Research reveals new information about the importance of breastfeeding and breast milk, but what we know about breastfeeding basics is pretty uniform. There’s no shortage of parenting websites and books, or even videos on YouTube, that will tell you why breastfeeding is best for babies and show you tips and techniques to get breastfeeding off to a good start. So what makes this DVD special?

It’s all about the presentation. The tone. The message: There is no singular right way to breastfeed; you are not alone in your concerns, worries, obstacles; you can do this. That’s where this DVD shines. Helped by the fact that it features real moms breastfeeding and talking about it, giving the video a refreshing sense of authenticity.

It starts out with the encouraging suggestion that breastfeeding is simply the next part of what you’ve already been doing:

“For nine months, you’ve been making a miracle,” says the narrator Alyson Steel). “…And your decision to breastfeed your baby will continue the brilliant work you’ve already done, because breastfeeding is the single most important step you can take to ensure your baby’s continued growth, health and well-being.”

The moms who appear in the video look like people you know, of various ethnicities, ages, body sizes and shapes, and tattoo preferences. Sometimes they talk directly to the camera, but most of the time they are busy having genuinely sweet interactions with their babies—snuggling, gazing in adoration, and of course breastfeeding.

And this is real-life breastfeeding: you see it all. Sometimes the moms are completely shirtless, sometimes they are only partly exposed, but either way the viewer gets what she needs the most—seeing what a real-time breastfeeding latch looks like, not some drawing that bears little to no relation to what you see when you look down at your snuffling and gaping child. The material might sound explicit to some with more modest tastes, but it’s a DVD about breastfeeding, for heaven’s sake. And everything is presented in a matter-of-fact way—a glimpse into what life would be like if breastfeeding was more visible in this country, with partners and siblings alike comfortably hanging about while mom and baby do their thing.

The DVD’s script offers sound information and the latest research on breastfeeding, but delivers the facts in a conversational tone. I was happily surprised to see that it included footage of a Breast Crawl—something never discussed with me when my son was born just five years ago. In the clip, a brand new baby wriggles his way up his mother’s naked torso and instinctively finds a breast, crying just a little until finally latching on, nearly unassisted.

“The fact is that babies come into the world already knowing how to breastfeed,” intones the narrator. This is something all mothers at least inherently suspect, even when experiencing breastfeeding problems, but seeing it in action like this is quite moving.

Another pleasant surprise was the take on different breastfeeding positions. “Until a few years ago, we made a very big deal about positions for you and your baby,” says the narrator. These days, however, the best thing is “whatever works best for both of you.” The DVD does illustrate different common holds like the cradle, cross cradle, football, and side-lying positions, but it also encourages simply lying down with your baby on top of you, with as much skin-to-skin contact as possible. “In this position, you don’t have to do a thing, because your body supports your baby completely, and gravity does the rest.”

The nuts and bolts of the DVD (how breastfeeding works, why it’s important, how to do it) aren’t that surprising, but they are thorough, taking you from the first days after birth to the experience of weaning (the narrator does remind us of the AAP’s recommendation to breastfeed exclusively for six months, then at least one year or beyond).

There are also sections that discuss the partner’s role (“Simply put…to nurture you, so you can nurture your baby”) and frequently asked questions. Before you hear the expert answers to those FAQs, you first get moms sharing their individual experiences on the issue, which means you get a lot of different answers, sometimes with overlap, but mostly showing you that there is often no “one answer fits all” solution to common breastfeeding questions. This technique illustrates the idea that while breastfeeding has some universal qualities, it’s a highly individual experience.

The FAQ section also makes a case for finding a support network, reminding the viewer that every problem you might experience while breastfeeding has absolutely been experienced before by someone else, and there’s a solution to that problem. A tight circle of real-life buddies can get you through a lot. Lactation consultants and other experts can move mountains, but sometimes you just need to hear another tired mom like you say, “I hear you. It will get better.” You reach the credits feeling less isolated as you begin to navigate the world of breastfeeding.

The DVD’s production values are solid. Everything is brightly lit, glowing with lots of white backgrounds—a nice, refreshing reprieve for sleep-deprived eyes. I was a little surprised to learn that filmmaker David Stark has no children of his own. My initial reaction was, “Why was a man with no direct connection to breastfeeding compelled to make a breastfeeding DVD?” If you are wondering the same thing, he does address that here, while paying heartfelt tribute to his own mother. And while the DVD makes it very clear that it’s not a substitute for medical advice, it does credit six breastfeeding experts who support the medically sound advice.

