lactavism – Breastfeeding World

Come Join Central Indiana’s Big Latch On!

Lauren Lewis — Wed, 10 May 2017 13:00:58 +0000

Last year, over 200 mothers and babies gathered on the steps of the Hamilton County Judicial Building and fed their babies, thus participating in Central Indiana’s Big Latch On

This year, for 2017, Breastfeeding World is doing it again with Central Indiana’s Big Latch On! With the help of our volunteers, sponsors, and donors, we are “Spreading the Breastfeeding Love” in Central Indiana by hosting our Second Annual Big Latch On and Community event!

On August 5, 2017, at exactly 10:30am, mothers and babies (and/or their pumps) will gather on the steps of the West Lawn of the Judicial Building in Noblesville Indiana. Together, you will unite with mothers across the World in nursing our babies for one whole minute.

What is the Global Big Latch On?

The Latch

The Global Big Latch On takes place at registered locations around the world,where women gather together to breastfeed and offer peer support to each other. Their friends, family and community join this celebration to promote and support breastfeeding. Volunteers from within the community host each location, hosting a Global Big Latch On creates a lasting support network for the community.

What to expect at a Global Big Latch On location?

There’s usually a little bit of beautiful chaos, lots of laughter and then some counting. We do have some records to break, which is why we need your help. We count the number of children breastfeeding at the same time (the latch count), how many breastfeeding women gathered and the total number of people who come out to show their support, so bring as

many friends and family members as you can.

At around 10.30am we count all the breastfeeding that is happening. It’s a latch on, so a child’s mouth around a breastfeeding womans’ nipple counts. If you are breastfeeding

twins or triplets (or more!) counts 2/ 3 even if they are not all breastfeeding at the same time. We figure that’s fair enough!

Remember no one checks for milk transfer, children do not have to stay latched for the whole time and all ages are very welcome.

We recognize that everyone’s breastfeeding journey looks different and we want the Global Big Latch On to be as fun and inclusive as possible, while still reaching our aims of positively supporting breastfeeding in public and making it a normal part of day to day life.You can be included in the latch count by latching a child or children; using an supplemental nursing system or nipple shield; expressing milk (hand or pump) or by feeding your child breast milk via an alternative method.

Find out more on their website!

Breastfeeding World’s Big Latch On Community Events

Last year was Breastfeeding World’s first year organizing Tri-state Level Events. We hosted Latch On’s at Times Square in NYC, Martha’s Vineyard, and of course here, in Hamilton County. Together, we celebrated breastfeeding within our unique communities.

Check out our promotional video from last year, made by our founder, Alexia Garcia of Alegares Photography:

What can you expect from this years Central Indiana’s Big Latch On?

First, upon arrival, check in for Nursing Mama’s begins at 9:15, with the Latch itself beginning at exactly 10:00am. Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to find parking! The county told us we are welcome to use the employee lot south of SR 32. There will also be an art fair going on downtown on the Square, not to mention the Farmer’s Market a few blocks away, so don’t get those confused with the Latch and picnic! Central Indiana’s Big Latch On & Family Picnic will take place on the West Lawn of the Judicial Center- this is behind the official courthouse building.

But don’t leave after the Latch On, because the fun is only just getting started at Central Indiana’s Big Latch On & Family Picnic

As every mother who has ever put a babe to the breast knows, Breastfeeding isn’t always just about the latch. The same goes with our event- it’s not only about the latch here either! It’s about self-care. Finding Support. Discovering our village. And the Free Stuff.

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OK, so the free stuff has nothing to do with breastfeeding, but it does have to do with our event! Our supportive sponsors generously donated incredible Raffle items or our participants and their families. Every pre-registered pregnant or nursing mother will receive a free ticket along with a swag bag, filled with amazing goodies (Like sunscreen samples from Goddess Gardens, Tubby Todd Baby Wash, an organic bamboo nursing pad package from Kindred Bravely, Mary Kay Samples, and an Amber Teething Necklace from Baltic Essentials)from our sponsors.

Along with your free raffle ticket, you may earn them by participating in games on our event page, speaking with our advocates, or you may purchase extra tickets at $1 each. Proceeds from our raffle baskets will divide between next year’s Big Latch On, and towards supporting moms in our community with the Indy Chapter of Breastfeeding USA.

