or restrict breastfeeding, it will educate business owners that the law exists, and it will allow mothers to sue businesses for a max of $500 if they are harassed. </div>
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If that sounds like something you want to make happen, <a href="http://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/fall-meeting-legislative-action/">register for the TXBC meeting</a> and help us. It will take people from all over this humongous state (<b><i>politely</i></b>) demanding that their representatives and senators take responsibility for supporting mothers and babies. Policy is vital to changing this systemic problem, where even in a hospital, a mother must worry that she will be confronted by ignorance.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpqa91YqIILOlpsf-DZc4DkcRsucqhCm5JjA9omh0hm7H9FpxkgvwDVFrdRjmFHWBMpCJJCAoZ7Qto6fEQR17n_PlCUoUdaZs6UbtEz1uTrnA5mCcjXjVP6eAz7Y1AJ1njTd6i2R8QfuA/s1600/MilkWalkTGBP-08844.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpqa91YqIILOlpsf-DZc4DkcRsucqhCm5JjA9omh0hm7H9FpxkgvwDVFrdRjmFHWBMpCJJCAoZ7Qto6fEQR17n_PlCUoUdaZs6UbtEz1uTrnA5mCcjXjVP6eAz7Y1AJ1njTd6i2R8QfuA/s1600/MilkWalkTGBP-08844.jpg" height="270" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://mandiwolfephotography.wordpress.com/">Photo Courtesy of The Good Body Project</a></td></tr>
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If you cannot make this meeting, plan to attend the next one in February, and go to <a href="http://txbfleg.com/">TXBFLeg.com</a> to see how else you can be a part of making change happen.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3114152068970678707.post-37427264486947598852014-10-11T01:08:00.000-07:002014-10-11T01:17:19.022-07:00My Sweet Pea's HeartOn August 24th, my five-year-old middle son walked off the edge of a playscape and got hurt. Hearing my husband's reaction to seeing the fall, I rushed over as Adam scooped Sweet Pea up and sat him down on the playscape to look at him. He started to lay down and I realized he'd passed out. He was kicking his legs and I thought he must be having a seizure. I felt panicky and told Adam to call 911.<br />
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By the time he grabbed his phone from a few feet away, Sweet Pea was conscious again. He didn't talk for a couple of minutes, and didn't make any sense for a couple more, but the crisis was over so quickly that we were left reeling, unsure of what had just happened. <br />
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When we saw the doctor, she thought he may just have passed out in reaction to the pain, that it may not be the neurocardiogenic syncope that we have in our family's medical history. That was my fear; I worried this would happen again and again throughout his life.<br />
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Our pediatrician ordered an EKG, which for some reason I assumed would reveal nothing. And she thought it looked fine, but said she'd send it to the specialist to read it, to be sure.<br />
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Later that day she called to say that the EKG showed something. By the time we hung up I had written down the names and numbers for two pediatric cardiology offices; I was supposed to see one within the week. <br />
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But I couldn't really remember what else she'd said. I felt crazy. I felt SO guilty. <br />
There'd been medical jargon, and I had no clue what it meant, and I was freaking the $#%@ out. I wracked my brain for the word while I called my sister, who did her best to talk me down. <br />
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She asked if the doctor had said Long QT Syndrome. I thought not, but then I started to worry that was it, and I was even more freaked out, because I knew that would be a very scary condition. I had Adam leave a message with the pedi that we needed another call to go over it again. <br />
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Finally I started Googling EKG, or something, and there it was - "pre-excitation." <br />
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I was a little familiar with one form of pre-ecitation syndrome. My sister has Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome. <br />
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Adam and I watched a video online and learned that electricity should only travel between the top chambers and bottom chambers through the AV node. But Sweet Pea has an extra pathway. So electrical impulses can go through there, as well, and the heart can beat too quickly.<br />
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The pediatric cardiologist confirmed Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome, and also said he has an innocent (harmless) heart murmur. After a long ultrasound we were told that his heart is structurally sound. So the only concern is the WPW.<br />
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We were referred to another pedi cardiologist, an electrophysiologist who treats pre-excitation syndrome. He put SP on a heart monitor for 24 hours to determine if the accessory pathway might be a weak one. Sometimes with WPW, when the heart gets beating really fast, the pathway is too weak to keep up and the heart rate kind of maxes out - or at least that's how I understand it.<br />
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Sweet Pea's extra pathway isn't wimpy. <br />
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The biggest concern with WPW is that, while it is rare, people can die from it. And there's no way of telling who might die suddenly and who might never even have an episode of an excessively fast heart rate.<br />
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So on Tuesday they'll send a catheter up through the femoral artery, into Sweet Pea's heart. They'll locate the pathway and, depending on where it is, will use either hot or cold energy to zap it. The success rate of radiofrequency ablation is 95%. The risk of a major complication is about 3%. The risk of sudden death is 0 to 0.39% per year. Much lower (yearly) than the risks involved in treatment - but as terrified as I am of the procedure, I am more afraid of a .39% chance of Sweet Pea just suddenly dying from something we can cure.<br />
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And I really am terrified of medical procedures. I passed out over shots for most of my childhood. I took care of my mother when she had breast cancer, and I barely stayed conscious when she had her lung drained to treat pleural effusion and when she had a PICC line inserted. <br />
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I had my first son naturally to avoid having an epidural. Giving birth naturally was incredibly empowering, so the other two were born without interventions not out of any fear. But the first time around, I was more afraid of that needle and the possible avalanche of medical interventions than I was of contractions.<br />
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I'm terrified of sedation, even. My mother's heart stopped twice under anesthesia when I was a kid. <br />
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I'm an anxious person to begin with, but the anxiety over this situation is becoming unbearable. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJepdJNlGaPpGV3u2aTkcp85HWtFYgY2k54Lc62jDbxnSQNVj7NOmL4VXMRM8pMqCOf667UbnvW23HYVY2IbWO1Uy5o00VI1QRMWEn2f3juRve4PBbhFdn_Hn85XiUeGcfoLmqFgGaDPE/s1600/10641095_549459788487917_4686961262039172638_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJepdJNlGaPpGV3u2aTkcp85HWtFYgY2k54Lc62jDbxnSQNVj7NOmL4VXMRM8pMqCOf667UbnvW23HYVY2IbWO1Uy5o00VI1QRMWEn2f3juRve4PBbhFdn_Hn85XiUeGcfoLmqFgGaDPE/s1600/10641095_549459788487917_4686961262039172638_n.jpg" height="640" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet Pea & Magoo celebrating my blog's 2nd birthday with cupcakes at Quintessence. He has such a beautiful smile, but it's hard to catch on camera. I told him to smile like I was going to tickle him, and he laughed and acted like I was actually tickling him. Sweet, silly boy.</td></tr>
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For some reason, I've not talked about it much with people, in real life or on social media. And that's increasing my anxiety. I feel like there's not much point connecting with people on anything, when the most important thing is one I'm mostly guarding. <br />
<br />
I've become almost silent on the KANIP Facebook page. I didn't follow through with finishing my logo contest, I barely promoted Quintessence. <br />
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It's hard for me to put energy into advocacy when I feel like, for two years now, advocacy has often taken priority over my family - especially in regards to my desire to provide them with all that comes with the homemaker side of my job. And right now I just want to focus on my family.<br />
<br />
So I've gradually drifted away from posting. And it sucks. And it's awesome. I'm starting to let go of some of the anxiety I have about staying current with breastfeeding news and posting regularly and maintaining my reach and keeping up with Facebook algorithms, etc. <br />
<br />
But as nice as the vacation from my work has been, this passion of mine being neglected isn't sustainable. Working on pro-breastfeeding legislation is extremely important to me. It's my Rose, if you're familiar with "The Little Prince." I've put too much time into her to give up now.<br />
<br />
So, I guess I've come to feel that I needed to put this out there. <br />
<br />
Thankfully my friend Mandi helps me admin the Facebook page, and she has shared funny memes and thought-provoking articles while I've been turtling. But I need to feel like this situation is not in the way of me posting a funny meme, because right now I wouldn't bother. It seems too unimportant compared to what I want to be saying. I feel like I've needed to explain why I've been absent. <br />
<br />
And I needed to write it out, to process it. I don't really understand exactly why I feel like I need to put it on my blog. It's not about breastfeeding or even feminism or gender issues or body image or anything non-breastfeeding that I sometimes share about. <br />
<br />
I guess that maybe it's that this blog is such a personal outlet for me. I have an impulse now to talk about this because it's so personal, but I've been holding it too tightly. I need help to carry it. I've been telling friends and colleagues more. I hope that the more I share, the more I'll let go of my fears and anxiety. Because they get worse the closer Tuesday gets. And my baby needs me to be strong, not terrified.<br />
<br />
I know that, in a way, this is no big deal. There are far worse things. I'm thankful the WPW was diagnosed and can be treated. Still, this is my sensitive, compassionate, precious, sunny little boy who tells goofy jokes and gives the <b>best </b>snuggles and is just freaking delightful. And lucky as we are that it's not worse, I'm still scared.<br />
<br />
I'd appreciate any prayers, positive vibes, and good juju that you can send Sweet Pea and my family and the doctors and nurses and anesthesiologist treating him on Tuesday morning. And if you have any advice about preparing the boys and/or getting through this, I'd appreciate it. <br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3114152068970678707.post-3594254247639571602014-08-21T19:47:00.000-07:002014-08-21T19:47:04.581-07:00KANIP Logo Contest <span id="goog_188930664"></span>I've been meaning to have a logo contest for my blog for like two years. Well, maybe a little less, cause it's not two years old yet, but for a really long time, y'all. Seems like National Breastfeeding Month is as good a reason as any to quit procrastinating.<br />