Of course, mothers are the experts of their own experiences, and some of the most poignant, stick-with-you moments come from moms speaking (seemingly) off-the-cuff about what breastfeeding means to them.

“When I nurse, it is the most amazing feeling…together he and I are growing and I am giving him what he needs to be a strong, healthy young man…[it’s] like nothing I ever thought I would experience,” says one emotional mom. “And I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I would never trade that for anything.”

Mary Jessica Hammes is an Athens, Georgia-based writer, trapeze instructor, knitter, gardener, comic book enthusiast, and hula hooper. She is mom to Tommy.

The day was consumed with whining by my 5-year-old son and voice-raising by me—back and forth, a cycle we couldn’t seem to break. I was hoping for a bit of bedtime magic.

I asked Tommy to sit with me and read Yawning Yoga: A Goodnight Book for a Good Night’s Sleep, a new picture book by Laurie Jordan.

It proved to be the magical touch we both needed.

Bedtime in our house can be laborious. Tommy resists it like many children.

Today had been particularly tedious and Tommy was unusually ornery. I didn’t know what to expect when I suggested we read Yawning Yoga. I was surprised by Tommy’s willingness to curl up next to me, book in hand.

Appropriate for any child who enjoys picture books, Yawning Yoga uses short and playful poems to describe various yoga moves. Instructions for Downward-Facing Dog, aptly named “Dog-Tired Down Dog,” include, “Get onto all fours like your 4-legged friend. Becoming a dog is fun to pretend.” Aaron Randy’s illustrations are bright and cheerful yet surreal and dreamy, such as a child lying in a bed-sized plate of spaghetti, preparing to have her arms and legs wiggled by a parent for the “Spaghetti Test.” The pictures also have a cozy, warm, glowing quality, which is appropriate given the book’s final word, Namaste, which means “The light in me sees the light in you.”

The yoga poses are arranged in a specific sequence, starting with broad exercises that gradually become more focused and calm. The exercises at the beginning of the book are intended to “blow off steam,” while those at the end target stretching, breathing, and guided visualization.

Tommy grinned his way through each exercise. The first poem, “Greet the Moon,” had him stretching his arms to the ceiling pretending to catch a passing star. “Good Night Little Body” was similar to a bedtime routine we often do in which Tommy says goodnight to each body part. He thoroughly enjoyed having me wiggle his arms and legs for the “Spaghetti Test,” although it took a while for him to relax his limbs enough to get the full effect. We both enjoyed “Ocean Breath.” “That’s so relaxing,” sighed Tommy. “Wishing Star” encourages children to describe a star in their imagination and introduces the concept of meditation, which I appreciated. In “Mind’s Eye” readers travel somewhere “safe and secure” thinking about what they see, hear, and feel when they get there. I chose a beach. Tommy picked Pump It Up, one of those places where a warehouse-sized building is crammed full of gigantic inflatable bounce houses and screaming children.

While we enjoyed all of the poems, a few tripped us up. Some of the language of “Jiggle and Wiggle” gave Tommy pause—“What’s Jell-O?” he asked, as we tried to mimic the movement of an unfamiliar food. And we completely misread “The Twister,” not understanding that we were supposed to lie down. We realized later that there was an illustrated index featuring black and white photographs of each yoga pose along with detailed instructions.

Questions have been raised about the safety of yoga for young children. Since this book relies more on gentle stretching and relaxation, it’s unlikely to cause any problems. Poses are not held but gently explored—in the “Dog-Tired Down Dog,” the child stays busy wagging his or her “tail” and moving “paws” in a way that would be natural in even non-yoga imaginative play. (For more on yoga dos and don’ts, see baby gooroo’s safety tips.)

Calming words and soothing pictures aside, I loved this book because it encouraged interaction between parent and child. You can’t just read the book, you have to get in on the action and try out each exercise.

I can see this book becoming a regular part of our bedtime routine. When Tommy whispered “Namaste” to me at the end, it was an incredibly sweet moment—a good note on which to end a stressful day.

When my alarm went off at 6 a.m. the next morning, I was shocked to find Tommy still asleep in his own bed (he usually crawls into our bed sometime during the night).

