This is an excellent article by Kate Evans which was published in The Guardian. Two facts that stand out are that only 1% of British babies are exclusively breastfed up to the age of 6 months and that if 90% of Mums in the USA breastfed exclusively for the first six months, then more than 900 lives would be saved a year. The latter is a shocking statistic when you consider how often you hear people saying that ‘formula doesn’t pose a risk in developed countries’.

The Breastfeeding Network have started a campaign to scrap the ‘breast is best’ slogan and are calling for breastfeeding to be portrayed as the biological norm instead. Read more about the campaign here.

Nestle’s latest global marketing strategy is to promote its baby milk with the claim it ‘protects’ babies. Nestle knows that babies fed on its formula are more likely to become sick than breastfed babies and, in conditions of poverty, more likely to die. But Nestle puts its own profits before the lives of babies with strategies like this.

Baby Milk Action and their partners have stopped similar practices in the past through pressure from the boycott and will stop this – but only with your help.

You can find out more about Nestle’s strategy, including a short youtube clip, with a presentation by spoof marketing guru, Mr. Henry Nastie, and an email that you can send through the site to Nestle, by clicking here.

Want to know why ‘Breast is Best’?  Check out this comprehensive list of reasons!

Liberal Democrats join Greens in committing to protect infant health:

The Baby Feeding Law Group (BFLG), representing 24 health, union and mother support organisations, such as the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, the Royal Colleges of Midwives and Nursing and UNISON, has received pledges in support of its campaign for protecting infant health through the implementation of World Health Assembly marketing requirements for baby foods from the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party and the Scottish Green Party. Baby Milk Action, the secretariat of BFLG, wrote to party leaders at the start of the UK General Election campaign.

To see the whole press release from Baby Milk Action, please click here.

Bursledon Breastfeeding Babes were represented at the Blackthorn Health Centre open day on Saturday 17th April, 2010. Our stall attracted a fair amount of attention, with the knitted boob and ‘5 days of poo’ nappy proving particularly popular!

A company in the USA have started making these very cute newborn hats to remind any health professionals at the hospital that you are breastfeeding you baby and don’t want him/her to be given a bottle. What an excellent idea! Click here for more info.

The latest edition of La Leche League International’s magazine, New Beginnings, is available now to read online. Enjoy!

Quote of the day from the British Nutrition Foundation website (www.nutrition.org.uk):

“Apart from breastmilk, no single food contains all the essential nutrients the body needs to be healthy and function efficiently.”

And so say all of us!!

World Breastfeeding Week runs from August 1st until August 7th, 2010. This year, the focus is on ’Just 10 Steps’ to encourage exclusive breastfeeding within all maternity facilities. We will we supporting and celebrating World Breastfeeding Week on Wednesday August 4th and would love for you to join us!

Find more information on this year’s World Breastfeeding Week by clicking here.