<span id="goog_1914525773"></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_1914525772"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpddBToWqIQTdNFZjol92jsT92bBV7RgYjAD0DhOTLuFbN-GR26KgAtFeIAVrMgmU9GdTBzqIN1b60xLVYe4mEK_cSA7-GwJ4EKAm10866nojMSc1SqH1PUGBubS1UEn7vLHXb6iDkk4w/s320/534295_285489908218241_1342150988_n(1).jpg" height="320" width="223" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px; text-align: start;"><a href="http://keepaustinnip.blogspot.com/2013/10/wonder-woman-likes-my-page.html">Photo by Jennifer Gabriele</a></span></td></tr>
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Once, in college, I had to do a project for an art class that was required for my design/tech theatre degree. I had this large framed mirror that was cracked - I don't remember if it cracked around the time of the project or I risked seven years bad luck for the sake of a grade or what, but I used the mirror and a sloppy mess of pink ribbon and I think I splattered it with black paint. It was supposed to be about my mother's breast cancer. It looked like crap. I seem to recall tossing it in a dumpster once it was graded and returned to me. I have blocked any memory of what grade I received.<br />
<br />
I'm not an artist. BUT, I think it would rock like Slayer to have a logo for my blog. I love the Wonder Woman photo I use on FB, and I'm super appreciative that my husband Adam (a brilliant copywriter/marketing consultant/pianist/songwriter, and also NOT - notnotnotnotnot - a graphic artist) made the cover photo I have on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/keepaustinnip" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. The blue and red work for Wonder Woman, but with text, it makes my eyes hurt. Seriously. I worry it could give someone a seizure.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheplk_kPCJN61CmPrAHcoz-V-MfMPENS8Xmellgo2s-Xqjis6H3JFgQyNNZhQSOhTQ37_bwGYQDpi-7UAKBz7gq5npmyi39SFpX7WsNtj84tyiIPTqj2tBOgYzPQ6PFb2e9XICHifn9Ho/s1600/533961_297988816968350_1978941304_n.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheplk_kPCJN61CmPrAHcoz-V-MfMPENS8Xmellgo2s-Xqjis6H3JFgQyNNZhQSOhTQ37_bwGYQDpi-7UAKBz7gq5npmyi39SFpX7WsNtj84tyiIPTqj2tBOgYzPQ6PFb2e9XICHifn9Ho/s400/533961_297988816968350_1978941304_n.png" height="212" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_1152219142"></span>Source<span id="goog_1152219143"></span></a></td></tr>
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I have just about zero guidance on how it should look. I'd like to have a new profile pic and cover photo, something that works together. But if it's just a logo, not like a whole concept-ey kind of a thing, that's cool, too. Whatever. I'm not picky. <br />
<br />
Oh - I called the blog Keep Austin Nursing in Public after the <a href="http://www.keepaustinweird.com/" target="_blank">Keep Austin Weird</a> campaign that's about supporting local businesses. The slogan is repurposed a lot around here. The font Adam used mimics the one used for the bumper stickers and T-shirts around town, and I like that. But I do want my advocacy work to reach outside of the ATX, and to expand my audience. Just FYI. So maybe no, like, Austin skyline, ya know?<br />
<br />
And while mostly I blog about breastfeeding advocacy, I also post about feminism in general, body image, gender stereotyping, parenthood, etc. But mostly boobs.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Entry constitutes permission to use your name and logo in the future, without additional compensation. A</span>ny </span>submissions are made with the understanding that I have permission to use, edit, etc. (not edit as in mess with your art, but, for example, with our breastfeeding coalition the name is part of the logo and I've needed to remove that for some projects.) I don't know if that makes them my property or just that you're giving the A-OK to use them. I can't afford a graphic designer let alone a lawyer to make this sound all official; if you have questions please ask so we're on the same page. If you submit a logo and I use it, it may well end up on T-shirts, and even if I make a little dough selling those, you'll just be stuck with your one shirt. <b>Oh, yeah - if you win, I'll make you a shirt! </b> (That's the aforementioned compensation, but just for the person whose logo I use.)<br />
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Submissions are due no later than 11:57 pm on September 4th to KeepAustinNIP@gmail.com, with "LOGO" in the subject. It should be a high res image that I can use on your shirt. It would be great to get it as a Jpeg, & also in an EPS format (I don't know what that is, but I know it's been preferable for our coalition shirts in the past).<br />
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Be sure to subscribe to this blog in case there are updates. I feel certain I'm forgetting something... <br /><br />If all goes well I'll share the chosen logo on September 5th - the anniversary of the <a href="http://keepaustinnip.blogspot.com/2012/11/a-letter-to-principal.html" target="_blank">incident that started this whole advocacy thing</a> for me. Cause I want to celebrate the Lemonade with a new logo!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3114152068970678707.post-68529258839910014112014-07-11T18:40:00.000-07:002014-07-11T18:40:33.659-07:00Can You Help Michael?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTmV6hH4Ro3S1nyoIseEtjsKxL5dohZgIZmdYh44sBiNkXsp3pnqASPc0jKZXvnkaczsektNrj5poOo3vloVR1LT09sgvwfYDvdRrd4FFZCbj_DCS1puod390zSq4U0XyuVn7bRTFF9NQ/s1600/Michael.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A friend of mine helped you, though you may not even know it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now I'd like to tell you <a href="http://helpthehams.com/"><span style="color: blue;">how you can help her</span></a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This blog started because my sons' school district adopted a regulation requiring nursing mothers to go to a private room. The chief legal counsel insisted this was legal and claimed that the practice was in place "at the </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">City of Austin, Travis County, The University of Texas, Seton Family of Hospitals, and other school districts in the Austin area."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /><span style="line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">Knowing this to be hogwash and having majored in journalism, my dear friend Rachel Ham started contacting the places on the list, systematically refuting every claim. It was her call to Hays Consolidated Independent School District that led to the <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B_hYjF9aSBelTVlENTgwRDJ0WjA/edit">breastfeeding-friendly policy there</a>. Austin ISD's Board Policy Committee drew heavily on the Hays policy when deciding to adopt a regulation that upholds the law. <br /><br />So that's a little bit about Rachel, and how she helped breastfeeding moms, and one way in which she is awesome.</span><br /><br /><span style="line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">Rachel's little boy is very, very ill. Scary ill. </span><br /><br /><span style="line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">Although she breastfed Michael for 14 months and breastmilk helps to prevent C. diff infections, he got sick with it seven months ago and has been fighting re-infections ever since. The doctors are resorting to a rarely used treatment not covered by Rachel's health insurance, so on top of everything else her family is going through, they now have to find a way to pay for a treatment they cannot afford but is vital to getting Michael safe.</span><br /><br /><span style="line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">You can help here: <a href="http://helpthehams.com/"><span style="color: blue;">Help the Hams</span></a></span><br /><br /><span style="line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">I know there are so many things out there that you could do with your money. I know you're probably here because if I ever ask anything of you, it's usually about breastfeeding advocacy and that matters to you. I know this isn't about breastfeeding.</span><br /><br /><span style="line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">I've felt so helpless as Michael has gotten sick over and over again. I've been so afraid for them, cried so many tears, prayed so many prayers. I'm writing about this here because it's something I can do, to try to help. I can ask you to please consider helping, even just in a small way. I can't cure Michael, but I can try to help lift this unnecessary financial burden from his family. <a href="http://helpthehams.com/"><span style="color: blue;">I hope you'll help, too</span></a>.</span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTmV6hH4Ro3S1nyoIseEtjsKxL5dohZgIZmdYh44sBiNkXsp3pnqASPc0jKZXvnkaczsektNrj5poOo3vloVR1LT09sgvwfYDvdRrd4FFZCbj_DCS1puod390zSq4U0XyuVn7bRTFF9NQ/s1600/Michael.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTmV6hH4Ro3S1nyoIseEtjsKxL5dohZgIZmdYh44sBiNkXsp3pnqASPc0jKZXvnkaczsektNrj5poOo3vloVR1LT09sgvwfYDvdRrd4FFZCbj_DCS1puod390zSq4U0XyuVn7bRTFF9NQ/s1600/Michael.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet Michael, exhausted by the <br />constant fight his body is waging.</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3114152068970678707.post-34032434773232558692014-07-10T20:26:00.000-07:002014-08-14T21:31:00.220-07:00National Breastfeeding Month Events in Austin<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">August
is National Breastfeeding Month and the first week is World Breastfeeding Week! </span><span style="line-height: 107%;">How will you celebrate the breastfeedingest time of the year?!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 107%;">I'll do my best to update the events below as new details come up. I have some ideas that I'm really excited about but I need to find some time and help to make them happen. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3NKrHRsDpXkc0Wuh_CXozKTKA0dMYdp7C-tcRhfVOuurth9uCKlANm65JkhA0sibZdA1xlT5CDJAm2Zgn2fqq13P6icsK42pW-BLgqqFOL4bzi8N31OGDr63rOroHCMTpleARp5QP6Io/s1600/10549671_808503442501965_8766711744652919942_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3NKrHRsDpXkc0Wuh_CXozKTKA0dMYdp7C-tcRhfVOuurth9uCKlANm65JkhA0sibZdA1xlT5CDJAm2Zgn2fqq13P6icsK42pW-BLgqqFOL4bzi8N31OGDr63rOroHCMTpleARp5QP6Io/s1600/10549671_808503442501965_8766711744652919942_o.jpg" height="260" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was honored to be a part of Leilani Rogers' <a href="http://www.photosbylei.com/2014/07/29/public-breastfeeding-awareness-project/">Public Breastfeeding Awareness Project</a>. <br />