Was it the magical influence of Yawning Yoga: A Goodnight Book for a Good Night’s Sleep? I don’t know, but we’re reading it again tonight!

Mary Jessica Hammes is an Athens, Georgia-based writer, trapeze instructor, knitter, gardener, comic book enthusiast, and hula hooper. She is mom to Tommy.

The transition from breastfeeding fully to not breastfeeding at all starts the moment you give your child something to eat or drink other than breast milk. Ideally, weaning occurs gradually over a period of weeks, months, or years. Occasionally, a crisis occurs and a mother is forced to wean quickly.

Mother-led weaning
Mothers who choose to wean may still have mixed feelings as the process unfolds. Talking with other mothers about their weaning experiences can often make the transition easier. During mother-led weaning, mothers typically replace one daily breastfeeding at a time with solids or liquids, depending on their child’s age and ability. Weaning slowly gives you, your child, and your milk supply time to adjust.

Sudden weaning has distinct drawbacks. Not only can it lead to plugged ducts and mastitis (a breast infection), it can also trigger a range of emotions such as guilt or sadness. Feelings of sadness may be due in part to the shift in hormones—a decrease in prolactin and a reintroduction of menstrual hormones—that occurs when a mother stops breastfeeding. But more often the sadness is the result of breastfeeding coming to an abrupt end.

Child-led weaning
In child-led weaning, the child breastfeeds at her own pace and mom follows her lead. Child-led weaning usually occurs over months, and breastfeeding patterns are often erratic. Your child may only breastfeed in the morning or at night, or once every other day. Some children go a day or two without breastfeeding and then breastfeed several times a day for two or three days. Eventually, your child will stop breastfeeding altogether and be fully weaned.

Occasionally, children 12 months or younger will suddenly refuse to breastfeed. Mothers often interpret this as a sign that their baby is ready to wean, but it probably just a temporary strike. Sometimes the cause of a nursing strike is obvious—ear infection, sore throat, fever, teething—but more often no cause is found. Most babies will resume breastfeeding after several days. Should this occur, increase cuddle time, hand express to relieve fullness, and be patient!

Some mothers who prefer child-led weaning may still find themselves wanting to stop breastfeeding before their child has completed the process. You can still follow your child’s lead, while creating boundaries to accelerate the process.

“In societies where children are allowed to nurse ‘as long as they want’ they usually self-wean, with no arguments or emotional trauma, between 3 and 4 years of age,” writes anthropologist and breastfeeding expert Kathy Dettwyler. While there’s no official “average weaning age,” children typically self-wean around the globe anywhere from the ages of 2 and 7.

Typically, in the U.S., we associate weaning with solid foods, but given that only 43 percent of women in the U.S. are still breastfeeding at six months (the recommended age for introducing solid foods), weaning is often linked to formula use. You may not intend to wean your baby when you supplement with formula, but since milk production is driven by supply and demand, formula use can decrease milk supply, which in turn can lead to earlier-than-anticipated weaning.

For more tips on weaning check out our guide. Click here to read one mother’s experience with child-led weaning.

What is a fever?
A fever itself is not a disease or an infection—it signals your body’s response to one. When you get a viral or bacterial infection, your body responds by raising its temperature, which in turn switches on its immune system. Fevers increase the release and activity of white blood cells, which fight germs, making a good case for not treating low fevers but letting them do their job instead.

Our body temperatures naturally fluctuate throughout the day: higher in the late afternoon and early evening, lower between midnight and early morning. Children’s temperatures vary by age (infants often have higher base temperatures). Your child has a fever if his oral temperature is over 99.5°F (37.5°C); rectal temperature is over 100.4°F (38°C); axillary (under the armpit) temperature is over 99°F (37.2°C); or tympanic (in the ear) temperature is over 100.4°F (38°C). According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), fevers above 105°F (40.6°C) are considered dangerous and require prompt medical attention. In addition to monitoring your child’s temperature, you should pay close attention to other symptoms.

How to take your child’s temperature
Mercury thermometers were once the mainstay of thermometer technology, but digital thermometers now dominate the marketplace. A recent study by physicians at Children’s Hospital Boston reinforced the fact that glass thermometers are a safety hazard due to broken glass and mercury.

