#baltimore_md

[ganiyateniolah]

[milkforthought-blog]

Ryan's Road Journal: Baltimore

The Saturday of Breastfeeding Awareness Week was certainly a big one for Milk for Thought.  We wanted to celebrate in two places, so we made our way from the event at Howard University Hospital in DC down to Baltimore.  We were excited to join an event that had been in the plans for months, a walk to promote breastfeeding spearheaded by Baltimore WIC.  We arrived to the event after it had started and had quite the entrance.  At most stops the bus arrives before everyone else.  In Baltimore, we joined the event and the entire crowd was able to view the bus at the same time.  The energy was palpable.  There was some jumping, clapping and LOTS of pictures!  I got off the bus and was warmly greeted, as were my dad and mom. The attendees were very appreciative that we made a stop in Baltimore.  Some mentioned how Baltimore often gets overlooked, because people go to DC instead.  Well, we were happy to shine a bright light on the great things happening in Baltimore!  Baltimore is a community with lower breastfeeding rates.  The main culprits for low rates are its high level of poverty and the view of breastfeeding within the African American population.  This is where WIC comes in to tackle these issues and fortunately, they have passionate breastfeeding peer counselors who are committed to changing the culture one mom at a time.  The trend of improved rates will certainly continue due to the hard work of such dedicated people. As we were packing up, a man came up to me and started asking a lot of questions.  I soon learned that his fiancé was pregnant and that he wanted to know everything he could about how he could support her in breastfeeding.  I told him his desire to help puts her at a great advantage then let him know specific ways he could help by advocating on her behalf in the hospital, within their family (if necessary), and in public.  I also introduced him to local resources so that they could get prenatal support and identify potential sources of support if she faced challenges along the way.  He walked away excited about the information and I left inspired by his desire to help … a win-win!

- Ryan

[milkforthought-blog]

The Big Pink Bus is coming to ... Baltimore, MD on August 6!

Will Ryan toss on his Nikes and join the 2nd Annual Baltimore City WIC 3k Walk/Run? We'll find out when we arrive at the event and health resource fair on the afternoon of Saturday, August 6! The official event starts at 10 and we'll arrive at 12 noon and hang around until 3, so come say hello, share your story, and meet other moms and local resources!

Highlights of the Baltimore stop include ...

The Baltimore WIC Walk to celebrate World Breastfeeding Week will include thousands of breastfeeding moms, babies and supporters who will lace up their sneakers for the event at Druid Hill Park. We'll join them around noon and spend the afternoon with attendees and local resources from La Leche League, WIC, Maryland Breastfeeding Coalition, Zoe Maternity, and more, while the main event features a farmer’s market, entertainment, prizes, and more!

It's going to be a fun day, so come on out and look for the big pink bus for breastfeeding.

{Find out more about the Baltimore stop, and help us spread the word about the Latch On America Tour HERE!}