Check out her <a href="http://www.photosbylei.com/">blog</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/leilani.rogers.photographer">Facebook page</a> August 1-7 for more wonderful NIP photos.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 21.399999618530273px;"><b>Membership Drive:</b></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 21.399999618530273px;">Did you know that you can be a part of your state and local breastfeeding coalitions? This strengthens the coalitions, because there is strength in numbers, and gives you more opportunities to promote and support breastfeeding. </span></span><span style="line-height: 21.399999618530273px;">You can encourage your friends, family, pediatrician, dentist, hair stylist, midwife group, doula group, ETC.! to join - and </span><i style="line-height: 21.399999618530273px;">win a prize</i><span style="line-height: 21.399999618530273px;">! What prize, you ask? I'm not sure just yet - I'm still working on that. For sure it will include an autographed book by </span><a href="http://www.breastfeedingmaterials.com/about" style="color: #1155cc; line-height: 21.399999618530273px;" target="_blank">Barbara Wilson-Clay</a><span style="line-height: 21.399999618530273px;">!</span><span style="line-height: 21.399999618530273px;"> If you'd like to contribute to the prizes, contact me at <a href="mailto:KeepAustinNIP@gmail.com" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">KeepAustinNIP@gmail.com</a> and include "Prizes" in the subject. To WIN a prize, have those you refer be certain to include your name as the person who referred them. The prize(s) will go to whomever recruits the most members (with extra weight given to recruited organizations), and if there is a tie the winner will be randomly chosen from the top recruiters.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 21.399999618530273px;"><br />Join <a href="http://keepaustinbreastfeeding.org/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Central Texas Breastfeeding Coalition</a> (we're transitioning from the name Central Texas Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition) for $10/year as an individual or for $30/year as an organization <a href="http://keepaustinbreastfeeding.org/support/membership-application/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">here</a> and have your recruits include your name</span></span><span style="line-height: 21.399999618530273px;"> in the "Specific Interests" field of the membership form.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 21.399999618530273px;"><br />Join <a href="http://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Texas Breastfeeding Coalition</a> for $10 per individual, $25 for agencies/organizations, and $100 for businesses. Ask your recruits to include your name with the committee they would like to join on the form <a href="http://texasbreastfeedingcoalition.org/membership-account/membership-levels/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="line-height: 21.399999618530273px;">Breastfeeding T-shirts:</b></span></div>
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<tr><td style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOYvpj-1Hr4EJQ7rLiRPPbIayjxK3nB92pp5FcjRArgTLEjCArFsqel6ttd9tPTFh9vAnqMzsXh-nwTz4cvMSxE5UrlMO277st32ddsy2GODp3iAH9MOIV3GNpI0zDqfPSYZp6hQFbzbk/s1600/We+Can+Do+It.jpg" style="clear: left; color: #1155cc; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEi-d9Zv49nbLPdT8J_LlowJJhHcfdn03DNcsFeEiRa99ENmX22axpIPn-tQGT-fn4NfYoJijO2HIEe2_XP6TZ9Tm4Z2aF21tK2d1LlLukMpM_7YsvaZ7TpSkuhjE5rgYctAxkHWsoWMsRNQ2jnKIkoWBS10-i-fJFa7aJeEPSvJeAjoUxoVzd_2UB4TB_Lya4kmNYEA7jXBTPjnUlnzbnr2xUR2xKf7gHW8suSU-fQf2Nlhzm5mLBaF0vL9HwUoRucYa_oua_xR_ZHf3R2ObIu0jX3lWd6z9hyphenhyphen7UH54xEgIP_MWFvYJoUZcLgh7A5AW6ufXrvlFJWBbpdfzH7PAexRANhtb88FsyOebS6YQGeFmGMXN4XOgUPvpFAyZo5MkURIyhoqrFVAoKSRjbFHs9jeGbeYSwlA=s0-d-e1-ft+Can+Do+It.jpg" width="307" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">Image courtesy of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JustMisunderstood" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Melissa Mason Hansen</a></td></tr>
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<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 21.399999618530273px;">If you need another reason to join CTBC, here it is! T-shirts with this fantastic breastfeeding Rosie the Riveter image by artist Melissa Mason Hansen will be available with membership beginning with our August 9th screening of The Milky Way (see events list below). T-shirts will be available for pick up by members/with membership registration at select August events including the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/733000256746626/">Community Breastfeeding Support Initiative</a> on August 20, while supplies last.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYsGDOfvrqvxuS1me0ff4BQgMqFMxbvGLrVFvUHtRJoFQFGPj9T4fj2Js2s5Oh2ohvxoA1jAtNTryLZ_5X2qP_vl9CXCAmham8z0nURVPrwvdnhKx9ZZ1hCVlt472L-TfXRM9rggTUbdE/s1600/551205_738450722838987_1098311459_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYsGDOfvrqvxuS1me0ff4BQgMqFMxbvGLrVFvUHtRJoFQFGPj9T4fj2Js2s5Oh2ohvxoA1jAtNTryLZ_5X2qP_vl9CXCAmham8z0nURVPrwvdnhKx9ZZ1hCVlt472L-TfXRM9rggTUbdE/s1600/551205_738450722838987_1098311459_n.jpg" height="320" width="214" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">At last year's latch on event. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">My biggest kid snuggling my littlest </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">during the latch. So sweet.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u>August 2</u><br />
Event:</b> <b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Latch On Texas</span><br />
</i></b></span><span style="line-height: 21.399999618530273px;">Are you ready to get your Latch On?!! </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Latch On Texas will highlight breastfeeding by having mothers across
Texas breastfeeding their babies at Latch On Texas sites across the state. It is an inclusive event open to mothers
feeding their babies their own breastmilk or donor milk via SNS, syringe, tube,
or other delivery method. (This event is in lieu of The Big Latch On, which is now sponsored by a for-profit milk bank. Many advocates are uncomfortable with this as our priority is the HMBANA non-profit milk banks like <a href="http://www.milkbank.org/">Mothers' Milk Bank at Austin</a>.)<br /><b>Two Locations:</b> <br /><u><i><b>In Austin</b></i>:</u> <a href="http://www.thenaturalbabyco.com/tnbc-austin.html">The Natural Baby Company</a>, 515 South Congress, Suite 200, Austin)<br /><b>
Time:</b> 10:00am; Latch will be promptly at 10:30am for 1 minute; store will open at 9:30am<br /><b>Details:</b> The Natural Baby Company will give each participant a free pair of <a href="https://buybamboobies.com/product-category/bamboobies/">Bamboobies</a> nursing pads, and Central Texas Breastfeeding Coalition will bring CDs and breastfeeding literature from WIC. We will have two fantastic photographers - <a href="http://www.paigewilks.com/">Paige Wilks Photography</a> and <a href="http://www.aninfinitemomentphotography.com/">An Infinite Moment</a> - check them out! They're both participant photographers in <a href="https://www.facebook.com/leilani.rogers.photographer">Leilani Rogers</a>' Public Breastfeeding Awareness Project (see her #PBAP2014 <a href="http://sanantonio.twcnews.com/content/news/303651/photographs-aim-to-eliminate-stigma-surrounding-public-breastfeeding/">interview here</a> with one of my breastfeeding heroes, Jennifer Borget).<br /><u><i><b>In Round Rock</b></i>:</u> Farmer's Market at 300 University Blvd. (parking lot of Scott and White Hospital)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Time: </b>9:00am-10:30am; Latch will be promptly at 10:30am for 1 minute</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Details:</b> Williamson County WIC is hosting this event. To sign in go to the WIC ROCK and REST station anytime between 9:00 and 10:30. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik_XRmMSZFbFIEz9TJLjkCQ847VndBmkDmTndUX45nT7Lzy7ppoIr_ZP4uJMmEB-HU3pCJ0acqZYTZmfqpFJUdrfWOB0_vvT4vKotcCklnHUNCPgk6XOYv0mE45Ukdb-mwfp846YlmH50/s1600/10446024_664831503600035_2686984009859040929_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik_XRmMSZFbFIEz9TJLjkCQ847VndBmkDmTndUX45nT7Lzy7ppoIr_ZP4uJMmEB-HU3pCJ0acqZYTZmfqpFJUdrfWOB0_vvT4vKotcCklnHUNCPgk6XOYv0mE45Ukdb-mwfp846YlmH50/s1600/10446024_664831503600035_2686984009859040929_o.jpg" height="640" width="507" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u>August 2</u><br />
</b><b>Event:</b> <b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Concerts for a Cause</span><br />
</i></b>Father and (9-year-old) son duo <a href="http://rockaroniandcheese.com/"><b><i>Rockaroni & Cheese</i></b></a> will give a
concert benefiting Central Texas Breastfeeding Coalition. (By the by, this is my husband and kid, and they're kind of freaking awesome!) <a href="http://www.fancyfigphotography.com/blog">Fancy Fig Photography</a> will provide a photo booth, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/grammystastytreatstx">Grammy's Tasty Treats</a> will donate 20% of proceeds to CTBC. Share the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/728030707256542/?ref=4">Facebook event page</a> with your friends!</span><br />
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Location:</b> Milt’s BBQ Pit, 208 W. Center St., Kyle</span><br />
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Time:</b> 5:30-8:00pm</span><br />
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Cost:</b> Donation</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqZwuN3533y6n8XlJdngz5d7z3FUs1ocpynGzVzKu1yInpzO7fPVb-awhezOPdczwvTXrFdQjVUgDT7nOH7ZbVvMlgA53NWuFxpJnJ03m9whOXeSqNxlvqE0WQxfZKREYMROxrFkrYLus/s1600/1962803_651323511572195_2100659251_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqZwuN3533y6n8XlJdngz5d7z3FUs1ocpynGzVzKu1yInpzO7fPVb-awhezOPdczwvTXrFdQjVUgDT7nOH7ZbVvMlgA53NWuFxpJnJ03m9whOXeSqNxlvqE0WQxfZKREYMROxrFkrYLus/s1600/1962803_651323511572195_2100659251_n.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Rockaroni and Cheese</span></td></tr>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">August 7</span></u></b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Event: <span style="font-size: large;"><i>"</i></span></b><b style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Breastfeeding Month Concert"</i></span></span></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Join <a href="http://milkbank.org/">Mothers' Milk Bank at Austin</a> for awesome music, prizes and of course lots of fun at the third annual breastfeeding month concert! Featuring the highly acclaimed Austin musician <a href="http://www.elizabeth-mcqueen.com/">Elizabeth McQueen</a>, this breastfeeding and milk banking awareness concert is FREE and family-friendly!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><b>Location:</b><i> </i><a href="http://www.centralmarket.com/Home" style="background-color: white;" target="_blank">Central Market North</a></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><b>Time:</b> </span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1840877351" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">6:30pm-9:00pm</span></span><br /><b>Cost: </b>Free</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u>August 9</u><br />
Event:</b> <b><i><span style="font-size: large;">“<a href="http://milkywayfoundation.org/">The Milky Way</a>” screening, with Panel Discussion & Breastfeeding
Month Proclamation </span></i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
CTBC helped to fund this incredible documentary, and we are proud to offer a
screening in celebration of National Breastfeeding Month! A panel discussion with special gues<span style="font-family: inherit;">ts </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Julie Stagg from DSHS, Tracy Erickson of Texas WIC, pediatrician Dr. Vaidyanathan, IBCLC and CTBC vice president <a href="http://www.bfsuccess.com/">Janet Jones</a>, and myself w</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">ill
follow the film, and City Council Member Laura Morrison will present a
