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Enjoy this excerpt from an Association of Library Service to Children blog about how important it is for librarians to actively support breastfeeding parents. Read the full blog here. This month is the 13th annual National Breastfeeding Month! The campaign helps celebrate the many and varying reasons why this act is so important while focusing the conversation on the babies and families in our communities. Librarians can be crucial in creating a welcoming environment of awareness and support for mothers and lactating parents. Our culture can be hostile toward nursing in public, causing new parents to prefer bottle feeding with formula rather than feel naked and exposed while nursing outside the home. When parents do not feel they can feed their babies wherever they are, the result is often that they abandon breastfeeding. Libraries are essential community resources for families – inviting parents to join their children in activities and providing information on pregnancy, birth, and child-rearing. Because libraries are spaces where children and adults learn together, librarians can play an important role in the promotion and protection of breastfeeding/chestfeeding. Providing resources that model the normalcy and naturalness of nursing not only helps support parents, but also helps to grow the next generation of nursing families. How Can Librarians help? The stigmas and obstacles that surround nursing cannot be changed overnight, but librarians can make inroads into changing peoples’ attitudes – both old and young. Making nursing parents feel welcome in the library is a great start, but the best route to lasting change is by helping children see nursing as a normal and routine activity. Parents cannot advocate for nursing alone; community support from librarians, daycare providers, educators, and neighborhood businesses is essential to actively promote and protect it.

If you are a breastfeeding mother, any medication you take could potentially be passed to your infant through breastmilk. Even if the medication is entirely safe for you, there may be harmful consequences for your baby. In fact, there are some very well known, trusted brands and ingredients that are not safe for this very reason. While avoiding certain medications is a familiar concept for someone who has recently gone through a pregnancy, the rules concerning breastfeeding are not so well defined. This isn’t an issue when taking prescription drugs, which must be approved by a professional, but you may find yourself lacking guidance when it comes to over-the-counter (OTC) health products. The OTC products you use can still harm your baby or affect your breastmilk production. So what’s a breastfeeding mom to do? These are basic strategies to follow: 1. Avoid products that do not have enough information. Even herbal remedies or products like caffeinated drinks and acne medication should not be trusted until you know whether they are compatible with breastfeeding. If the information you’re able to find about an OTC product is inconclusive, lacking scientific research, or comes from a dubious source (i.e. is not endorsed by a licensed health professional), it’s best to stay away from it unless your doctor or pharmacist tells you otherwise. See the list of resources at the bottom that can help you find trustworthy information. 2. Use regular-strength products whenever possible, and do not take more than the recommended dose. If the ingredients in the product are safe for breastfeeding, an extra-strength version is not likely to cause severe harm. However, there is no need for your infant (or you) to be exposed to extra amounts of a drug. Terms like “extra strength” or “maximum strength” can cause confusion, and they are sometimes only listed on packaging to make a product sound more effective. So, before using a medication, check if there is a regular-strength or original-strength version. If not, look at similar products or alternative brands, and compare the labels. Choose the product with the lowest amount of the active ingredient, or, depending on the severity of your health needs, choose the lowest amount that you think will treat your symptoms. 3. Avoid long-acting products. This protects your infant from being exposed to a drug for a longer period of time than necessary, especially if side effects or an allergic reaction are possible. Look for products that you can take every 4–6 hours, and avoid ones that say they will last 12 hours or more. Again, you can use your discretion depending on your health needs. For example, if you have severe allergies, it might be worth it to take an allergy product that lasts all day. However, it is best to discuss decisions like this with your doctor and/or pharmacist, and it may be best to test your baby’s reaction by using a short-acting product first. 4. Take products with single active ingredients. It is best to take a medication that has one or two specific ingredients that will treat a particular condition, rather than exposing your breastfeeding infant and yourself to ingredients that you don’t need. Taking medications with only one or two ingredients will also help you avoid accidentally double dosing (for example, you should not take Tylenol along with DayQuil, since DayQuil already contains acetaminophen). 5. Always choose the safest product. This may seem obvious, but it’s worth saying. Read the labels. Do your homework. Research the possible side effects that you or your infant might experience when taking an OTC drug, and make comparisons. A doctor, lactation consultant, or pharmacist can help you if you are unsure. If you talk to health professionals, make sure they know all of your circumstances so they can give you an accurate recommendation. This may feel overwhelming, but giving up on breastfeeding for the purpose of taking a certain medication is not necessary in most instances. There are very few dangerous medications that do not have a suitable alternative. With this in mind, I created a simple, thorough reference guide to OTC products that can help you reach your breastfeeding goals. If you are looking for clear answers to help you choose a safe and effective product for your health needs, I recommend my new book, The Breastfeeding Family’s Guide to Nonprescription Drugs and Everyday Products. This book will help you safely maintain your personal health and minimize any stress, fear, or pain you may be experiencing. That way, you can focus on what’s most important: building a beautiful, lasting bond with your children. Where to find information about whether a product is safe to use while breastfeeding: Dr. Frank J. Nice has practiced as a consultant, lecturer, and author on medications and breastfeeding for over 45 years. He holds advanced degrees in pharmacy administration and public administration and certification in public health pharmacy. He has worked for the U.S. Public Health Service, practiced at the National Institutes of Health, and served as a pharmacist and project manager at the Food and Drug Administration. Dr. Nice has multiple published books and has authored over 50 peer-reviewed articles on the use of prescription medications, over-the-counter products, and herbals during breastfeeding

