Wordless Wednesday--Breastfeeding Photo Shoot

This photo of me nursing my then 13 month old was taken last August by Nevada Heirloom Photography.  Each year, the state of Nevada puts out a calendar of nursing mothers to help promote and support breastfeeding. These calendars are sent to OB offices, hospitals, WIC offices and similar places. A local lactation consultant group had arranged the photo shoot, which was a great success. I submitted my photo for the calendar, which didn't make it in, but my son and I are on the state breastfeeding website.

This year, a photo shoot was planned but could not accommodate moms who had participated last year. Since there were several mothers who were still nursing, myself included, I wanted to organize another photo shoot. I enlisted the photography skills of friends Kristin and Yuliya  and sent Facebook invites to all the local lactating women I knew. Here are some of the photos of my family and a few from the other mamas who were kind enough to participate. Thanks so much to Yuliya (you can see more of her photography at She Suggests) and Kristin (view her Flickr stream here) for all their hard picture-taking work!

His smile melts my heart

My Little Family


Thanks to the other mama's for sharing their photos, too!

Cristina and Cillian

Danna and Leili

Helen, Mila and Sara

Melinda and Kaelyn

Cali and Richelle

Heather and Isaiah

~Brittany

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I’m celebrating World Breastfeeding Week with Natural Parents Network!

You can, too — link up your breastfeeding posts from August 1-7 in the linky below, and enjoy reading, commenting on, and sharing the posts collected here and on Natural Parents Network.

(Visit NPN for the code to place on your blog.)

Not So Wordless Wednesday--Mama's Milk and Bodily Integrity

Last week, March 28- April 2, was Genital Integrity Awareness Week. On March 30, 1997, female circumcision was made illegal in the United States. Unfortunately, almost a decade and a half later, American boys are still not protected from genital cutting, despite this gender inequality being unconstitutional under the 14th Amendment. I spent the week sewing 7 sets of my Mama's Milk Cartons and Activism Cookies. These sets are going to be at the Peaceful Parenting booth at the Child & Baby Expo of Iowa on April 9th. I hope these toys will raise a bit of awareness for expo goers and others. I feel very strongly that everyone should have a right to their whole, intact body from birth. 

For more information on genital integrity, please check out these links:

http://www.drmomma.org

http://www.thewholenetwork.org

http://www.intactamerica.org

http://www.savingpenises.org

 http://www.nocirc.org

http://www.mgmbill.org

For more information on breastfeeding and circumcision, please see: 

http://www.cirp.org/library/birth/

http://www.circumstitions.com/Nursing.html

http://www.bmj.com/content/326/7404/0.6/reply#34057

http://www.drmomma.org/2009/12/effects-of-circumcision-on.html

~Brittany