Procl</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">amation. For more information, go </span><a href="http://keepaustinbreastfeeding.org/2014/07/20/for-our-national-breastfeeding-month-celebration-we-will-be-screening-the-groundbreaking-documentary-the-milky-way-every-mother-has-a-story/" style="font-family: inherit;">here</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Remember - the awesome T-shirts will be available at the event for members!</span><br />
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Location:</b> Alamo Drafthouse, <span style="background: #FAFAFA;">5701 W. Slaughter
Lane, Austin</span><b>
Time: </b>1:00pm-4:00pm<br /><b>Cost:</b> $30 (includes lunch). <a href="http://drafthouse.com/movies/the-milky-way-every-mother-has-a-story/austin">Purchase tickets here</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><b><u>August 12</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Event: </b><b><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Round Rock Express Baseball Game</i></span></span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">Spend the evening with <a href="http://milkbank.org/">Mothers' Milk Bank at Austin</a> celebrating milk banking and breastfeeding while cheering on the Round Rock Express. MMBA will be the featured non-profit of the night. </span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><b>Location: </b></span><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><a href="http://www.milb.com/content/page.jsp?sid=t102&ymd=20100113&content_id=7911106&vkey=team2" target="_blank">Dell Diamond</a></span></div>
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<b>Time: </b>7:00pm</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><b>Cost: </b>Ticket information TBA</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><b><u>August 18</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><b>Event:<span style="font-size: large;"><i> </i></span></b></span><b style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Milk & Cookies Tour</i></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">C<span style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial;">urious to see what goes on in the lab after milk has been donated to <a href="http://milkbank.org/">Mothers' Milk Bank at Austin</a>? Join a Milk & Cookies Tour of the Milk Bank lab </span>followed by milk (or coffee) and cookies.<span style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial;"> Feel free to bring your kids along! Space is limited, so please RSVP to Allie at </span><a href="mailto:allison@milkbank.org" target="_blank"><span style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><span class="il" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">allison@milkbank.org</span></span></a><span style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><span style="background-color: white;"> </span>if you are interested in attending.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Location:</b> Mothers' Milk Bank at Austin</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Time: </b></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">10:30am-11:30am</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u>August 19</u></b> </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><b>Event:<span style="font-size: large;"><i> </i></span></b></span><b style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Milk & Cookies Tour</i></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">See August 18th for more info.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><b>Time: </b></span><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1840877356" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.399999618530273px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">2:00pm-3:00pm</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><u><b>August 20</b></u></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><b>Event:<span style="font-size: large;"><i> </i></span></b></span><b style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Milk & Cookies Tour</i></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">See August 18th for more info.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1840877358" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;"><b>Time: </b>5:30pm-6:30pm</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u>August 20</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>
Event:</b> <b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Community Breastfeeding Support Initiative</span></i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">Austin/Travis County Health & Human Services WIC,</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">Chronic Disease Prevention and Control Programs, and </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">Texas Department of State Health Services Texas Ten Step Star Achiever Program are collaborating on the </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">Breastfeeding Support Information and Networking Session. CTBC will join the meeting in lieu of our regualar August meeting, from 1:30-4:30 i</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">n the Boyd Vance Theatre at the George Washington Carver Museum (1165 Angelina St, Austin).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><br />Please join this gathering of the community, including providers, organizations, public health programs, elected and appointed officials, and families that want to learn about Texas breastfeeding support initiatives and to share information, resources, and ideas to strengthen community-based breastfeeding support for new families.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><br />RSVP to wichelp@austintexas.gov by August 13, 2014. Please indicate the name of your organization (if any) and the number of attendees.<br /><br />A reception will follow immediately to celebrate WIC's 40th anniversary!<br /><br />Our fantastic CTBC breastfeeding T-shirts will be available to members at this event.<br /><br />Please invite anyone you think would like to attend.<br /><br />Find a Facebook event page for this meeting <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/733000256746626/">here</a>.</span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><u><b>August 21</b></u></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><b>Event:<span style="font-size: large;"><i> </i></span></b></span><b style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Milk & Cookies Tour</i></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">See August 18th for more info.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1840877358" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;"><b>Time: </b></span></span></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">12:00pm-1:00pm</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><u><b>August 22</b></u></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><b>Event:<span style="font-size: large;"><i> </i></span></b></span><b style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Milk & Cookies Tour</i></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">See August 18th for more info.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1840877358" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;"><b>Time: </b></span></span></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">10:30am-11:30am</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1840877358" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span>
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<b><u>August 26</u></b></span><br />
<b style="font-family: inherit;">Event: <i><span style="font-size: large;">Mom’s Place Open House</span></i></b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
Learn more about <a href="http://www.momsplace.org/">Mom’s Place, WIC’s Breastfeeding Clinic</a>!<br /><b>
Location:</b> <span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Mom's Place, 8701-B Research Boulevard (Hwy 183), Austin<br /><b>
Time:</b> 10:00am-6:00pm</span></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3114152068970678707.post-83061843906166271232014-05-26T08:14:00.000-07:002014-05-27T09:29:24.019-07:00Diaper Bags - What to Carry AND an Awesome Giveaway!To celebrate reaching 2,000 "Likes" on my Facebook page, <a href="http://www.thenaturalbabyco.com/tnbc-austin.html"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">The Natural Baby Company - Austin, TX</span></a> is sponsoring a giveaway of an award-winning, eco-friendly Lassig diaper bag, valued at $154! Check it out <a href="http://laessig-fashion.com/products/laessig/4family/green-label/produktkatalog/urban-bag-1/lub601-1/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">here</span></a> - it's super cool - made from recycled materials and full of pockets and extra goodies like a changing pad. You can enter to win below the suggestions for what you might want to carry in your diaper bag!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At MommyCon with Whitney, the sweet & lovely owner of TNBC.</td></tr>
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A note about the giveaway: This blog and my <a href="http://facebook.com/keepaustinnip"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Facebook</span></a> page are, I think, equal parts local and global. So don't let the name fool you - feel free to read and like from outside of Austin! And after all, there's that whole "Think Global, Act Local" notion. That said, the contest involves FB-liking local-to-me breastfeeding coalitions <a href="https://www.facebook.com/HMHBCenTX"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">CTBC</span></a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/txbfcoalition"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">TXBC</span></a>, a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AustinDiaperBank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">diaper charity</span></a>, and of course, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheNaturalBabyCompanyAustinTX"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">The Natural Baby Co.</span></a> Even if you're not local, I'm sure you'll still see great stuff in your news feed as a result. And you may be inspired to seek out similar organizations in your area - wouldn't that be cool?<br />
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<i>On Diaper Bags</i><br />
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I'm no BabyGuyNYC, but I was a Girl Scout, so I know a little something about having an over-prepared, bulging-at-the-seams diaper bag. Now in the event of a Zombie Apocalypse, the only truly vital baby gear for me is boobs. But if we're just talking playdates and grocery shopping, you may want to have a bunch of crap for their... well, crap.<br />
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There are a few ways to go with diaper bags. You've heard how moms sometimes handle a dropped pacifier with multiple kids, right? Sanitize with the first, blow them off with the second, just hand it right back to the third?<br />
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Well, if you have just one child, you may opt to have one very large, very well-stocked diaper bag that will do double duty as your purse, because it will be with you <i>always</i>.<br />
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If you are on your second child, you might stuff a diaper and travel wipes case into your purse, and pop the purse into your big old diaper bag, so that the diaper bag can stay in the car and you can just grab your purse to run into places.<br />
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With the third kid? Let's just say, hopefully there will be a few loose diapers floating around in the car if you've already used the one from your purse the next time Baby has a blow-out!<br />
