Urban Nana

The moment of oakland\’s big latch on

 

Urban Nana interviews – Laura Cox coordinator of Oakland, CA\’s Big Latch ON

 

On a Saturday in August,  close to 30 Mommas gathered to celebrate World Breast Feeding Week..  They participated in an event called “The Big Latch ON”.

All over the world, at a time specified in each time zone, Mommas nursed they babies for exactly one minute.  Why? For several reasons.

The first is to show solidarity with mommas all over the world and to give hope to mommas who feel that they cant breastfeed.

They wish to support mommas who aren’t being supported by caregivers or community to breastfeed their little ones.   This is a sad for very true fact.  Even though  there is study after study showing the never ending benefits to both babies and their mother  when that are allowed and encouraged to establish their mother/baby connection. Benefits that include: increased IQ for baby, reduced or no incidence of allergies, better digestion, calmer happier baby, fewer or no ear infections, reduced or no incidence of diabetes later in life, reduced incidence of obesity, and on an on.

For mommas some of the benefits are: quicker postpartum weight  loss, reduced or no incidence of postpartum depression., 6 month s of breast feeding one child reduced the risk of breast cancer for the mother by 80 per cent.

Those are just a few of the benefits  – if you like to see more, google 101 reasons to breast feed your child! It is quite an eye opener.

It was wonderful that the Mom’s in Oakland braved the chilly am to stand with each other and symbolically with all mothers and claim the precious right to offer nurture and give perfect nutrition to their children.

It seems strange that such an event is necessary – that women have to make this stand on be half of what is natural and in the best interest of both mothers and infants – but it is quite urgent. Formula manufacturer spend thousand of dollars trying to convince families that there is no difference between their synthetic product and real food.

Some employers don’t wish to accommodate nursing mothers and this is another hindrance to breastfeeding for most moms – and based on my conversation with the moms gathered , the reaction of others  around them plays a huge part in their comfort in breast feeding publicly.  One mom spoke of her discomfort in feeling that “all eye were on her as she nursed in a park” , she was covered and yet she felt that people where staring. “It’s always very uncomfortable. ” she said, ” its not like I am going to stop breastfeeding , but I do wish people wouldn’t gape at me.”

This is the best reason of all for this event. Its a gift to all of us, all the people of Oakland, to witness and to make normal to all, the feeding of babies. If we see it enough, perhaps there will be no need to stare – no need to wonder, but always a reason to rejoice.

That morning close to 30 mothers nursed their babies, while other families played nearby, folks were out waling their dogs, lovers strolled by holding hands, and a walk a thon took place. All things one would expect  to see in a city park on a Saturday morning.

These geese honked and pooped  – toddlers tried to chase those geese. Husbands smiled with love at their partners, and babies were fed. All common place, and at the same time, truly miraculous!