Who is the Canadian Lactivist?

I am a woman.  A mother.  A nursing mother.  An extended nursing mother.  A wife.  A daughter.  A sister.

I am passionate about breastfeeding, breastfeeding rights, about women getting the correct information about breastfeeding, the inferiority of formula, how to breastfeed, and about women getting the support they need to feed their babies from their breast. 

We live in a society that is inundated by bottle feeding.  Look around.  Every mainstream parenting magazine has advertisements for formula companies and bottle manufacturers.  Most diaper bags come with a specific area to store cans of formula and bottles.  Most wrapping paper has bottles on them.  Baby dolls are sold with bottles.  Everywhere we look we see the image that bottle feeding is normal. 

Breast is best we are told.  If breastfeeding is “best”, then formula feeding is normal. 

I am frustrated and I need an outlet.  This blog is my outlet.

Right now, I am in the editing phase.  My blog is a complete work in progress.  Join me.

Responses

  1. I am also a breastfeeding mom! I just found your blog while looking for ways to help the Newman Clinic. It is so good to find like minded women. I am looking forward to reading more of your blog. I was reading the letter from Edith Kernerman and saw at the bottom of the page that the google ads system had posted an ad for enfamil. i thought you might want to know. I don’t know if there is anything you can do about it…

    Anyway. thank you again!
    best,
    h

    By: Holly Lewis on November 3, 2008
    at 1:22 am

  2. Thanks Holly! Are you in Toronto?

    I looked to see the ad, but there is (happily) no formula ads. I think that wordpress just generates random articles and posts using words from the blog. I’ll keep an eye out!

    I really hope the Newman Clinic can stay open. It’s such a good resource!

    By: throughthemonsoon on November 3, 2008
    at 1:36 am

  3. Hi
    I am the local reporter for Newmarket and was looking for more information about today’s demonstration at the aqua centre in Newmarket.
    Please let me know.

    By: Amanda on November 7, 2008
    at 5:11 pm

  4. Hi Amanda, what sort of information would you like?

    I have posted the press release on the front page of the blog. Here’s a link to it. https://canadianlactivist.wordpress.com/2008/11/07/following-up-on-the-discrimination-at-the-aquacentre-in-newmarket/

    I would be willing to pass you on to the woman who was discriminated against or answer any questions that you may have.

    Jenn

    By: throughthemonsoon on November 7, 2008
    at 6:03 pm

  5. Society is so confused about women’s breasts. You might be interested in my blog from Sunday which deals with society’s schizophrenic attitude towards breasts.

    http://bareoaks.blogspot.com/2008/11/nipples-on-tv.html

    By: Stephane Deschenes on November 13, 2008
    at 12:44 pm

  6. I am a lactation educator and a mom that nursed my daughter on demand till she weened herself at age 7 years of age. I am always shocked at how most women do not know “still” that the creator gave them breasts to breastfeed their babies. All other mammals breast without any problems so what is the big deal with humans doing the same thing. Breastmilk is loaded with antibodies to protect the nursing baby no matter where she nurses. Most people I find that have breastfeeding issues were either not breastfed as infants, or their moms may have had difficulties that affected their infants with some kind of negative memories from the experience. There is lots of counseling available today to help these women yet most do not even try. This mom had every right to nurse where she did. I have a sense that the first time mom who owned the pool in York region who caused the breastfeeding mom all her present difficulties may not breastfeed her baby due to her own issues that are showing through her response to the breastfeeding mom in her pool, and that would be so sad for her baby. By any luck if she does breastfeed how would she like to be treated the way she treated that mom.

    By: Pitche on November 13, 2008
    at 8:49 pm

  7. Stephane, great post on your blog, I found it really interesting!

    I agree with you, people are so obsessed with the sexuality of breasts. One comment in this entire incident really irked me and I believe it was from one of the talk radio shows where a woman made a comment like “what if my teenage son saw the nursing mother’s breast”, as if it was the nursing mother’s problem. What she failed to realize is that it is her fault that as a parent she failed to tell her son the primary function of the breast.

    Thanks for commenting!

    And I think I know of your park because we pass it on our way to our cottage!

    By: theCanadianLactivist on November 13, 2008
    at 9:54 pm

  8. Pitche, thank you for your comments. Seven years – good for you! You must be a wonderful source of education!

    If you are interested I would love for you to write an article on extended nursing (I nursed my dd until she was three, but I would love to have you guest author).

    By: theCanadianLactivist on November 13, 2008
    at 9:56 pm

  9. You’ve done a great job with your blog CL 😉 I’m enjoying reading it. Have you got any links for the US on becoming an LC? I’m looking up the ilca & iblce sites tonight.

    By: Sarah on November 19, 2008
    at 12:09 am

  10. I have treated commercial swimming pools and spas for 45 years. The concern nursing mothers should have is cryptosporidium a parasite which is not controlled by the typical chlorine level and is common to public bathing facilities. All RWI’s (recreational water illnesses) should be of great concern to nursing mothers.
    Knowing what we know about water treatment we would strongly recommend that nursing mothers
    not breast feed in the water at any public commercial swimming pool for both the mother and the childs protection.

    By: Dennis Ashworth on November 20, 2008
    at 11:57 pm

  11. Dennis thanks for your informative comment. It is certainly food for thought. I am not personally familiar with the parasite that you mention but I will be sure to look into it!

    I have a question though. Wouldn’t this particular parasite be a concern for all mothers and babies, not just those who are nursing? It has been established that the nursing mother is not actually nursing underwater, and that the baby does not ingest any more water than any other baby/child who is swimming. If this parasite is such a concern, would it not be better to bar all children from swimming because there is no greater risk for a nursing child.

    Either way, thanks for letting me know. It is good though that it is up to the individual mother to make the call on whether she wants to breastfeed in the pool or not, because, as we are all aware, discriminating against breastfeeding is against the law.

    By: theCanadianLactivist on November 21, 2008
    at 3:22 pm

  12. Where are you???? I just ran into your site tonight, would love to read more!

    By: Our Sentiments on January 18, 2010
    at 6:20 am


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