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True confession, though - the first time I took my oldest down the street to see his pediatrician, the nurse, needing to weigh him without a diaper, asked me if I had a diaper for him. I did not! We lived just six minutes away, and it hadn't occurred to me that we'd need a diaper while we were so close to home for just a short while! <br />
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Actually, my wonderful first diaper bag that I'd left home that day finally crapped out (pun intended - sorry, couldn't help it!) when Bellybean, my third son, was wee little. It was an extensively-researched, carefully-selected backpack. The backpack part stunk when I was wearing a kid on my back, but otherwise it was perfectly awesome - full of many pockets so I could organize every little thing.<br />
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Its replacement, my new-to-me/consignment-sale-find, has a changing pad that does not detach from the bag. If you don't win the Lassig bag and you're reading this still needing to buy a bag - do NOT get one with an attached pad. These are stupid. One messy change and the whole bag needs to go in the washing machine. And if your oldest son cracks his head open doing a back flip into the pool while you're cleaning up a blow-out - well, then you're really screwed, cause you'll be rushing to the emergency room with that thing, terrified that you're going to get poo germs in your kid's head wound. But I digress. Or flash back. Whatever.<br />
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Anyway - here's a Girl-Scoutified list of what to pack in your (first kid's) diaper bag. Grab some popcorn and settle in - it's very thorough.<br />
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<i>Krisdee's Diaper Bag Crap Checklist</i><br />
<ul>
<li><b>Bib</b> - If you use one. Is it lazy that I never did?</li>
<li><b><b>Blanket</b><span style="font-weight: normal;"> - There are blankets for swaddling that have Velcro to help you get it right - they're awesome. I have blankets that are just thin cotton fabric with a hem, which are perfect in Texas.</span></b></li>
<li><b>Bottles/Formula/Expressed Milk</b> - If you're bottle feeding, be sure to keep all of the accoutrements ready to go. If you're carrying EBM, you'll want some ice packs and a cooler, or an insulated pocket on your diaper bag.</li>
<li><b>Burp Cloth </b>- Especially if you have a very spitty baby.</li>
<li><b>Business Cards</b> - If you don't have any, consider printing some "Mommy Cards" to give to moms you meet while out and about. Start building your mama tribe!</li>
<li><b>Camera</b> - Hooray for cell phones! When my 8.5-year-old was born, I don't think my phone took pictures. Now if there's a Kodak Moment (does that phrase date me?), we've got our smart phones at the ready. But, let's face it, even when you Instagram it up, many cell pics just suck. It's nice to sometimes have a <i>real</i> camera along.</li>
<li><b>Car Seat Locking Clip</b> - We don't usually use ours, but we have when we've traveled.</li>
<li><b>Change of Clothes</b> - Or maybe two. Including socks, which we sometimes leave the house without, but then want later when the air conditioning makes a place too chilly for baby toes. Don't forget a change of clothes for Baby's potty-training older sibling, too.</li>
<li><b>Changing Pad</b> - Eventually you may just change your kids on concrete or picnic benches, but to start, at least, you'll want a nice padded, washable (not attached to your bag) changing pad. Two might be nice, to swap in the extra if one gets blasted and is in the laundry.</li>
<li><b>Checklist</b> - With Kid #1, I'd use a checklist to be sure I'd restocked my bag every now and again. You can find my <span style="color: #3d85c6;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/18WxF_g1rZa7FLcaw1f_NXGtGH9Oo1cx2KYwZn-SHPzk/edit?usp=sharing">free printable list</a> </span>here. Save it as a Google Doc to customize it.</li>
<li><b>Contact/Emergency Info</b> - Just in case, throw in an index card with your contact information, including an emergency contact or three and your pediatrician's number, and any allergy/medication information. That way if your bag is lost or there's an emergency, there's information to help. You might want to throw in a couple, and when you're in a large crowd you can put one in your child's shoe in case you are separated.</li>
<li><b>Diaper Rash Cream</b> - California Baby is really nice, and is rated a "1" on the Environmental Working Group's <a href="http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Skin Deep®</span></a> Cosmetics Database (a site I highly recommend!). There are some that are a zero, though, too. I should check those out...</li>
<li><b>Diapers</b> - Enough for 2-3 days, because you won't want to have to restock on the daily.</li>
<li><b>Disposable Bags</b> - If you're using disposable diapers, you can usually fold up a diaper and close it up with the tabs. But some blow-outs require a plastic bag, because trying to get that diaper all closed up is like trying to get a tent back into a tent bag. There are biodegradable bags for disposing of diapers, if you want to limit your ecological footprint to just the disposable diapers and not bags on top of that. I always re-used plastic grocery bags, but Austin is bag-free now. Find a pocket on your diaper bag to zip these away when stored so they aren't played with, since they pose a suffocation risk.</li>
<li><b>Ear Plugs</b> - Not a necessity at all, but the disposable ones don't take up any real space, and they've come in handy before when we've left our <a href="http://www.amazon.com/3M-Peltor-Junior-Earmuff-Blue/dp/B0015UX2EK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1400961255&sr=8-1&keywords=peltor+kid%27s+earmuff"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">good ear muffs</span></a> at home and we've been at, say, a hockey game, or concert, or a Chinese New Year celebration (lots of firecrackers!).</li>
<li><b>First-Aid Kit</b> - Bandaids, mostly, but one of those little travel kits with extras might be nice. Just be sure there aren't medicines that your little one could eventually tear into.</li>
<li><b>Hand Sanitizer</b> - I prefer something natural like <a href="http://www.burtsbees.com/Aloe-Witch-Hazel-Hand-Sanitizer/23499-00,default,pd.html"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Burt's Bees</span></a>, because the Triclosan in most antibacterial gels scares me. If you saw that <a href="http://house.wikia.com/wiki/Post_Mortem"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">episode of "House"</span></a> with the pathologist who has thyroid psychosis, then you know what I'm talking about. (Thyroid psychosis is not a medical term as far as I'm aware. But it makes more sense to me than "myxedema crisis.")</li>
<li><b>Hat</b> - For sun or cold, depending on the season. In winter it can be nice to have a an extra pair of mittens, too, in case it's colder than expected once you're out and about, or if you stay out late. And in summer (so, February to October here), those baby-sized sunglasses not only help with half the job of a sunhat, they are cuuuuute - if you can keep them on Baby's head.</li>
<li><b>Instant Cold Compress</b> - This seemed brilliant when I saw them in the Dollar Spot at Target long ago. Never used it. </li>
<li><b>Jacket</b> - Just in case it gets chilly or the coat (s)he's wearing falls victim to bodily fluids.</li>
<li><b>Lanolin</b> - If you have a sample size or have had discomfort, it can be nice to keep some on hand, but you may never need it.</li>
<li><b>Nail Clippers</b> - Because the only time you ever remember to trim your baby's nails is when you have no clippers handy. Or is that just me?</li>
<li><b>Nursing Cover </b>- IF you're more comfortable nursing in public with a cover, remember to tuck this in your bag. Just know that they are not a requirement.</li>
<li><b>Nursing Pads</b> - I had oversupply, so I've needed nursing pads when my babies were born, until my supply leveled out. There are cloth ones, disposable, & also silicone ones that stick to your boobs.</li>
<li><b>Pen/Pencil & Notebook</b> - For making grocery/to do lists in the car while waiting for an interminable nap to end, or for whatever other writing needs arise. This habit formed for me pre-smart phone, but still - batteries die.</li>
<li><b>Purse/Purse Stuff </b>- Either your whole purse, or everything you'd usually carry in it - wallet, chapstick, keys, phone, etc.</li>
<li><b>Shirt for Mom</b> - Leaky boobs and spit up can make this a nice extra to have handy.</li>
<li><b>Shoes</b> - If you're like me and you often carry your toddler to the car forgetting that, now that (s)he toddles, (s)he needs shoes, throw an extra pair into the diaper bag.</li>
<li><b>Sippy Cup</b> - Kleen Kanteen makes my fave. Side note - as a lazy mom, I recommend water only in sippy cups. A rogue sippy cup with juice or milk is not a sippy cup you want to find two weeks later...</li>
<li><b>Sling or Wrap</b> - I like to keep a pouch sling in my diaper bag in case I forget to bring my Ergo with me. It doesn't take up much space at all (I can even fit it in my pocket). In Austin, you can get babywearing help (even rentals) <a href="http://www.bwiaustin.org/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">here</span></a>. Outside of Austin, look <a href="http://babywearinginternational.org/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">here</span></a> for help.</li>
<li><b>Snacks</b> - Pack healthy snacks for yourself, the baby if (s)he's eating solids, and anybody else whose hanger (the anger that results when a someone is insanely hungry) may impact your day.</li>
<li><b>Sunscreen</b> - Because that stuff needs constant reapplications, so you can't get away with just using the bottle at home before you head out the door. I don't want any chemical sunscreens being absorbed by my family members' skin, so although it doesn't go on as super easy and I have to try to rub it in well to avoid the ghostly pallor of a physical barrier sunscreen, my favorite is by Badger. It gets a good rating on <a href="http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Skin Deep®</span></a>. Recommendations are that <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/infant-and-toddler-health/expert-answers/baby-sunscreen/faq-20058159"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">babies under six months should not wear sunscreen</span></a>, but should instead be kept out of the sun.</li>
<li><b>Teether</b> - Rubber teethers are pricey, but are a safe, natural material. No worrying about BPAs, or whatever they're using to replace BPAs in plastics.</li>
<li><b>Thank You for Breastfeeding Cards</b> - These are a must for me. It's easier for me as an introvert who tends to feel shy, to approach a breastfeeding mom if I have a card I can hand her. And since my own <a href="http://keepaustinnip.blogspot.com/2012/11/a-letter-to-principal.html"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">negative NIP incident</span></a>, I've vowed to always say something nice to nursing mamas when I see them.</li>
<li><b>Thermometer</b> - I've actually bought one when out and about - first kid, of course. Then I kept that one in the bag in case I worried and wanted to check his temp while we were away from home. Seems kinda silly now, but I did say "over-prepared."</li>
<li><b>Tissues</b> - 'Cause Mommy's shirt is <i>not</i> a Kleenex.</li>
