My Speech to the Board

Me nursing Bellybean at the November board meeting

Last night we spoke to the school board.  There were six speakers, and a few more supporters in the audience.  Later we'll post video of the speeches.  For now, I'll just post the text of my speech.  I gave it while breastfeeding.  As we waited our turn, Bellybean was so tired in Adam's arms that he'd start to nod off, but then every two minutes another speech would end and the applause would wake him.  Adam handed him to me and I nursed him to sleep, and he was still nursing when my turn came.  It wasn't a stunt or a statement - just a necessity.

On behalf of about two thousand people who signed this petition, thank you for rescinding the administrative regulation that isolated breastfeeding mothers.  We're halfway there!

Now mothers need reassurance that they can feed their babies without fear of being confronted for doing so. 

Doctors have been telling us for years that breastmilk is the best nutrition to feed our babies.  But breastfeeding is not the intuitive, easy-peasy thing one might expect.  While tongue-tie, mastitis and thrush may be medical challenges that a new mom might expect the possibility of facing, being confronted for nursing her baby in a public place should not be a barrier to breastfeeding. 

These past five months I have been steeped in news about nursing in public.  I can tell you, unequivocally, there is a shift that is happening across the country.  Women are demanding that this discrimination come to an end.  Eighty percent of women want to breastfeed.  With all of the things that threaten to complicate a breastfeeding relationship, most of us are done allowing this issue to stand in our way. 

Yes, there are some who feel it is in conflict with social mores.  But mores refers either to manners, or morals.  Morals trump manners.  And it is nothing short of immoral to know the health benefits of breastfeeding to both mother and baby, and to nonetheless erect a barrier to breastfeeding.  To paraphrase  a comment made by a SHAC member last month, "It's time for people to catch up." 

There will be parents who are uncomfortable if their children witness a baby being held close and lovingly fed at a mother's breast.  But if we - if they - are to insure the best possible health for all of our grandchildren and great grandchildren, they must bear that discomfort.  Because as the American Academy of Pediatrics has asserted, breastfeeding is not just about a lifestyle choice, it is a public health issue. 

It is far from inappropriate to expose our children to the reality that some babies are breastfed.  It is in fact crucial to optimal public health. 

We urge you, trustees, to adopt a board policy that conforms to the law, and supports breastfeeding mothers. 

Thank you. 

Crappuccino

Meteo, "Early Addiction" May 15, 2010 via Flikr, Creative Commons Attribution

The other morning we went to Starbucks while my middle son Sweet Pea was in speech. Once I had my decaf latte (which the baby did not share - the photo above is just a silly pic I found on Flikr), I thought I should probably nurse Bellybean, as it had been awhile since he'd eaten or slept - a recipe for car seat tears. 

I saw there was only one chair left, and it was practically on top of one occupied by a man. Bellybean wasn't fussy at that point, and I didn't particularly want to breastfeed practically in the lap of a stranger, so I told myself he'd be fine. 

Of course, the moment I put him down in his car seat, he looked at me accusingly and began to cry. 

I gave him a toy, and talked soothingly to him as I buckled him in. As soothingly as I could, as I anxiously registered the time - there wasn't much left to get back to the school. At that point I knew if I took him out and nursed him sitting in the front seat, he might well fall asleep in my arms, and on the way back into the car seat, wake crying to be nursed to sleep all over again.   

So rather than get him out, I did an advanced nursing position - the Car-Seat-Lean-In. 

Worst. Breastfeeding. Position. Ever. 

Five minutes of that and he was reluctantly willing to be distracted by the new toothbrush I'd left in the car after a dentist visit the other day, and we were on time to pick up Sweet Pea from speech.

But if I'd just trusted my instincts and sat down to feed him - or even latched him on standing there - I could have avoided a stressful few minutes for both of us, and a painful few for me. 

I don't think I would've made the same choice if it weren't for my one negative nursing in public experience. Six years of all good experiences, and that one moment has affected me even four months later. 

People don't understand the tremendous impact they can have when they are anything but 100% supportive of breastfeeding mothers. If they did, surely they'd only ever smile and give a thumbs up.

Replies - His & Mine

I was pleasantly surprised to receive a reply the next day.  Until I read it. 

Dear Ms. Donmoyer,

I just wanted to acknowledge receipt of your email.  I have not had a chance to visit with the Superintendent about it because she is out of town until we return to the office next Tuesday.  Even then, please be advised that with more than 85,000 students in the district, 120+ campuses, over 150,000 parents/guardians, family and community, and over 11,000 employees, we move as fast as we can, especially in these days with fewer staff than is required to meet all the needs and respond to all the questions and concerns before us.  I do hope you understand that we cannot always move as quickly as either you or we may like.  It was absolutely not anyone's intent to dismiss you or give this issue short shrift.  Indeed, I was the one who asked Marianne for suggestions for an alternative regulation.  I appreciated her response.  Nothing has been dropped as we continue to consider how to marry the intent of your proposed language with the district's continuing concern about disruption/distraction to the teaching and learning process in the rare occasion that such might occur.  I was even under the impression that the SHAC might be considering taking a look at the issue after I met with them to give the administration the benefit of any guidance it might provide.

I look forward to continuing to work with you on this very important matter.

Sincerely,

Mel Waxler

Sagolla, "Skeptical Baby" 2/24/08 via Flikr, Creative Commons Attribution

Actually, I was frustrated by the reply.  I had not yet contacted all of the trustees, and here Mr. Waxler was, saying they had never dismissed the issue, as I had been writing in my emails to the first few board members I did contact.  So I'm wondering, does this make me look like a liar?  I'm quite certain it makes me look unreasonable and impatient.  (Never mind that my baby was 12 weeks old when this happened and he is now, to varying degrees, sitting, crawling, and pulling himself up; he has five teeth, and is seven and a half months old.)