Digital thermometers are specifically designed to check your child’s rectal, oral, axillary, or tympanic temperature and are placed in your child’s rectum, mouth, armpit, or ear. Some digital thermometers are versatile and can be used for rectal, oral, or axillary purposes, while others are made for use in the rectum or ear only.

For newborns–3 months:

• Use a rectal thermometer.
• Rectal thermometers can be used up to age 5.
• There are some concerns about inserting a rectal thermometer too far and perforating (causing a hole in) the rectum. Some thermometers have safeguards, like a wide handle, designed to keep this from happening. When taking a rectal temperature, insert the thermometer only ½–1 inch into the anal opening and hold it loosely in place.

For babies 3 months–3 years:

• Use a rectal, axillary, or tympanic thermometer.
• A tympanic thermometer requires precision and proper use. You might want to get some instructions from your baby’s doctor or nurse before using a tympanic thermometer.
• An axillary temperature is the least accurate of the three temperatures. An axillary temperature can be as much as two degrees lower than a rectal temperature.

For children 4–5 years:

• Use a rectal, oral, axillary, or tympanic thermometer.
• Children can begin holding an oral thermometer under their tongues for the required amount of time around this age.
• To ensure accuracy, wait about 30 minutes after meals, snacks, or drinks to take an oral temperature.
• Wait at least 20 minutes after bathtime to take your child’s temperature, since bathing can affect any temperature reading.

When to call your doctor
The presence of other symptoms play a part in helping parents decide whether to call their child’s health care provider when their child has a fever. Parents may choose to watch and wait if their older child with a higher fever is still able to play and interact normally. But a lower fever accompanied by other symptoms may signal a need for immediate attention.

Call you child’s health care provider right away if any of the following occur:

• 2-month-old or younger with a rectal temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher
• 3­- to 6-month-old with a temperature of 101°F (38.3 C) or higher
• 6-month-old or older with a temperature of 103°F (39° C) or higher
• Sore throat, earache, cough, skin rash, painful urination, stiff neck, diarrhea, vomiting, or seizure
• Behavioral change—fussier than usual, sleepier than usual, confused, unresponsive, lethargic
• High fever for more than 24 hours, even if there is no obvious cause
• History of  febrile (fever induced) seizures

Difficulty breathing, swallowing, or awakening—call 911 immediately.

Finally, parents should feel comfortable calling their child’s health care provider anytime they have a question or concern.

How to treat a fever at home
Fevers typically last 1–2 days. During this time, encourage (but don’t force) your child to drink liquids, as a means of replacing the fluid lost through fever-induced sweating. Dress your child in less clothing—bundling your child, even if she complains of being cold, can cause a higher fever. If your child has chills, use a thin blanket rather than more clothes to keep her comfortable. Try other home remedies to relieve fever such as a sponge bath using lukewarm water (not cold—if your child begins shivering, take her out of the bath). Older children who are active can simply play in the tub.

You can give acetaminophen (Tylenol) to children older than 3 months of age and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) to children older than 6 months of age. Before administering any medications, discuss the proper dosage with your child’s health care provider, as it’s based on your child’s weight, not age. Never give your child aspirin. Anyone under the age of 21 should not take aspirin due to its association with Reye’s syndrome (a potentially fatal disease).

Finally, if you breastfeed, keep breastfeeding! Research shows that breastfed babies are less likely to have fevers after vaccinations. Regardless of the source of fever, breastfeeding delivers anti-inflammatory properties, antibodies, and comfort to your ill child when she needs it the most.

Mary Jessica Hammes is an Athens, Georgia-based writer, trapeze instructor, knitter, gardener, comic book enthusiast, and hula hooper. She is mom to Tommy.

Pantley is known for her No-Cry books on sleeping, napping, separation anxiety, potty training, and discipline. The No-Cry philosophy is all about “avoiding tears, stress, and anger and making positive changes in the most productive ways,” she writes in her latest book.

Her gentle and reassuring tone do much to accomplish this.

“While your current struggles with your child’s picky eating are real, important, and frustrating, they will pass in time,” she writes.

Even so, it’s important to provide good nutrition to support both these early years of rapid growth, and in the long-term by establishing healthy eating choices that will influence the rest of their lives.

Pantley’s book helps identify the picky eater and whether he or she is actually unhealthy, reminding you that picky eating is rarely dangerous. Perhaps most importantly, she reminds that you are a loving and normal parent, even if your child’s picky eating has worried you, angered you, or made you feel guilty.