Being a new parent can be overwhelming in the best of circumstances. For moms without a solid support system, the transition to motherhood can be daunting. In Prince George’s County, MD, Alyson Jacobson and her team at the Prince George’s Child Resource Center (PGCRC) are doing all that they can to support the young children in their community -- and our books are part of their strategy! Building Family Connections Prince George’s County Child Resource Center helps create healthy and nurturing environments for children by supporting their families and educating their caregivers. Each year the Resource Center provides family support services to over 1,500 families and training to over 2,000 child care providers, parents and human services workers... potentially touching the lives of nearly half a million children since 1990. The PGCRC uses the Family Connects model, a community program designed to support the health and well-being of all newborns and their families by offering home visits by a highly-trained registered nurse and connections to support resources families can access in their communities. As the Director of Home Visiting Services, Jacobson oversees the logistics of the nurse home visits and makes sure they uphold the PGCRC’s mission of “helping create healthy and nurturing environments for children by supporting their families and educating their caregivers.” Jacobson has been working with children of different age groups for almost all of her career. Knowing that the success of a child begins at birth and that you can’t support the child without supporting the family system around the child. She has progressively shifted to working with younger and younger-aged children. “Appreciating how important early attachment is has driven me to work with younger children,” says Jacobson. Partnerships that Support Families Through the Family Connects program, each new mother at the University of Maryland – Capital Region Health Hospital is given a “New Mom” bag full of goodies. The items inside vary, but may include lip balm, a mint and a pamphlet inviting new moms to contact PGCRC for nurse home visits. Also tucked in the bag is a copy of Cuddled and Carried / Consentido y cargado, Platypus Media’s award-winning bilingual (E/Sp) children’s book celebrating the ways animal mothers care for their babies. Beautiful images introduce the reader to attachment in the natural world. Watching mothers lend a paw, wing, flipper, or hand to care for their young fosters empathy, kindness, and compassion. “This book was perfect,” said Jacobson. “It shows how animal parents care and nurture their babies, modeling healthy attachment behaviors that promote feelings of trust and safety. Plus, a bilingual book allows us to connect with the county’s Hispanic population, which make up about 20% of our residents.” The books were a gift from Prince George’s County, Maryland Councilwoman Jolene Ivey, who works hard to support local families and local businesses. She reached out to Platypus Media, a Washington, DC independent press, and arranged for the books to be included in the “new mom” bags. A mother of five, Councilwoman Ivey, serves on the board of Children’s Hospital and fights hard for the County’s education budget. She made addressing a disparity in funding for the Home Visiting Program a priority when she served as House Chair of the Joint Committee on Children, Youth and Families, and has brought additional funding to the Prince George’s County Child Resource Center. Want to Support this Worthy Cause? Programs such as the PGCRC can make a difference in creating healthy and nurturing communities. Jacobson encourages new parents, wherever they live, to reach out for local resources and support. Expecting and new mothers in Prince George’s County, MD are invited to sign up for this wonderful Family Connects nurse home visit program. Learn more about all the Platypus Media books designed to support mothers and families at PlatypusMedia.com. To find out how we can partner with your organization’s outreach efforts, contact Caitllin at Caitlin@PlatypusMedia.com.

According to March of Dimes, roughly 380,000 babies are born prematurely in the United States each year. This means that pre-term births affect one out of ten infants. With such a high prematurity rate, NICUs and special care nurseries are immensely vital to the U.S. healthcare system. One family who understands the importance of special care nurseries are the Haddelands. Prior to giving birth in 2015, Kristen Haddeland was admitted to Sibley for hospital bed-rest due to pregnancy complications. Her daughter, Catie, was born via c-section at 34 weeks (six weeks premature) and was very sick for the first 12-24 hours of her life. She stayed in the SCN for two weeks. With one young child at home and one in the SCN, Kristen felt pulled to be in two places at once. “The nurses and the doctors were amazing and we felt like Catie was in the best care when we couldn't be with her,” Kristen said of her experience. Kristen also described the difficulty of having a newborn in the hospital, “At first we couldn't hold her, and then, when we were finally able to, it was only for five minutes at a time. In our attempt to seek a bit of normalcy, we would read aloud to Catie in her isolette.” After relying so heavily on reading to Catie during her time in the SCN, Kristen decided to start a book drive for the nursery as a way to say thank you to the staff at Sibley and provide comfort for families in a similar situation. The first year the book drive was so successful, Kristen and her family were able to create a library for parents to borrow books to read to their babies while in the SCN and books for graduates of the nursery to take home. The following year, Kristen worked with Sibley's SCN Nurse Manager to determine what their needs were and how to meet them. Nurses in the unit asked Kristen for NICU coloring books—“Come Home Soon, Baby Brother/Sister” and “Rich and Creamy for Our Preemie”—to help older children understand where their new sibling is and why they can’t come home yet. Each summer, Kristen seeks donations from family and friends for Catie’s Birthday Book Drive. In 2020, for Catie’s sixth birthday and the sixth book drive, Kristen and her family made care packages for over 40 SCN nurses and staff, as well as donated 50 NICU coloring books, 20 journals for families to record milestones and memories, and 30 take-home books for graduates. With each passing year, Catie’s Birthday Book Drive yields more books and resources for the nursery. Kristen explains why the family decided to continue the drive each year: “Getting a chance to go back to the SCN and visit the same amazing people every year has been so special for our family. And they have gotten a chance to see how Catie has grown and changed each year. I look forward to our visit every year and hope that my kids continue our tradition of giving back on their birthdays. We are so very thankful to the staff of the Special Care Nursery that Catie is here with us to celebrate every year.” If you want to learn more about premature birth, visit the links below. https://www.platypusmedia.com/resources-for-nicu-families The Come Home Soon Baby Brother/Come Home Soon Baby Sister coloring books (available in both English and Spanish) Rich and Creamy for Our Preemie coloring book (available in both English and Spanish) No Bigger than My Teddy Bear by Valerie Pankow (describes the NICU experience through the eyes of a new big brother) My Brother is a Preemie/My Sister is a Preemie: A Children’s Guide to the NICU Experience by Abraham R. Chuzzlewit & Dr. Jos. A. Vitterito II (provides a child-friendly introduction to the NICU) The Invisible String by Patrice Karst (reassures children that even when loved ones are apart, they are always in each other’s hearts) Hand to Hold sibling support activity pages and NICU video tour: www.HandToHold.org (provides resources and support to parents of preemies, babies with special health care needs and new parents who have lost a baby.)