<li><b>Toys</b> - Because the sweetener packets on the restaurant table are only <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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interesting for so long. I've packed up an extra travel wipes case with little toys, a book, crayons, and paper. (These are played with while supervised, since some could be choking hazards for my under-three-year-old).</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgop6_39vM0YULmrhlLXrjjvoXvaPOzNo5wfnTIvbWyaew4pLkrPH1NY5td3bDEhhN-Rnlf1Tyk4-y2Y98rulchBQFOsFOfaBc-iCyQ9x-Ms3jF9k8AcZNjuCCwQwIJQziv-sebQLrZJl4/s1600/diaper+bag+toy+box+toys+labeled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgop6_39vM0YULmrhlLXrjjvoXvaPOzNo5wfnTIvbWyaew4pLkrPH1NY5td3bDEhhN-Rnlf1Tyk4-y2Y98rulchBQFOsFOfaBc-iCyQ9x-Ms3jF9k8AcZNjuCCwQwIJQziv-sebQLrZJl4/s1600/diaper+bag+toy+box+toys+labeled.jpg" height="400" width="325" /></a></div>
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<b>Water for Mom</b> - Especially if you're nursing - and <i>especially</i> especially if you're nursing in Texas - have a bottle of water in your bag. I read that while aluminum is no longer considered to be linked to Alzheimer's, it does require a plastic liner, which could contain BPAs. And single-use plastic contains endocrine disruptors, too, in addition to not being environmentally-friendly. I opt for stainless steel with no plastic liner - I love our Klean Kanteens.</div>
<ul>
<li><b>Wet Bag</b> - Whether it's for cloth diapers or soiled clothes, you may want two of these. Not the vinyl zippered kind, cause those are gross to clean. Though I haven't actually used them, I think I'd prefer the drawstring cloth bags sold for use with cloth diapers. Get two, so you've always got a clean one to keep in your bag.</li>
<li><b>Wipes</b> - I prefer a good-sized bag of them because again, if you've just got a travel case, you'll need to restock often. If you're using cloth wipes away from home, you'll probably want a little spray bottle so you can wet them.</li>
</ul>
<div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
I almost put pacifier on my list, but then I read <a href="http://kellymom.com/ages/newborn/newborn-concerns/pacifier/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">this on Kellymom</span></a>. I waited until six weeks to try one with my youngest, because he and my oldest seemed to want to nurse even after they were full while I had oversupply. And they can be helpful in the car. But looking at research, I would not suggest them as a staple to a breastfeeding mom.<br />
<br />
So, there it is - my complete guide to essential and utterly non-essential diaper bag paraphernalia. And now...<br />
<br />
<i>The Giveaway!</i><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAT_jT11hqupIKDhyphenhyphenT923bl8C4346eZWWZiQpKSs24xvZ6KmWpjPkTow-uOln6z9iYaDSs1dBPSFG8dKFEkxY1dZZxqMvqyKUVyRGONzMN9BkAnjmDSjwMHfPfOFgpQaebg0_EX0CIF5U/s1600/diaper+bag+graphic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAT_jT11hqupIKDhyphenhyphenT923bl8C4346eZWWZiQpKSs24xvZ6KmWpjPkTow-uOln6z9iYaDSs1dBPSFG8dKFEkxY1dZZxqMvqyKUVyRGONzMN9BkAnjmDSjwMHfPfOFgpQaebg0_EX0CIF5U/s1600/diaper+bag+graphic.jpg" height="382" width="588" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Note the cool green interior. Love it!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Winner will be chosen randomly and must be 18 or older with a U.S. mailing address. Enter below from May 26 through June 10. Winner will be announced June 11. If (s)he does not reply within three days, a new winner will be chosen.<br />
<br />
Good luck, and thank you for entering and sharing this with friends!<br />
<br /></div>
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/acdcfa0/" id="rc-acdcfa0" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//widget.rafflecopter.com/load.js"></script>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3114152068970678707.post-26230019269511306602014-05-18T18:32:00.001-07:002014-05-19T10:40:43.826-07:00Tits and ToiletsIf you're reading this, you're probably a breastfeeding supporter, so you've probably already seen the When Nurture Calls campaign by UNT students Johnathan Wenske and Kris Haro. (Or you're a creeper and you Googled "tits" - in which case, this is not the blog for you. Boobs are food - go away!) Unfortunately, there's been a lot of misinformation about the campaign and little info on the bill it promotes (HB 1706). Read <a href="http://keepaustinnip.blogspot.com/2014/05/when-misinformation-goes-viral.html">my last post</a> to find out more and go <a href="https://www.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_390661461"></span>here<span id="goog_390661462"></span></a> to learn how to support the bill.<br />
<br />
If you've followed me for long, you know <a href="http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/BillLookup/history.aspx?LegSess=83R&Bill=HB1706">HB 1706</a> was like my baby. So I've had my panties in a bunch since this started, from the misinformation, to concern that legislators will take offense to the ad, and to OHMYGOD the fact that there's almost no real discussion of the bill or how to support it.<br />
<br />
But hey, the campaign went viral and looks amazing - that means it rocks the Casbah, right?<br />
<br />
Yes! <br />
<br />
Except - will it move people to become involved with legislative efforts?<br />
<br />
It's compelling, and a fantastic way of communicating that it's unacceptable to expect mothers to nurture their children in dirty restroom stalls. It's got people talking (if not listening), and I LOVE it as a pro-NIP campaign.<br />
<br />
People loved the Taco Bell dog, too - so much so that when my husband and I went to adopt a dog from the Austin animal shelter in 1999, it was overrun with chihuahuas. The pop icon spurred over breeding, but even though Pepsico spent millions on the "Yo quiero Taco Bell" ads, about a year and a half into the campaign, sales were down 6%. An ad can rock, and not accomplish the goal.<br />
<br />
So what is the goal?<br />
<br />
Purportedly it is to work for the passage of HB 1706 (which died a year ago but will be refiled this winter, when it will be given a new number).<br />
<br />
My measure of success in promoting legislation is compelling people to take action supporting a bill. Most importantly, this means contacting your legislator to express that you want him or her to vote for it or even to co-author/sponsor it.<br />
<br />
My husband frequently quotes his partner, best-selling author Roy H. Williams, the Wizard of Ads. One Roy-ism is that "you can't move everyone one direction." In that regard, certainly the <a href="https://www.behance.net/gallery/16685319/When-Nurture-Calls-Campaign-">When Nurture Calls campaign</a> can be labeled a success. People don't just love it. Some of them hate it (cause they don't wanna see breasts when women breastfeed - just when they sell cars and beer and so on). Either way, people are moved by it enough to share and discuss it to virality. Two weeks after its accidental debut, it's still being talked about, and now it's made it onto even more visible platforms.<br />
<br />
But the people talking about it mostly aren't talking about legislation. <br />
<br />
They're talking about tits and toilets.<br />
<br />
I make it a habit to avoid reading comments. The anonymity of the internet brings out the trolls. People talk smack with no knowledge whatsoever of breastfeeding and its <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/04/05/breastfeeding.costs/" target="_blank">tremendous importance as a public health issue</a>. It's exhausting reading over and over the inane suggestions to use a bottle, or cover the baby, or blahblahblahblahblah. These things are not always options, and they can never be requirements (even if it worked for you, breastfeeding-mom-who-thinks-her-experience-defines-that-of-everyone-around-her). But I digress. <br />
<br />
I have been paying attention to the comments this time because the mock campaign is supposed to promote <i>my baby</i>. I mean, my bill. I mean, Rep. Farrar's bill. <br />
<br />
And yet - there's virtually no talk of the bill. <br />
<br />
Just - tits and toilets.<br />
<br />
The misinformation and lack of a call to action are largely to blame, but is it possible that the very thing that makes the campaign successful has gotten in the way of achieving the goal?<br />
<br />
It makes perfect sense to see breastfeeding in a breastfeeding ad - but it makes not so much sense to see boobs in a legislative ad. People are either supportive of the bold ads or incensed by them - they're moved to support the images or not - and that's where the "conversation" usually stops - on the images. <br />
<br />
Is it possible that the Australian ad campaign - a video of a man eating in a restroom stall - would be more effective to promote, specifically, legislation? Could we maybe talk about protecting a mother's right to feed her baby without getting stuck in debates about whether or not she should wear a cover to breastfeed in a restroom stall?<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/VnReJeQrK0k" width="420"></iframe>
<br />
Or if we put the focus on the other person affected by attempts to interfere with or restrict breastfeeding - the baby - could we then move past the over-sexualization of breasts and move on to discussing the damage that is done when NIP incidents have <a href="http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20130110006362/en/Lansinoh-Study-Reveals-U.S.-Moms-Uncomfortable-Breastfeeding#.U3lXZfldWSo">almost half of mothers worried about breastfeeding in public</a>?<br />
<br />
<br />
This isn't the first time HB 1706 has gone vial. Last session we worked our boobies off to get this kind of attention for our bill. And then <a href="http://keepaustinnip.blogspot.com/2013/03/regarding-rep-riddle.html">Rep. Riddle gave it to us</a>. But so. many. people. just wrote articles about it and complained about it in comments and made truly awful comments on posts about it (do NOT call a legislator a cunt, people. Just do NOT). But even with international attention to Riddle's comments against the bill rallying breastfeeding supporters everywhere, it died.<br />
<br />
It seems to me that it takes anger - right-now-white-hot-rage - to motivate the <i>masses</i> to action. And when enraged, people do not always behave responsibly. Rash actions are taken, undiplomatic words are spoken. <br />
<br />
So how do we get <b>all</b> the people to be motivated to write a polite email instead of flaming a troll?<br />
<br />
One thing I'm sure of is that any efforts to pass HB 1706 should be coordinated to maximize their impact. In my last post I wrote about how when this first caught fire, there was no call to action, because it was initially just a student project. But advertising must include a call to action. And if it is successful by my measure, people will take the action, in hordes. They'll buy your tacos.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYG5deyQz3wtA8c2wJy9dbOfkpSTtDRmypAqzrxKqbYZr8FcJeJJdw5Fwm2SXOAqk9JQFGXmoTA7WLrGx810KU96tdNWK2JYutHLPOO6oLBvzhPtF2f2SWBKr17WIyTtkB4UNvX0ZS2Bc/s1600/IMG_20140513_153825_967.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYG5deyQz3wtA8c2wJy9dbOfkpSTtDRmypAqzrxKqbYZr8FcJeJJdw5Fwm2SXOAqk9JQFGXmoTA7WLrGx810KU96tdNWK2JYutHLPOO6oLBvzhPtF2f2SWBKr17WIyTtkB4UNvX0ZS2Bc/s1600/IMG_20140513_153825_967.jpg" height="640" width="360" /></a>Now the students responsible for When Nature Calls have a call to action, but it is incomplete, and not coordinated with those involved with the bill.<br />
<br />
People need to know that they can be involved in many ways, in and out of Texas, so they will be more likely to choose an action that fits their willingness to participate. <br />
<br />
