Research To Inform Breastfeeding Policy, Messaging

I just got back from the Breastfeeding and Feminism Symposium, sponsored by the University of North Carolina, Greensboro’s Center for Women’s Health and Wellness and University of North Carolina’s Global Breastfeeding Institute. While I was there, I had the opportunity to present – along with Amber McCann – on how advocates can use social media to support the WHO code.  (Huge shout out to Sheryl Abrahams, whose research on social media use by formula companies informed our talk and to Norma Escobar, a WHO code advocate who recently wrote a must-read two part series at Lactation Matters on the relevance of the WHO code today.)

Research That Can Inform Your Work

I also learned about the incredible range of research that can and should be informing our work as on-the-ground advocates, communicators, and creators of education and programs for breastfeeding families. This conference should be on *must attend* list for anyone who wants to ensure the work they are doing is guided by the work of the anthropologists, public health experts, and other social scientists who are working to deepen our understanding of breastfeeding. Watch our birth and breastfeeding conference list for next year’s date.

Catch Up On The Twitter Stream And More

In the upcoming months, we’ll be talking with some of those researchers here at BirthSwell, with the goal of inspiring and informing your work. In the meantime, here’s the transcript from the Twitter stream. A huge thanks to the tweeps at the conference – including @iamambermccann, @anthrodoula, @NormaEscobar66 and @ghadago4it. And watch here for more information on how to learn more about our presentation on social media.

New! Follow The Conference On Facebook

Since this post was originally published, there’s a new Facebook page for the conference. Go click like and keep up with their work year-round.