What could be better for a young child than a doctor “prescribing” reading? To increase early exposure to books, the national literacy organization Reach Out and Read (ROR) partners with healthcare providers in all 50 states to incorporate reading into pediatric care. Nationwide, Reach Out and Read has 6,100 program sites that work to promote literacy, equity, and understanding in children from birth through age five. With over 230 programs across New York City, Long Island, and the Greater Hudson Valley alone, Reach Out and Read of Greater New York (ROR GNY) works with an incredibly diverse community of children and provides books to over 250,000 families each year. Reach Out and Read's Mission As part of their core program, ROR trains pediatric care providers to deliver early literacy guidance during doctor’s appointments. Each time a child comes in for a visit, the appointment begins with a culturally and developmentally appropriate book, which is provided by ROR at no cost. In addition to fostering early literacy skills for young patients, these readings serve as an assessment tool for providers and caregivers by providing important insight into a child’s growth and development. The visits are also beneficial to parents, who learn firsthand how to stimulate their child’s literacy development. According to Kristen Rocha Aldrich, Program Director for ROR GNY, “one of the best things about this model is that it contributes to the ultimate goal of getting children to read while also working to meet parents and caregivers where they are.” “We build on the unique relationship between parents and medical providers to develop essential early literacy skills in young children via the existing health infrastructure.” - Reach Out and Read of Greater New York Another aspect of ROR’s mission is creating literacy-rich waiting areas and exam rooms for children and their families. From intellectually stimulating books to educational posters and toys, these resources entertain and engage families throughout an entire doctor visit. ROR GNY also has an array of community programs and partnerships that provide literacy tools for children outside of their time at the doctor’s office. In collaboration with the New York Public Library System, some clinics connect patients with local librarians, who help families sign up for library cards and weekly story times. Additionally, ROR hosts virtual read alouds in English, Spanish, and other languages each week on their Facebook page. ROR GNY also posts bilingual workshops for parents and caregivers, covering diverse topics ranging from child nutrition to the acquisition of math skills through literature. Serving the Community During a Pandemic Throughout the past year, ROR has found incredible ways to continue their work for the greater New York area despite a pandemic. When the number of in-person well-child visits began to decrease in March of 2020, ROR partnered with the NYC Health+Hospitals Test & Trace Corps to reach families in need. Over 75 resource navigators from Test & Trace were trained to deliver the ROR model at testing locations, and any parent who came for a COVID-19 test received early literacy guidance and a book for their child. In six months alone, this initiative succeeded in providing 45,000 books to children in the NYC area! ROR also worked with community partners like City’s First Readers, WNET, and the Children’s Museum of the Arts to gather materials for “take care kits” during the pandemic. Complete with cleaning supplies, PPE, children’s books, activity books, and art supplies, these kits were offered to families in NYC who tested positive for COVID-19 and were quarantined at home. Tackling Tough Conversations in Native Languages In addition to providing services through a pandemic, ROR GNY is committed to “tackling some of today’s tough conversations about racial bias, equity, and inclusion” (reachoutandreadnyc.org). One place where this mission can be seen at work is in their diverse book collection. In a region where English may not be a child’s first language, Aldrich recognizes that “it is our responsibility to provide families with books in their home language. Having kids learn a home language in addition to English is setting them up for future success and to be stronger readers later in life.” Platypus Media has worked with a number of ROR programs to provide books in bilingual English/Spanish editions. Recently, we had the honor of partnering with ROR GNY to produce Bengali titles for the many Bangladeshi-American families that they serve. With the help of our translator Shahnoor Islam, a Bangladeshi-American and librarian in Queens, NY, we released two award-winning early childhood books in bilingual English/Bengali editions: Cuddled and Carried / আদরে ও আলিঙ্গনে and Atoms /পরমাণু. These books, as well as other world language and multicultural titles, are valuable additions to ROR’s collection and bring the program one step closer to what Aldrich calls “complete inclusion.” “It’s incredible to have high quality children’s books translated into Spanish and Bengali.” -Kristen Rocha Aldrich In the future, we hope to have the opportunity to produce books in Mandarin and Arabic, two languages for which ROR GNY also has significant demand. Linguistic diversity, however, is not the only factor that ROR considers when finding books for the children they serve. Aldrich and other Program Directors seek to “diversify the book collection” in as many ways as possible, including by finding titles that spark conversation about race and racism, LGBTQ rights, ableism, equity, and more. As Aldrich explains, these topics are present and influential in all aspects of life and are “not something that we can just pick up off the shelf when we feel it’s convenient … or when we feel kids are old enough to talk about it. These are things that every child should learn about and come to understand starting from the day they are born.” How to Support Reach Out and Read If you would like to contribute to Reach Out and Read’s mission of promoting literacy while fostering physical, mental, and emotional development in children across the nation, there are several ways to get involved: Visit Reach Out and Read of Greater New York’s website to make a donation. Just $21 provides a child with books for an entire year! Donate new or gently used books to your local Reach Out and Read site or to Reach Out and Read of Greater New York Volunteer for virtual or in-person read alouds. Select Reach Out and Read of Greater New York, Inc. as your Amazon Smile charity organization. Follow Reach Out and Read of Greater New York on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. To learn more about our world language titles in Bengali, Haitian Creole, Dutch, Hebrew, Korean, Washoe, and more, or to explore the possibility of creating a book in a new language, contact Caitlin@PlatypusMedia.com. If you are interested in branding books for your organization, visit our customization page.

