• Transportation of raw materials for the production of ABM, packaging and all of the components of bottle feeding consumes precious fuel. Once processed, ABM has to be transported, sometimes thousands of miles to reach the consumer.
  
• Manufacturing of bottles, nipples, and other feeding equipment uses large amounts of plastic, rubber, silicone, and glass. Plastic feeding bottles, nipples, and pacifiers take 200 to 450 years to break down when disposed of in landfills which are becoming increasingly scarce (8). Manufacturing these items also uses finite natural resources.
  
• For mothers who breastfeed exclusively menstruation is delayed for an average of 14 months, saving vast amounts of paper used in sanitary hygiene products (9).
  
• Breastfeeding is a natural birth control/child spacer. The chance of getting pregnant while breastfeeding exclusively is less than 1% during the first six months as long as menstruation has not yet returned (10).
  Breastfeeding is not just a lifestyle choice. It is a health issue for mother and infant, a social issue, and also an environmental issue (12). What an oxymoron! We sacrifice natural resources that could feed many people in order to raise cattle, then we sacrifice the cattle to feed fewer humans plus we feed our babies with the milk product of these same animals that, as we know, is not the best for them (11).
  Because of the far-reaching positive impact breastfeeding can make on our planet, it is imperative for anyone interested in protecting our children and our environment to do whatever possible to support, protect, and promote breastfeeding (12).
  

References:

1. M. Lee. Lactancia Materna, McGraw-Hill Interamericana, Mexico D.F., 1998: 141.
   
2. N. Baumslag and D. Michels. Milk, Money, and Madness: The Culture and Politics of Breastfeeding, ed. Bergin & Garvey, Westport, CT/London, 1995: 93.
   
3. J. Robbins. Can you Have your Environment and Eat it too? Vibrant Life. Review and Herald Publishing Association USA, 1992.
   
4. A. Radford. The Ecological Impact of Bottle Feeding. Breastfeeding Review May 1992: 204-208.
   
5. J. Robbins. How to Win an Argument with a Meat Eater. Earth Save International promotional poster.
   
6. J. Robbins. Can you Have your Environment and Eat it too? Vibrant Life. Review and Herald Publishing Association USA, 1992
   
7. A. Radford. The Ecological Impact of Bottle Feeding. Breastfeeding Review May 1992: 206.
   
8. Ross Mother's Survey, Ross Products Division, Abbott Laboratories, 1996. Word Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA), Breastfeeding Nature's Way, promotional pamphlet for World Breastfeeding Week, 1997.
   
9. N. Baumslag and D. Michels. Milk, Money, and Madness: The Culture and Politics of Breastfeeding, ed. Bergin & Garvey, Westport, CT/London, 1995:141.
   
10. T. Greiner. Breastfeeding and LAM [Lactation Amenorrhea Method of Contraception]: Beyond Conventional Approaches. World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA), Washington DC, May 1997.
    
11. W. Correa. ECO-MAMA, Mothering Magazine:July 1999.
    
12. M. Lee. Lactancia Materna, McGraw-Hill Interamericana, Mexico D.F., 1998: 152
    

Volunteer Opportunities: If you have experience with coordinating membership and fundraising activities, the SDCBC needs you!

Paid Opportunities: Are you IBCLC certified? Have experience teaching? We need presenters for our in-office lactation education program. (%50 honorarium/presentation)

Please contact the SDCBC office at (858) 966-5981 or email mmkennedy@chsd.org for more info.

Interested in having your jobs posted here? All lactation related jobs can be posted here for free! For more information, please call us at (858) 966-5981 or email us at mmkennedy@chsd.org.