So I started rewriting the email I'd begun on the assumption that they would receive information that contradicted what I'd been writing.  But with a weekend full of working with my oldest son on a big school project and celebrating my husband's birthday, it took me until today to reply:

Dear Mr. Waxler,

Thank you for your reply last week. 

As a mother of three, I can certainly understand that you cannot always move as quickly as you may like.  This is a major theme in my life!  However, I will say that your email rather hit a nerve.  It may not have been your intention, but there does seem to be an implication that I am unreasonably impatient.  And this implication was shared with at least one trustee.  My frustration is less with the timeline of this joint effort than with the fact that I was told the effort, for your part, had ceased.

I attended the January 9th SHAC meeting as a visitor, but unfortunately I went first to the board auditorium, before realizing that the January meeting was being held at Austin High.  By the time I arrived, the breastfeeding regulation had already been discussed.  I was told that (the Administrative Supervisor of Health Services) had communicated to the SHAC what had been communicated to her - that administration did not intend to replace the rescinded regulation.  The SHAC determined that in that case, there was no further role for them to play.  I spoke with (the Administrative Supervisor of Health Services), (the Co-Chair of the SHAC), ...the medical director for AISD Student Health Services, and three or four other members, and they all seemed to be under the same impression as I am - administration was done with the breastfeeding issue. 

And you wrote to Marianne Baker, "There is no active work on an alternative regulation at this time."

Setting all of that aside, I'd like to address this distraction concern.

You wrote, "Nothing has been dropped as we continue to consider how to marry the intent of your proposed language with the district's continuing concern about disruption/distraction to the teaching and learning process in the rare occasion that such might occur."  Our proposed language affirms the importance of breastfeeding, assures mothers that they will not be shamed or isolated for feeding their babies, and serves to educate staff about the importance of staying true to the intent of the language.  Across the country mothers are seeing a growing need for sensitivity training regarding breastfeeding; the least that can be done here is to put a policy in writing.  To do so does not negate the district's unchallenged right to control for (rare) distractions in the teaching and learning environment, enshrined in district regulations. 

To address disruptions in the breastfeeding regulation would be, at best, redundant.  At worst, it still reads as discriminatory.  To stipulate that breastfeeding is acceptable as long as it is not disruptive stigmatizes breastfeeding as something which might commonly be considered disruptive, as though it is such an aberrant, deviant behavior that in and of itself it is a disruption.  No such stipulation would be made about bottle-feeding a baby, because the limitation is placed not on the baby's presence but on the feeding of the baby.

I look forward to a resolution of this issue.

Best Regards,
Krisdee Donmoyer

Outreach Coordinator, Central Texas Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition
Blogger/Administrator, Keep Austin Nursing in Public

Email to Administration 1/17/13

Viralbus, "Phyllis breastfeeding" September 23, 2010 via Flikr, Creative Commons Attribution.

This is the email I sent on January 17, a week after the SHAC meeting.  It took me so long to write and send it in part because I was so disappointed and frustrated that I wanted to make sure I expressed myself as diplomatically as I could.  

Dear Dr. Carstarphen and Mr. Waxler,

I hope you both had a wonderful holiday season and were able to begin the new year well-rested!  I took advantage of the winter break to focus on my family and our holidays together.  Now that school is back in session, I anticipated with excitement moving forward with the new breastfeeding regulation, and then being able to move on and begin work on (our school's) silent auction for our spring carnival.  I am extremely appreciative that the regulation that isolated nursing mothers was rescinded.  I was given to understand that the district would be working with us to put in place a new, supportive regulation.  When Marianne Baker did not receive any language from Mr. Waxler following the rescission of the regulation, I thought perhaps he was waiting on our language, which Ms. Baker sent just before the break.  When we still didn't hear from you as time wore on, I chalked it up to the holidays.  It never occurred to me that it would just be dropped - and worse, without even any notice.  You can imagine how shocked I was to find out when I attended the SHAC meeting last week. 

I did not begin my efforts merely to remove the regulation that was adopted.  This all began when I realized that there is no guidance for AISD staff regarding the treatment of breastfeeding mothers.  The rescission of the regulation leaves a void that must be filled.  An email to staff - presuming that there has been an email - will not provide consistency across the district.  As new staff members are hired, only a regulation might manage to reach everyone.  Furthermore, it would serve to communicate to the public that the district values the health of Austinites - especially the most vulnerable among us.

The district needs to take a pro-health, mother- and baby-friendly stand, supporting breastfeeding moms.  This is about more than just discrimination and rights - women's, civil, and parents' -  it is a serious public health issue.  In the 2012 Lansinoh Breastfeeding Study a survey of 5,000 women showed nursing in public to be the top concern that served as a barrier to breastfeeding.  In fact, 40% of American women were worried about feeding their babies in public places.  For AISD to feed into that worry with the old regulation, and then fail to replace it with a regulation that communicates that they support breastfeeding moms, is doing a serious disservice to mothers and babies.

When I first contacted your offices, I was dismissed.  It was over a week before I heard from anyone.  When I eventually was contacted, emails were almost all a sentence or two.  It took five weeks to basically edit what was described to me as the longstanding practice into a regulation.  Of course I understand that you have many things on your plates that are important.  As a mother of an AISD second grader, a drop-in speech student, and another future AISD student, I certainly want you to be able to focus on what is important.  Thing is, I thought after realizing there is more than just one mom concerned here that you would see that this IS important.  And it's not going away. 