It’s easy to think of rainbows as nothing more than a backdrop for our favorite fairy tales, but for a group of young women around the world, the rainbow is more than that - it’s a way of life. In 1922, the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls was launched as a service organization for the daughters of Masons. Open to girls from ages 11 through 20, it is now a global service group inspiring thousands of young women to pursue their passions and give back to their communities. With over 850 assemblies across the world, including in Aruba, the Philippines, and Romania, Rainbow is a wide-reaching organization that continues to foster positive growth and change daily. A Tradition of Service Rainbow Girls have numerous service projects ranging from small local projects to statewide Grand Service Projects. In the last ten years, the California Rainbow Girls have partnered with myriad organizations on Grand Service Projects, including Families Forward, A Place Called Home, and the Bay Area Crisis Nursery. This year, we are honored to be contributing to a unique project that Bailey Schmidt, a California Rainbow Girl, has created for her local assembly. Part of the Rainbow Girls’ mission is to “prepare girls for responsible and purposeful adulthood through character and leadership development.” Seventeen-year-old Bailey, a dedicated Rainbow Girl from the Santa Rosa, CA Assembly, is living proof of this mission. During her six years as a Rainbow Girl and her preparatory year as a Pledge Girl before that, Bailey has learned how to plan projects and fundraisers, how to speak in front of a crowd, how to interview for a job, and even how to apply for college. Additionally, Bailey and her Rainbow Girl sisters have participated in a multitude of service projects, including food drives, caroling for seniors, painting an elementary school, and working at a food bank. Through these experiences, Bailey and countless others have learned the true meaning of service and seen firsthand how much an act of kindness can brighten someone else’s life. “Rainbow really inspired me to keep service in my life. Once I’m out of Rainbow, I hope to have more opportunities to serve my community, wherever that may be.” —Bailey Schmidt As a Rainbow Girls leader, Bailey has had the chance to create her own service projects, and she continues to inspire those around her even despite unique challenges posed by the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Bailey’s Project - Bilingual Books for Kids in Hospitals With the help of adult advisors, fellow Rainbow Girls, family, and friends, Bailey has spent the last two months improving the lives of patients at Shriners Hospital for Children in Sacramento, CA. The Shriners Hospital Book Drive, organized by the Santa Rosa Rainbow Assembly, has worked hard to collect new bilingual books from community members in order to donate them to the hospital’s on-campus library—one that Bailey remembers visiting when her older brother stayed at the hospital after surgery. Bailey says that she always found the atmosphere at Shriners Hospital to be “homey” and welcoming, so when the opportunity arose for her to plan this term’s service project, she thought, “Why not do a book drive for the library?” Because of COVID-19 guidelines, spending time outside of the hospital has been even more difficult than usual for Shriners patients. Bailey knew that in addition to being a fun and engaging activity, reading could also be a much-needed escape for Shriners patients, so she set a goal to donate at least 50 new books to the hospital library. According to 2021 demographic data, over 200,000 Sacramento County residents over the age of five, as well as 30% of all California residents over the age of five, speak Spanish at home (Sacramento County Demographics). Additionally, the U.S. Census Bureau reports that just over 20% of all U.S. residents over the age of five have grown up speaking a language other than English at home (U.S. Census Bureau). With a mission to “provide the highest quality care to children” all across the state of California and beyond, Shriners Hospital is dedicated to welcoming patients of all linguistic backgrounds, which is why the Santa Rosa Assembly has decided to collect bilingual English/Spanish reading materials for the hospital library. The work of the Rainbow Girls does not stop there, however, as Bailey wishes to expand the project to include other hospitals and reach more children across the nation: “I would love to donate to more Shriners Hospitals across our state or even out of state. The more books we donate, the better!” Advice from the Rainbow Girls During her time with Rainbow, Bailey has learned the value not only of community service but also of determination and leadership. As a young person, it can sometimes be hard to make your voice heard and to believe that your ideas are capable of making a difference. However, as Bailey has so aptly shown us this year, making the world a better place does not have a minimum age requirement, and there is no better time to serve the community than right now. “If you think of an idea, go for it. Don’t let anyone tell you not to do it or that