Whether its slacktivism or boots on the ground, we need people in every district across this huge state letting legislators know that we expect them to be a part of the solution. We need people sharing lege posts on social media and visiting their legislators, and all of the levels of involvement in between.<br />
<br />
If this is read by a wide enough audience, I fully expect to be flamed for letting my 5-year-old eat a few pieces of Pirate's Booty on the potty at Starbuck's. <br />
<br />
But if this wasn't staged - if we lived in a culture where people thought it was acceptable to tell a child to eat his lunch in a public restroom - would we send an email? Make a call? Take a stand?<br />
<br />
Is it any different when the person eating is a baby?<br />
<br />
Calls to action to support HB 1706 in various ways <i>beyond the comments section</i> can be found at <a href="http://txbfleg.com/">TXBFLeg.com</a>, and are brought to you by the people leading the charge to pass this bill now and a year from now.<br />
<br />
What action will you take to protect a baby's right to eat?<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i>Were you spurred to action by the When Nurture Calls campaign? <br />How would you like to support HB 1706?</i></b></div>
<b></b><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></b></div>
<b>
<i></i></b>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i><b><i>Leave a comment below or join me on <a href="http://facebook.com/KeepAustinNIP">Facebook</a>.</i></b></i></b></div>
<b><i>
</i></b><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3114152068970678707.post-76116061410682873602014-05-16T14:48:00.000-07:002014-05-18T18:47:19.614-07:00When Misinformation Goes Viral - An Opportunity Flushed Down the Public Toilet?You've probably read about this already. Which unfortunately means that you probably don't know much of anything about it, given that social media coverage and articles have been rife with misinformation. And since HB 1706 was/is so close to my heart, I'd like to clear up a few things, and tell you <a href="http://txbfleg.com/" target="_blank">how you can support breastfeeding legislation</a>. <br />
<br />
Graphic design students Johnathan Wenske and Kris Haro at University of North Texas have done a bang-up job on a <a href="https://www.behance.net/gallery/16685319/When-Nurture-Calls-Campaign-" target="_blank">mock ad campaign project</a> that calls to mind a similar concept in an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnReJeQrK0k" target="_blank">Australian ad</a>, intended to, hypothetically, promote legislation that would protect breastfeeding mothers from harassment. Though the campaign was not meant to go public, an image was shared on social media and the whole thing has gone viral. <br />
<br />
As the Legislative Chair of the <a href="http://txbfcoalition.org/TXBFC/Welcome.html" target="_blank">Texas Breastfeeding Coalition</a>, I know well the legislative piece that the ad focuses on, having worked tirelessly to support it before it died a year ago, and already hard at work to support it when it is refiled this winter.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEzQ5GTrmGTScZoB8ugJ9WgTvzyboqOZtsS9iYCfLu3RhVHQRZ_BhJMU3tXTCc2DTCUcS-BLpJ1hM-v9l1mvUtjg1HQ0wppEazFNOGSB5ul7nEpeutV0-ydYwDHuH3sx6hWVTuHxt9jKQ/s1600/lege+business+cards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEzQ5GTrmGTScZoB8ugJ9WgTvzyboqOZtsS9iYCfLu3RhVHQRZ_BhJMU3tXTCc2DTCUcS-BLpJ1hM-v9l1mvUtjg1HQ0wppEazFNOGSB5ul7nEpeutV0-ydYwDHuH3sx6hWVTuHxt9jKQ/s1600/lege+business+cards.jpg" height="305" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The businesses cards I collected during the 83rd, <br />
visiting legislators to ask for support.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As the wife of a marketing consultant and copywriter, I know something also about advertising. But that's subject matter for <a href="http://keepaustinnip.blogspot.com/2014/05/tits-and-toilets.html">another post</a>.<br />
<br />
HB 1706 was the name of the bill in the 83rd regular legislative session, in the winter and spring of 2013. Authored by Representative Farrar and filed for the past several sessions (since my almost nine-year-old son was a wee baby), it has not yet made it through our legislative system, which is designed not to pass bills, but to kill them. And so, it will be filed again this winter, when it will receive a new number, as bills do each session when refiled. But I know and love it as HB 1706, so for lack of a new number and because "Strengthening the Right to Breastfeed" is cumbersome to use repeatedly, I'll continue to call it that for the purposes of this article.<br />
<br />
<b>Current Law</b><br />
<br />
We already have a public <a href="http://breastfeedinglaw.com/state-laws/texas/" target="_blank">breastfeeding law in Texas</a> - Health and Safety Code 165.002, which states, "A mother is entitled to breast-feed her baby in any location in which the mother is authorized to be."<br />
<br />
But, this law merely asserts a right, and does nothing to protect it. A law is defined as much by what it does not say as by what it does say. And our Texas nursing in public law does not say that it is illegal to violate the right to breastfeed.<br />
<br />
It may be discriminatory to tell a nursing mother to leave a place of public accommodation, but nursing dyads are not a protected class (e.g., race, color, religion, etc.). So it's not illegal to discriminate against them in Texas. <br />
<br />
If a business owner or his/her employee tells a nursing mother to leave a place of business and the mother remains, she is trespassing. Even though her legal right is being violated, she is the one who is, legally, in the wrong. Crazy, huh?<br />
<br />
If I tried to address why a mother's right to breastfeed should take precedence over those of others or to adequately address the detrimental effect of shaming a nursing mother, we'd be here all day. So, just briefly then: because of NIP harassment, <a href="http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20130110006362/en/Lansinoh-Study-Reveals-U.S.-Moms-Uncomfortable-Breastfeeding#.U3JoHfldWSo" target="_blank">40% of mothers list nursing in public as their top worry</a> about breastfeeding. And that negatively impacts breastfeeding rates, increasing risks for obesity, diabetes, cancers, and so much more, which <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/04/05/breastfeeding.costs/" target="_blank">costs lives and costs our economy</a>.<br />
<br />
Just to be clear - yes, strengthening the law is necessary - this is not a solution looking for a problem. <br />
<br />
Last year we found 55 cases in Texas of mothers being harassed for nursing in public, and that's just by Googling a little and asking around through social media for a few weeks. <br />
<br />
Since the session ended, there have been several more NIP incidents, including a very prominent one at a <a href="http://theleakyboob.com/tag/victorias-secret-breastfeeding-harassment/" target="_blank">Victoria's Secret</a> right here in Austin. <br />
<br />
And of course, those are just the ones we hear about - a fraction of what mothers actually experience. <br />
<br />
Again, the incidents that do occur have almost half of our mothers afraid to breastfeed when they're buying groceries or eating out with their families (you know - contributing to the economy).<br />
<br />
<b>Strengthening the Right to Breastfeed</b><br />
<br />
So, enter <a href="http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/BillLookup/history.aspx?LegSess=83R&Bill=HB1706" target="_blank">HB 1706</a>. It would have strengthened the existing right-to-breastfeed law by:<br />
<ul>
<li><i>Informing business owners that it exists.</i> Because too often the right is violated by someone who has no idea there is a NIP law.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><i>Making it illegal to violate the right.</i><b> </b></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><i>Giving a harassed mother recourse.</i><b> </b> A mother whose right is violated would have the option of filing a civil suit. She could sue for up to $500 plus attorney fees. This is not an exorbitant amount of money, so there's no realistic cause to believe that there would be an onslaught of frivolous lawsuits. It's not likely that there would even be many lawsuits at all, given the time and money required to sue someone (which explains why there hasn't been one yet). But it would be a message to business owners that the law is <b>not</b> one which it is <u>optional to follow</u>. They would likely take the time to train employees, and the mere existence of the enforcement provision would decrease NIP incidents without even being used.</li>
</ul>
<br />
If all this sounds good to you, and you'd like to support breastfeeding legislation <i><b>right now</b></i>, you can learn how at <a href="http://txbfleg.com/">TXBFLeg.com</a>. You can sign up for action alerts there, too, and as the bill progresses next year, we will let you know how you can help then.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<u><i>Because your involvement is vital.</i></u></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I cannot overstate that. </div>
</div>
<br />
Even if you don't live in Texas - 1) we need your support, 2) our laws will impact you, and 3) your laws probably need improvement, too, so it would be a good idea to be aware.<br />
<br />
<i>Why is your involvement crucial?</i> Hundreds and hundreds of bills are filed each session, and there are 140 days to pass or kill each one. Legislators care about the ones that their own constituents care about. We need you spreading the word, because legislators need to hear from people that they want breastfeeding legislation to pass.<br />
<br />
And if you don't consider yourself a breastfeeding activist - if you don't see yourself as a stakeholder - consider that breastfeeding could <span id="goog_1964464486"></span><span id="goog_660484288"></span>save over 900 lives and $13 billion annually; that it reduces risks for obesity, diabetes, cancers, and more. Breastfeeding covers a lot of causes all in one shot. Even if it's not the one cause you hold dear - we are <b><i>all</i></b> stakeholders.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Misinformation and Opportunity Flushed</b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGOXahrxEyM7ns3SGgqGPAMM1qjnBgL6vO2zH83PyU_Y3eG2Yz1yvQBj82y12u0pJTD_1zVZ18Vebv9y0o53pktUbJchNkejKhfSVBTlrEtzBcpzZjrgNm5ShsiYvEUQgfI2RyB1Diwkc/s1600/No+Place+for+Nursing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGOXahrxEyM7ns3SGgqGPAMM1qjnBgL6vO2zH83PyU_Y3eG2Yz1yvQBj82y12u0pJTD_1zVZ18Vebv9y0o53pktUbJchNkejKhfSVBTlrEtzBcpzZjrgNm5ShsiYvEUQgfI2RyB1Diwkc/s1600/No+Place+for+Nursing.jpg" height="400" width="270" /></a>There was a lot of shoddy reporting about the campaign initially, not just on social media but in traditional media, where you expect journalistic integrity - rather than a lot of scooting misinformation around so it looks like a new article, but still called the bill HB 170 and still treated the campaign as real when it was just a class project, still indicated that the students really did work with La Leche League and United States Breastfeeding Committee (they did not), and still talked about the legislation as though it is currently up for a vote.<br />
<br />
The media is starting to get things right now, but is it too late? These things only stay in the news for so long, and the upswing has already been squandered. Perhaps if the campaign had been given the right start as it was initially shared, we could have taken more advantage of the attention it has gotten. There was no real call to action from the ads initially because it was not a real campaign.<br />
