Thursday, March 13, 2003

Mother breastfed baby with friends milk
CFCNplus.ca
13/03/2003

"Many women choose to breastfeed their babies. It’s a healthy choice for babies, and many mothers look at it as a special way of bonding with their child. One-year-old Madeline was breastfed; first by her mother Cherilyn Michaels, and then by her mother's friends. You see, Cherilyn got very sick, and could no longer breastfeed. Her friends heard about her dilemma and those who could, donated some of their own breast milk in baby bottles. “If she was getting donated breast milk she'd be all cuddly. She'd act like she was nursing. She'd fall asleep readily. Where as with formula, it was fine, but she'd drink it down like it was apple juice. It made a huge emotional difference to her,” said Michaels. “Even being breastfed through a bottle, there's something in it that could comfort her better than just formula in a bottle,” said milk donor Lindsay Rock. However, formula is safer, because there are risks of spreading disease through breast milk. Donating breast milk, through breast-milk banks, used to be a much more common practise. There’s a milk bank in Vancouver that is considered to have a safe supply and it will ship milk outside the city. "
Herald Sun: Limits on breastfeeding [14mar03] Limits on breastfeeding
By JOHN FERGUSON and TANYA GILES
14mar03

"MP Kirstie Marshall will only be allowed to breastfeed her baby in State Parliament during a vote or emergency debate. Speaker Judy Maddigan conceded yesterday she may need to sharpen her wording on planned changes to rules on breastfeeding. "This is really what you do in emergency situations," she said. The Herald Sun reported yesterday that MPs would be able to feed their babies at all times when a 146-year-old ban on "strangers" in the House is abolished next week. The move sparked new public debate, with a majority of Herald Sun readers opposing breastfeeding in Parliament. More than 3700 callers opposed the rule changes. Just 86 supported the switch." [What a disappointment - it's amazing that 3700 people would be opposed to this. - JC]

Parliamentarians should be allowed to breastfeed: lobby group
ABC Australian Capital Territory News
13/03/2003

"The Australian Breastfeeding Association is planning to lobby all state and territory governments to allow female politicians to breastfeed their babies in parliamentary chambers. The plan follows the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly's move to become the first parliament to change its standing orders, allowing babies to be nursed." [Excellent! This is a terrific example of capitalizing on a prominent issue. - JC]