you’re too young to do it. You can do anything you want.” —Bailey Schmidt How You Can Help The Santa Rosa Assembly of the Rainbow Girls will be accepting financial and book donations for Shriners Children's Hospital through the first week of December, 2021. Any new Spanish, bilingual, or English books for ages 5 to 18 are welcome. Donations can be sent to Mary-Beth Dunlap at 509 San Juan Street, Santa Rosa, CA 95409. If you would like to purchase books to contribute, please click here to view English, Spanish, and bilingual titles available from Platypus Media and Science Naturally. Email Caitlin at C.Chang@ScienceNaturally.com so we can offer you the Shriners Book Drive pricing ($4.00 for books under $9.99; $5.00 for books over $10.00). We will send you a gift receipt and make sure the book gets to Bailey. Monetary donations are also being accepted and will help to fund the purchase of new books for the Shriners library. Checks should be made payable to “Santa Rosa Assembly #156.” For additional information, please contact Rosanne Gephart at Rosanne@Sonic.net or (707) 327-6911. Platypus Media is working closely with Bailey on this project. By providing discount pricing, we are working towards our goal of getting books into the hands of children who need them most. If you, or anyone you know, would like to partner with us on a fundraiser or literacy campaign, contact our other Caitlin at Caitlin@ScienceNaturally.com. We can also produce custom books for your organization. Learn more about this on our customization page.

During the last week of August every year, families around the globe celebrate Black Breastfeeding Week. In this 9th year of BBW, we are celebrating the accomplishments of Black Olympic athletes who have modeled breastfeeding in public and fought for the rights of all mothers! What is Black Breastfeeding Week and why does it matter? Breastmilk is the perfect food for babies. Most breastfeeding organizations are white-dominated. A lack of diversity in lactation consultants, OBGYNs, and fertility doctors says it all. Advocating for breastfeeding is especially important for marginalized groups. Breastfeeding Week opens a space for Black women to speak about issues concerning breastfeeding and motherhood in general. Maternal and child healthcare is not colorblind. Black babies in the United States have twice the mortality rate during childbirth as white babies. Each year, more than 4,000 American Black babies die before they leave the hospital. And surprisingly, education and income offer little protection. A Black woman with an advanced degree is more likely to lose her baby than a white woman with less than an eighth-grade education. The racial disparities are not just for newborns. Black women are three to four times as likely to die from pregnancy-related causes as their white counterparts. The reasons for the divide in both infant and maternal mortality have been debated by researchers and doctors for decades. As Reported in the New York Times, “There has been growing acceptance of what has largely been, for the medical establishment, a shocking idea: For black women in America, an inescapable atmosphere of societal and systemic racism can create a kind of toxic physiological stress that lead directly to higher rates of infant and maternal death. And that societal racism is further expressed in a pervasive, longstanding racial bias in health care that can help explain poor birth outcomes even in the case of black women with the most advantages.” Breastfeeding plays an enormous role in protecting babies from a number of poor health outcomes (both in childhood and throughout life) as well as offering substantial health benefits for the mother. Black American mothers initiate and sustain breastfeeding at lower rates than white mothers. According to the Centers for Disease Control, as of 2021, 85% of white mothers reported that they breastfeed compared to 69% of Black mothers. In celebration of Black Breastfeeding Week, we are highlighting Black mothers who have gone the extra mile to fight for the rights of Black mothers everywhere. Allyson Felix is a Black mother who has won six Olympic track and field gold medals, and has recently become an outspoken advocate for mothers’ rights and equal pay in the athletic world. Felix exposed the hypocrisy of Nike for failing to protect her pay as a brand ambassador after she had her first child back in 2018. As Felix revealed, Nike wanted to renew her contract with a 70% pay cut. Instead of accepting the contract, she chose to speak out about the issue, starting a movement that would help change athletic sponsorship companies to be more accommodating towards mothers everywhere. “Thankfully, Allyson Felix... talked about [her story] because it changed the conversation and made things possible for me,” first-time Olympian Aliphine Tuliamuk told the Washington Post. Tuliamuk doubted whether or not she was going to join the Summer 2020 Olympics when the Japanese Olympic Committee banned all foreign spectators including family members. She petitioned for the committee to make an exception as she was still breastfeeding her 7-month old daughter when the decision was made. In late June, a last minute addendum was added that allowed breastfeeding mothers to bring their infants. Because of women like Tuliamuk who shared their stories, there is hope that future mothers, regardless of profession, won’t have to choose between their careers or their family. Natasha Hastings, two-time Olympic gold medalist, described the pains she had to endure following her pregnancy. Hastings told the Washington Post, “There are some things I took for granted before, like my core strength and pelvic wall.” The first week she came back to training, she had problems dealing with bladder control during her workout—a common problem for new mothers. Recognizing and talking openly about the struggles facing athletes after childbirth is an important step toward ensuring mothers receive the support they need. Hastings, and other Olympians who have spoken honestly about the pain and discomfort they