When people talk about picky eating, they so often focus on the control issues—your child is refusing certain foods just so she can control some small part of his or her overwhelming world. One of the book’s strengths is that Pantley goes well beyond that, exploring all of the different reasons why kids are picky.

Why are some kids so picky, or seemingly predisposed to reach for the sweet stuff? Pantley explains:

• Genetics. Research shows that parents who were picky eaters often pass that trait on to their own children.

• Evolution. Breast milk is sweet; poisonous, toxic, or spoiled foods are sour and bitter. Unfortunately, many vegetables fall into that bitter range and invite rejection. (Pantley writes, many vegetables could be sweetened naturally by roasting to caramelization, or mixed with healthy sweets like raisins, yogurt, or cheese.)

• Biology. Babies have more taste buds than adults and therefore “a more enhanced recognition of sweet tastes.”

• Anatomy. One in four babies are “supertasters,” with an unusually high number of taste buds that make many foods distasteful.

• Smell. Scent accounts for 70–80 percent of flavor. Babies and young children have an enhanced sense of smell that makes familiar and soothing smells more appealing.

• The Total Experience. This is Pantley’s term for the overall shape, color, and texture of food and how children like to explore it (and reject it for any of those reasons).

• Familiarity. Unborn babies experience various tastes from their mother’s diet through the amniotic fluid that surrounds them. After birth, those tastes are passed from a mother to her child through breastfeeding. Children typically stick to what they know.

• Growth. Children’s appetites sometimes match the ups and downs of their growth spurts.

• Control. “This is one of the times that he actually has the final say: no matter how hard anyone tries, they cannot make a child swallow something,” she writes.

• Lack of wisdom. Simply put, kids don’t know or care about nutrition!

But parents do know and should care, and it’s important to persevere and offer healthy foods even during periods of picky eating. “Research shows that food preferences are established early in life,” she writes, so you don’t want to get into the habit of caving in, giving the unhealthy food your child is demanding. That creates a “vicious cycle,” writes Pantley.

“By the time your child outgrows these dietary limitations, his food habits are set in place and harder to change,” she adds.

To make it easy on you, Pantley arms you with food facts. She talks about the negative effects of sugar, sodium, fats, and chemicals (including hormones, antibiotics, and pesticides found in food), and the positive effects of eating whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, and dining as a family.

Most importantly, she says, children learn eating habits primarily from their parents. Introducing healthy foods into your child’s diet is the perfect time to examine your own eating habits and lead by example.

But what if you don’t know where to start? Not to worry. Pantley gives you a plan.

She tells you how to prepare both your attitude and your kitchen. She gives you correct portion and serving sizes. And she offers a list of rules, giving you permission to break a few of them when appropriate.

The “Tips, Tricks, and Tactics” chapter is a goldmine: a host of ways to serve your picky eater his favorites, while covertly changing the recipe to make it healthier. There’s even a guide on how to change the recipe gradually over time, for those perceptive eaters who might notice the difference.

There are also tips on making mealtime “fun.” No doubt you’ve already seen a sandwich shaped by a funky cookie-cutter, some cloying nickname given to an otherwise still-uninspired dish, or a pile of vegetables sculpted into something resembling a circus clown. She doesn’t discount those ideas, as they well might work, but she also discusses ways to involve the children themselves in food preparation and presentation.

Another helpful guide offers healthier snacks based on your child’s less healthy favorites. (For instance, if French fries are a favorite, try baked sweet potato or butternut squash fries.) She has also come up with a helpful mix-and-match list of both dips and food for dipping.

The last part of the book is reserved for recipes including stews, casseroles, muffins, and other dishes that look, for the most part, quite appealing to any-aged eater (though vegetarians and vegans will want to look elsewhere for more choices). Only a few of the recipes sneak in healthy food in the guise of sweets; most of the time, there’s no deception, only food that is prepared and meant to look like itself. Pink potatoes are just that, simply tinted with a mix of white and sweet potatoes. There are 21 recipes in all—not quite enough to make this feel like a cookbook, but enough to be a good jumping-off point or inspiration to find other healthy, kid-friendly cookbooks.