There is a shift happening in this country, a shift propelled by organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization, and propelled by thousands of mothers who refuse to see their babies' rights denied.  You have an opportunity here to be a leader in the change that is taking place, rather than to be on the wrong side of the issue.  And when you fail to replace a discriminatory regulation with a supportive one, you are not neutral.  You continue to take a stand against the rights of mothers and babies. 

I know that is not your intention.  I hope that you will reconsider, and will in fact adopt a new regulation, and soon.  Below is our proposed language.  I would appreciate a reply.

Thank you,
Krisdee Donmoyer

AISD recognizes that breastfeeding is an important and basic act of nurture that must be encouraged in the interests of maternal and child health and family values.  It is also crucial for public health and reducing health care costs.   The Texas Legislature says that a mother is entitled to breastfeed her baby in any location in which the mother is authorized to be.

In keeping with these principles, mothers are welcome to breastfeed on AISD school campuses.  Therefore, a visitor who is breastfeeding her baby may not be denied the right to be in any part of a campus that would otherwise be available to her.  If she requests, a breastfeeding mother must be given access to the private room designated by the campus principal to be used by employees to breastfeed or pump.  Any offer to use this room should be made only with genuine assurances that the mother is welcome to breastfeed her baby wherever she chooses.

January School Board Meeting Monday the 28th

NIP at the November board meeting

The January board meeting is Monday, January 28 at 7pm.  It is held at 1111 West 6th St in the Carruth Administration Center Board Auditorium, Room B100.

Please invite all of your local friends. We will attend the AISD regular meeting to ask the trustees to adopt a pro-health, mother- and baby-friendly board policy to support nursing mothers' right to breastfeed their babies wherever they are hungry, without fear of confrontation or discrimination, and without having to choose between participating in their school children's lives and feeding their babies optimal nutrition as recommended by, among others, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization.

In the fall, Austin ISD enacted and the rescinded a discriminatory regulation which isolated nursing mothers. The rescission of the regulation is appreciated, but leaves a void. As administration has decided to dismiss the issue, it is vital that a board policy be adopted to serve as a means to educate staff on how to treat breastfeeding mothers in a way that supports the health of our community. You can attend to show your support whether or not you choose to speak.

There is a hallway outside of the board auditorium where children can be if you are concerned about them being bored or loud in the auditorium. I imagine we can support each other in keeping an eye on them all.

I will update with the time for Citizens Communication when an agenda is made available.

If anyone has trouble finding the building or anything, you can call or text me on my cell at (512) 655-9NIP.

The following information is from AISD's website:


Every Regular Board meeting includes one hour for Citizens Communication. Each speaker is allotted two minutes. This allows up to 30 speakers, who speak in the order in which they signed up, to address the Board about the issue of their choice.

If you wish to speak during Citizens Communication, you must sign up on the day of the meeting, before the meeting begins. You can sign up in the Superintendent's Office (Rm. A-250) during regular work hours (7:45 am to 4:45 pm), or in the Board Auditorium between 4:45 pm and 7:00 pm. Speakers will be asked to provide the following information: The subject to be addressed, speaker's name, address, and telephone number, and, if applicable, the group or organization the speaker represents. An individual may not sign up for another person, nor can speakers exchange time or yield time to others.

All citizens' comments at Regular Board meetings are televised and rebroadcast on AISD Cable Channel 22 and over the AISD Website.


To get an idea of what the board meetings are like, you can view one here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrCYXG73LqM
Citizen Communication begins just before the 29 minute mark.

You can find some talking points & resources thanks to Marianne Baker Bolduc at http://keepaustinnip.blogspot.com/2012/11/talking-points-resources.html

Another great way to prepare to speak can be found in this fascinating TED Talk - http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are.html
It's a very worthwhile 20 minutes. You should watch this even if you won't be at the board meeting. It's awesome.

Please let us know if you plan to attend. Thank you!

Learn more about what led to the need for this event at www.KeepAustinNIP.com.
Please sign & share our petition at www.tinyurl.com/PetitionKANIP
Like us on Facebook
www.facebook.com/KeepAustinNIP
& follow us on Twitter
http://twitter.com/KeepAustinNIP.

SHAC Shocked

Stephen Topp, "Day One Hundred Fifty-four" March 10, 2011 via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution.

I got cocky today.  I went to the Central Texas Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies meeting and gave an update on the Hollister nurse-in and on AISD and another local school district.  I was feeling jazzed, sharing about how all these moms came together and had largely positive experiences (with the notable exception of Concord Mall).  I was happy to be able to share that we had submitted language for our proposed regulation and that we were hopeful that there would be a new AISD regulation soon.  I was particularly excited to share that another local district drafted a policy and I was able to influence how that policy reads.

I was feeling so high and empowered that I agreed to be our HMHB representative on the Austin Independent School District's School Health Advisory Council (AISD's SHAC), and I think I might have also volunteered to be an Outreach Coordinator.

Like the laundry's just going to do itself.  Like I actually have the hang of this three kids thing, and have time on my hands.  But I was steeped in the happy of all this success, and feeling like I could take on the world.

I got super cocky.

So tonight I went to the SHAC meeting.  Unfortunately, I went to the wrong location, the one where it was held last month.  By the time I had the baby back in the van and arrived at this month's location, wouldn't you know it, I missed the discussion about the breastfeeding regulation.  Someone was kind enough to come over to me and let me know what had transpired.