experience when resuming training, are helping all female athletes feel confident in advocating for their health. After winning the women’s 400m race in the U.S. Olympic track and field trials, Quanera Hayes posed with her son, Demetrius, and her teammate/friend, Allyson Felix, and Felix’s daughter, Cammy. After she had her son, Hayes considered leaving the sport because of her postpartum struggles, but knowing that Felix was also juggling racing and new motherhood inspired her to keep going. Hayes wrote on an Instagram post to Felix, “Thank you for using your voice to speak up for mother’s and pregnancy. Where would I be if it wasn’t for your voice.” Sharing this victory with Felix was particularly special for Hayes because it symbolizes the progress these women—and mothers everywhere—have made toward a more equal playing field. If you are a Black mother interested in learning more about breastfeeding and finding a supportive community, check out the following resources: Further Learning and Support Black Breastfeeding Week Toolkit & Resources from BlackBreastfeedingWeek.org Chocolate Milk Documentary and YouTube Series Boosting Black Mom’s Nursing Success at HappiestBaby.com Breastfeeding Benefits & Challenges for Black Mothers at BlackDoctor.org Top 7 Ways to Support Black Breastfeeding Week at LactationMatters.org Black Breastfeeding Moms Find Support in One Another Black Women Do Breastfeed Facebook Community 12 Organizations Supporting and Celebrating Black Moms Breastfeeding The Best Online Pregnancy Support Groups for Black Families How Systemic Racism Contributes to Less Breastfeeding Amongst Black Mothers

The start of August brings the start of World Breastfeeding Week! Each year, from August 1st–7th, the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action promotes WBW as a worldwide, week-long celebration dedicated to providing support for mothers and advocating for breastfeeding education. As this year’s WBW theme is Protect Breastfeeding, we thought it would only be right if we highlighted some of the amazing mothers who are protecting their right to breastfeed—in the Olympics, in businesses, and even in Hollywood. Your Breastfeeding Newsfeed Oh, Baby! Olympians Fight for their Families During a pandemic, breastfeeding may be more important than ever. Through breastmilk, antibodies and other protective bacteria are delivered to the baby to help protect against airborne illnesses such as COVID-19, and many other harmful diseases. When the organizers of the Tokyo Olympics passed a ban preventing athletes from inviting their family members to the games, breastfeeding Olympians were vocal about their disagreement. The athletes argued that they should be allowed to bring their breastfeeding infants to the Games with them. Realizing the importance of allowing these mothers to breastfeed their children, Olympic organizers lessened the restriction and allowed nursing Olympians to bring their babies to Tokyo. Caution: Breastfeeding Handstand Ahead On the topic of breastfeeding Olympians, Australian Olympic snowboarder Torah Bright recently shared a photo on Instagram showcasing her breastfeeding talents—nursing her son while doing a handstand! Torah captioned the photo, “Becoming a mother has unleashed something inside of me. 💖 It’s deeply spiritual. 💖 It’s primal. 💖 It’s raw. 💖 it’s fierce. 💖 It is pure.” After receiving backlash from commenters about her post being too revealing, she shared a video discussing the post and the challenges of motherhood, saying: “Let’s find the village of motherhood to grow and support each other.” She’s continued to share her new motherhood journey on her Instagram, including photos of her breastfeeding while skateboarding, in the snow, and on the beach. Supporting Athlete Moms Another Olympic mother, Allyson Felix, has partnered with her sponsor, Athleta, and the Women’s Sports Foundation to create a $200,000 childcare fund. This program was created to help support athlete mothers as they compete while still tackling the challenges of raising children. Nine female athletes have been named grant recipients this summer, with many more to come in the future. Each recipient will be receiving $10,000 to go toward childcare and financing their needs as mothers. Felix feels very passionate about this project. In an op-ed for the New York Times, she wrote about the maternity discrimination against female athletes and the need for protection for all mothers. Felix says “These grants are about showing the industry that all mom-athletes need this same comprehensive support to be able to participate in their athletic endeavors." Commemorate the Bond Between Mother and Baby Did you know that there is now a way for you to create a tangible representation of the love you shared while breastfeeding your baby? Breastmilk jewelry company, Milk + Honey, was founded in 2018 and has been giving mothers all over the world a tangible representation of the loving bond they have with their baby. Milk + Honey uses a unique process to encapsulate mothers’ breastmilk into jewelry. Mothers send Milk + Honey a small quantity of breastmilk, and the company preserves it, crushes it into a powder, and turns it into a resin. They have many different designs to choose from. If breastmilk isn’t available to you, they also will encapsulate a baby’s ashes, hair, or placenta. To learn more about their process of stone-making and how you can order from them, you can learn more here. Celebrity Moms Celebrate Breastfeeding Tia Mowry-Hardict feeding her beautiful baby girl Cairo Tiahna in a loving mother-daughter moment. Alanis Morissette breastfeeding her beautiful baby girl Onyx as she is latched on to Mommy (now isn’t it ironic?) Famous singer Gwen Stefani is holding her baby for a breastfeeding moment with a scenic background of Switzerland behind her Real Housewives of Atlanta star Kandi Burruss breastfeeding her baby while in the middle of a ‘poo and rinse Let this World Breastfeeding week be a commemoration to all of the role models we have that show us their bravery and honesty in supporting breastfeeding.

