Friday, February 1, 2013

Lauren's Speech to the Board

Tedeytan, "EBW Partners 17790" Dec. 5, 2012 via Flikr, Creative Commons Attribution
Lauren Reyes is an IBCLC, and the breastfeeding world is lucky to have her.  She's so dedicated to resolving this issue with AISD that she has used vacation time to be available for meetings we've had.  On top of being very intelligent, kind, and amazing with kids, she's super cool.  Plus, she was on Sesame Street was a kid!  

In her speech to the board, Lauren quotes the Surgeon General's Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding.  As you'll see from Lauren's speech, the Surgeon General has our backs. 
Good evening board members, ladies and gentlemen.

Please accept my deepest thanks for rescinding the previous breastfeeding policy that segregated breastfeeding mothers from the public view. I also thank you for siding with Texas law, which expressly confirms a woman’s right to breastfeed in any location she is otherwise authorized to be.

It is now time for us to take the next step towards ensuring that no other woman will be discriminated against in any AISD facility for breastfeeding. It is time to create a new policy that aims to educate and direct staff and visitors to honor the law.

From a public health perspective it is clear that breastfeeding gives children the best start in life and thus an advantage when they start school. The fact remains that,
“Many mothers in the United States want to breastfeed, and most try. And yet within only three months after giving birth, more than two thirds of breastfeeding mothers have already begun using formula. By six months postpartum, more than half of mothers have given up on breastfeeding...” (Call to Action)
So why are American women not meeting their goals for breastfeeding?

One major reason is a mother’s community…
“A woman’s ability to initiate and sustain breastfeeding is influenced by a host of factors, including the community in which she lives. A woman’s community has many components, such as public health and other community based programs, coalitions and organizations, schools and child care centers, businesses and industry, and the media. The extent to which each of these entities supports or discourages breastfeeding can be crucial to a mother’s success in breastfeeding.” (Call to Action)
I humbly ask that this board place the implementation of a breastfeeding support policy on next month’s agenda. I thank you sincerely for all the work that you have already done in preparation for our final goal... Mutual respect and support for breastfeeding Mother’s and their sweet babies.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Officeof the Surgeon General; 2011.

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