How to Participate in Central Indiana’s Big Latch On

[col1] Latch on Participant: Are you a Breastfeeding or Pumping Parent with a nursling? Let us know to expect you, get a free raffle ticket and swag bag by Pre-Registering Here! Then all you have to do is show up the day of and check in! [/col1]

[col2] Sponsor/ Contributor: Want to help support our local breastfeeding community while marketing your brand to our participants? Email me at LSLewis@breastfeedingworld.org for more details, and Register Here [/col2]

[col3]As a Volunteer: Everyone at Breastfeeding World volunteers our time and love because of our passion for the breastfeeding community. Interested in helping make this event possible? Please email Lauren Lewis at LSLewis@breastfeedingworld.org [/col3]

About our Photographer

It’s our pleasure to partner with our Central Indiana Breastfeeding World Photographer, Jenni Effinger at Quite Dandy Photography. Jenni is a passionate local mama, who has dedicated herself to the moms in central Indiana not only by donating her time to covering our Latch On, but also through our combined Breastfeeding Mini Sessions.

[col1]Tahwii’s Photoshoot [/col1]

[col2]Cora’s Photoshoot[/col2]

[col3]Nicole’s Photoshoot [/col3]

Jennifer Effinger is the proud mother of Kellan (2 years old). She Currently lives in Greenfield, Indiana. Her Photography Company, Quite Dandy, focuses on Lifestyle, Natural Light photography. She loves capturing genuine interactions, and specializes in children, families, breastfeeding, and births. Jennifer joined our Breastfeeding World Team as a Photographer because she loves capturing the precious moments of childhood. After all, what is more precious than the bond between mother and child? Find out more, or book a session, by emailing her at quitedandyphotography@gmail.com.

About our Sponsors

Breastfeeding World is a Volunteer run, self-funded and non-profit organization. We rely on donations like those from our sponsors to make these event’s possible. Supporting their businesses is a great way to let them know you think we are a great cause!

Kindred Bravely

Kindred Bravely is an amazing, mother-centered business. Just like motherhood, Kindred Bravely is built on love. And that love has literally been poured into each item of clothing in their line. They sell amazing and SUPPORTIVE (goodness knows that’s hard to find, especially for moms with ginormous boobs!) nursing bra’s, tanks, pajamas, and even beautiful C-Section underwear! Make sure you hunt down Sophie, who will be representing Kindred Bravely at our Central Indiana location. She will be doing free bra fittings and maybe even handing out some awesome free stuff from KB!

Baltic Essentials

We can’t even contain our excitement about working with Baltic Essentials; On top of their generous Raffle donations, they are donating an amber teething necklace in Every. Single. Swag bag. Find out more about them here!

Mommy Con

Speaking of Swag Bags…. Mommy Con is donating ALL of the bags needed for EACH event! What is Mommy Con?

MommyCon is a nationwide convention series dedicated to creating and nurturing a community of parents and parents-to-be in celebration of natural parenting.

MommyCon takes a gentle and positive approach to educating parents about the emotional and physical benefits of natural birthing, breastfeeding and babywearing. We advocate values of holistic health, eco-friendly diapering, child safety standards and procedures, and female self-care and wellness. Our mission is to create a community of support, acceptance and non-judgement for women journeying through parenthood.

We are so grateful to MommyCon for donating bags to fill with amazing swag for all the moms in our Central Indiana Breastfeeding World!

Advanced Breastfeeding Care with Lisa Lahey, RN, IBCLC

Vendors!

Part of the community part of our event is our amazing vendors. From LulaRoe and Young Living, to Homemade, local stores, to our local breastfeeding advocates and health care professionals, our vendors are the people in our community who are support breastfeeding families in any way possible.

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Among our Vendors, you may expect:

[col1]Newman Family Dentistry (Dr. Mikel Newman is THE tongue tie expert in our area![/col1]

[col2] The Eco Baby Co.[/col2]

[col3] Anchor Health Chiropractic[/col3]

[col1]Young Living Essential Oils by Cathy Muir[/col1]

[col2]Breastfeeding USA[/col2]

[col3]LulaRoe Dream Big Boutique[/col3]

[col1]The Milk Bank[/col1]

[col2]April Brake, Serene Midwifery[/col2]

[col3]Vanessa Emery, Car Seat Safety Tech[/col3]

[col1]Joyful Bubbles[/col1]

[col2]Purely Maternal, Aimbriel Lasley[col2]

[col3]Mary Kay, Kristie Kennedy[/col3]

[col1]Neurium Skin Care[/col1]

[col2]Paparazzi, Tammy Yowell[/col2]

[col3]Tupperware, Lynn Howley[/col3]

[col1]Agnes & Dora, Amanda Burris[/col1]

[col2]Peaceful Source Midwifery Laura Gibb, RN, CNM[/col2]

[col3]Fundanoodle[/col3]

So Come and Join us! Peruse our Vendors, throw down your picnic blanket, whip out a breast, feed your baby, and find support. You don’t want to miss out on the family event of the year!