March is almost over, but it is never too late to celebrate Child Life Month, four weeks dedicated to acknowledging and appreciating the important work of Child Life Specialists. In both healthcare and community settings, Certified Child Life Specialists help infants, children, youth, and families cope with the stress and uncertainty of acute and chronic illness, injury, trauma, disability, loss and bereavement. They bring comfort and support to families during emotional and traumatic times. Child Life Specialists work in many different settings including schools, medical offices, camps, and hospitals. One particularly difficult place Child Life Specialists are needed is in a hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). One out of every ten American babies in the U.S. is born prematurely; that’s about 380,000 babies each year who start their lives in the NICU. Having a newborn in the hospital takes an emotional and physical toll on everyone in the family. Especially for families with children who might not be old enough to completely understand that their baby brother or sister is too small, fragile, or sick to come home. Older siblings can begin to feel scared, excluded, or angry, which often means they are not receiving the support they need. Kelly Scher, a Child Life Specialist from Golisano Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida explains, “Many parents struggle with balancing their time between children at home and their hospitalized premature baby.” Explaining to a young child what is happening to their baby brother or sister can be intimidating, especially if the preemie is experiencing serious health complications. There are many ways the hospital and Child Life Specialists can provide support for the sibling. Above all, siblings of preemie babies need to understand that they are also cared for, loved, and an important part of the family. NICU Sibling Support resources can be an asset during this time. Educational sibling support coloring or activity books offer information an adult can share while giving the child an activity. Come Home Soon, Baby Brother! and Come Home Soon, Baby Sister! (also available in Spanish) use illustrations and text to explain why the new baby can’t come home yet, how the NICU takes care of them, and what siblings can do to help. According to Elizabeth B. Mittiga, RN, BSN, from Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, these sibling support coloring books explain the NICU “in terms that children can understand, allowing them the enjoyment of coloring the pictures as well.” While this Child Life Month may be coming to a close, don’t forget to acknowledge the Child Life Specialists in your community and the amazing work they do for the families they serve. Resources for NICU Families NICU Resource List from Platypus Media Navigating the NICU as a Family: Connecting Siblings with NICU Babies March of Dimes NICU Family Support Resources Family Support for Fragile Beginnings NICU Resources from NICUAwareness.org Preemie Support Community

February is Black History Month, and we are celebrating by raising awareness for the breastfeeding groups that advocate and support Black moms. African American women across the income spectrum and from all walks of life die from preventable pregnancy-related complications at two to three times the rate of non-Hispanic white women. The death rate for Black infants is twice that of infants born to non-Hispanic white mothers. Motherhood has its challenges for everyone, but Black moms face tremendous obstacles. Breastfeeding is not only potentially life-saving for babies, but it confers significant benefits for moms. Many Black mothers are not aware of how important breastfeeding is, a shocking reality seen in data that shows African American mothers initiating and maintaining lactation at much lower levels than non-Hispanic white moms. Healthcare professionals blame a lack of access to resources on breastfeeding, coupled with inflexible work hours and shorter (if any) maternity leaves. And because Black moms may not have spent time around breastfeeding moms or had sisters/aunts who nursed their children, there can be a real lack of role models. Breastfeeding benefits for the baby include stronger immune systems, less diarrhea, better vision, and lower rates of infant mortality. Mothers benefit from lower rates of postpartum depression, a stronger bond with the baby, faster weight loss after birth, production of stress-relieving hormones, and even lower rates of breast cancer later in life. Black breastfeeding advocacy groups aim to provide role models, information, support, and advocacy. Here are some resources and groups advocating for Black breastfeeding: Mocha Moms Mocha Moms provides support for women of color throughout motherhood, and is a national advocate for breastfeeding, sisterhood, and support. Mocha Moms has chapters you can join across the country as well as online community groups. Black Women Do Breastfeed Black Women Do Breastfeed is a blog that allows women to write and share stories about their breastfeeding experiences, letting new mothers know they are not alone. They provide a vast library of resources on all aspects of breastfeeding, from the best pumps to lists of lactation specialists. National Association of Professional and Peer Lactation Supporters of Color NAPPLSC focuses on cultivating "a community of diverse professional and peer lactation supporters to transform communities of color through policy, breastfeeding, and skilled lactation care." Their executive board is composed of board-certified lactation specialists that hold conferences to help inform and raise awareness for breastfeeding and lactation care. Reaching Our Sisters Everywhere, Inc. ROSE has a mission to strengthen and support families with mentoring, training, support, outreach, education, and change in legislation and health policies. They are working towards bringing the percentage of Black babies breastfeed after birth in America to 82 percent. Soul Food for Your Baby Soul Food for Your Baby is a community program that aims to improve black breastfeeding by providing new mothers with culturally competent media and educational and community outreach. This program goes beyond breastfeeding and has classes on childhood development and parent support groups. African-American Breastfeeding Network AABN is a nonprofit focused on improving the health of mother and child, and championing breastfeeding equity by advocating for policy change. They accomplish their mission through partnering with community-centered and culturally-tailored health education and support services. Black Mothers Breastfeeding Association BMBFA’s goal is to have a national impact in reducing racial disparities in breastfeeding. By providing a network for Black families through service, education, and advocacy, BMBFA encourages mothers and strengthens multi-generational breastfeeding support. This Black History month, provide the Black mothers in your life with the support, community, and resources they need for the health and happiness of mother and baby. Eliminating racial disparities in maternal and infant mortality requires strategies that promote the overall health and well-being of families of color. The lives and health of Black mothers and infants depend on it.

