Breastfeeding World Record Event in Berkeley, CA August 9th

June 26, 2003
For Immediate Release

Contact: Sherri Willis
Ellen Sirbu, City of Berkeley, 510. 981.5131
Kelly Moore, Native American Health Center, 510.535.4417




Bay Area Set to Defend Its Guinness World Record
for Number of Women Breastfeeding At One Place & Time


The challenge is on! This August the Bay Area will defend its Guinness
World Record of 1,130 women breastfeeding their children at the same
time, in the same place.

The California Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants
and Children (WIC) in conjunction with the Alameda County and City of
Berkeley Public Health Departments, and Native American Health Center is
sponsoring this Guinness event, which will kick off 11:30 a.m. Saturday,
August 9 at Martin Luther King, Jr. Park in Berkeley, California. At
12:30 the women and babies will cross the street to the Berkeley
Community Theater for the official count.

The event celebrates World Breastfeeding Week and California
Breastfeeding Awareness month, and will include live music, children's
activities, food vendors and more.

This year Sydney, Australia will compete against us to win back the
title. Although Australia has a population of approximately 18 million
- compared to 282 million people in the United States - it will be a
tight competition.

Australia is committed to having mothers breastfeed their infants,
whereas breastfeeding is a real challenge in the United States for many
reasons, including:

Marketing of infant formula. In many ways marketing undermines
breastfeeding. Hospitals receive free formula from formula companies
and often will dispense it to mothers instead of providing necessary
support for mothers to breastfeed successfully.

Free formula. Most hospitals receive and distribute free formula in
gift bags to mothers as discharge gifts. When health professionals
market formula it gives the impression it is good to give formula to
babies. Formula companies also mail unsolicited free formula directly to
the mothers' homes.

Misleading promotions. Some advertisements suggest that formula and
breast milk are substantially the same.

Limited maternity leave.

Lack of lactation accommodation laws in most states.

Lack of lactation education for most physicians and nurses.

For more information on the Guinness event or to find out how you can
support breastfeeding call Ellen Sirbu at (510) 981-5131, or e-mail
.

Alameda County Public Health Department
1000 Broadway, Suite 500 - Oakland, CA 94607
Phone: 510.267.8001 Fax: 510.268.7012

what a shame im in melbourne not sydney!!!! I wanna set a bfeeding record
too!!


"Emily Roysdon" wrote in message
om...
June 26, 2003
For Immediate Release

Contact: Sherri Willis
Ellen Sirbu, City of Berkeley, 510. 981.5131
Kelly Moore, Native American Health Center, 510.535.4417




Bay Area Set to Defend Its Guinness World Record
for Number of Women Breastfeeding At One Place & Time


The challenge is on! This August the Bay Area will defend its Guinness
World Record of 1,130 women breastfeeding their children at the same
time, in the same place.

The California Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants
and Children (WIC) in conjunction with the Alameda County and City of
Berkeley Public Health Departments, and Native American Health Center is
sponsoring this Guinness event, which will kick off 11:30 a.m. Saturday,
August 9 at Martin Luther King, Jr. Park in Berkeley, California. At
12:30 the women and babies will cross the street to the Berkeley
Community Theater for the official count.

The event celebrates World Breastfeeding Week and California
Breastfeeding Awareness month, and will include live music, children's
activities, food vendors and more.

This year Sydney, Australia will compete against us to win back the
title. Although Australia has a population of approximately 18 million
- compared to 282 million people in the United States - it will be a
tight competition.

Australia is committed to having mothers breastfeed their infants,
whereas breastfeeding is a real challenge in the United States for many
reasons, including:

Marketing of infant formula. In many ways marketing undermines
breastfeeding. Hospitals receive free formula from formula companies
and often will dispense it to mothers instead of providing necessary
support for mothers to breastfeed successfully.

Free formula. Most hospitals receive and distribute free formula in
gift bags to mothers as discharge gifts. When health professionals
market formula it gives the impression it is good to give formula to
babies. Formula companies also mail unsolicited free formula directly to
the mothers' homes.

Misleading promotions. Some advertisements suggest that formula and
breast milk are substantially the same.

Limited maternity leave.

Lack of lactation accommodation laws in most states.

Lack of lactation education for most physicians and nurses.

For more information on the Guinness event or to find out how you can
support breastfeeding call Ellen Sirbu at (510) 981-5131, or e-mail
.

Alameda County Public Health Department
1000 Broadway, Suite 500 - Oakland, CA 94607
Phone: 510.267.8001 Fax: 510.268.7012






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I'm already registered for Berkeley, anyone else going to be there? I'll
be with the handsome 3 year old with red curly hair!

-Karen, mom to Henry-

Karen wrote:
I'm already registered for Berkeley, anyone else going to be there? I'll
be with the handsome 3 year old with red curly hair!

You said that last year, and *I* never saw you ;-) Seriously, I think
I'll be there, but it might be with just Rebekah. Dh really wanted to
go to a Linux family picnic in Sunnyvale on the same day, and he thinks
he'd be bored in Berkeley this time around, so he and Noah might go
there instead. It would be nice to have an official MKB meet-up, doncha
think?


Emily

The event starts at 11:30 and the official BF is at 1:30, so how's about
12:30 at the fountain? It's the only actual landmark I can think of in
the park, and it's old and not in use as a fountain anymore, but you
can't miss it, as it's huge. We can get acquainted, take some pictures,
and go into the event together. Unless anyone has a better idea, of course.

The weekly Farmer's Market will be happening on the street right next to
the park, so plan a little time to shop.

How shall we recognize each other? Pink carnations in our lapels? Roses
between our teeth?

-Karen, mom to Henry 3-

In article , Karen
wrote:

Ok, great, so far we've got me Karen with the redheaded 3 year old,
Molly in black with Gramma in tow, and Emily. Is that all? Anyone else?
12:30 at the defunct fountain!

Karen, is this the fountain?
http://arch.ced.berkeley.edu/kap/200...e/berkch01.JPG

--
Molly
http://www.fisher-studio.com/

In article , Karen
wrote:


Ok, great, so far we've got me Karen with the redheaded 3 year old,
Molly in black with Gramma in tow, and Emily. Is that all? Anyone else?
12:30 at the defunct fountain!

Sounds great! I'll be there with at least one nursling :-)


Emily

I'm already registered for Berkeley, anyone else going to be there? I'll
be with the handsome 3 year old with red curly hair!

-Karen, mom to Henry-


I haven't decided yet whether I'm going; we're going to a wedding that
afternoon and if the count runs as late as it did last year, I'd have to miss
it anyway. :-(

If I do, though, I would definitely want to make firm plans to meet up with
whoever else is going to be there! It was such a complete madhouse last time
and I didn't see *anyone* I know. We should have an mkb banner or something.
:-)

Holly
Mom to Camden, 2.5 yrs

Dh really wanted to
go to a Linux family picnic in Sunnyvale on the same day, and he thinks
he'd be bored in Berkeley this time around,

Berkeley is boring compared to a Linux picnic in Sunnyvale? You have one
strange DH. :-)

(How old is Noah? And do you know about Habitot?)

Holly

We didn't set a new world record, but it sure was a great event. There
were some cool vendors, interesting speakers, good music and fun
people. I posted some photos on my weblog at

http://www.fisher-studio.com/blog/st...BreastfeedingM
onthCel.html

http://tinyurl.com/jsqv

Hoping to do it again next year!

--
Molly
http://www.fisher-studio.com/