Be sure to join us in our social media accounts and be up to date with the progress of our project!

And… Don’t forget to share your brelfies using our hashtag

#BreastfeedingWorld

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Lauren Lewis

Lauren Lewis is no stranger to childcare development, having spent over 10 years as a nanny or family childcare provider. She’s the wife of a travel geek, mother of two vivacious children, and has an amazing talent for trailing lost things behind her a la Hansel and Gretel. Her passion for lifting up women and advocating for children pours out in her work as a Central Indiana Event Coordinator, Writer, and Social Media Relations Director for Breastfeeding World. Her life is full of busy, crazy and LOUD. It is full of love and hope, ups and downs. And coffee, always lots of coffee- but she wouldn’t have it any other way.

www.raisinglaurenslittle.wordpress.com

The post Come Join Central Indiana’s Big Latch On! appeared first on Breastfeeding World.

The Powerful Way Lactivism Ultimately Impacts Your World

Lauren Lewis — Thu, 23 Feb 2017 19:11:38 +0000

The Powerful Way Lactavism Impacts Your World

Recently, a post about Lactavism from Kristen at Motherwise popped up in my Facebook timeline from a few years ago.

Lactavism comes in different forms and words. And Lactavism may mean different things to different people. However, Lactavists all have the same goal. We want to show the world that breastfeeding is normal. And mothers, who join together, have the power to do it. Kristen said,

Have y’all been keeping up on the recent Nursing In Public controversy? The Concord Mall in Wilmington, DE harassed a mother for breastfeeding in a Hollister store. Local women started commenting on the mall’s Facebook page, calling them out on it. Whoever was running their Facebook page literally said, “It was an eyesore.” And then ALSO said, “Hope you guys don’t mind if I suck my wife’s breasts in public.”

For real. Literally said that. It’s sad and frustrating and highly disturbing that people respond this way to the act of feeding a child. But it’s also really funny to me that companies think they can do this and experience no repercussions.

Breastfeeding moms are a force to be reckoned with. Corporations and businesses keep making the mistake of thinking they can harass and degrade us, breaking the laws that protect our rights to nurse in public, and there will somehow be no consequences.

Naw. Not happening. You will not shame us. You will not control us. We will feed our babies wherever we go. We will feed them as covered or as open as we prefer. We will NOT go hide in a disgusting bathroom. We have the right to nurse in public; you do NOT have the right to harass us.

If you do harass us, we will flood your Facebook page with negative attention and possibly make national news. We will organize nurse-ins at your stores nationwide to protest your ignorance. And thus far, almost every time, you will end up issuing an apology and updating your employees on breastfeeding mothers’ rights.

Breastfeeding Mothers are Powerful

Ladies, we have so much POWER when we join together as a collective movement. Look here at what we did at the amazing, peaceful Women’s Marches all over the WORLD! Businesses, media, and individuals should quiver in fear of the collective force of women with a goal- particularly a goal oriented around the well being of their children, such as lactavism. Look at the nurse-in which was organized when Katy Lee and Hoda disparaged breastfeeding in public on the Today Show! According to the Department of Labor, 57% of women in the United States participate in the workforce. Of that, 70% of those women have children under the age of 18. Mother’s are everywhere, and when we join together, we have a strong voice.

Lactavism is not about being a “Boob Nazi”

Normalizing Breastfeeding is not about shoving our boobs in everyone’s faces. There are all types of breastfeeding moms. Just as there are all types of moms. We are not all the same. Lactavism is about creating a safe place for mother’s to feed their children. Without “Butter’s” and judgments.

Photo by: Alegares Photography

That’s it. Organizations such as the La Leche League have garnered a reputation of being “Boob Nazi’s” over time. But it isn’t further from the truth of what lactavism tries to do. Whether you and your child prefer to nurse under a cover, or in a quiet corner, or in the middle of Times Square, it should always be because Breastfeeding should be a choice made between a mother and her child. No one else.

However, in order to create that sense of normalcy, breastfeeding mothers need to unite together. We need to take brelfie’s, attend latch-on’s, share articles and blog posts. We need to let other mothers know they are not alone in their breastfeeding journey.

After all, to quote Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, “Well-behaved women seldom make history.”

So let’s impact our world, and our children’s future, together.

Be sure to join us in our social media accounts to be up to date with the progress of our project!

And… Don’t forget to share your brelfies using our hashtag

#BreastfeedingWorld

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Lauren Lewis

www.raisinglaurenslittle.wordpress.com

The post The Powerful Way Lactivism Ultimately Impacts Your World appeared first on Breastfeeding World.