The district has decided not to write a new policy. 

They're just going to follow the law, apparently.

The law that their chief of staff and legal clerk wrote a four-page legal memorandum decrying.  The law Mr. Waxler says is "open to interpretation."

The law that was in place when I and countless other mothers were shamed for feeding our babies at AISD schools over the years.

A policy - or regulation, whatever we call it - is obviously necessary to communicate expectations to staff.  There needs to be something in writing that will be seen by the staff of one hundred twenty-four schools.  Do you know the attrition rates in education?  They can't just send out an email one month and figure there will suddenly be consistency across the district.

They need to stand up and do the right thing.  Be an example of supporting breastfeeding mothers.  Be a leader in the shift that is happening across the country, whether everyone is ready for it or not.

Nursing a baby in public is not shocking. 
But AISD's decision to forgo adoption of an obviously-needed
breastfeeding regulation - that's shocking.
Photo by Jewell Stremler

I spent the meeting trying to focus, despite being distracted by my baby (who was supposed to be sleeping, but I guess he didn't get the memo), and by the shock that kept sending my mind back to the need for a breastfeeding policy.  We were told we'd get language soon a month ago.  We were told they would work with us.  I thought the delay was the holidays, not that they'd dropped the whole thing and not bothered to communicate that with any of us. 

But given how this has all unfolded, I'm starting to wonder where my shock came from.  Really, why am I even surprised?

I let myself think we were almost there.  I grew complacent.

No more.

The winter break is over.  It's time to go back to school.

Please sign and share our petition and Facebook page.  We're also (though less so) on Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest.  Please help get the word out, and show AISD that it's not enough to be right back where we started.  If the administration won't write a regulation, let's write to the trustees to ask for a board policy.  And if you're local, please attend the board meeting on the evening of January 28th (more info to follow).  

As always, thank you for your support of breastfeeding moms and babies!

Can't Keep UpDate

So much has been happening that I can't keep up.  For those of you not following Facebook or who may have missed it there, here's the most important update of late, posted to fb last Friday:

This is my baby with the superintendent, Dr. Carstarphen, after the board meeting on November 19.

We have made a difference! I received an email from Dr. Carstarphen, and based on Mr. Waxler's recommendation following comments from the SHAC members, the existing regulation has been rescinded, effective immediately!

I am thrilled at this news! I look forward to working with the district in the creation

of a new policy that will follow Texas law & serve as a model for other school districts in Texas & throughout the country. I love this town of ours, & I will be even prouder to live here when AISD has a new mother- & baby-friendly regulation in place.

We couldn't have gotten this far without hundreds & hundreds of thoughtful and respectful people - thank you all so much for everything you've done - whether it was clicking "Like" on this page, sharing the petition, writing the district or calling a legislator - it all matters. It all added up to make a big difference, so from the bottom of our hearts, thank you! Please stay tuned in as we continue this process. When there's a new policy that upholds the law & respects breastfeeding mothers, that's when it'll officially be a victory.

And then - the rest of Texas. :)

My Birthday Wish

Tonight I celebrated my birthday by attending a meeting of the School Health Advisory Council (SHAC).  I'll try to write more on that later, but I just want to quick post my birthday wish. 

I hope that the support of many of the SHAC members tonight leads to a change in the district regulation to one that reads something like this:

AISD recognizes that breastfeeding is an important and basic act of nurture that must be encouraged in the interests of maternal and child health and family values.  It is also crucial for public health and reducing health care costs.   The Texas Legislature says that a mother is entitled to breastfeed her baby in any location in which the mother is authorized to be.

In keeping with these principles, mothers are welcome to breastfeed on AISD school campuses.  Therefore, a visitor who is breastfeeding her baby may not be denied the right to be in any part of a campus that would otherwise be available to her.  If she requests, a breastfeeding mother must be given access to the private room designated by the campus principal to be used by employees to breastfeed or pump.  Any offer to use this room should be made only with genuine assurances that the mother is welcome to breastfeed her baby wherever she chooses.

Editor's Note:  Above is the language we proposed before the winter break.  Below is what I originally posted here, before Marianne Baker and I worked on it some more.

"It is the policy of the Austin Independent School District to comply with Texas law, which protects a woman's right to breastfeed wherever she is authorized to be. A visitor will not be denied a right to be in any part of a campus that would otherwise be available to her. If she requests, a nursing mother shall be provided access to the private room designated by the campus principal to be used by nursing employees. Any offer to use this room should be made only with genuine assurances that the mother is welcome to feed her baby wherever she chooses.”

KEYE News Interview 11/21/12

I had my 15 minutes of fame in high school when I was cast as Claire Zachanassian in "The Visit."  So I'm good.  I had my moment in the sun.  I wasn't/am not looking for a spotlight.  

When I realized that I was going to need to "go public" to find enough support to have any hope of convincing AISD to change their policy, I thought about remaining anonymous.  I even made up a pen name for my blog - Kaydee Pine - not much real significance there, besides the fact that it felt super dorky - or at least, just really not right.  

Then a friend on Facebook (cause I asked my fb friends if it was super dorky to use a pen name, because I'm a terribly indecisive person) basically likened being anonymous to nursing in the private room.  

That resonated with me, and I scrapped my efforts to move my blog under a nom de plume.

I'm an introvert.  I prefer to express myself in writing rather than verbally.  In elementary school, kids thought I was a snob.  But I was just intensely shy and quiet - I didn't even want to talk to a waiter to order for myself in restaurants.  Now, at 36, I can order a meal from a stranger without anxiety, but ask me to give a sound bite to a question on camera - ugh.  