Sibling Support in the NICU One out of every ten American babies is born prematurely; that’s about 380,000 babies each year who start their lives in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. While the NICU staff work around the clock to help premature babies grow healthy and strong, it is important to remember that, for the family, having a baby in the NICU remains emotionally and physically exhausting. Amidst the whirlwind of hospital visits, concerned friends, and sleepless nights, older siblings of preemies often feel scared or left out during this difficult time. The older siblings rarely receive the support they need, especially the kids old enough to recognize the stress of the situation, but too young to fully understand it. The big brother or sister is often left behind with family or babysitters while parents spend time in the NICU. Taking them along on visits to the NICU can be upsetting if they’re not prepared, or boring if there is nothing for them to do. Some NICUs don’t allow siblings to visit at all. As Kelly Scher, a Child Life Specialist from Golisano Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida explains, “Many parents struggle with balancing their time between children at home and their hospitalized premature baby.” Even when home, it can be difficult for parents who are emotionally spent to engage with older children, or provide enough positive attention and reassurance. Explaining to a young child what is happening to their baby brother or sister can also be intimidating, especially if the preemie is experiencing serious health complications. So, how can parents ensure that the older children are given proper support? Step 1: Self Care Parents need to focus on their own wellbeing before they can provide the support their children need. Taking time for a yoga class, a brisk walk, or a hot cup of tea can help you re-energize. Support groups and online forums can also be very helpful. It’s important for parents to seek out whatever form of emotional support works best for them. As any mental health professional will tell you, if you’re not taking care of yourself, you’re not taking care of your family. Step 2: Ask for Help Contacting other families who have experienced the same thing can be a great way to get advice and connect with others who understand. It’s also a good idea to ask the NICU if they have any special resources or programs geared toward children. For example, volunteers from Hand to Hold, a NICU support organization in Texas, work with certain NICUs to offer fun activity days called Sibling Sundaes. The hospital may also have a Child Life Specialist, who can help prepare siblings for visiting the new baby, or help them process their emotions. The March of Dimes has developed a NICU Family Support program, implemented in many U.S. hospitals, which offers informational materials for families and helps educate NICU staff about how to build networks of support. Dr. James Cook, Director of Neonatology at Geisinger Health System in Pennsylvania, says the March of Dimes program is, “The best way to involve families in the care of their babies.” The March of Dimes website also has informational articles, news, research, and health education specialists waiting to answer any questions. Step 3: Use Resources There are a variety of great Sibling Support resources available. Educational sibling support coloring or activity books can be very helpful. Come Home Soon, Baby Brother! (also available as Come Home Soon, Baby Sister!) uses illustrations and text to explain why the new baby can’t come home yet, how the NICU takes care of them, and what siblings can do to help. According to Elizabeth B. Mittiga, RN, BSN, from Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, these NICU Sibling Support Coloring Books, “Explain in terms that children can understand, allowing them the enjoyment of coloring the pictures as well.” Other resources designed to support NICU siblings, including activity pages, children’s books, and videos, can be found in the sidebar. There are many different ways that NICU families and hospitals can provide sibling support. Above all, preemie siblings just need to understand that they are cared for, loved, and an important part of the family.

Platypus Media announces the arrival of a new baby... baby mammal, that is! This is How I Grow was released in March. The Spanish language edition, Así crezco, will be released on October 7. Why are mammals so fascinating? It's probably because there are a huge variety of species that have families and childhood experiences just like you! While habitats, colors, and shapes all change, baby mammals still rely on their mothers’ milk for healthy growth, and look to their communities for support and guidance—in just the same way as human babies. This is How I Grow and Así crezco explore the different paths baby mammals take to become all grown up. Through beautiful, panoramic illustrations and fascinating text, kids learn how long baby mammals, such as whales, polar bears, and giraffes, take on their way to maturity. Showing children how mammals care for each other and their families in the natural world fosters empathy, kindness, and compassion in interpersonal and interspecies interactions. Take that empathy a step farther and get in touch with your wild side! Which baby mammal are you? Take our quiz to find out! Learn more about the baby mammals we're expecting! Bats, squirrels, and kangaroos... oh my! Watch all of these mammals grow up in This is How I Grow and Así crezco . Page through the expansive panoramic illustrations, and explore the vast diversity of the mammal world. Are you an educator? We have a wonderful Teacher's Guide to expand and extend the content in the book. To download, click here. The paperback editions retail for $12.95. Until September 30th, get each title for just $8.95! Just use the code GROW at checkout. Offer includes Free Shipping Voice: 202-546-1674 I Fax: 202-558-2132