Mothers in Vancouver, North Vancouver, Pemberton and Richmond kicked off the 2012 World Breastfeeding Week on September 29. This year’s theme was: Go green – Reduce your footprint and breastfeed your baby. The act of breastfeeding a baby carries with it a carbon footprint of exactly zero. Human milk is green, it is a natural, renewable resource, and it is all the baby needs for the first six months of life.
Here are some highlights:
Vancouver hosted 200 people, including 61 nursing kids plus 8 remote participants. A special thanks to the pair who attended for the fourth year in a row! And thanks to all the families who spoke to the media. Sing Tao, the Vancouver Sun and the CBC were all there to celebrate with us.
At our North Shore site there were 40 moms and 43 babes. At Lion’s Gate Hospital 14 mothers and 16 babes took part and on Bowen Island 16 mothers and 16 babes took part. Two moms and babes participated via Facebook! A total of 72 mothers and 77 babes! Squamish Elder Gloria Nahanee open the event with a blessing.
Many dads siblings and a few grandmas attended and there one participant returned for the seventh year, each time breastfeeding one or more children. The North Shore News attended and the mayor of North Vancouver Darryl Massato came as well as MLA Naomi Yamamoto, Coucillor Jane Thornthwaite and Medical Health Officer Dr. Brian O’Connor. The event was a zero waste event, using the city of North Vancouver’s zero waste re-cycling bins for the first time.