So I put off doing a news interview as long as I felt I could, even though I was contacted by a couple of news anchors who wanted to plan for an interview.  Then Mel Waxler was quoted in the Austin-American Statesman and I felt our point of view deserved representation in the news media.

I was so stressed when another anchor, Cassie Gallo from KEYE-TV, called unexpectedly and asked if I wanted to do an interview not in a week or two but in 45 minutes. I was so stressed that when my kids went bonkers about me leaving the house without them, I was totally calm.  

You know that spectrum of stress responses to your children that starts out at 1 - calm and laid back, then gradually ramps up to 10 - yelling like you're the three-year-old.  But when your stress is so intense you speed past 10 and find yourself at 11+ and then - you're all zen. 

That's how freaked I was - zen freaked.

I managed to string together enough sentences to not look like an idiot.  And here it is, if you didn't catch it on Facebook a week and a half ago:

This links to our YouTube channel, to which you can subscribe. 

You can also see it on KEYE-TV's website where there are a handful of comments, and there are many more comments in their Facebook discussion.

I hate that I'm supposed to end blog posts with a question to encourage discussion, but I do what I gotta do.  So - how cute is my baby?!

Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy

Today I de-Halloweened our front porch.

Yes, it's November 29th.  Yes, I know Thanksgiving was a week ago.

Go ahead and judge if you must.  You didn't actually think I was writing this blog and admin-ing our Facebook page and writing letters to AISD with three kids - one under six months - and still maintaining my household, did you?  I mentioned Mount Laundry, right?  :)  (To be completely honest, Mount Laundry exists here regardless of what else is going on in our lives.)

So yes, our Halloween decorations were still up.  Not a big surprise (to me, anyways), considering I didn't even finish putting them up until October 31st to begin with.  For a little while I tried to convince myself that they were up in protest of the Christmas stuff being out in - what - August, this year?  But since we usually buy our Christmas tree the weekend after Thanksgiving, that excuse didn't work for long.  If only I'd thought of it sooner.

The thing is, the longer the stupid ghosts and bats were hanging up out there, the harder it was to take them down.

Why is it that the longer we procrastinate, the more difficult it is to initiate a task?  Even - or perhaps especially - the really big stuff - pay that overdue bill, send that late birthday gift, make that appointment.  Then, of course, doing the thing winds up being so completely freaking simple once you're in it.  Ten or fifteen minutes packing away decorations.  Easy-peasy.

It's like the anticipation of a shot, which can be agony, while the actual  pinch of the needle is really no big deal.

As I was thinking how foolish I'd been to let myself be so overwhelmed that I put off this absurdly easy job for so long, and thinking how much embarrassment I could have saved myself, and how much frustration I could have likely saved my neighbors, I thought of AISD.  Because I am almost constantly thinking of AISD.

This could have been a non-issue.  Write a policy copying the language of the law (the right to breastfeed law, not the pumping employees law), email it to me, it's done.  Easy peasy.

Instead, something so simple it's almost ridiculous that it's necessary is taking for.ev.er.  And causing a lot of frustration and embarrassment.  We're almost three months in and now it's this whole big thing.

It seems like they ought to be able to sit down for ten minutes, type up a policy conforming to the law, email it to principals, and be done with us. 

We're hosting family after Christmas, and I'd really like to clear off that couch and put up a tree soon, and get an early start on the school's silent auction to boot.  And I'm sure they'd like to focus more fully on educating our kids. 


One last Halloween hurrah  - here I am nursing my babe while trick-or-treating this year.  My oldest and I were ninjas.  Cause he wanted me to be - and cause I'm so good at being discreet that I'm a Nursing Ninja!

Please tell me I'm not alone!  

Is there anything crazy ridiculous you're putting off?

Not Everybody Facebooks?!! or Here Are Our Speeches

I learned recently that not everyone Facebooks.  What the what?  How do you get by in life?  :)  I suppose maybe that means you have time for laundry and maybe even cooking then, huh?  I Facebook like it's my part-time job - which could explain Mount Laundry on the couch...

Anyways, we posted our speeches at the school board meeting on fb, so for you non-Facebookers, here it is:

 

Pssst: You can subscribe to our YouTube channel, don't ya know.

Our speakers, in order of appearance, are me (Krisdee Donmoyer), my husband Adam Donmoyer, Marianne Baker, Lauren Reyes, Kristine Keller, Megan Buchanan mentions agreeing with us, and our last speaker is Alexia Haywood.

We also had several supporters in the audience - Nancy Mychasiw (who watched our children - I love her so much for that!), Jessica Murillo and Brandon Lee and their son, Melissa Alvarado, Aidan Reyes, and Janet Jones.

Several of us were there as representatives of our local breastfeeding coalition, Central Texas Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition and also from Breastfeeding Moms of Austin.

And this is what we - a bunch of parents, mostly - pulled off with less than 48 hours notice (we initially thought the meeting was the 4th Monday of November, not the 3rd), after 9 o'clock at night on a school night the week of Thanksgiving.  Booyah!

My Three Hamlets Blog Post

I find  myself unable to reply to comments and emails as quickly as I would like, and I have several things I'd like to share here on the blog, including letters people have written to the district and blog posts about our efforts.  I'll keep plugging away, though.  Please know that even when I'm quiet, my gratitude for your support is boundless.