<br />
The campaign as conceived directed people to buy cartons of milk to raise funds for promoting HB 1706. I'm not being facetious when I say it's really cute. And the students' concept included involving NIP-friendly restaurants and an app for finding them, which I'm very impressed they thought of as kids (who don't even commit to saying they consider themselves advocates), because these are actually real initiatives. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.familyfriendlybusinessinitiative.com/" target="_blank">Family Friendly Business Initiative</a> gets businesses on board with supporting employees to pump at work and patrons to breastfeed in their establishments. FFBI has partnered with the creator of the app LatchME, a wonderful resource that is a free, user-sourced app that maps breastfeeding-friendly establishments and resources. LatchME is available on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/latchme/id813106754?mt=8">iTunes</a> for iPhones and iPads, and on <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.latchme.app"><span id="goog_1259693615"></span>Google Play<span id="goog_1259693616"></span></a> for Android. These are all really important pieces to supporting mothers to breastfeed, and all of these pieces feed into each other.<br />
<br />
20-year-olds Johnathan and Kris are excited to help mothers and have made the campaign a real thing, but unless they coordinate with those of us leading the efforts for HB 1706, I fear the attention generated will not be harnessed now and in the next session. <br />
<br />
Their campaign suggests liking their Facebook page, contacting legislators, and it collects email addresses, but there is are a lot more ways to support the bill, aimed to reach people at various levels of involvement, on <a href="http://txbfleg.com/">TXBFLeg.com</a>. And a year from now, I'm not sure what they'll be doing with that mailing list or who will be posting lege updates on their Facebook page.<br />
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Perhaps if there'd been a clear call to action from advocates, hundreds or even thousands of people may have called their Representatives last week to say, "Hey, when Rep. Farrar files her breastfeeding bill next year, I want you to support it."<br />
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Last week, while recovering from my 5-year-old's big birthday party and coordinating the Austin location's Best for Babes <a href="http://www.bestforbabes.org/miracle-milk-stroll/" target="_blank">Miracle Milk Mother's Day Stroll</a>, I managed to contact the United States Breastfeeding Committee, one of the models from the ads, one of the student designers, and their professors. But by the time I had sussed out the truth about the mock campaign, there was no getting ahead of it. It was already headed to HuffPo.<br />
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Believe you me, I'm beating myself up that I haven't managed to be all over the comments on all the posts and articles, telling people to contact their legislators (even out of Texas, because the majority of states lack an enforcement provision). But have you ever felt like once something is this big, nobody is listening anymore - like everyone just wants to hear the sound of his or her own voice? The comments section can be a dark and grimy place to be...<br />
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I've left a few comments, at least. I have been in contact with the students and their professor over the past week and a half, though I don't know yet where that will lead (which is why it's taken me an eternity to get this post up). I've posted the update to our lege blog. I really have been trying to ensure that this promotion of our bill actually manages to support the bill before this cycles out of the spotlight.<br />
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There is another cycle, in the breastfeeding community, where something is shown and is huge initially, then after it fades, someone who hadn't seen it shares it again months later and there's a whole new wave of shares. <br />
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So if this fizzles in the coming week, hopefully it'll resurface in a couple of months, and next time, hopefully the coverage will be accurate and supporters will be directed to <a href="http://txbfleg.com/">TXBFLeg</a>. Because the ads are right, of course: "a baby should never be nurtured where nature calls."<br />
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<i>You can see an interview with the students and one of the mothers featured in the ad <a href="http://www.myfoxdfw.com/story/25520595/unt-students-design-campaign-to-support-breastfeeding-moms?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=10162664#.U3T-r-E3Yjc.facebook&autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=10162664">here</a>.</i><br />
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<i><i><b>Have you been moved by these ads? </b></i></i></div>
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<i><i><b>What action have they persuaded you to take </b></i></i></div>
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<i><i><b>to support breastfeeding legislation?<br /><br />Leave a comment below or join the conversation on <a href="http://facebook.com/KeepAustinNIP">Facebook</a>.</b></i></i></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3114152068970678707.post-68901978963242436782014-04-25T06:26:00.005-07:002014-05-16T15:51:29.260-07:00My Response to "Babies Cry to Prevent Siblings"When I first read the headline, "<a href="https://www.sciencenews.org/blog/growth-curve/babies-cry-night-prevent-siblings-scientist-suggests" target="_blank">Babies cry at night to prevent siblings, scientist suggests</a>," I laughed, somewhat hysterically. It's an amusing theory - one you could almost believe, given not that a baby's cries may interrupt parents who are getting busy (been there!), but that night nursing prevents ovulation (though not reliably).<br />
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Then I saw Dr. <a href="http://cosleeping.nd.edu/" target="_blank">James McKenna</a>'s name and thought, "Oh, good, <b><i>actual</i></b> science."<br />
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Then I read the end of the article and thought angrily, "How irresponsible! This man is a scientist?! What a..." Well, I try to be polite here, so I won't finish that sentence.<br />
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The article ends,<br />
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Although we’ll never know exactly why babies evolved to cry at night, Haig’s idea offers one interesting explanation. Whether he is right or not, there is another message lurking in this study, and it’s a message for modern parents: Babies who don’t breastfeed during the night and babies who take bottles don’t wake up as much during the night — and they don’t seem to be worse off for it, Haig says. That result implies that nursing throughout the night isn’t necessary. So moms shouldn’t beat themselves up if they don’t always heed the nighttime calls to breastfeed, Haig says. </blockquote>
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“There’s a tendency to think of infants as incredibly fragile beings, and if you do just one thing wrong, they’re ruined for life,” Haig says. “That to me doesn’t make any evolutionary sense. They should be fairly robust and handle all sorts of variation in sleeping arrangements and feeding arrangements."</blockquote>
<b>Yes, moms shouldn't beat themselves up for not breastfeeding.</b> <br />
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And <b>true, babies <i>won't</i> be<i> ruined</i> for life</b>. </div>
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But it never fails to tick me off when there is encouragement for babies to sleep longer than is biologically normal at night, because <i><u><b>it is dangerous.</b></u></i></div>
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Babies' frequent waking helps protect them against SIDS. A baby sleeping too deeply for too long may have difficulty rousing.<br />
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I will never forget the day I came home in third grade to find my mother crying. My five month old cousin Timmy had died in his sleep. </div>
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I'll never forget meeting family from far away for the first time, at least in my memory. Never forget that I was all cried out by the day of the funeral, and I felt so guilty not to cry at his graveside. I'll never forget the little stuffed elephant I was given that had been his - I still have it, mixed in now with the zoo my kids have in the top bunk in their room. <br />
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Breastfeeding reduces the risk of SIDS, by <b>60%</b> for any breastfeeding. And for exclusive breastfeeding, the risk is reduced <b>by 73%</b>.<br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Hauck, Fern, John M. D. Thompson et al. Breastfeeding and Reduced Risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: A Meta Analysis Journal of Pediatrics 2010)</span></i><br />
I find it incredibly ignorant for a "scientist" to fail to recognize the importance of breastfeeding and night nursing in favor of his asinine sibling rivalry theory, and to tell parents, "You don't need to breastfeed, it's not really important. Get some sleep! Ain't no thang." <br />
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It's supportive to tell mothers not to beat themselves up. It's supportive to tell mothers they aren't "ruining" their kids by not providing all that is optimal in life. <br />
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It is NOT supportive to represent yourself as a scientist, an educated person, and flat out ignore science - life-saving science - when in a position to raise awareness among parents. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2sewPt0GHeaygGCL7w-HcMlo1GbB3nZPi17PBKH3lqxXn1jn03DzzHZhwdzqQdRW0I7sk3Ga1uF9HNWt4PYI76KXORCaz_f3gx4a-ZNNSw8ewIzsq9UHpbbPXlZxGrzN8wKqMmQ2Sf7w/s1600/108696398_1c165c6876_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2sewPt0GHeaygGCL7w-HcMlo1GbB3nZPi17PBKH3lqxXn1jn03DzzHZhwdzqQdRW0I7sk3Ga1uF9HNWt4PYI76KXORCaz_f3gx4a-ZNNSw8ewIzsq9UHpbbPXlZxGrzN8wKqMmQ2Sf7w/s1600/108696398_1c165c6876_b.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/u2sockmonkey/108696398/in/photolist-aB6DQ-YWg7U-2Tzsth-2TzsYQ-4TfYjZ-4TfYeX-bAEUzm-npAK4-3e8Ei3-8nBYPB-9mFMpC-7QLn2e-7ZaBqm-62tmHK-fJpAoT-3JDsNX-4KYv52-4TzJEc-beR79k-6t7HH6-5ezKUL-fPe5iN-eAT2q-d5ESWq-dYj5qZ-dYpLj5-iVd8Jc-6j77Wt-6j78ht-4QceY8-bM2XHP-eSu4f9-5mTMar-cUa279-2P4Y8-3jbZLN-jBzMg-m3p5w-c9rZE3-kNB3r-J44aG-7JiZFV-61xD2z-5TaqRS-fGvsF-5MPm8e-a2s9uP-aieKv2-7MVbAY-9M76UU" target="_blank">Source</a></td></tr>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">I'm deep in birthday party planning, and am trying to keep this short. Just to try to be clear without rambling on, I am NOT saying parents are responsible for SIDS or we don't all need SO much more sleep or anything judgmental of anyone but David Haig. And maybe the author of the article I read, who looked into McKenna but still went with "Ain't no thang." </span></i></div>
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<b><i>What are your thoughts?<br />Leave a comment or join the conversation on <a href="http://facebook.com/keepaustinnip" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. </i></b></div>
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