ban bisphenol A breastfeeding in public
PLEASE click here to PRINT AND COLLECT SIGNATURES FOR THIS BREASTFEEDING SUPPORT PETITION!
To all breastfeeding supporters in Ontario:
A couple of years ago, breastfeeding advocate Esther Goldstein began a campaign to highlight the closing of Dr Jack Newman's breastfeeding clinics in Toronto. In a short time this turned into more of a province-wide campaign to encourage our provincial government to properly support breastfeeding by creating a policy that would support and encourage BFI and BFHI, provide funding to support proper training and increase the number of clinics where women can go to get assistance.
When the campaign first began, she collected online signatures which they took to the Minister of Health; unfortunately, they were told after the fact that because it was electronic and had signatures from out of province, it was in an unacceptable form.
We would very much appreciate it if all supporters in Ontario would print out this petition and have it signed by anyone they know who supports our efforts.
Please mail the completed petition by November 1, 2007 to:
Esther Goldstein, 80 Glen Shields Avenue, P.O. Box 49503, Concord, ON L4K 4P6
Thank you for your support!
advocacy
"Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does." (William James)
Breastfeeding Rights are not Wrong
Toronto, Ontario, November 14, 2007 --"Breast is Best." "Anytime, Anywhere...” "It's your Right." "Breast is Best." "Anytime. Anywhere. " "It's your Right." The Ontario Human Rights Commission, the City of Toronto and Health Canada have been promoting these messages for years. Still somehow, not everyone has heard. Not even a national family-oriented organization like the YMCA.
On September 1st 2007, Pickering mother and midwife, Carolynn Prior, sat in the waiting area near the Scarborough YMCA swimming pool watching her two older children’s swimming lesson. When it was time for her 5-month-old baby to eat, she breastfed him....until a lifeguard approached her, and suggested that she move to another area because "This is a family place and it [breastfeeding] might offend someone." Carolynn refused to leave. She knew she had a right to breastfeed there, and rightly so because The Ontario Human Rights Commission states that:
You have rights as a nursing mother. For example, you have the right to breastfeed a child in a public area. No one should prevent you from nursing your child simply because you are in a public area. They should not ask you to “cover up”, disturb you, or ask you to move to another area that is more “discreet”.
The Ontario Human Rights Commission has filed a complaint with the YMCA on Carolynn's behalf. However, according to the response from the YMCA, they don't believe that they have done anything wrong: “The respondents deny that the complainant has been subjected to discrimination contrary to the Ontario Human Rights Code.”
So our response as breastfeeding mothers is a nurse-in:
Come to the YMCA in Scarborough, or organize a group to attend a nurse-in at at your local YMCA where they are holding a Nurse-In and demand that they create and support a global breastfeeding ‘Anytime, Anywhere’ policy for ALL YMCAs.
When: Saturday, November 17th, 2007, at 12:00 Noon.
What: A Nurse-In (Not nursing? Bring a doll & just be there!)
Who: Everyone who values the right of every baby to eat "Anywhere, Anytime"
Where: At the Scarborough YMCA, or your own local YMCAFor The Whole Story and all the details, and links to various articles and interviews about Carolynn's adventures, please feel free to visit Carolynn's Blog at: http://mothernurture.wordpress.com/2007/11/
If you have any questions, or are looking for further information about organizing a Nurse-In in your own area, please contact:
Danielle Arnold
Chief Charity Fundraiser, Mom2Mom Toronto
tel : 647-341-4184
email : dani@mom2momtoronto.caCarolynn Prior
email : breastfeeding@pvf.ca
_______________________________________________________________________________Thank you to all the moms and families who attended the Fundraiser and Breastfeeding Challenge! And many more thanks to the wonderful and generous moms who donated their time, efforts and products to make this event a great success!
A LETTER FROM MS EDITH KERNERMAN of the NBCI:
To Monique, Deb, and Dani, and all the volunteers and Donors who helped to make the Mom2Mom /NBCI Quintessence Challenge and Fundraiser an amazing success!!
We at the Newman Breastfeeding Clinic were quite overwhelmed with the dedication and committment and support you all showed yesterday by rallying together to help our clinic and the women of the GTA. What a great bunch of people you are!! It was wonderful to meet you and we so look forward to working together in the future.
Thank you and thank you! Yesterday was a wonderful success!!
E.
Edith and Jack
Edith Kernerman, IBCLC, RLC
Director,
NEWMAN BREASTFEEDING CLINIC AND INSTITUTE
Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine
Phone: 416-498-0002
Fax: 416:498-0012
Toronto, ON —Dr. Jack Newman established Canada's first hospital-based breastfeeding clinic in 1984 at The Hospital for Sick Children. Soon thereafter, he opened clinics in several Toronto hospitals as the need for his expertise grew. Unfortunately, all of his hospital clinics have closed down, including the last of them at North York General Hospital last December 2005, when government funding for the programme came to an end. Thankfully, Dr. Jack Newman has found a new home for his new and sole clinic in Toronto where new and breastfeeding moms can go for help.
Today, Dr Newman, together with Ms Edith Kernerman, continues to empower mothers to achieve their own breastfeeding goals through the NEWMAN BREASTFEEDING CLINIC & INSTITUTE (NBCI) which is located in the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine Building. Since they no longer receive any government funding, they rely on the support of moms, families, and organizations such as ours.
As a breastfeeding advocate, MOM2MOM TORONTO is holding a Charity Fundraising Indoor Yard Sale for Dr. Jack Newman's Breastfeeding Clinic in Toronto. 100% of the proceeds of the Charity Yard Sale will be going directly to the Newman Breastfeeding Clinic & Institute.
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Breastfeeding in Public : RIGHTfully Ours and Our Babies'!
As new moms, we face a myriad of challenges and insecurities. Understandably, a lot of us are unaware of what is right for us until we actually do it and learn from experience. However, as breastfeeding moms, wouldn't it help to know that we have a RIGHT TO BREASTFEED IN PUBLIC if we choose to? I wish I had known then what I know now! (read the full article...)
The Ontario Human Rights Commission clearly states our rights as Nursing Mothers:
You have rights as a nursing mother. For example, you have the right to breastfeed a child in a public area. No one should prevent you from nursing your child simply because you are in a public area. They should not ask you to "cover up", disturb you, or ask you to move to another area that is more "discreet."
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Poisonous Plastics : Ban Bisphenol A! (by the Environmental Defence)
We moms want only the best for our families and that DOES NOT include giving them plastics that leach out hormone disruptors. Unfortunately, so many of us (including myself until lately!) are not aware of how these hormone disruptors -- in the form of Bisphenol A -- are present in the stuff that we use everyday. The Environmental Defence describes this hormone disruptor in detail :
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a synthetic chemical compound used in a wide range of consumer products and is classed by the Government of Canada as a hormone disruptor. Everyone is exposed to Bisphenol A, and it is found in many everyday products including food cans, plastic water containers and baby bottles ... read more
Please help us urge our federal government to ban this poison now. The Environmental Defence has drafted a petition which you can access through:
They need 500 signatures and we are currently at 322. Do your part in protecting our children and our environment -- sign the petition today!
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