Tonight, or more accurately, this morning, I'd like to share this blog post, written by a friend of mine, Rachel Ham.  She is putting a lot of time and effort into researching Mr. Waxler's assertions that AISD's breastfeeding policy is practiced by surrounding school districts and others - the city, the county, and Seton hospitals.  I am so touched by how much she cares about what is going on.  You can read her take on the situation at her blog, My Three Hamlets.

Thank you, Rachel.  You are da bomb!

Contact Your State Legislators

So you're reading the blog, maybe even commenting & "following" it.  You "like" us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, have signed the petition, commented on the media coverage, written to or called the district, and shared all of this with everybody you've ever met.  What more can you do?

Contact your state legislators.

Let them know what's going on - that AISD needs to have a regulation or policy communicating to staff members that they must support breastfeeding moms.  Tell them that sending a nursing mother to a private room stigmatizes public feeding and shames a mother.

Ask your legislator or his/her staff member to please contact the superintendent's office and school board members on your behalf and remind them of their obligation to uphold the law (Texas Health & Safety Code 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.). 

Feel free to share with them that we have a growing community of supporters among their constituents and in fact across the country.  At this moment, there are over 1,100 "likes" at facebook.com/KeepAustinNIP and our petition, change.org/petitions/aisd-follow-the-law-and-respect-breastfeeding-mothers has more than 1,900 signatures.

Find your legislators here.

If you are looking for more ways to help, email me at KeepAustinNIP@gmail.com.

Thank you all for your dedication to protecting mothers from discrimination.

Let us know in the comments or on Facebook if you 

contacted your legislators and how they responded. 

May I Have Your Attention, Please...

For about two months, I felt ignored by AISD.  With about 86,000 students and all of the constituent concerns that must come with such a large district, I guess it's no wonder.  I didn't make a complete nuisance of myself, but I stayed in contact, let them know I wasn't going anywhere. I did think it would occur to someone that the media is all about boobs lately.  The Time cover, Adrienne Pine, Applebee's and a Georgia church.  I mean, come on.  But we seem to have taken them by surprise.  All those weeks of rare two- and three-sentence emails, and then - you.

Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart.  The only change I managed on my own was to get a rigid, written policy in place that violates our rights.  I talked to a mom last night who never worried about breastfeeding at school until she read my story.

What a huge fail. 

But with your help, we have their attention now.

We had several speakers last night, and another few people in the audience supporting us.  And this with less than 48 hours notice, on the Monday before Thanksgiving after nine o'clock at night - and all of us, parents.  We were a powerful presence in that meeting, and with all of the letters they'd been receiving, over 900 signatures on our petition and over 700 Facebook "likes" at the time - they get it now.  Maybe not what we want, not why it matters - not all of them.  We still have work to do.  But they get that we are out here, doing that work.  They understand that this is not an obscure concern raised by only one mother who will slink away into silence.

Thank you, for amplifying my voice.  Out of many, we are one.

At the conclusion of Citizen Communication, we were all chatting in the lobby when the superintendent and chief of staff approached us.  We spoke for at least half an hour.  A lot of questions were asked.  It's not going to be as simple as I'd like.  There will be red tape and hoops, I think.  But we'll get there, thanks to the combined efforts of a lot of people.  Knowing our numbers are growing, they may manage to reduce some of that red tape. 

One day in Austin, no mom picking up her child from school, or visiting her older child at lunch or volunteering on campus, will have to worry that a staff member will confront here and tell her, in essence, that there is something inherently wrong with the fact that she is breastfeeding her baby.

I hope that the tremendous support we've garnered reaches outside of our city, serving to show mothers that there is support out there.  I nursed in public for six years and only ever received encouragement until now.

Now, let's keep their attention.  Keep on keepin' on.  Send letters, call, share the petition, Facebook page, this blog, the twitter feed.  They want balance.  Let's show them we will tip the scales.

Talking Points & Resources

Aack!  I'm told the link doesn't work & it's dinner time & my kids are acting like... kids.  Here's the text.  Sorry for the lack of formatting!  I'll try to fix it later!  :)

The amazing Marianne Baker Bolduc has compiled some talking points and resources.  Not being a pro blogger, I don't know how to transfer all of her formatting, so I'm just going to send you to a link.  It's great info that you may find very helpful in preparing for the school board meeting, as well as for letter writing.  Thank you, Marianne!



If you intend to speak at the school board meeting, here are some ideas for talking points.
They are divided into three sections: General ideas, Barriers to breastfeeding, and Long-
term health outcomes, and Other Resources. Remember that you have only two minutes, so
it is usually best to focus on just one or two ideas.

General Ideas

•

Babies should be free to eat in public. Breastfeeding is the optimum method of infant
feeding. Breastfed babies need to eat frequently, and thus, need to be free to eat
in public. Several studies have found that embarrassment and concerns about
breastfeeding in public are major barriers to continuation of breastfeeding.

•

“The legislature has found that breastfeeding a baby is an important
and basic act of nurture that must be encouraged in the interests of
maternal and child health and family values. Texas Health and Safety

Code, § 165.001.

•

The legislature recognizes breast-feeding as the best method of
infant nutrition. Texas Health and Safety Code, § 165.001.

Barriers to Breastfeeding

Several studies have found that embarrassment and concerns about breastfeeding in
public are major barriers to continuation of breastfeeding. Failing to breastfeed for
at least six months leads to worse health outcomes for babies and mothers. See, for
example:

Nursing women “felt ‘vulnerable’ nursing in public. Certain proactive behaviors and
personal attributes as well as support from other women enabled them to breastfeed
successfully in public.”

Sheeshka J, Potter B, Valaitis R, et al.: Women's experiences
breastfeeding in public places, Journal of Human Lactation 2001;
17(1):31-38.

