1. MILK NOTES
©
PUBLISHED BY THE AFRICAN AMERICAN BREASTFEEDING NETWORK OF MILWAUKEE
APRIL—JUNE 2010 ISSUE
For more information and/or Wisconsin Becomes 45th State To Protect
to register for these FREE
services, please call
Mothers Right To Breastfeed In Public
(414) 264-3441 Governor Jim Doyle signed the
Right To Breastfeed Act on March
Sista2Sista Chat Room 10. This new law allows mothers
A bi-monthly gathering for pregnant
and breastfeeding moms to share in- to breastfeed in public and private
formation, discuss concerns and dis- places without being asked to leave
pel myths about breastfeeding. or harassed.
Upcoming Dates “The law is a great victory for our
August 12 and October 14 State, families and mothers,” said
5:30PM-7:00PM
4340 North 46th -ParkLawn YMCA Dalvery Blackwell, co-founder of
Inside the Children’s Service Society the African American Breastfeeding Network of Milwaukee
of WI Family Resource Center (AABN). “It will help tear down the stigma associated with breast-
feeding babies in public and will help normalize breastfeeding,”
Sista2Sista Home Visitation she said.
Certified breastfeeding specialists A person who interferes with a mother’s right to breastfeed in pub-
visit new mothers in the comfort of
their homes for support. lic can be fined up to $200. There
are 44 other states that have similar
Pumpin’ It Out, laws protecting mothers. The
Workin’ It Out© AABN plans to help promote and
A two-hour class designed for moms publicize the new law by dissemi-
who wish to provide breast milk to nating information to the media,
their babies and are returning back to community leaders, healthcare pro-
school/work 6 weeks after delivery or
before. viders, and families. For more in-
formation, call the AABN at (414)
Breastfeeding Awareness 264-3441.
Community Presentations WISCONSIN
AABN is available to talk to groups RIGHT TO BREASTFEED ACT
and organizations about the value and A mother may breastfeed her child in any public or private loca-
benefits of breastfeeding for families,
and our communities.
tion where the mother and child are otherwise authorized to be.
In such a location, no person may prohibit a mother from breast-
feeding her child, direct a mother to move to another location to
Babies Are breastfeed her child, direct a mother to cover her child or breast
while breastfeeding, or otherwise restrict a mother from breast-
Born feeding.
To Breastfeed. State Statute 253.16

2. 2
Reasonable Break Time for Pacifiers Interfere with Breastfeeding
Nursing Mothers is Now Law
Some mothers call it the nokie, others call it the paci. It is also re-
The 2010 Healthcare Reform ferred to as a nuk or a noo-noo. The Baby Center even received
Act revised the Fair Labor 139 nicknames for the pacifier. A multi-billion dollar business in
Standards Act (FLSA) by re-
the U.S., the pacifier is synonymous with baby. Re-
quiring that employers provide
gardless of the rea- son a parent may choose
a reasonable break time for an
employee to express breast to use the nokie, pacifiers interfere
milk for her nursing child. with breastfeed- ing. The African
American Breast- feeding Network of
• Under the Act, employers Milwaukee (AABN) agrees with
must now provide a private, the American Academy of Pediatrics
non-bathroom place for an (AAP) and other or- ganizations that using a
employee to express breast
pacifier should be delayed until breastfeeding is well es-
milk.
tablished, usually at about 3 to 4 weeks. Also AABN agrees that it
• The FLSA does not require can delay effective suckling and interfere with breast milk supply.
employers to pay employees The first month is important because the amount of milk a mother
for such break time. makes in future months is determined by how often the baby nurses
at the breasts in the first weeks. For the first 4 weeks after birth,
• The law does not apply to
the hormone prolactin increases as the baby nurses. Prolactin
employers with less than 50
helps build and protect a mothers’ milk supply. Some doctors sug-
employees.
gest giving a pacifier only if a baby is premature or has medical
• The law was effective imme- problems. Also, research shows that babies who use pacifier can
diately upon President choke if part of the pacifier breaks. Other risks of using a pacifier
Obama’s signing of the Pa- are thrush, ear infections, speech delay, teeth misalignment and
tient Protection and Afford- shaping of the soft palate.
able Care Act, however, en-
forcement rules have not yet Sources: kellymom.com and pamf.org
been put in place. Depart-
ment of Labor is working
diligently to establish these
rules.
The African American Breast-
feeding Network (AABN) will
be available to provide re-
sources and support to busi-
nesses and families once en-
forcement rules have been es-
tablished. For more informa-
tion and written policy on
breastfeeding and expressing
breast milk in the workplace,
go towww.usbreastfeeding.org.