Honestly, the book would still be valuable without the recipes. Pantley’s no-shame attitude is a gift to desperate parents dreading mealtimes. In an ideal world, meals and snacks are meant to be bonding times, opportunities to regroup and relax with loved ones. “The rituals that surround food and eating should be pleasant,” she writes. This book is a beacon to anyone who has lost sight of that.

Mary Jessica Hammes is an Athens, Georgia-based writer, trapeze instructor, knitter, gardener, comic book enthusiast, and hula hooper. She is mom to Tommy.

Sojourner Marable Grimmett—an Atlanta mother, blogger at Married With Two Boys, and author of a study about balancing work and motherhood—is known for her breastfeeding advocacy. So when she posted a question on Facebook (Did her friends think it was appropriate to ask if companies have a lactation room during a job interview?), friends were eager to chime in. One left a comment mentioning that the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport had no designated lactation rooms for customers or employees. And with that, her next project was born.

“That really sparked something inside me,” says Grimmett, who works as a program administrator at the Southern Regional Educational Board.

Reflecting on her own breastfeeding experiences, she recalls being unable to pump at her former job. Without the ability to pump breast milk five days each week, she was unable to maintain her milk supply. Ultimately, she stopped breastfeeding her older son at just over 4 months of age—well before she was ready. “That was really hard for me,” she says. When she was pregnant with her second son, she helped establish a lactation room at work and was able to breastfeed him for 15 months. That lactation room, she says, made a huge difference.

Grimmett thought of not only airline employees wanting to pump, but of the 89 million passengers that pass through the airport each year. Far less busy airports have established lactation rooms. Perhaps Atlanta could look to the example of the Hong Kong International Airport, which boasts over 30 rooms with changing and feeding facilities.

Travelers need an easily accessible room to breastfeed or pump milk. Yet at the moment, Atlanta’s airport offers only use a private room at the airport that must be reserved in advance.

(As an aside, finding that “private room” is near to impossible. A search for “private rooms” on the Hartsfield website yields only a list of 12 approved smoking areas. Besides that, the notion of reserving a private room before traveling is ludicrous to breastfeeding mothers, who know that “babies feed on demand,” says Grimmett. “Sometimes, you don’t know if you’ll need a private room ahead of time.”)

Grimmett decided to do two things: contact the airport directly to encourage them to create lactation rooms, and build online support for the idea. She does both with Table for Two, a  campaign which “seeks to make the lifestyles of breastfeeding mothers seamless and build public accommodation for lactating mommies,” says the website.

“We deserve a safe, clean, and private area to express milk,” says Grimmett.

Table For Two campaign
Grimmett’s campaign focuses on the common comeback to all breastfeeding-in-public-naysayers: “Would you eat in the bathroom? Then why would you expect a baby to?” Her website features attention-getting photos of adults and children dining in bathrooms: a man eats pizza by a line of urinals; a couple enjoys a “romantic meal” while another man uses the facilities beside them.

“I wish this campaign would go viral, like planking!” she says, laughing. She’d love nothing more than to see other people eating in the bathroom and encourages people to send in photos of themselves doing so in support of the campaign. (More information on how to do that is below.)

The models themselves are primarily African-American, which was intentional as breastfeeding literature and promotional materials often lack an African-American presence thus ignoring an audience whose breastfeeding rates lag behind their white and Hispanic counterparts. But let’s face it—breastfeeding rates amongst all women need to be improved. Currently only 1 in 3 U.S. babies are breastfed exclusively for three months.

Breastfeeding advocates agree that in order for breastfeeding rates to rise, breastfeeding must be seen as a normal part of life. In other words, it needs to be part of the public scene. Grimmett says that she isn’t encouraging lactation rooms so that breastfeeding and pumping will be hidden away, behind closed doors. She just wants to provide a comfortable place for those mothers who prefer privacy when breastfeeding or pumping.

“I believe that women should nurse wherever they please…but I’m also about inclusiveness,” she says. “Some women don’t mind breastfeeding in public. Some women also pump in public…but for those women who don’t feel comfortable with that, [a lactation room] is another option.”

“I feel very optimistic about the possibilities of designated lactation rooms being established at Atlanta’s airport,” says Grimmett.

The airport officials she has contacted have been receptive, if not exactly forthcoming with information. Grimmett has asked for a timeline on when a lactation room might be created, but has not yet heard back. She hopes that Table for Two will create enough momentum in social media to encourage the airport to act quickly—and in the meantime, get people thinking about establishing lactation rooms everywhere.