"The variability in support for breastfeeding by managers of
restaurants and shopping centers will continue to create uncertainty
for mothers wishing to breastfeed in these public places."
McIntyre E, Turnbull D, Hiller J: Breastfeeding in public places,
Journal of Human Lactation 1999; 15(2):131-135.

“Public perception needs to be changed and legislation prohibiting
discrimination against breastfeeding in public needs to be
encouraged and supported,” based on findings that more than
a quarter of surveyed adults found breastfeeding in public
embarrassing.

Li R, Fridinger F, Grummer-Strawn L: Public perceptions on
breastfeeding constraints, Journal of Human Lactation 2002;
18:227.

American Academy of Pediatrics: “Lack of family and broad

societal support is an obstacle to breastfeeding.” Policy statement:
Breastfeeding and the use of human milk, Pediatrics February
2005; 115(2):496-506. Full text of this statement at http://
aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;115/2/496

Scott J, Landers M, Hughes R, et al.: Psychosocial factors associated
with abandonment of breastfeeding prior to hospital discharge,
Journal of Human Lactation 2001; 17(1):24-30.

“Interventions to increase public acceptance of breastfeeding
include legislation ensuring the right to breastfeed.” Shealy KR,
Li R, Benton-Davis S, Grummer-Strawn LM. The CDC Guide to
Breastfeeding Interventions. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2005.
Full text at http://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/pdf/
breastfeeding_interventions.pdf

Long-Term Health Outcomes

Breastfeeding Reduces Obesity:

Breastfeeding reduces the risk of childhood obesity. Breastfed children have a 30% reduction in
the risk of becoming obese in childhood compared with formula-fed infants. Obesity is linked with
increases in the development of diabetes, hypertension, and other cardiovascular diseases—
expensive and debilitating conditions to treat.
Lancet 2002; 359:2003-2004. Pediatrics 2002; 110:597-608.

Breastfeeding Is Linked to Higher IQ:

Numerous studies link breastmilk and breastfeeding with improved cognitive function and
neurodevelopment in infants. Texas needs a population of bright school children as the basis of a
secure future workforce.
Lancet 1992; 339:261-262. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology 1998; 40:163-
167.
Acta Paediatrica 2002; 91(3):267-274.

Breastfeeding Reduces Health-Care Costs by Improving Child Health:

According to a USDA cost analysis, a minimum of $3.6 billion would be saved if breastfeeding
rates are increased from present levels to those recommended by the Surgeon General. This
figure probably underestimates the true savings, as the study only looks at 3 of the childhood
illnesses that breastfeeding protects against: otitis media (ear infection), gastroenteritis (diarrhea),
and necrotizing enterocolitis (a bowel infection of premature infants). Currently, Texans spend
huge amounts of personal, insurance, and tax dollars treating medical problems that could be

prevented by breastfeeding.

The Economic Benefits of Breastfeeding: A Review and Analysis, report prepared for the
USDA, Food Assistance and Nutrition Research, March 2001, Report No.13.

Breastfeeding Lowers the Risk of Breast Cancer:

Women who were breastfed as children and women who breastfeed their own children are at
reduced statistical risk of developing breast cancer. Many Texans have lost a loved one from
breast cancer.
Epidemiology 1994; 5:324-331. American Journal of Epidemiology 2000; 152(12):1129-1135.

Lancet 2002; 360(9328):1871-95.

Breastfeeding for less than 6 months may be a predictor of adverse mental
health outcomes throughout childhood and early adolescence.
The Long-Term Effects of Breastfeeding on Child and Adolescent Mental
Health: A Pregnancy Cohort Study Followed for 14 Years.

Oddy WH, Kendall GE, Li J, Jacoby P, Robinson M, Klerk NH, Silburn SR,
Zubrick SR, Landau LI, Stanley FJ. J Pediatr.. [Epub ahead of print]

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether there was an independent effect of
breastfeeding on child and adolescent mental health. RESULTS: Breastfeeding
for less than 6 months compared with 6 months or longer was an independent
predictor of mental health problems through childhood and into adolescence.
This relationship was supported by the random effects models (increase in
total CBCL score: 1.45; 95% confidence interval 0.59, 2.30) and generalized
estimating equation models (odds ratio for CBCL morbidity: 1.33; 95%
confidence interval 1.09, 1.62) showing increased behavioral problems with
shorter breastfeeding duration. CONCLUSION: A shorter duration of
breastfeeding may be a predictor of adverse mental health outcomes
throughout the developmental trajectory of childhood and early
adolescence.

Other Resources

http://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/promotion/calltoaction.htm

http://www.breastmilkcounts.com/breastfeeding-in-public.php

http://womensenews.org/story/reproductive-health/020807/breastfeeding-in-public-basic-
civil-right#.UKk-Lofhrls

http://www.lalecheleague.org/nb/nbpublic.html

http://kellymom.com/bf/concerns/legal/bf-law/

School Board Meeting Monday the 19th

UPDATE: You must be signed up by 7pm if you wish to speak; details are below. You do not have to arrive until Citizen Communication, which should begin around 9:15 or so. I am the first signed up, followed by my husband! If you want to show support but not speak, that's great, too. There is a hallway outside of the board auditorium where children can be if you are concerned about them being bored or loud in the auditorium. I imagine we can support each other in keeping an eye on them all.

______________________________________________________________________

There is a school board meeting on Monday, November 19 at 7pm. My husband and I plan to speak at the meeting.