3. 3
Mocha Profile: Alexis Gillespie KNOW YOUR FACTS
The moment Alexis found ceived encouraged her to con- Smoking & Breastfeeding
out that she was pregnant, she tinue breastfeeding. Alexis is Risks You Should Know
decided to breastfeed. Her not afraid to breastfeed any- Mothers who breastfeed are advised not to
mother breastfed her so she felt where. She recalls breastfeed- smoke, but if they cannot quit, it is probably
still more valuable to breastfeed.
it was the “right thing to do.” ing in public at Burlington
The risks of smoking is small, but the benefits
Few 23 year old moms have Coat Factory and two men be-
of breastfeeding are bigger. This is the basic
breastfed for as gan snickering.
advice given to mothers by leading organiza-
long as Alexis has. “They probably
tions such as La Leche League and the Ameri-
Ja’Karon will be 1 had never seen a can Academy of Family Physicians.
year old on July 19; mom breastfeed If You Are Going To Smoke, Reduce Risks
he has never had before,” she • Never smoke while pregnant and around
formula; nor a paci- says. “Moms your baby and small children.
fier and he receives should not be • Smoke fewer than 20 cigarettes. If the
few bottles. afraid to breast- mother smokes fewer than twenty ciga-
To her breastfeed- feed when their rettes a day, the risks to her baby getting
ing came natural; babies get hun- from the nicotine in her milk are small.
however, she had to gry.” Alexis is When a breastfeeding mother smokes more
overcome some common prob- glad to hear about the new than twenty to thirty cigarettes a day, the
lems. She called the hospital statewide law, the Right to risks increase. Heavy smoking can reduce a
lactation specialist and her best Breastfeed Act, that allows a mother's milk supply and on rare occa-
friend April when she had mom to breastfeed anywhere sions has caused symptoms in the breast-
questions and needed advice. they are allowed to be. She feeding baby such as nausea, vomiting,
She says the advice she re- feels that when more moms abdominal cramps, and diarrhea.
Contd’ On Page 4 • Avoid nursing right after smoking. The
amount of time it takes for half the nico-
The Economics of NOT Breastfeeding tine to be eliminated from the body is
Our country loses at least $13 ninety-five minutes. For this reason, a
billion each year because of By NOT breastfeeding we lose… mother should avoid smoking just before
low breastfeeding rates, ac- and certainly during a feeding.
cording to an economic study $4.7 billion and 447 excess deaths due Common Problems for Babies
published online, April 5 in the to sudden infant death syndrome • Addiction to Nicotine
journal Pediatrics. Most of the (SIDS) • Increased risk of SIDS
billions lost are related to in- • Increased risk of Lung Cancer
fant deaths and disease. Au- • Respiratory Problems
$908 million due to ear infections
thors of the study say 911 in- • Ear Infections
fants deaths could be saved if • Excessive crying or colic
$592 million due to childhood obesity
90% of moms followed recom- • Cramps, Nausea, Diarrhea
mendations to breastfeed ex- Remember, even if you can't quit smoking,
$$601 million due to eczema breastfeeding still is best because the benefits
clusively for 6 months. "We
really shouldn't be blaming of breast milk still outweigh the risks from
2.6 billion due to 249 excess deaths nicotine. Seek help in quitting from your
mothers…" says the authors. from necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) health care provider. Ask your doctor about
Many hospitals offer formula
nicotine replacement and other quit smoking
to moms even when the moth-
$1.8 billion due to 172 excess deaths therapies. Sources: www.Breastfeeding-
ers intend to breastfeed, the Magazine.com, Smoking and Breastfeeding, La
from lower respiratory tract infections
authors say. Leache League

4. 4
Mocha Profile From Page 3
publicly breastfeed perhaps
people will stop staring.
When she returned back to
work after a 6 week maternity
leave; her supervisor allowed
her to pump while at work dur-
ing her breaks. She believes
that pumping at work allowed
her to continue providing
breast milk to Ja’Karon.
Alexis is a manager at a local
McDonald.
“When I come home from
work the moment he sees me
he waves his arms and gig-
gles,” she says. “I love the
bond we have.”
AFRICAN AMERICAN
BREASTFEEDING NETWORK
Our VISION is to live in a world
where breastfeeding is the norm
within the African American
community. Our MISSION is to
promote breastfeeding as a natural
and the best way to provide nourish-
ment for babies and young children.
To find out more about AABN
and/or to get involved...
CALL…
(414) 264-3441 Pregnant and breastfeeding
or
EMAIL moms and their families
AABN@YMAIL.COM attend the April 8th Sista2Sista Breastfeeding Chat Room Com-
munity Gathering. This bi-monthly support group is a project of
AABN. The purpose of this community event is to bring together
MILK NOTES pregnant and breastfeeding mother and their families to dispel
common myths, shares suggestions and to learn ways . The Chat
Editor/Graphic Design: Dalvery
Blackwell, Certified Breastfeeding Room takes place at the Children’s Health Service Society of Wis-
Educator, Peer Counselor consin’s Family Resource Room, which is inside the Parklawn
Proofreader: Beth Nelton, Project
YMCA, 4340 North 40th Street. Upcoming dates are August 12
Nutritionist and October 14, 2110. Fathers, friends, family members and chil-
dren are welcome. Free door prizes for everyone, dinner and
Medical Advisor: Dinah Scott, RN,
Certified Breastfeeding Educator childcare. For more information, please call (414) 264-3441.