“I’m such an optimistic person,” says Grimmett. “My dad always said, ‘Always speak truth to power’—speak up for what you believe in. That’s what I’m doing.”

Grimmett encourages supporters to post images of themselves eating in a bathroom on the Support Table For Two Facebook page, and to sign the petition calling for lactation rooms at Hartsfield.

Mary Jessica Hammes is an Athens, Georgia-based writer, trapeze instructor, knitter, gardener, comic book enthusiast, and hula hooper. She is mom to Tommy.

New research shows that pervasive formula marketing targets those who would benefit most from breastfeeding—impoverished Philippine families with the highest infant mortality rates.

Research
Manila-based researchers from the World Health Organization (WHO), Action for Economic Reform, and PhilHealth aimed to find out whether aggressive marketing by the infant formula industry was responsible for the 6 percent increase in formula use between 2003 and 2008 in the Philippines.

Researchers conducted household surveys and focus groups in 16 barangays (communities) in 2006 and 2007 to learn about advertising exposure and formula feeding decisions. The barangays were randomly selected, but did not represent the nation. They were generally less educated, more rural, and had a lower socioeconomic status than the rest of the country.

“The authors believe these limitations do not diminish the results,” they write, “but suggest the marketing messages are reaching the most vulnerable sector of the Philippine population, which also has the highest infant mortality rates.”

Results
Even after the data were adjusted for education and economic indicators, the results were clear: if the mother saw advertising for formula, or if a doctor, mother, or relative recommended using formula, the children were more likely to get formula. Out of 5,219 households, 6.7 percent had children under the age of 24 months; out of those 345 children, 41.1 percent were fed with formula. The moms who used formula were 6.4 times more likely to stop breastfeeding before 12 months.

Recommendations
The study’s findings might sound like commonsense—that anyone in any part of the world would be more likely to formula feed if they were encouraged or persuaded to do so by advertising, family, and doctors. But the Philippines is an interesting setting to look at this issue, given its “aggressive industry practices and rising formula usage,” write the researchers.

That influence of such pervasive marketing practices was apparent in the parents’ responses to the researchers. Parents said that they remembered infant formula advertising claiming that formula had ingredients that “make babies healthy,” “make children smart,” and “protect against infections.” Only 17 percent recalled the message that “breast milk is best for babies.”

The advertising slogans made their mark: “The participants had high recall of the advertising messages which included: ‘Batang May Laban (child with strong resistance),’ ‘hindi sakitin (child without sickness),’ ‘nakakatibay ng buto (child with bones),’ ‘may nucleotides (with nucleotides),’ although no one could say what nucleotides were, and ‘for the gifted child.’”

Parents made no mention of medical indications (passing on certain diseases or medications through breast milk) as reasons given by advertisements or doctors to formula feed.

Parents said that they were approached directly by formula sales representatives, getting phone calls asking if they had already given birth and what kind of formula they planned to use. They were invited to go to formula-feeding seminars and received literature on formula feeding—sometimes with other small gifts—in the mail. Doctors also encouraged new moms to formula feed, giving prescriptions, telling mothers that their breast milk did not have enough nutrients, even selling the formula in at least one reported case.

In the end, the study found that 59.1 percent of mothers remembered infant formula advertising (and were twice as likely to use formula) and one-sixth reported doctor recommendations (and were four times as likely to use formula).

Unethical marketing of infant formula is nothing new—the WHO’s International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes has long been adapted and ignored. The Code forbids advertising or other forms of promotion of infant formula to the general public, but few countries follow that guideline. The Philippines did not achieve its formula-feeding rate all on its own; the U.S. spent over $100 million on formula advertising in the Philippines during only six months in 2006, according to the study. And Americans too experience questionable infant formula marketing practices (read more on this here).

The researchers make a bold suggestion for solving the problem: “total bans” on infant formula advertisements and other promotional efforts worldwide, and for doctors to follow the Hippocratic Oath and cease all promotions of “medically unnecessary and unsafe feeding practices.”

Given the infant formula industry’s global marketing practices, it’s unlikely that message will be well received in the Philippines or the U.S. However, China is currently considering banning all sales promotions and advertising of infant formula for children under the age of 6 months. Perhaps other countries will follow suit.