PLEASE NOTE: THE MEETING BEGINS AT 7PM, BUT CITIZEN COMMUNICATION IS NOT SCHEDULED UNTIL 9:20.  SIGN UP MUST BE DONE BEFORE 7 (SEE NOTES BELOW) BUT I DO NOT KNOW IF WE MUST WAIT THERE FROM 7 TO 9:20, OR IF WE CAN EXPECT THAT PART OF THE MEETING TO HAPPEN RIGHT AT 9:20.  I WILL POST MORE ON THIS TOMORROW. WHEN I GO IN TO SIGN UP, I'LL ASK QUESTIONS.  I am very sorry for not having all this information straight to begin with.  I really thought I had looked around the website & found what I needed.  I wish I'd called & confirmed.  I'm sorry for any inconvenience & hope you can still attend. 

We are not sure how we are handling childcare.  If you know a great sitter, please email me at KeepAustinNIP@gmail.com.  I'm wondering about sharing a sitter & if there's a lobby kids could play in...

If anyone has trouble finding the building or anything, you can call or text me on my cell at (512) 655-9NIP.

The following information is from AISD's website, if you would like to speak at it or just attend to show support.

Every Regular Board meeting includes one hour for Citizens Communication. Each speaker is allotted two minutes. This allows up to 30 speakers, who speak in the order in which they signed up, to address the Board about the issue of their choice.

If you wish to speak during Citizens Communication, you must sign up on the day of the meeting, before the meeting begins. You can sign up in the Superintendent's Office (Rm. A-250) during regular work hours (7:45 am to 4:45 pm), or in the Board Auditorium between 4:45 pm and 7:00 pm. Speakers will be asked to provide the following information: The subject to be addressed, speaker's name, address, and telephone number, and, if applicable, the group or organization the speaker represents. An individual may not sign up for another person, nor can speakers exchange time or yield time to others.

Board meetings are held at the Carruth Administration Complex (CAC) located at 1111 West 6th Street, Room B-100, Austin, Texas, 78703.

All citizens' comments at Regular Board meetings are televised and rebroadcast on AISD Cable Channel 22 and over the AISD Website.

To get an idea of what the board meetings are like, you can view one here.  Citizen Communication begins just before the 29 minute mark.

Another great way to prepare to speak can be found in this fascinating TED Talk. It's a very worthwhile 20 minutes.  You should watch this even if you won't be at the board meeting.  It's awesome.

Please let us know here or on Facebook if you plan to attend.   Thank you!

AISD Response to Letters

I have been somewhat quiet on Facebook today, and am woefully behind in replying to comments here.  But I am eating, sleeping, and breathing this issue.  If you could see the condition of my house and the size of the laundry mountains, you'd believe me. :) 

If you're new here and finding there's a lot of back story to digest, let me give you the elevator pitch: I was discretely nursing my baby at my sons' school when I was told to go to a private room, even though state law protects my right to breastfeed anywhere I'm authorized to be.  After many weeks on my part spent on the education and diplomacy process, Austin Independent School District officially adopted a policy in direct conflict with that law.  They require principals to send nursing mothers to private rooms.  I'm not talking about employees, who are not likely to have their babies on campus, and for whom these private rooms were set up to begin with, to facilitate pumping.  I'm talking about mothers with babies who are on campus for their older students.  Why is this a problem?  Because simply asking a nursing mother to breastfeed privately sends a message that what she is doing is inappropriate.  Breastfeeding is not inappropriate.  Not privately.  Not publicly.  It is feeding a baby.  And it is protected by law.

When my personal attempts at diplomacy and education failed, I began this blog to explain my story and ask for help in a letter-writing campaign.  The response was overwhelming.  Seriously.  I felt on the verge of an anxiety attack for two days as the blog reached 3,000 page views.  Now, with 11,264 page views here, 533 "Likes" on Facebook, 530 signatures on our petition (in just 36 hours), and many emails/letters sent to the district, you would think they might realize their folly, right?

Um, no.

Posted to our Facebook page today by a supporter, a response from AISD:

Thank you for your email dated November 14, 2012, regarding breastfeeding policy in the Austin Independent School District (AISD). I am responding on behalf of the District to advise that the current practice has been in place in AISD for at least a decade, and has been reviewed by our administration and the Board’s Policy Committee within the last sixty days. The District’s practice is also in place at the City of Austin, Travis County, The University of Texas, Seton Family of Hospitals, and other school districts in the Austin area.

The District very much respects your ardent support of breastfeeding. In fact, the value of and advocacy for breastfeeding is not at all at issue in AISD. The only question is where breastfeeding occurs while on an AISD campus.

This matter arose on one AISD campus because there was an objection raised to breastfeeding in a public area on the campus. As you can imagine, not all parents and staff are of the same opinion regarding the propriety of breastfeeding on a school campus. The District has reviewed the law and concludes that it allows breastfeeding on campus in a place that is clean and dignified, (not a bathroom), and that is authorized and designated by the principal. This position is aligned with Texas law that guarantees the same rights to AISD employees.

Once again, the District appreciates your expression of support for breastfeeding, and we sincerely hope you understand the District’s need to balance the interests of many, especially in an environment that cares for and educates the children of parents and other caretakers with varying and deeply held feelings on this subject.

Respectfully,
Melvin E. (Mel) Waxler
Cc: Superintendent
Board of Trustees
Director of Intergovernmental Relations and Policy Oversight
Ombudsman
Senior Attorney

Flabbergasted.

What do you think of Mr. Waxler's reply?  
Do you think violating the law and shaming nursing mothers 
demonstrates that AISD values and advocates for breastfeeding?